A Gila Elk Hunt

[Duck-Slayer]

Great write up on an extra successful adventure! Congrats
Matt

 

[Jeronimo 56]

I appreciate all the contributions you are making to this forum... I'm a new guy to this area and just starting some research for a hunt this fall.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

congrats,,nice sory,nice bull

 

[Cheesehead]

Gila-va story

 

[Gila]

I appreciate all the contributions you are making to this forum... I'm a new guy to this area and just starting some research for a hunt this fall.

congrats,,nice sory,nice bull

Thanks...Lady Luck smiled upon me. It was one of the most sought after tags in New Mexico. I drew the same tag for this fall only in another high demand unit.

Scouting was the secret of my success, both e-scouting and boots on the ground. I live near the units I hunt so I can spend the time to scout, however good e-scouting can reduce the time out there hiking. Then it is a matter of planning your hunt and working your plan. The rifle hunts in the high demand/quality units here in New Mexico are only 5 days long so each second and every mile is precious.

Looking forward to reading about your adventures...Best of luck!

 

[tniccum]

Congrats! Great write up!

 

[Khunter]

Thanks...Lady Luck smiled upon me. It was one of the most sought after tags in New Mexico. I drew the same tag for this fall only in another high demand unit.

Thanks...Lady Luck smiled upon me. It was one of the most sought after tags in New Mexico. I drew the same tag for this fall only in another high demand unit.

Scouting was the secret of my success, both e-scouting and boots on the ground. I live near the units I hunt so I can spend the time to scout, however good e-scouting can reduce the time out there hiking. Then it is a matter of planning your hunt and working your plan. The rifle hunts in the high demand/quality units here in New Mexico are only 5 days long so each second and every mile is precious.

Looking forward to reading about your adventures...Best of luck!

one suggestion for this fall. You are of course correct about 5 days being a time crunch to get it done. When you are on this years hunt consoder not bagging the hunt each day in the morning to wait around for evening. It is a fallacy that elk supposedly bed all day and can’t be hunted mid day. get after it and vastly expand opportunities.

So many guys head to camp mid morning and, by my experience anyway, are missing a LOT of great hunting.

 

[Gila]

one suggestion for this fall. You are of course correct about 5 days being a time crunch to get it done. When you are on this years hunt consoder not bagging the hunt each day in the morning to wait around for evening. It is a fallacy that elk supposedly bed all day and can’t be hunted mid day. get after it and vastly expand opportunities.

So many guys head to camp mid morning and, by my experience anyway, are missing a LOT of great hunting.

That is a good point to bring up. Depends on the person and the conditions I think. When it is hot they will need to wallow more often. Of course rutting bulls want to wallow anyway. Some of you guys have a lot more elk experience than I do. When the snow flys I have seen them on the feed throughout the day. When it is very windy or the visibility is low then it is tough hunting anyway.

If you are up at 4:00am and humpin yur ruck in country that would make a billy goat puke, some shuteye and food looks mighty appealing at 11:00am. I will say that hauling an elk out at midnight is about the most demanding activity I have ever done. I couldn’t have done it without an afternoon nap. But then I’m an old man and I need my creature comforts. When exhaustion sets in on me, I make bad decisions and then bad things can happen. I guess what I am trying to say is, know thyself and your limits, but hunt as hard as you can.

 

[cmbbulldog]

Great write up, congrats!

 

[Khunter]

That is a good point to bring up. Depends on the person and the conditions I think. When it is hot they will need to wallow more often. Of course rutting bulls want to wallow anyway. Some of you guys have a lot more elk experience than I do. When the snow flys I have seen them on the feed throughout the day. When it is very windy or the visibility is low then it is tough hunting anyway.

If you are up at 4:00am and humpin yur ruck in country that would make a billy goat puke, some shuteye and food looks mighty appealing at 11:00am. I will say that hauling an elk out at midnight is about the most demanding activity I have ever done. I couldn’t have done it without an afternoon nap. But then I’m an old man and I need my creature comforts. When exhaustion sets in on me, I make bad decisions and then bad things can happen. I guess what I am trying to say is, know thyself and your limits, but hunt as hard as you can.

Totally get it. Often I have a great nap out mong ‘em versus going back to camp. Many times One starts buglings and there I am to reap that reward, and rested to boot...Usually I am bowhunting in Sept, so temps are mild or down right warm, makes it easier and more comfortable to just curl up under a pinyon...

 

[oletom]

Thanks for sharing, great hunt n story. Love this kind of stuff.

 

[OkBuckMaster]

Heck of a bull! The Gila is a dream hunt of mine! Maybe one day

 

[blackdog]

Great hunt and story. I got to bow hunt the Gila years ago and it was an incredible experience despite not notching a tag amongst the three of us that hunted.