H
huntsonora
Guest
I had a great hunt this past weekend down in NM. I had a friend of mine, reigning PrideFC Champion and current UFC fighter Dan Henderson, come down and hunt for a "management" buck on a ranch owned by another friend of mine Olin Clawson.
We had two options, our first choice was a mature heavy horned 3x4 with a kicker that would have grossed in the mid 170's, and our second choice was a buck named Camelback due to the hump on his back. This deer is 28" wide and really no forks to speak of but is super old, 10+yrs.
Unfortunately we could not turn up the bigger buck so Dan decided to take Camelback on Tuesday morning. Here is a pic of Dans buck
Once Dan was done we hunted for me. Tuesday evening found Dan, Olin and I hunting some of the most scenic rim country you could ever imagine. Dan and I glassed in one spot and Olin worked his way down the rim to glass some other areas. Dan and I had glassed 2 good bull elk and were looking for deer when Olin came running back right before dark to tell us about a group of 3 bucks he had spotted a mile or so away. We tried to find them in the spotting scope but couldnt turn them up in the fading light.
The next morning found up just above where Olin had spotted the 3 bucks the night before. We had been there about 30 minutes and Dan made the spot of the hunt. He found one of the bucks standing in a thick group of pinons. Olin took a look and thought that it was definately one of the bucks but not the best of the group. I decided to bail off the rim and get closer to see if I could spot the other bucks in the thick timber from a diferent vantage point that was actually within range. Dan and Olin stayed up on the rim to glass them if I blew them out. Once I had arrived on the ridge I could see right where the buck was bedded down. I wasnt there 10 minuted and he was up and moving towards an opening. I could have shot this buck a couple of times as he walked in the trees but held off hoping to see the biggest of the group of 3. Olin told me that he was a big 4x4 with extras. Unfortunately there wasnt another shot opportunity and the other 3 bucks never materialized. Here is a pic of the deer I passed up
As I sat there watching the buck Dan spotted move off into the thick pinons I glanced over and saw a giant matate with the mono still in it. This was definately worth bailing off of the rim. The last person to touch that mono was an indian and I sat there and tried to imagine what their life was life back then. I wondered if they had seen giant deer right off that ridge and what kind of meals were prepared with these tools. I left the matate sitting there just as it has been for centuries. Here are a couple pics of the matate and mono
The memories of this hunt will last a lifetime, it just doesnt get any better! All in all we killed a great deer that had lived a very long life, seen a couple bigger deer and glasses 3 bulles that would gross over 380". Great friends, big bucks and bulls and scenic country. It reminded me why I love to hunt
Drum
We had two options, our first choice was a mature heavy horned 3x4 with a kicker that would have grossed in the mid 170's, and our second choice was a buck named Camelback due to the hump on his back. This deer is 28" wide and really no forks to speak of but is super old, 10+yrs.
Unfortunately we could not turn up the bigger buck so Dan decided to take Camelback on Tuesday morning. Here is a pic of Dans buck
Once Dan was done we hunted for me. Tuesday evening found Dan, Olin and I hunting some of the most scenic rim country you could ever imagine. Dan and I glassed in one spot and Olin worked his way down the rim to glass some other areas. Dan and I had glassed 2 good bull elk and were looking for deer when Olin came running back right before dark to tell us about a group of 3 bucks he had spotted a mile or so away. We tried to find them in the spotting scope but couldnt turn them up in the fading light.
The next morning found up just above where Olin had spotted the 3 bucks the night before. We had been there about 30 minutes and Dan made the spot of the hunt. He found one of the bucks standing in a thick group of pinons. Olin took a look and thought that it was definately one of the bucks but not the best of the group. I decided to bail off the rim and get closer to see if I could spot the other bucks in the thick timber from a diferent vantage point that was actually within range. Dan and Olin stayed up on the rim to glass them if I blew them out. Once I had arrived on the ridge I could see right where the buck was bedded down. I wasnt there 10 minuted and he was up and moving towards an opening. I could have shot this buck a couple of times as he walked in the trees but held off hoping to see the biggest of the group of 3. Olin told me that he was a big 4x4 with extras. Unfortunately there wasnt another shot opportunity and the other 3 bucks never materialized. Here is a pic of the deer I passed up
As I sat there watching the buck Dan spotted move off into the thick pinons I glanced over and saw a giant matate with the mono still in it. This was definately worth bailing off of the rim. The last person to touch that mono was an indian and I sat there and tried to imagine what their life was life back then. I wondered if they had seen giant deer right off that ridge and what kind of meals were prepared with these tools. I left the matate sitting there just as it has been for centuries. Here are a couple pics of the matate and mono
The memories of this hunt will last a lifetime, it just doesnt get any better! All in all we killed a great deer that had lived a very long life, seen a couple bigger deer and glasses 3 bulles that would gross over 380". Great friends, big bucks and bulls and scenic country. It reminded me why I love to hunt
Drum
Just kidding!
