Where are the Deer?

Bill Christy

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Back in the day, when I was working as a Park Ranger in a NM state wildlife refuge, I would smile to myself each Mule Deer season as I watched hunters cover miles hiking and looking throughout public lands for Mule Deer bucks. Each day, as I turned the corner to enter the park, I'd see a herd of Mule Deer bucks bedded up next to a water windmill on a nearby private cattle ranch. Over in Northeastern NM, near the Texas and Oklahoma borders, the elk, mule deer and antelope have all caught on to the trick of moving onto private land come the hunting season opener. Oh, there were lesser animals remaining on public land, but the "wall hangers" were settled into safe territory for the duration of the season.
 
Depends were you're hunting. Had a tag in SW NM this season north of silver city were the vast majority of land in the unit is public. No problem with the "wall hangers" hiding on public they hide deep in the mountains from roads. I do hunt pronghorn in the Oklahoma panhandle and run into the problem of animals holding on private usually because there's good food or water on it. Just part of the game I still get it done regularly. Here's a doe from last year killed on a piece of patchwork public ground. While I think meats the true trophy if we'd have had a buck tag could've killed a pretty good one that was with her.20230905_073425.jpg
 
As a hunter, I've found it very productive to hunt the tendencies of pressured animal behavior rather than through the lens of natural non-pressured animal behavior. Where do animals go to get away from the public hunting pressure? As a Park Ranger, I quickly became a student of that field of study.
 
Public land is challenging. Question, though; what caliber do you prefer if you run into a dangerous wounded skunk?
 
As a hunter, I've found it very productive to hunt the tendencies of pressured animal behavior rather than through the lens of natural non-pressured animal behavior. Where do animals go to get away from the public hunting pressure? As a Park Ranger, I quickly became a student of that field of study.
I’ll be totally honest with you here bill. I would have just come back after you closed the park down for the night.
 
Back in the day, when I was working as a Park Ranger in a NM state wildlife refuge, I would smile to myself each Mule Deer season as I watched hunters cover miles hiking and looking throughout public lands for Mule Deer bucks.

@Bill Christy, I hope to visit New Mexico one of these days. Based on your experience as a park ranger in a NM state wildlife refuge, what NM state wildlife refuge would you recommend I check out to see the most wildlife?
 
Well you see fellas, there is no State wildlife refuge in NM. Bill could have been a Park Ranger within Federal refuges here which do exist though Bill put it as a New Mexico State wildlife refuge.
So in this fantasy State game refuge where there is a herd of Mule Deer bucks visible off the road every morning, why does Bill have to deny night hunters? No Bill, let us jacklight these Mule Deer bucks while we floor a SxS across the field and flock shoot. Ar10 binary trigger drum magazine thermal scope. Hunting Mule Deer bucks at night could be a lot of fun, Bill.
 
Since becoming a contributing member to this website, I've quickly learned there are a number of antagonists onboard. Who knows, one or two may be hackers searching for victims. Just an observation!

Let's be honest here William, you're not exactly contributing what you think you're contributing, but I am really starting to enjoy your threads...but not in a way you think I should be enjoying them.
 
Let's be honest here William, you're not exactly contributing what you think you're contributing, but I am really starting to enjoy your threads...but not in a way you think I should be enjoying them.
Idk I feel targeted by that poacher comment. I paid for my pass to the state park. He is just upset that I left before midnight and didn’t have to buy a second pass
 
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