It has been a very weird elk year here in NM.
Drought with no monsoon til end of Aug., then rain all Sept. Elk scattered all over due to poor late feed & water everywhere. To top it off I had given all my LO tags away & then I did not draw my sure thing...lol.
My bro came out for a try at a bull the 1st week of Oct. Had not spent time with him since I moved here 10 yrs ago so this should be fun...lol. I showed him the set up, where they usually go & what they do.That night after a meal of NM elk chile we listened to 6 bulls bugling around my place.
3 were still screaming at each other & off he went in morning. He had one come right to my fence & do a 90 & go into pinions next door....100 yards from my fence,lol. Another posted up in similar place to the south with a few cows,on the next ranch.
All day they went at each other & into the night. For next 3 days they were there. We would drive around & I showed him the sights & never saw a critter,very strange. Few tags were being filled in area in general. Warm weather & scattered elk. We were hearing bulls all around, but seeing none,not even cows in usual places. Odd.
He left with tag unfilled & only seeing that one bull the whole 5 days. I only saw the one bull with cows south midday 1st day & he showed here til 8am for the next 2 days after my bro was gone....nice 320ish guy. That bull stayed there til end of Oct...right next to Tommy's house with hunters on other side...lol.
Next up Cushman & a cow in Nov. I would get up as usual before sunrise & check my place. And still no cows around like usual. None. Bulls all around still bugling,walking thru here mid-day to my tank for a drink. No cows.
Then they show,2dozen with calves & a few spikes. For 2 days. I call Cushman & tell him. He is stoked.
A few days later he calls saying he regrets he cannot come due to some stuff that came up. He says use the tag. I say I will trade you for smoked meats if I fill it.
I go get tag & hope they show.
They do. 1st morning they are already near fence ready to head to bedding areas nearby,2 dozen cows w/calves & a few spikes. 460 yards away & one with a calf that was small 420 yards. No bueno. Off they go to bed.
Next day I walk right into a cow below my house heading out at 1st light...lol. Nothing down at the tank.
3rd day nada. Just heavy wet snow til mid day.
4th day just the one cow with a calf that is not as tall as my fence. Nada.
Last day is 30 deg & a stiff west wind blowing. I almost head back in for more clothes or a cuppa by the fire,but head down thru my finger of pinion ,open draws on each side where they could be at 1st light. I kneel & try & glass in near dark. Wait there & get eyes right a while. I see a white body moving out there & run to edge of trees for better look. One bull with 2 dark cows following,feeding slowly with wind to their backs,heading for bedding mesa. I run out using the lone juniper out there as cover. I spot one spike & 2 cows. Finally get a range on spikes body @ 243 yards,cows 30 yards behind. I set up tripod.Breath,relax,calm,compensate 20mph crosswind,wait for shooting light.....240 yards now.
bamm,whop,off goes the spike & one cow.
Nice year old cow down. Lung & liver shot.
Now the long walk back to get the truck & try out my new gizmo for elk/wood extraction.
My NM cooler setup under a pinion... & my elkhund. View beyond truck to draw is kill sight too.
Shared a backstrap steak,mushroom ragu over pilaf & razzleberry pie with neighbors last night.
Life is good @ Camp Hank.
Drought with no monsoon til end of Aug., then rain all Sept. Elk scattered all over due to poor late feed & water everywhere. To top it off I had given all my LO tags away & then I did not draw my sure thing...lol.
My bro came out for a try at a bull the 1st week of Oct. Had not spent time with him since I moved here 10 yrs ago so this should be fun...lol. I showed him the set up, where they usually go & what they do.That night after a meal of NM elk chile we listened to 6 bulls bugling around my place.
3 were still screaming at each other & off he went in morning. He had one come right to my fence & do a 90 & go into pinions next door....100 yards from my fence,lol. Another posted up in similar place to the south with a few cows,on the next ranch.
All day they went at each other & into the night. For next 3 days they were there. We would drive around & I showed him the sights & never saw a critter,very strange. Few tags were being filled in area in general. Warm weather & scattered elk. We were hearing bulls all around, but seeing none,not even cows in usual places. Odd.
He left with tag unfilled & only seeing that one bull the whole 5 days. I only saw the one bull with cows south midday 1st day & he showed here til 8am for the next 2 days after my bro was gone....nice 320ish guy. That bull stayed there til end of Oct...right next to Tommy's house with hunters on other side...lol.
Next up Cushman & a cow in Nov. I would get up as usual before sunrise & check my place. And still no cows around like usual. None. Bulls all around still bugling,walking thru here mid-day to my tank for a drink. No cows.
Then they show,2dozen with calves & a few spikes. For 2 days. I call Cushman & tell him. He is stoked.
A few days later he calls saying he regrets he cannot come due to some stuff that came up. He says use the tag. I say I will trade you for smoked meats if I fill it.
I go get tag & hope they show.
They do. 1st morning they are already near fence ready to head to bedding areas nearby,2 dozen cows w/calves & a few spikes. 460 yards away & one with a calf that was small 420 yards. No bueno. Off they go to bed.
Next day I walk right into a cow below my house heading out at 1st light...lol. Nothing down at the tank.
3rd day nada. Just heavy wet snow til mid day.
4th day just the one cow with a calf that is not as tall as my fence. Nada.
Last day is 30 deg & a stiff west wind blowing. I almost head back in for more clothes or a cuppa by the fire,but head down thru my finger of pinion ,open draws on each side where they could be at 1st light. I kneel & try & glass in near dark. Wait there & get eyes right a while. I see a white body moving out there & run to edge of trees for better look. One bull with 2 dark cows following,feeding slowly with wind to their backs,heading for bedding mesa. I run out using the lone juniper out there as cover. I spot one spike & 2 cows. Finally get a range on spikes body @ 243 yards,cows 30 yards behind. I set up tripod.Breath,relax,calm,compensate 20mph crosswind,wait for shooting light.....240 yards now.
bamm,whop,off goes the spike & one cow.
Nice year old cow down. Lung & liver shot.
Now the long walk back to get the truck & try out my new gizmo for elk/wood extraction.
My NM cooler setup under a pinion... & my elkhund. View beyond truck to draw is kill sight too.
Shared a backstrap steak,mushroom ragu over pilaf & razzleberry pie with neighbors last night.
Life is good @ Camp Hank.
Last edited:
