Unit 52 Muzzleloader Elk Success

[crazyelk]

Went out with my Brian(bro-inlaw) this weekend on his unit 52 muzzleloader elk hunt. We started out hunting in the high country near the Cruces Basin Saturday morning. It was real slow up there. No bulls were talking, just one spike that was following us everywhere we went. There was a ton of hunters. I think they had been camped up there a couple of days before the hunt and their pre-hunt scouting/calling moved the elk out the area we hunted in the morning.

For the evening hunt we came down low and found this bull sqealing on a ridge. A couple of cow calls from a water hole brought him in for a 25 yard shot. Brian's .50 cal T/C Triumph with Blackhorn 209 pushing a Barnes 250 TMZ TKOed the bull within 50 yards.

We were very excited. Brian's boys, Brian Jr. and Alick(his first elk hunt) came out to witness their dad take a this bull. My son's Francisco Jr. and Santiago as always were also there to lend a helping hand. We were able to get this bull out whole in one trip using a new single wheeled game cart I just bought. It was about a one mile haul. The cart worked out great. I hope to get many more uses in the future.

This hunt was one that we will never forget. Especially Alick. I think he is hooked for life.

Brian

(L to R) Brian Jr, Brian Sr., and Alick

The Crew

 

[vinihunt]

awesome!! love the family crew!! big congrats!!!

will be up this weekend with buddy! hope we ll have a luck just as yours!

vinihunt

 

[nmmuley]

Great job!

 

[FAIRGAMENOW]

Nice bull guys. Really happy for you. Saw you cleaning the cart yesterday in the yard figured some carne was riding in it.

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

EEEH BROTHER LOVE IT! I love that country and dang it man do I love chasin the elk there...Congrats to Brian on another nice bull....

 

[Gator]

Hope I see one as nice in 51 next weekend, headed out tomorrow for the hunt.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[BEARBALZ]

Yea buddy!!! Nice looking bull.

 

[crazeymaez]

Nice job Cisco.I was out guiding in 53.And was unable to join my dad and brother on his unit 52 MI hunt.But he knocked down a great bull for 52 Saturday evening.Great group shot.

 

[crazyelk]

Crazymaes,

Thanks....How did you guys do in 53? I would love to hear about your dads hunt in 52 and see some pics of his bull. I should be back in TP next week. Might stop by if I get a chance. Will you be there? Later

 

[live4muleys]

Nice Job, It is always good when a young one goes along and gets to see a bull go down on his first hunting trip.

 

[twdjr]

Nice going, Congrats!

 

[crazeymaez]

Sorry bout the pics.Usually im the cameraman.They said the usual places were packed.
They called in a bigger bull Saturday morning but couldnt close the deal.Called this bull in Saturday evening to 30 yrds and
dropped him 6by7 broke off a devil point.Go to Jims website and check out the great bull my hunter got in 53 .

 

[hoytboy49]

Hey guys nice elk. I am happy for all of you involved.

 

[ElkSniper]

What a great bull!

 

[ElkSniper]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-10-09 AT 08:26PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-10-09 AT 08:26 PM (MST)

That is a big bull. What did he score? He looks like he is in the 310-320 range. Congrats.

 

[danndann3]

congrats well i went for tha first bull rifle and seemed the rut had passed but we didnt have luck lik you guys in 52 this year so congrats.

 

[Cuacopollo]

Crazy:

Tell us more about that 1 wheeled game cart... what brand, an how did it work?

 

[crazyelk]

The game cart we use is from Gametote. About 15 years ago, Gametote used to sell plans on how to make them. We bought them and made a version of one. It came out OK; we used it on many hunts but our cart was just to heavy and hard to deal with and hard to breakdown for transport. So I finally decided to break down and buy the real one. Thus far probably one of the best investments I have ever made. Might save your back. I do have an injured back. The way I see it, this game cart may have saved me a trip to the Dr. or hospital this time around...which could have been very expensive and worse of all painful.

This a great cart for hunting areas that do not allow game retrieval via motorized or if you don't want to carry them on your back or you have horses. Legal motorized retrieval of game is very limited in most of our NM units and will probably be non-existent in the near futures on public lands.

As I mentioned earlier, we hauled this elk whole minus the legs below the joints about a mile. Two adults (myself and my bro-inlaw) were needed for this chore. We were lucky. The haul was mostly downhill to flat. We did have small uphills to deal with but it was not bad at all. If we would have harvested the elk further back, we would have broke him down to quarters to make the hauler lighter. I have no doubt that this gamecart will make a very doable long haul with a quartered elk. Deer or antelope sized game should be a snap. In fact, this gamecart will be in our pickup next weekend on my son's deer hunt in Colorado and on his once in a lifetime oryx hunt in January '10.

Here is the website to gametote. Let me know if you have any other questions.

http://gametote.com/

 

[Garion33]

Nice bull! I miss elk hunting being up in Alaska.