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The 2014 HAC is underway and I'm very excited to see what this year has in store for us. Already this year is turning out on a great start! On my HAC I will be documenting all the hunts I am a part of for the 2014 season. All of these hunts will be DIY public land!
The first hunt of the 2014 season was a January archery deer hunt my Uncle had in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico. Note: (The majority of the hunts I will document will take place in the state of New Mexico)
This hunt was pretty cool because I have never been hunting in the Gila before and it was a great experience to be a part of. The road trip down there was very long being from Northern NM but it was entertaining with all the stories my Uncle was telling us about the previous weekends of this hunt. The night before we came up with a solid game plan according to the most deer activity my Uncle had been seeing. We decided to hunt these rolling foothills where my Uncle had got into a great buck the weekend before. The rutting buck was a wide 4x4 estimated to be about 28in wide.
[IMG]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos2/9431photo.jpg
Opening morning found us waking up with high hopes of locating the big buck from the weekend before. We started off glassing canyons and looking for the most recent sign. We hiked and hiked up and down ridges, glassing every chance we could get. All we could turn up was elk way off in the distance. With no fresh sign and sore eyes, we decided to call it a morning.
After a much needed nap and a quick lunch we came up with another game plan for the evening hunt. We decided to find the highest point possible and put our optics to work. We tore apart every little nook and cranny where we thought a buck might be hiding. Again all we could turn up were more elk. That night there was only one question we had on our minds? Where were all the deer at?
The next morning was our last day to hunt. We decided to hunt the same foothills we hunted on the first morning hoping to run into the same buck. It was very cold that morning compared to the day before. At first we thought we had spotted a group of deer until I pulled out the spotting scope?Nope! Just more elk.
Finally we ran into some deer later that morning. It was a group of 4 deer with one small buck. Unfortunately the little buck was too small. He was only a spike. Too bad he wasn?t the wide 4x4 because it would have been an easy 40 yard shot. On the way back to camp we spotted another small group of deer. This group didn't have buck with them but there was this fawn that was missing entire hind quarter. Amazing how that little one was still alive. It seemed fine too. It was running around like it was normal. My guess is that the little guy was born without it.
A more zoomed in pic
We decided to call it a hunt and packed up camp for the long haul home. On the way out a tall 4x4 crossed the road right in front of us. What Luck! We?ve been hunting hard all weekend only to have a buck cross the highway right in front of us. We were still in the unit so we pulled over and my Uncle followed him into the timber. 9 out of 10 times these situations never work out and unfortunately we never saw him again.
Although we did not harvest a deer this hunt, in my opinion was a successful hunt. I got to learn new country and had a great time hunting the Gila for the first time. More importantly it was fun hunting with my Uncle and Grandpa. The memories will last a lifetime and that's what its all about.
ElkSniper
The 2014 HAC is underway and I'm very excited to see what this year has in store for us. Already this year is turning out on a great start! On my HAC I will be documenting all the hunts I am a part of for the 2014 season. All of these hunts will be DIY public land!
The first hunt of the 2014 season was a January archery deer hunt my Uncle had in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico. Note: (The majority of the hunts I will document will take place in the state of New Mexico)
This hunt was pretty cool because I have never been hunting in the Gila before and it was a great experience to be a part of. The road trip down there was very long being from Northern NM but it was entertaining with all the stories my Uncle was telling us about the previous weekends of this hunt. The night before we came up with a solid game plan according to the most deer activity my Uncle had been seeing. We decided to hunt these rolling foothills where my Uncle had got into a great buck the weekend before. The rutting buck was a wide 4x4 estimated to be about 28in wide.
[IMG]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos2/9431photo.jpg
Opening morning found us waking up with high hopes of locating the big buck from the weekend before. We started off glassing canyons and looking for the most recent sign. We hiked and hiked up and down ridges, glassing every chance we could get. All we could turn up was elk way off in the distance. With no fresh sign and sore eyes, we decided to call it a morning.
After a much needed nap and a quick lunch we came up with another game plan for the evening hunt. We decided to find the highest point possible and put our optics to work. We tore apart every little nook and cranny where we thought a buck might be hiding. Again all we could turn up were more elk. That night there was only one question we had on our minds? Where were all the deer at?
The next morning was our last day to hunt. We decided to hunt the same foothills we hunted on the first morning hoping to run into the same buck. It was very cold that morning compared to the day before. At first we thought we had spotted a group of deer until I pulled out the spotting scope?Nope! Just more elk.
Finally we ran into some deer later that morning. It was a group of 4 deer with one small buck. Unfortunately the little buck was too small. He was only a spike. Too bad he wasn?t the wide 4x4 because it would have been an easy 40 yard shot. On the way back to camp we spotted another small group of deer. This group didn't have buck with them but there was this fawn that was missing entire hind quarter. Amazing how that little one was still alive. It seemed fine too. It was running around like it was normal. My guess is that the little guy was born without it.
A more zoomed in pic
We decided to call it a hunt and packed up camp for the long haul home. On the way out a tall 4x4 crossed the road right in front of us. What Luck! We?ve been hunting hard all weekend only to have a buck cross the highway right in front of us. We were still in the unit so we pulled over and my Uncle followed him into the timber. 9 out of 10 times these situations never work out and unfortunately we never saw him again.
Although we did not harvest a deer this hunt, in my opinion was a successful hunt. I got to learn new country and had a great time hunting the Gila for the first time. More importantly it was fun hunting with my Uncle and Grandpa. The memories will last a lifetime and that's what its all about.
ElkSniper