I spent last week in the forest chasing bull elk with my brother, dad, and cousin. Using muzzleloaders, we went 50% with two bulls taken. Though the focus was on bull elk, we took advantage of the remote area to do a little coyote calling and scouting for other predators. Game cam pictures revealed plenty of coyotes, foxes, a few bobcats, and even a large black bear. NM furbearer season doesn't open until November 15, so we could only target coyotes. Following are a few pictures I took during the hunt.
On the way to camp, I passed the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Very Large Array.
And these pronghorn.
After the opening morning hunt, during which I chased a nice six-point bull to no avail, we checked several ponds and tanks for fresh tracks and reviewed some game cam pictures. At one pond, fresh tracks indicated the presence of several coyotes, so my cousin and I decided to make a quick stand on the hike back to the truck. I always have a RR hand call on my elk lanyard, along with an Orion cow call. After about five minutes of calling, this nice female came charging in. I had hoped to get my cousin his first coyote, but this one came in where he couldn't see it, busted me at about 15 yards, and exited stage left. I got a shot at her just as she went out of sight. The 250 grain Barnes TEZ was very effective...
That night we got back in the elk action and I connected with this little 5x5 bull at about 125 yards.
Though my dad had just had knee surgery, he hiked out to see the bull and help with the quartering and, to a lesser extent, packing.
We broke the bull down using the gutless method and packed him out to the truck. Here's the aftermath.
After the next morning's hunt, my cousin and I tried again, this time successfully, to get his first called coyote. This time I used the open reed call from the Convergent Hunting Solutions Overseer Predator Pro Pack that I won in the raffle at the PM Convention last month in Nevada. Less than five minutes into the first stand using the call, this male came charging in and met a 40 grain Vmax from the .204 Ruger.
We continued to chase our tails, I mean elk, into Day 3. During a long hike in which my job was to be loud and smelly in an attempt to chase elk to those with unfilled tags, I stopped every so often to squeak a little. On my third attempt, kissing the back of my hand finally paid off when this furry male came in to investigate the squeaking. I got him with the 2010 Egg Shoot rifle shooting a 53 grain Vmax at about 15 yards in the thick timber.
While looking for tracks around another remote water tank, we bumped into a pair of badgers rooting around. This one came up for a break and to scowl at us.
I also got to exercise my little S&W .22 to bag an Abert's squirrel.
On the morning of the last day, my cousin put a bullet into this little guy's shoulder, then followed him into a steep canyon for the finishing shot.
Here he is recovering the meat for the pack out.
Off we go.
After getting bull on ice, we took an afternoon cruise to the nearest highway to see if there is a closer place to camp when we draw tags again in 15 years. At the highway intersection, we saw this example of what I jokingly and mockingly call New Mexico True.
The elk hunt ended with no further tags filled.
Before packing up and heading out, we made a few stands Thursday morning hoping to pick up a few more coyotes. On the first stand, I used a custom closed reed call (sorry, I don't remember the maker) to call in this rotund female.
Two stands later, I called in another coyote withe Convergent open reed, but he played things a lot smarter, circling us and eventually busting us before we could get a shot. Then on the last stand of the morning, this little guy came busting over the hill to the sounds of a Stone Coyote Calls cocobolo Bunny Bomb.
Hopefully I get a chance to return to this area for fox and bobcats after the furbearer season starts.
On the way to camp, I passed the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Very Large Array.
And these pronghorn.
After the opening morning hunt, during which I chased a nice six-point bull to no avail, we checked several ponds and tanks for fresh tracks and reviewed some game cam pictures. At one pond, fresh tracks indicated the presence of several coyotes, so my cousin and I decided to make a quick stand on the hike back to the truck. I always have a RR hand call on my elk lanyard, along with an Orion cow call. After about five minutes of calling, this nice female came charging in. I had hoped to get my cousin his first coyote, but this one came in where he couldn't see it, busted me at about 15 yards, and exited stage left. I got a shot at her just as she went out of sight. The 250 grain Barnes TEZ was very effective...
That night we got back in the elk action and I connected with this little 5x5 bull at about 125 yards.
Though my dad had just had knee surgery, he hiked out to see the bull and help with the quartering and, to a lesser extent, packing.
We broke the bull down using the gutless method and packed him out to the truck. Here's the aftermath.
After the next morning's hunt, my cousin and I tried again, this time successfully, to get his first called coyote. This time I used the open reed call from the Convergent Hunting Solutions Overseer Predator Pro Pack that I won in the raffle at the PM Convention last month in Nevada. Less than five minutes into the first stand using the call, this male came charging in and met a 40 grain Vmax from the .204 Ruger.
We continued to chase our tails, I mean elk, into Day 3. During a long hike in which my job was to be loud and smelly in an attempt to chase elk to those with unfilled tags, I stopped every so often to squeak a little. On my third attempt, kissing the back of my hand finally paid off when this furry male came in to investigate the squeaking. I got him with the 2010 Egg Shoot rifle shooting a 53 grain Vmax at about 15 yards in the thick timber.
While looking for tracks around another remote water tank, we bumped into a pair of badgers rooting around. This one came up for a break and to scowl at us.
I also got to exercise my little S&W .22 to bag an Abert's squirrel.
On the morning of the last day, my cousin put a bullet into this little guy's shoulder, then followed him into a steep canyon for the finishing shot.
Here he is recovering the meat for the pack out.
Off we go.
After getting bull on ice, we took an afternoon cruise to the nearest highway to see if there is a closer place to camp when we draw tags again in 15 years. At the highway intersection, we saw this example of what I jokingly and mockingly call New Mexico True.
The elk hunt ended with no further tags filled.
Before packing up and heading out, we made a few stands Thursday morning hoping to pick up a few more coyotes. On the first stand, I used a custom closed reed call (sorry, I don't remember the maker) to call in this rotund female.
Two stands later, I called in another coyote withe Convergent open reed, but he played things a lot smarter, circling us and eventually busting us before we could get a shot. Then on the last stand of the morning, this little guy came busting over the hill to the sounds of a Stone Coyote Calls cocobolo Bunny Bomb.
Hopefully I get a chance to return to this area for fox and bobcats after the furbearer season starts.
