Valley1320
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Man sorry I didn't have service and didn't see your msg till now. Haft to get with you next time I'm this way and plan ahead
NM Elk Hunt
- Thread starter Valley1320
- Start date
Valley1320
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Valley1320
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I'll hopefully be able to start writing it up this evening. Was a amazing hunt even tho the rut wasn't going yet.
WNC2500
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@Valley1320, You cannot do us this way! Stop teasing us. Those of us that have not hunted this year yet are living vicariously through those of you that are!
Valley1320
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Valley1320
Well-known member
Get into camp last friday afternoon, get the camper set up and camo on to go out for a evening hunt. Decide to go sit at a wallow. Wind isn't real well but had a couple small raghorns fees into about 80 yards before smelling us when the wind switched. All we saw first evening was those raghorns and didn't hear a single bugle.
Valley1320
Well-known member
Next morning head out to go hunt a different area got in on a bull and at least 30 cows, got within a 100 yards 3 times. Got busted the last time by some bedded cows. Started a lil bugling match with him. But he didn't want to commit and pushed his cows away. Evening hunt snuck in on a bull and 10 or so cows cut it down to 100ish yards set up and tried to call him in. No interest at all. He ended up following his cows. 
Here's the bull from the evening hunt. That wouldn't come in.
Here's the bull from the evening hunt. That wouldn't come in.
Valley1320
Well-known member
3rd morning this would be Sunday. Decide to hunt close to camp been hearing a couple bulls bugling at night from camp. We go parked down between 2 ridges and hike up above this meadow and where a draw runs up the ridge. Find a huge bull with a few cows down along the meadow with a dry wallow in it. We thought we knew where they were gonna come bed so we got snuck into position hoping they would come by one of us. They never came up to us. My buddy was sitting where he could see they did a 180° and went to go thru a different saddle headed in the direction of camp to go bed on a ridge that way. The bull was easy a 350 bull. Wish I had got pics of him. But to far away. 
Valley1320
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3rd evening hunt we went to the other side of the road from camp to hunt some ridges back over there where we had been hearing another bull. Start walking up in and next thing we know we are perty much on the elk way before we thought we'd get to them. Cows are feeding and bull starts ripping off the bugles. We are at 150 yards its so thick and so quiet so we kinda set up and try to bugle, beings he was being as aggressive as he was we thought we might be able to get him to come in. No luck he jus bugles and pushes his cows farther up the ridge. Everyone we'd bugle at him and try to piss him off he would just push them away again. So after a couple times we shut up and let them sit for awhile and then started looping up around to try to sneak in. Ran into another cow at 50ish yards at the top of the ridge but wasn't interested in shooting her when we had a bull bugling 400 or so yards away. We get looped around get the wind right and start sneaking in. We get down to 70ish yards and I can see cows grazing thru the thick stuff. And it's thick like extremely thick. We wait around and try to slowly ease closer my buddy rolls a rock bull hears it and lets out a pissed off bugle and starts pushing his cows. Pushes them down and across to the other ridge. Saw the cows and a spike when we get to a clearing going up the other side. But could never get a look at him. Still not sure how big he was. He ran into another actual bull on the other side and they had a lil bugling match while he pushed his cows across the main road and out of our lives.
Valley1320
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Nick87
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Your Killin me smalls.
Valley1320
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4th morning go into a wallow and hunt from there had bout 5 different bulls bugling we split up I went to one ridge and Lee went to another. I got in on a bull at 70 yards as he was moving thru trees extremely thick. He stopped at 88 yards and I let him hangout awhile and started to slowly move in on him to get a shot but I think he saw movement and took Ihis cows and left never could find him after that. He was a bull that I would say was in the 330 to 340 range.
4th afternoon hunt got a bull bugling and answering me when I bugled. Called him in on the side of the ridge, I let his cows go by and I ranged the only opening I had and kept getting readings anywhere from 51 to 54 yards. Another bull across the canyon was bugling at this point and getting him fired up even more. He steps in the opening and I hold my 50 pin a lil high to compensate and shoot. He runs and I cow call. When he came out into that opening it seemed like he looked farther then 50ish yards. But I felt like I needed to just trust my rangefinder that i was getting a correct reading. Let a arrow fly and shot under him by about a foot.
Tried getting back on him but he winded me, when the breeze pushed around the point of the ridge.
Here's some pics my wife took from the evening hunt when the bull was below us.
4th afternoon hunt got a bull bugling and answering me when I bugled. Called him in on the side of the ridge, I let his cows go by and I ranged the only opening I had and kept getting readings anywhere from 51 to 54 yards. Another bull across the canyon was bugling at this point and getting him fired up even more. He steps in the opening and I hold my 50 pin a lil high to compensate and shoot. He runs and I cow call. When he came out into that opening it seemed like he looked farther then 50ish yards. But I felt like I needed to just trust my rangefinder that i was getting a correct reading. Let a arrow fly and shot under him by about a foot.
Tried getting back on him but he winded me, when the breeze pushed around the point of the ridge.
Here's some pics my wife took from the evening hunt when the bull was below us.
Valley1320
Well-known member
5th morning not many bugles finally heard a bull bugling the next ridge over and I spotted a cow over with him. So I worked around and started sneaking in. He only bugled maybe 4 or 5 times I only got him to answer once when I was across the canyon. Got close to where they were and he bugled once sounded like I was within 150 yards at least. Wind kept switching around on me. Finally saw a cow moving fairly fast down the hill. I think I got to high and they winded me. Never could fine them again or anything. He had been quiet at least 30 mins at that point.
5th evening rained and rained alot. The evening was a bust no luck. Heard one faint bugle. Feet got soaked after being in wet rainy weather all day soaked thru my kenetreks. That day was honestly miserable and the worst day of hunting I had. My buddy had the same kind of luck as I did that day.
5th evening rained and rained alot. The evening was a bust no luck. Heard one faint bugle. Feet got soaked after being in wet rainy weather all day soaked thru my kenetreks. That day was honestly miserable and the worst day of hunting I had. My buddy had the same kind of luck as I did that day.
Valley1320
Well-known member
6th morning went to another area bout a hour drive away. Saw 2 different groups of elk on the way in. And saw some elk when we parked. I started after the cows I saw when we parked hoping to circle around them and get one. I climbed up on a knob and was glossing for them, nothing anywhere couldn't find them. It had rained and the rocks were slick I started to step down and fell head first down between 2 big rocks and wacked my knee and shoulder. Slammed my bow into the side of the rock. Groaned with pain as I got up. And instantly was thinking crap i screwed my bow up theres no way it will shoot straight. Scraped the handle all up and there was dirt and stuff on the rest. Went and found a pile of pine needle duff and aimed for a piece of grass in the middle from 40 yards and drilled it. I was soooo relieved. I just knew i had messed something up. 
Finally found a bull and some cows started stalking them and got busted by another bunch of cows that I didn't know about. Circled around trying to find them and get ahead of them. Tried locating them by bugling but he wasn't completely silent. We hadn't heard any bugles all morning. It was the morning after the major rain storms looked like apache creek had absolutely got drenched way worse then the area we were camped in. The creek was flowing at least 10ft wide that morning on the way up driving to the area we wanted to hunt.
Finally found a bull and some cows started stalking them and got busted by another bunch of cows that I didn't know about. Circled around trying to find them and get ahead of them. Tried locating them by bugling but he wasn't completely silent. We hadn't heard any bugles all morning. It was the morning after the major rain storms looked like apache creek had absolutely got drenched way worse then the area we were camped in. The creek was flowing at least 10ft wide that morning on the way up driving to the area we wanted to hunt.
Valley1320
Well-known member
Not sure I wondered as well. It was only bout a foot and half long.Dig the play by play.The ebb and flow of elk vs hunter.
What type of snake is that? Off color for a king or is it?
Thanks for sharing. Great to follow along.
SW garter ,light color phase.
Valley1320
Well-known member
6th afternoon. We met back at the canam for some lunch and went back out. I found a cow at 50 yards was fixing to shoot her and saw she had twin calfs so I let her go. Then it decided to rain again I crawled up under a tree and let it do its thing there was some lightning closer than I really cared for but at least it didn't last long.
There's a butte that I was next to so I worked all the way around it hoping to find a elk bedded or feeding. Didn't find anything so I headed to a knob that I could get up on and rest and dry my boots and socks out. It had got hot and sunny at this point.
There's a butte that I was next to so I worked all the way around it hoping to find a elk bedded or feeding. Didn't find anything so I headed to a knob that I could get up on and rest and dry my boots and socks out. It had got hot and sunny at this point.
Valley1320
Well-known member
Climbed up on the knob took my pack off. Pulled my boots of and layer them in the sun, hung my socks in the tree. Had a snack and was just resting taking it easy for awhile. Standing below the knob I was up on. It flattened out and I was under that tall tree in the middle of it.
WNC2500
Well-known member
@Valley1320 I am enjoying following along. It seems like certain parts of that area is very dense and wooded, and then you have nice meadows. Love the ebb and flow of the countryside as well. Good luck at connecting with one.
