willidru
WKR
So I drew a really good unit in NM this year. Big expectations as for the last 6 years I’ve been killing Colorado rag horns and cows.
I knew I would not be able to scout work has been insanely busy and I wanted horses to get in deep so I hired an outfitter. One of my hunting buddies (no tag) came with me for the experience and extra set of eyes.
Super jacked about the trip we showed up at the trail head and with a 3.5 hr ride it we set off. Definitely warm October I had been told without great precipitation the bulls hadn’t finished out as well as they could have. Didn’t matter I was looking for my first nice 6x6.
Covered a lot of country the first couple days but on saw 6-12 elk (cows and immature bulls). Took a rugged 5 hour hike to check a dirt tank ran out of water on the second day and ended up closing out the day pretty exhausted after a sundown rodeo chasing a horse through the night.
Day 3 was promising had a solid 7x5 320” type bull bugling hard with several cows in the morning. Glassed him at 714 yards but was still holding out being only half way through my 5 day hunt. Not much the rest of the day.
Day 4 dead morning decided on long mid day ride to and area about 3 hours away to see if anything would come into a spring that evening. We situated with the wind and went to tie the horses and got a nice big wiff of elk. Heard some branches breaking and I started to haul ass running. Tried to guess which way he went to cut him off in the timber to no avail. Found his bed by the looks of the raking height it was a good bull. Sat the evening and only saw a nice bear and a B&C Turkey with a beard dusting the trails. At dark with a 3 hour ride back to camp and staring to have tag soup on the brain I looked to my buddy for the remedy. He had his Yeti rambler filled with whiskey that made the ride back glorious. Horseback DWI with the most amazing stars I’ve seen in a while.
Last Day quiet morning again some cows and a few bulls is it. Road through the heat of the day trying to jump something out of its bed. Again no luck. Last shot for the evening hunt putting all my eggs in 1 basket. Went back to the spot where I saw the 7x5 hoping he might come back to the small spring. About 90 minutes left in the season a couple cows and calf’s came down to drink. I was set up rock solid on a ridge with my rifle dialed on the watering hole at 570 yards. I see the cows alert and scan over to the direction they were looking and there’s a good bull walking over to the spring.
He starts to drink and I asked my spotter if he was on him I was about to shoot. I let a 200 grain ELD-X fly for my 300 WM. The cows booked and the bull started to limp away. Facing East the sun right in my eyes I’m struggling to find my second shot. I hear shoot him again finally I roll back to 4x get him in the scope and he says 630 yards but in the timber I crack one off he takes a couple steps and looks like he goes down in the timber.
Take the horses down pretty quickly, light was burning on the season and normally I would have waited a couple hours before heading over. I get of the horse and start to walk around the location of first blood now I have in hand a 45-70 lever gun in case there ends up being some quick shots. No blood I can find circling and my heart is dropping know I felt my shots were good. Then 40 yards away in the timber the bull jumps the foot chase is on. Sprinting (probably not that fast) through the timber running the lever as fast as I could letting 330 grain projectiles fly. Finally after about 300 yards chasing up and down a small clearing and he’s humping directly away. I’m no Texan but their patented heart shot was my only option. The bull dropped behind some deadfall. Is he finally down? He’s trying to rise but can’t I take a knee to finish him off at 40 yards click I’m empty. My friend rushes up behind me to give me my 300 and it’s finally over with minutes to spare in the season. What a tough animal I double lunged him twice broke his front shoulder hit him with 2 other run and gun shots that left almost baseball size holes through his ribs. So fortunate to close the deal and have a great buddy to share the story with. Well until next year.
I knew I would not be able to scout work has been insanely busy and I wanted horses to get in deep so I hired an outfitter. One of my hunting buddies (no tag) came with me for the experience and extra set of eyes.
Super jacked about the trip we showed up at the trail head and with a 3.5 hr ride it we set off. Definitely warm October I had been told without great precipitation the bulls hadn’t finished out as well as they could have. Didn’t matter I was looking for my first nice 6x6.
Covered a lot of country the first couple days but on saw 6-12 elk (cows and immature bulls). Took a rugged 5 hour hike to check a dirt tank ran out of water on the second day and ended up closing out the day pretty exhausted after a sundown rodeo chasing a horse through the night.
Day 3 was promising had a solid 7x5 320” type bull bugling hard with several cows in the morning. Glassed him at 714 yards but was still holding out being only half way through my 5 day hunt. Not much the rest of the day.
Day 4 dead morning decided on long mid day ride to and area about 3 hours away to see if anything would come into a spring that evening. We situated with the wind and went to tie the horses and got a nice big wiff of elk. Heard some branches breaking and I started to haul ass running. Tried to guess which way he went to cut him off in the timber to no avail. Found his bed by the looks of the raking height it was a good bull. Sat the evening and only saw a nice bear and a B&C Turkey with a beard dusting the trails. At dark with a 3 hour ride back to camp and staring to have tag soup on the brain I looked to my buddy for the remedy. He had his Yeti rambler filled with whiskey that made the ride back glorious. Horseback DWI with the most amazing stars I’ve seen in a while.
Last Day quiet morning again some cows and a few bulls is it. Road through the heat of the day trying to jump something out of its bed. Again no luck. Last shot for the evening hunt putting all my eggs in 1 basket. Went back to the spot where I saw the 7x5 hoping he might come back to the small spring. About 90 minutes left in the season a couple cows and calf’s came down to drink. I was set up rock solid on a ridge with my rifle dialed on the watering hole at 570 yards. I see the cows alert and scan over to the direction they were looking and there’s a good bull walking over to the spring.
He starts to drink and I asked my spotter if he was on him I was about to shoot. I let a 200 grain ELD-X fly for my 300 WM. The cows booked and the bull started to limp away. Facing East the sun right in my eyes I’m struggling to find my second shot. I hear shoot him again finally I roll back to 4x get him in the scope and he says 630 yards but in the timber I crack one off he takes a couple steps and looks like he goes down in the timber.
Take the horses down pretty quickly, light was burning on the season and normally I would have waited a couple hours before heading over. I get of the horse and start to walk around the location of first blood now I have in hand a 45-70 lever gun in case there ends up being some quick shots. No blood I can find circling and my heart is dropping know I felt my shots were good. Then 40 yards away in the timber the bull jumps the foot chase is on. Sprinting (probably not that fast) through the timber running the lever as fast as I could letting 330 grain projectiles fly. Finally after about 300 yards chasing up and down a small clearing and he’s humping directly away. I’m no Texan but their patented heart shot was my only option. The bull dropped behind some deadfall. Is he finally down? He’s trying to rise but can’t I take a knee to finish him off at 40 yards click I’m empty. My friend rushes up behind me to give me my 300 and it’s finally over with minutes to spare in the season. What a tough animal I double lunged him twice broke his front shoulder hit him with 2 other run and gun shots that left almost baseball size holes through his ribs. So fortunate to close the deal and have a great buddy to share the story with. Well until next year.
