Drew New Mexico 2B first rifle super excited

[H8Brick]

After drawing the hard to get tag lots of people saying how tough the unit is past few years now i am like man this is a buzz kill

 

[link]

You can't look at it that way. Go kill a big one and prove them wrong.

 

[cosmic_cowboy]

You will dozen's of forks running with the doe, beside the road. The big boy's are a different story. GL... Most just give up and shoot a fork.

 

[H8Brick]

You will dozen's of forks running with the doe, beside the road. The big boy's are a different story. GL... Most just give up and shoot a fork.

I would rather go home empty handed than shoot a dink

 

[Sierra]

Moving the youth hunt to the rut didn’t help that unit.

 

[Buckjunkie]

Hunted it a long time ago, 2009. Could have shot a coupe in the 150-160 range. Met a guy on the way out, local gas worker. He said deer drives with guys shaking beer cans with pebbles was the way they hunted. He had lots of pics of big bucks. Wish I would have know that before the hunt.

 

[Wiszard]

Had this tag 3 years ago....was very disappointed in buck numbers. I hunted 4 days and saw 2 legal bucks before the season opened and nothing else. Ate tag soup. I would hunt resident deer on the south side of the unit. Snow in Pagosa, CO may not help move the deer down. Tons of snow 2 weeks before my hunt but the deer didn't cross into NM during my hunt.

 

[DeerHunter53]

There were monster bucks in this unit in the 80's when I lived in Farmington. Can't believe it has gone down hill this far. It wasn't unusual to see one or two big bucks each time we went out. Back then they had the 3 day hunt then the 5 day hunt I always hunted the 3 day hunt shot a lot of big bucks there.

 

[H8Brick]

Hell i might as well turn the tag in and save the 5k on the guide then lol

 

[Wiszard]

Hell i might as well turn the tag in and save the 5k on the guide then lol

Are you going to hire a guide? I certainly wouldn't pay $5k on a guide. I'd consider that if you are not banking on hunting migratory deer. I wish you luck.

 

[cosmic_cowboy]

Hunted it a long time ago, 2009. Could have shot a coupe in the 150-160 range. Met a guy on the way out, local gas worker. He said deer drives with guys shaking beer cans with pebbles was the way they hunted. He had lots of pics of big bucks. Wish I would have know that before the hunt.

Deer drives were very effective for us back in the 1990s but that was before the masses discovered the 2s back then there was also no 2c it was all 2b so we had a lot more ground to hunt. We took some very nice bucks back then, figured out where the bucks bedded and would wait till noon 1:00 PM and do a drive they would always escape the same way. I killed two bucks 4 years apart in exactly the same place, not 30 yards apart. It's not the same place it once was. My daughter drew last year 2b first hunt, we saw tons of doe and many forks. took a fork on the last morning for the meat. Never even saw a buck bigger than a fork.

 

[H8Brick]

Are you going to hire a guide? I certainly wouldn't pay $5k on a guide. I'd consider that if you are not banking on hunting migratory deer. I wish you luck.

Ya i put in through the outfitters pool which as you know increased my odds , i need all the help i can get from the sounds of the comments

 

[Sierra]

I think a guide would dramatically improve your odds of killing a really nice buck. I’ve seen some photos of recent 2B bucks on various outfitter sites that showed big bucks. They are still there, just not in the same numbers.

 

[H8Brick]

I think a guide would dramatically improve your odds of killing a really nice buck. I’ve seen some photos of recent 2B bucks on various outfitter sites that showed big bucks. They are still there, just not in the same numbers.

Well thats sumn different!! What outfitters i wanna see those pics if you have them thanks

 

[Elkhunter96]

Guides who know the unit kill some giants Where most people don’t hunt. The other parts of the unit are much better late...

 

[4corners_sportsman]

After drawing the hard to get tag lots of people saying how tough the unit is past few years now i am like man this is a buzz kill

Don’t let all of this negativity bring you down! I’m a local and there are some big bucks in unit 2b. Look at local guide pages and you will see the type of bucks that can come out of this area. One of the biggest bucks I’ve ever seen in my life (220+) was off the side of the Hwy 64 in August. They are tough to locate when the weather is hot but I killed a 5x11 buck on the first rifle season in 2b. I would be happy to draw this tag. Good luck and keep your head up!

 

[H8Brick]

Don’t let all of this negativity bring you down! I’m a local and there are some big bucks in unit 2b. Look at local guide pages and you will see the type of bucks that can come out of this area. One of the biggest bucks I’ve ever seen in my life (220+) was off the side of the Hwy 64 in August. They are tough to locate when the weather is hot but I killed a 5x11 buck on the first rifle season in 2b. I would be happy to draw this tag. Good luck and keep your head up!

Wow ,thanks i have the best guide in the area so ive heard Anthony Hampton so i know im in good hands , just when you hear all negative on FB and then on here guy from Kansas City not knowing nothing makes you think dang maybe last few years of the drought maybe there isnt any big ones ? Meaning 185 plus

 

[4corners_sportsman]

Anthony Hampton will get you a big one! I wouldn’t worry about what others say, just enjoy your hunt!

 

[H8Brick]

Anthony Hampton will get you a big one! I wouldn’t worry about what others say, just enjoy your hunt!

I will thank you for responding

 

[AaronS]

Forget the negativity and go have a great hunt. Develop a plan you have confidence in and stick with it. Help educate me though...seems like you are still shopping for an outfit? I was under the impression based on elk hunts that you have to have an outfitters code to be able to enter the outfitter draw, meaning you would already be locked into one. Do I have this wrong?

 

[H8Brick]

Forget the negativity and go have a great hunt. Develop a plan you have confidence in and stick with it. Help educate me though...seems like you are still shopping for an outfit? I was under the impression based on elk hunts that you have to have an outfitters code to be able to enter the outfitter draw, meaning you would already be locked into one. Do I have this wrong?

Ya i put in with an outfitter to help increase my odds of drawing imo the top 3 draws in new mexico for mule deer and drawed 2b, No not shopping for an outfitter as i feel i have the absolute best there is in that area , and trust me i do my homework and talk to them , when im finished talking to an outfitter i know if there full of bs or the real deal and from what ive seen and heard from everyone on fb , on here and neighbors he is the best