thanks NM from some non-res's...TRULY!

[adubs]

We just got back to WI from our 2nd season archery hunt in the northern part of the state and we had a blast! I know NM takes a lot of heat especially from my fellow non residents but there is no doubt about it, they have plenty of animals once you're there! We weren't lucky enough to draw tags this year even using an outfitter so we purchased LO tags that didn't break the bank and headed out. Long story shortened up we chased bugling bulls mornings and evenings and a couple of days they hammered all day. We hunted a unit that had areas of pressure but after some map time we located an area with lots of bulls and not one other hunter. We ended our season with 4 bulls down out of 5 guys and the only guy who didn't actually punch his tag had more opportunities to do so than the rest of us in camp! The largest bull scored 304 and some change and the other 3 were satelite bulls. My soon to be 67 yr old father put his bull down with a 63 yard shot on the last day when a bull walked out in the meadow we were having a snack next to. (god is good!) We got that entire episode on my brothers iphone to add to it. We only saw one bull bigger than the 304 and had him as close as 70 yds but couldn't get it done. We guessed him around that 320-330 range. My brothers, brother in-law, killed the 304 at 17 yds on the first day at 1:30 in the afternoon. They called him in shortly after a rain shower had passed. I killed my sat' bull on the second day while calling with my two brothers to a herd bull and his cows. I just couldn't pass up the chip shot at 20yds ( that arrow went over his back b/c of the steep angle, he came back through at 70 yds and I double lunged him on that shot after using my 60yd setting). After arrowing my bull, I called for my oldest brother the last 5 days and we literally had bulls come running and crashing into our setups. We watched a 270ish 6pt breed a cow a few times less than 60 yds away and had 3 different occasions where at least 5 different bulls we bugling witin 150-200yds of us.

I just want to say thanks to the locals that stopped in to say hi and congrats to us while we were in camp. We never encountered a single problem with anyone during our hunt and will definitely be back in a few years. (will be burning points our 5 pts in Wyoming and 10 pts in CO first). The sad part is we know our 11 pts in Colorado won't get us nearly the hunt we just had in NM and we'll have over a decade of building pts there!!

Sincerely,

5 extremley satisfied WI archery elk hunters!

 

[adubs]

just realized the photos I have are not jpegs so I'll add pics of the 304 bull tonight...or if someone knows how to get a .PNG photo loaded I'll email a photo to ya.

adubs

 

[muleywhisperer]

Thank you for sharing with us. I'm happy to hear the our amazing state was kind to you all! These are the type of testimonials that I log on too and enjoy reading. Appreciative non-residents like your self are the type of hunters that I take days off work for to assist in the field. Good luck and continue to apply here in NM, its only a matter of time before you are rewarded with that tag of a lifetime.

 

[hunting1]

Congrats and glad you had a great experience. To convert a PNG to JPG just save as.

 

[twdjr]

Congrats to you & your group on the great hunt!

 

[adubs]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-14 AT 08:03PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-14 AT 07:51?PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-14 AT 07:50?PM (MST)

here is a pic of the largest bull we got?

 

[JRABQ]

Great hunt, nice bull, glad yall had fun.

 

[NMPaul]

Nice bull. I seen some guys call that a 330 bull.

 

[cmbbulldog]

Sounds like a great time, congrats.

 

[earlyriser]

Glad you had a great time. The hunter in the pic looks happy!

 

[Gator]

Sounds like a awesome hunt.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[12ring]

Awesome job guys. Man oh man pictures can be deceiving. Either making a animal look bigger or smaller. That bull looks much bigger than a 304" bull.

 

[greatwestern]

See the General forums "Lost Animals" thread before ya get all happy for this dude and his crew

And ya, I've defended NR opportunity in this state from the get go, but I'd be happier if guys like this stayed at home

 

[dmaxarchr]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-26-14 AT 11:27PM (MST)[p]Wow! I bet the LO was real happy with u guys injuring all the elk on his place! Stupid decision to shoot another bull while tracking the first one ur bro shot the same day!

 

[cosmic_cowboy]

Well after reading adubs post in the General fourm I'm shocked.
I hear this ##### every year about guys sticking a bull an not finding him.And the phrase they use is THATS BOW HUNTING Well thats bull ##### !! The bow hunters have the best season they can hunt in the rut and way to many Bulls are never recovered. Takeing 100 yd shots is part of the problem. But its the attitude that (thats bow hunting) that drives me crazy.
Like Adam said IF YOU STICK A BULL YOUR HUNT IS OVER!!
Jack

 

[adubs]

so in your opinion sticking a bull and tracking it for 1.6 miles by gps and over half of that is up hill you should stop hunting and stay in camp. In my opinion that bull was not lethally hit and I felt perfectly fine telling my brother to take the second shot. If thats not what you would do well thats your choice. I was simply being honest and letting Grizz know that even if you do all that you can to ensure a quick clean kill it doesn't always happen. I wasn't just saying thats bowhunting and the heck with it, stick as many as you can. You have no idea the way we both felt, and the conversation we had the entire day while tracking that bull. And the entire next day spent looking for them again. You can sit on your mighty throne and look down at me all you want. I know why type of hunters we are and what took place that day. I don't need you or your opinion to validate what we accomplished on this hunt. We never took a singe shot that wasn't well within out effective ranges and we pursued every animal to the fullest extent we could. I know there are strong feelings about wether or not you should punch you tag if you hit an animal. I think if you believe that animal is mortally wounded and won't live than yes you should punch your tag. If the hit most likely won't cause the animal to die than I won't and I didn't suggest him to do it either. Cast all the stones you want, like I said it was a 30 and 50yd shot at two nearly broadside animals, they weren't 100yd hell mary's!! Either way nothing you say will change what took place and nothing you say will change my opinion and actions on future hunts. I respect the opinions of those who think if you hit an animal your hunt should be over. I don't agree and will continue to hunt and pursue these animals the same way I always have. I lost one bull in colorado in 2002 and I literally cried the 3 miles back to camp and didn't want to hunt any longer. That lost bull was hit well but a storm blew in and washed the blood before we recovered it. This was our 16th hunt together and until this year, that was the only bull we'd hit without recovering. My brother had never lost any animal period to this point so this was certainly unchartered territory for us. You all make it sound like because this happened to him it should take away from my bull, my other brothers bull, Mikes great 6 pt, and my 67 year old fathers bull. Screw you guys for passing judgement on us so quickly! We practice hard, hunt hard, and do the best we can. 3 lost bulls for 4 guys over 16 years (most years we have at least 1 to 5 other guys come with us, so it's been way more than 64 tags/hunts) it's not like we're out there slinging arrows and leaving bulls all over the mountain!

either way, you can cast your internet opinions out and pass all the judgement you feel necessary on me and my family. We all feel terrible about not being able to recover the elk but we are confident in ourselves and the types of hunters we are.

adubs

 

[cosmic_cowboy]

Well adubs you said it all in that last post. the bull you stuck will DIE... I find them every spring. Its hunters like you and your crew that we NM residents HATE so go ##### yourshef and hunt your own yard. Or grow up( you pup) and respect the the ground and animals you hunt.I have stood up for NR hunters in the past but its jokers like you that sour my opinion of NR hunters. Bull Elk are not White tails.Hopefully one day you will realize this and change your ways.
Jack

 

[adubs]

terynitup,

we did take bull number 1 well past where bull number 2 was hit. By the time we ran out of blood on bull number 1 we were nearly 2 miles into that track job. He never bedded once and scaled the most rugged ridge in our entire area without bedding. the blood was always in the middle of the track, never out the side, and was not the bright red oxygenated blood you want. We first thought liver because the blood was dark?but in our experience a liver hit animal will still act sick even though they live longer and go further than a lung hit. There is no way to know 100% if bull 1 is dead or alive as I type this. However we didn't give up on that bull after the second bull came into the picture. We had to walk 6 miles the following day just to get back to last blood on the first bull and to search for the second. We looked the best we could for bull 2 and with no blood, arrow, or track. We did body searches for .7 miles, with 2 guys, twice on each side of the drainage he was in. We never found a drop of blood or sign of that elk. After exhausting all options on that bull, we went back to bull 1 and took his trail until we couldn't follow it any longer.

At the end of the day I don't see the situation any different had we trailed the first bull until out of blood and then a day or two later in the hunt seen bull number 2 and had that situation play out at that point in the hunt. Again I understand some believe that once you draw blood your tag should be punched regardless of the outcome. I go with my instinct of wether or not I feel the animal is dead. I'm in no way making light of the situation or saying it was a good thing that took place. It's embarrassing and something I hope to never have to experience again. If others on this or any other forum want to pass judgement and come to the conclusion we are bad people and bad hunters?thats well within their rights.

cosmic,

I've personally hunted NM 3 times and watched 3 bulls die shortly after pulling the trigger. I'll be back in YOUR state several times before I put my bow and rifle away for good. It amazes me how people can come to such quick and concrete assessments of a person based on one story on an internet forum. You weren't there, you didn't see the blood, you didn't track the animal, you don't know us from adam, yet your qualified to say what you want b/c the first amendment allows you to. Have at it, I won't lose any sleep over your thoughts or words?the only sleep I'll lose is thinking about those two elk. Looking back, I wish the second bull wouldn't have even came into the picture, especially when it did. Shortly after taking up the trail on bull 1 we had 20 or so elk go by us at 25 yards, with 4 or 5 decent 4x's and 5x's in with the cows and calves, we looked at each other and laughed thinking it only gets that easy when you already have one down. If we were looking to just shoot another bull for the heck of it to fill one of the other tags we would've had plenty of opportunity to do so right then and there. We also had elk bugling near us almost the entire time we were on bull 1's blood. I never thought to call to them or even bothered paying much attention to them. It wasn't until bull 1 hit a steep drainage and went down into it and then straight up the other side that we had to entertain the idea that we might not find him. I didn't think an animal even as tough as an elk could take a hit to the vitals and travel over a mile and 1/2 with more than half of that up a steep ridge and survive. This however was our first experience on an elk taking a blood trail that far. That fact is I am more experienced in tracking Deer and I do rely on those experiences when tracking an elk.

have any of you tracked an elk for over 2 miles in a situation like we were in and actually found that animal? I'm not being sarcastic or attempting to sound like an @$$ either. Im sincerely asking if you have? the blood we were on was anywhere from tiny hard to see drops up to nickel size when he would jump logs. It was always in the center of his track and dark, dark red in color. No bubbles, no spray, and never a puddle or out to the side. We've asked ourselves a thousand times what type of hit could lead an animal to bleed for nearly 2 miles up hill and down, where the animal and its track never showed any sign of being sick?? At this point we are trying to learn from this blood trail...

 

[mntman]

sounds like a great time, thanks for sharing!

Don't know all the details but agree with you adubs. If I wound an animal and put in my best effort to find it but can't, I will not punch my tag just because.

I wounded a bull a few years ago, looked for 2 days (can't remember the distance) was sad and torn. Took a day off and thought it over, started hunting again to fill my tag.

Doesn't sound like what you do but if someone just went around shooting animals repeatedly after searching for a few minutes that is different and bad.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"


>wah wah wah......
a certain individuals response on 8/12/2014 to anyone that commits suicide.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID11/19864.html
There are many things that would be nice to wish for or say but then I would be just like him.

 

[adubs]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-14 AT 07:55AM (MST)[p]A request to those of you who wrote negative comments about the lost bulls?

The young man (mike) who shot the nice 6pt, and the reason why I created this thread will be reading all of this at some point?and I'd rather he didn't have all the negative messages about the lost bulls take away from his trophy. Mike lost his father to a hunting accident when he was young. A trespasser shot him before legal shooting light and this was his second elk hunt and first bull he has taken. It was a great moment for all of us but especially mike. If you want to blast me and my brother for the lost bulls, just move the comments to the general forum and edit these out. It's not for me but I told him I would write up a story and he would get to see all the comments about how impressive it is to take a 300+ bull on public DIY. I just don't want him to come on here and then see mostly "critical" reply's about our hunt. If you don't feel it necessary to edit you messages, I'll just delete all of mine and let it be at that?

p.s.

Mtman, you went out on a limb typing words of support and I appreciate that... SINCERELY!

Adubs

 

[NMPaul]

I planned on staying out of this, but, I read your comment about "Mike" and as always there is more to the story.

I did not catch the original comments that got some guys fired up before they were deleted. Not sure what they said. I do know guys like Jack (Cosmic_cowboy) are good guys and guys that love hunting.

Lots of times, I will read something and I question it. But, I always apply the internet rule to it.
It is hard for most of us to put our thoughts in writing and get our point across. When someone types something, I normally give them the benefit of the doubt that other things may have happened in the field that explains something odd that they wrote.
Lots of guys are not internet savvy.
Now a pic of a kid, with the gun bolt closed pointed at the kid, will bother me. It is our job to teach kids gun safety.

All that being said, I had my first archery hunt in 5-6 years on a very small private ranch and it did not go well. In my previous archery hunts, I have shot 4 arrows and recovered 3 animals. I cannot understand what happened on the 4th (a nice buck).
This last archery hunt I had did not help my average. I will leave it at that.

I am hunting my ML deer tag right now, and I found a 6x6 bull most likely killed in the recent archery hunt. I cannot judge who shot it or what happened.
It looks like a far back shot, and where I found this bull, I will bet this bull went at least 2-4 miles. It was in the middle of nowhere. We back pack into a spike camp for deer and it is an ugly hike in, and I glassed this dead elk up another mile away from where we normally go. That bull went a long ways before it died.

I will post some pics of it, and call the Warden to get a receipt to recover it. I think I would have had a mutiny on my hands if I told my son he was packing it out.

 

[TerynItUp]

Adubs,
Again, I apologize. I didn't mean any disrespect. I tried editing my initial post but I guess I can't because the timeframe expired.

Paul, maybe you can erase my initial post? I don't want to take away from these guys' hunt.

On another note, I am glad you all enjoyed your time here in NM, this is one helluva special place.

Hunt Hard. Shoot Straight. Kill Clean. Apologize to No One.

 

[Ropinfool]

nice bulls

you probably shoulda quit while you were ahead and not post so much info. and you should have left out the part about shooting another bull while you were still tracking. took all your atta boys away. ive lost animals but i have to admit, that sounds pretty crappy of you guys.

 

[RabidRattleSnake1]

I have lost animals before too. On one elk hunt I was so disgusted I just quit and went home. On another elk hunt I kept going after looking for two days for my bull. With the first one I screwed up the shot and called it quits after not finding him. On the other hunt where I kept hunting I decided to keep going since I felt I had a decent hit (liver), but had another hunter push the bull after I shot. I even told the jerk that I just shot a bull and he ran down the hill. The guy went straight where the bull ran anyway. In that case I figured it wasn't necessarily my fault and I was fairly confident I would have found that bull had the other hunter not pushed him based on the blood I did find up to where the other guy jumped him.

In this case you described I wouldn't care so much if you were not finding blood and just didn't have any options. Everyone is different and would make calls all over the place. BUT TO ABANDON AN ACTIVE BLOOD TRAIL IS ANOTHER THING ENTIRELY! In my book that is about the same as giving up a blood trail when an animal goes into a canyon that is too steep to get a truck or quad in.

 

[contender]

He did say he was coming back. Maybe every state that holds elk should put a draw blood fill tag clause in their hunting laws. Some people just don't get it and have to be told what to do. A law like that may make some people think about the outcome before taking a long shot or low percentage shot. I have lost animals over my 42 years of hunting but never was looking for a double and never will.

 

[cosmic_cowboy]

adubs I am sorry I got so mad at you on an internet fourm but I just can't understand why some people make BAD choices in the feild.Everyone will probable loose an anmial sooner or later. The problem I have is shooting another while on a blood trail no matter the color of blood or the apparent health of the anmial.
Bull Elk are tough SOBs and can go way farther than you can belive.
I know of 3 bulls that have been found dead and ROTTEN this year from the bow hunt. A kid that works for me found one this weekend... a beautiful 6X6 arrow was a little far back and the coyotes and birds ate him.This just makes me sick.I hope you have learned from your hunt this year.
Jack

 

[RioHuntNutt]

Congrats to you and your family on a great hunt ,glad you guys had a good time and your dad tagged out.I know for me its more for my dad to wrap his tag than me, so Im glad to hear your pops got his bull.Thanks for sharing it ...

 

[lovehunting]

Adubs,

I respect your courage to share your story on this forum. If you have been hunting for long you and I as well as others will loose an animal. Sounds like you had a great time in our state. I am glad you were successful. There is no felling worse then wounding an animal, not knowing if it will live or die,whether it is suffering or not, I know that pain and it comes with the territory what ever your choice of weapon may be. I have a muzzle hunt this weekend and as always I will say my hunters prayer the night before. God please if I get an opportunity may it be a quick and clean kill. Congratulations on your hunt and thanks for sharing..

Jack