Ate my Rifle Deer Tag in 34

[BigDaddyL]

Is it me or did everyone else have a difficult time locating the bucks in 34 this past week? I covered a lot of ground and never did find a buck. Found plenty of Does and Elk (both cows and bulls). I spent about an hour at 50 yards watching two bulls munch away on a hillside. Hopefully I can draw another deer tag next year before moving back east.

Good luck to everyone who still has tags.

 

[Ltsheets]

Sorry to hear that man. When are u moving east and to where?

 

[Bowdeadly]

In Sep we only seen 2 doe in 5 days. Hope in Jan the boys come out to play.

 

[BigDaddyL]

I retire next fall from the military and will hopefully be moving back to Virginia.

 

[Ltsheets]

Well hears to a great last draw as a Res! I moved back to NC in March where I'm from. I really miss the hunting in NM.

>I retire next fall from the
>military and will hopefully be
>moving back to Virginia.

 

[NewMexicoRob]

I spent 5 days and I also saw lots of nice bull elks ,turkeys, does and a fork and horns. not to many bucks, I imagine the weather was a factor, very hot and the full moon was nice and bright. But had an awesome time for a SOLO hunter. Tag soup for me too!

 

[efnm]

Thanks for the service and congrats on the retirement. NM will miss you, too, sheets, but I don't think the big bucks and bulls will! Where to in NC? My wife lived in Wilmington and Elon area and my brother's now in Cary.

I had the same luck scouting for deer in 16. Nothing but elk up close and a few does. We'll see if our luck changes next weekend but I still can't wait to get out, glass, and hike.

 

[BruceMc]

Unit 34 is a great unit for tag soup. But I do love to hunt there. We've been four years not hitting that tag but we always go to Cloudcroft for predator hunting if we don't draw. The folks in Cloudcroft and Mayhill have treated us great.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

Rifle hunts in MOST units are pretty slow. They can get pretty nocturnal this time of year. The bucks are there ,theyre just SUPER tough to find .If you take a drive in December and January you will definitely see them . Look at the time of day this pic was taken. This guy got up right at dark.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2018/6271956856.jpeg

 

[BigChiefJ]

I've ate a few 34 tags while seeing more does than I could count. One time I went to Cloudcroft and spent $40 on a "cheap" fifth of rum that may have permanently damaged my insides. Good times.

 

[BigDaddyL]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-06-18 AT 01:29PM (MST)[p]I guess I have a little relief hearing that I wasn't the only one who couldn't find one. Don't get me wrong, I don't wish the misery on everyone else at all. Just trying hard to get a respectable Mule Deer buck before I move back east. The chances of me coming back as a non-resident for these hunts is probably going to be very slim.

There definitely is not a reason for anyone to feel bad for us at all though, and I realize it. So far, between my 4 kids and I, we have been very successful the last 3 years. To date, I have harvested a black bear with a pistol (9mm, lol), an Oryx with 34.5" horns, and a 165" NM Rocky Mountain Bighorn. Between my 4 kids, they have harvested a 33.5" broken horn Oryx, a 269" 6X7 Bull Elk, a small Mule Deer buck with more of a whitetail looking set of antlers (his first Archery harvest ever), and two Antelope Pronghorns (69" and 74").

I have posted pictures on several threads in the past if you want to take a look at any of them. Anyway, I wish everyone a great rest of this season and an even better one next season.

 

[Bowdeadly]

A Bighorn sheep, no we don't feel sorry for you. We hate you. Lol
Just messing glad you were able to take great memories of NM with you.

 

[efnm]

So what's the suggested hunt approach if they're being hard to find, do you need to still hunt them in the ridges or tree line early/late,work each draw and hope to jump one? Something else instead of spot and stalk?

I'm asking for a friend....and me since we're going out this weekend in the Gila. I'm expecting a lot of hiking with guns, as we call it.

 

[BigDaddyL]

I am not sure what to tell you regarding what method to use. I tried walking ridges, I tried spot and stalk, I tried walking thick isolated areas, and I tried sitting over water. Nothing worked for me. The only thing I did not try because I did not have enough help with me was using friends as drivers and waiting on the other side for the bucks to flush out. Not sure it would have worked either with so much ground that would need covered. I imagine the best odds would be with getting up high somewhere with a lot of area to watch before daylight and hope to spot them before the get bedded down. I wish you luck!

 

[sandhillhunter]

I've eaten my share of 34 rifle deer tags. Bucks during the rifle season there are few and far between.

 

[garneroutlaw]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-20-18 AT 06:08PM (MST)[p]I just ate a 2nd week tag in 13. It was a poor hunt, but I learned a lot and found a couple honey holes for elk in that unit. I'm a rookie, but I feel BigDaddyL gave some great advice. Get up as high as you can, walk until you find fresh piss, sit and wait. Hit those places before the sun comes up. That's your best shot IMHO. No piss, no hunt. Don't even pay attention to tracks or water holes IMHO.