B
boot
Guest
I'm needing information on this years mule deer outlook for ne new mexico,Raton area.I'll be hunting private land southeast of Raton.Has anyone hunted this area in previous years?
B
brock
Guest
boot,
I hunted just east of Raton close to the town of Folsom. I hunted the T.O. ranch.That was a about 5 years ago. the deer were down in that area then. the ranch seemed to have been hunted hard. are you booked with an outfitter up there? depends on what class deer you are looking for. i took a slick 4 by 4 that gross scored 163. not a monster but a nice deer. i hunted w kirk kennedy http://www.huntinfo.com/kennedy/deer.htm he hunts a good bit in colorado now ranching for wildife hunts that are as expensive as sonora! he is a little high but he puts on a good hunt.
good luck.
brock
I hunted just east of Raton close to the town of Folsom. I hunted the T.O. ranch.That was a about 5 years ago. the deer were down in that area then. the ranch seemed to have been hunted hard. are you booked with an outfitter up there? depends on what class deer you are looking for. i took a slick 4 by 4 that gross scored 163. not a monster but a nice deer. i hunted w kirk kennedy http://www.huntinfo.com/kennedy/deer.htm he hunts a good bit in colorado now ranching for wildife hunts that are as expensive as sonora! he is a little high but he puts on a good hunt.
good luck.
brock
T
Texas_Hunter
Guest
I have hunted all around NE New Mexico for elk, mule deer and antelope. We hunted there last in 2002 for mule deer - South of Des Moines (about 6 - 8 miles from the TO Ranch). I have also hunted the Folsom area quite a bit. We probably won't be going back since the tresspass fees have gotten out of sight - supply and demand along with private land permits are just too rich for me. Not to mention the outfitters have leased up most of the good ranches.
Anyhow, the mule deer populations have really dropped over the last 6 to 8 years. Not sure if it is because of the mountain lions or the expanding elk population. We used to see 8 to 10 bucks with 2 or 3 shooters a day. On our last hunt we hunted hard and saw a number of does but only little bucks (forkorns, 3x3's, and basket rack 4x4's (16" spread)) until the last day (we saw four good bucks. 28" 3x3, the two bucks we killed, and nontypical 3x3 25" wide with all kinds of trash We hunted the hay circles, the alfalfa fields, glassed from the rimrocks, searched under every tree we could see for bucks bedded up.
You are not going to see many deer, but when you see a mature buck he has a real good chance at being a toad! There were 9 of us in camp - a 202" 19" Wide (extremely long tines) 8x6 was killed the first morning. We killed our two bucks locked antlers 30 minutes before dark on the last day of the season. One scored at 172 (27" wide) and the other scored at 158.
I am a pretty big guy (weigh 245#) in the picture to give you a reference. The two bucks we knew were mature animals but couldn't see their antlers before we shot - we counted 3-2-1 Boom and then shot. I was right and shot the buck on the right, Dad was left and shot the buck on the left.
My dad's buck - he was 20" wide....16" G2's and 11" G4's - 22" Beams and 5" bases. He was a really old buck....
My buck was really broken up and I found 5 of the 6 broken antler tips where they were fighting. Never found the right main beam piece. He is 27" wide w/ 17 1/2 G2's and 12" G4's and 28" Beams (left side) - his antlers are thin with only 3 1/2" bases which is why he probably got broken up. We guessed him at either 3 1/2 or 4 1/2.
Broke up antlers:
After Taxidermy: (front view)
Side view
An above average mature buck is pretty similar to mine in that area - 170 to 175 in the 26" to 28" wide-range. I saw another buck killed on a neighboring ranch and it was in the 170 range 26" wide, not as long tines as mine, but much heavier. Hope it helps.
Anyhow, the mule deer populations have really dropped over the last 6 to 8 years. Not sure if it is because of the mountain lions or the expanding elk population. We used to see 8 to 10 bucks with 2 or 3 shooters a day. On our last hunt we hunted hard and saw a number of does but only little bucks (forkorns, 3x3's, and basket rack 4x4's (16" spread)) until the last day (we saw four good bucks. 28" 3x3, the two bucks we killed, and nontypical 3x3 25" wide with all kinds of trash We hunted the hay circles, the alfalfa fields, glassed from the rimrocks, searched under every tree we could see for bucks bedded up.
You are not going to see many deer, but when you see a mature buck he has a real good chance at being a toad! There were 9 of us in camp - a 202" 19" Wide (extremely long tines) 8x6 was killed the first morning. We killed our two bucks locked antlers 30 minutes before dark on the last day of the season. One scored at 172 (27" wide) and the other scored at 158.
I am a pretty big guy (weigh 245#) in the picture to give you a reference. The two bucks we knew were mature animals but couldn't see their antlers before we shot - we counted 3-2-1 Boom and then shot. I was right and shot the buck on the right, Dad was left and shot the buck on the left.
My dad's buck - he was 20" wide....16" G2's and 11" G4's - 22" Beams and 5" bases. He was a really old buck....
My buck was really broken up and I found 5 of the 6 broken antler tips where they were fighting. Never found the right main beam piece. He is 27" wide w/ 17 1/2 G2's and 12" G4's and 28" Beams (left side) - his antlers are thin with only 3 1/2" bases which is why he probably got broken up. We guessed him at either 3 1/2 or 4 1/2.
Broke up antlers:
After Taxidermy: (front view)
Side view
An above average mature buck is pretty similar to mine in that area - 170 to 175 in the 26" to 28" wide-range. I saw another buck killed on a neighboring ranch and it was in the 170 range 26" wide, not as long tines as mine, but much heavier. Hope it helps.
B
boot
Guest
>What ranch are you hunting? SE
>sounds like the Old Reba?????
>now owned by Spanish Trials,
>LLC That would be with
>Kiowa.....
>Jim
It is the Reba.Will be hunting with Toma Hawk.Have you ever hunted the Reba?
>sounds like the Old Reba?????
>now owned by Spanish Trials,
>LLC That would be with
>Kiowa.....
>Jim
It is the Reba.Will be hunting with Toma Hawk.Have you ever hunted the Reba?
B
boot
Guest
Good looking deer Texas Hunter!!
Boot-I have not hunted it. I am ranch real estate appraiser and have a pretty good knowledge of NENM ranches and the Reba was only unit I could think of that would have good habitat SE of Raton. It is a very cool place. I'll bet you will have a good hunt. Like mentioned above, our herds have been hit hard over the past several years. Drought, lions and yotes have combined to drive herds into the tiolet. I'll bet the fawn crop last year and this summer should have turned things a bit. However, we will probably not see the true benefit of the turn around for a couple of years. Kiowa used to have the lease when Dr. Archer owned the ranch. I have not heard of Toma Hawk. Good Luck. Jim at www.newmexicobiggamehunting.com
B
brock
Guest
Tex,
what part of texas you from? I am from Texas. Is the Folsom Inn still there? man i have had my beer googles on in that place!
boot-
When I was up on the T.O. we found a lion kill or two( old and fresh). A day or so before we got there my guide found one really fresh one that had been covered partially. I mean within hours of the kill. Blood had barely started to congeal. Kinda sent a shiver up your spine wondering if old tom was perched up there looking at you. I dont think we can blame it all on the lions though. i think it is a combo of a few things as like overhunting, predation, habitat..... depends on what your expectations are on your hunt. JWRFC would probably be more inclined to be right since he cuts out a living looking at these places and if you spend that much time in an area you will notice game etc. since it would probably be included in an appraisal hunting opps etc. he would be inclined to notice. At least that is usually the case in south texas. big selling point is the wildlife, hunting or trophy potential i think. correct me if i am wrong J.
speaking of lions anybody know a good houndsman up that way? i slated to hunt down around Vegas NM this year. I am always open to looking at a new area and new
pack of hounds.
brock
what part of texas you from? I am from Texas. Is the Folsom Inn still there? man i have had my beer googles on in that place!
boot-
When I was up on the T.O. we found a lion kill or two( old and fresh). A day or so before we got there my guide found one really fresh one that had been covered partially. I mean within hours of the kill. Blood had barely started to congeal. Kinda sent a shiver up your spine wondering if old tom was perched up there looking at you. I dont think we can blame it all on the lions though. i think it is a combo of a few things as like overhunting, predation, habitat..... depends on what your expectations are on your hunt. JWRFC would probably be more inclined to be right since he cuts out a living looking at these places and if you spend that much time in an area you will notice game etc. since it would probably be included in an appraisal hunting opps etc. he would be inclined to notice. At least that is usually the case in south texas. big selling point is the wildlife, hunting or trophy potential i think. correct me if i am wrong J.
speaking of lions anybody know a good houndsman up that way? i slated to hunt down around Vegas NM this year. I am always open to looking at a new area and new
pack of hounds.
brock
B
brock
Guest
tex,
sorry i meant to tell you, nice bucks! good looking mount too. who does your t-dermy?
brock
sorry i meant to tell you, nice bucks! good looking mount too. who does your t-dermy?
brock
B
brock
Guest
Jim,
Thanks for the info. what size cats does this old boy catch? Did they fill the unit quota last year? I am slated for a return trip this Jan. the weather has not been very cooperative for lion up there in the last year or two. Another thing is logistics
we had a fresh snow last year and I was trying to get out of here (Virginia) and heck by the time I lined everything up with work the snow was melting to slush. So i held off. It is really tough the way I work just to be on call and a leave at the drop of a hat. My guide cut a track during that snow, but it was small tom. He went ahead and ran it when he found out I couldnt come in time. he let him go. I am sure the rancher(s) may not have liked that. He just wanted to stretch the legs on the hounds a little.make sure they still had it in them. If it does not work out I may give this guy a call. I have a buddy that wants a lion but i think he is committed to old mexico for white tail this year. Ill find out and if he is interested i'll put him in touch with your guy in Rat-town.
Brock
Thanks for the info. what size cats does this old boy catch? Did they fill the unit quota last year? I am slated for a return trip this Jan. the weather has not been very cooperative for lion up there in the last year or two. Another thing is logistics
we had a fresh snow last year and I was trying to get out of here (Virginia) and heck by the time I lined everything up with work the snow was melting to slush. So i held off. It is really tough the way I work just to be on call and a leave at the drop of a hat. My guide cut a track during that snow, but it was small tom. He went ahead and ran it when he found out I couldnt come in time. he let him go. I am sure the rancher(s) may not have liked that. He just wanted to stretch the legs on the hounds a little.make sure they still had it in them. If it does not work out I may give this guy a call. I have a buddy that wants a lion but i think he is committed to old mexico for white tail this year. Ill find out and if he is interested i'll put him in touch with your guy in Rat-town.
Brock
