Well, I was successful on my New Mexico unit 16B/22 archery hunt. My buddy came down with horses to help pack out the meat and another buddy had a tag also. Went out on the first day and got close to some Bulls but never in shooting range before they saw, heard or smelled us. Got within 48 yards of a decent 6x6 but couldn't get a clear shot. The Bulls that we came across would not come into a call as they already had cows and didn't want to leave them. So it was turning out to be tougher in this area than we had hoped. The canyons in this area are really deep. We were pretty worn out when we got back to camp. We ate and went to bed.
Woke up early the next morning and got on the trail. My other buddy with a tag decided he wanted to sit a water source today since there was fresh sign on it. He left and I let out a bugle and we could hear a bull call back on the other side of the hill by camp. We headed that way. After about a half mile, we heard him bugle again. We went up on top of the hill that he should be on and I walked ahead while my buddy stayed back a ways to call. I get around a bush and I spot a decent 6x6 about 100 yards away. I signal back that I see him and to start the cow call. My buddy lets out two cow calls and the bull half bugles and comes running right in. The only problem is that the bull picks the spot where there is brush between he and I. He is at about 10 yards from me and he gets his head around the bush and looks right at me. I am drawn and waiting for him to take two more steps to clear his vitals for the shot. He spins and runs off. Busted! Just then we hear another bull that is coming in to the call as well!
So I get resituated for this bull. I move down the hill and kneel down in some brush. Right when I kneel down, he comes over the top of the hill. Not a big bull but as well as the hunt has gone so far, I decide if he gives me a shot, I am going to take it. I range him at 40 yards on top of the hill but no vitals shot. My buddy cow calls once and down the hill he comes. At 20 yards, he stops and is broadside. I draw back and put the 20 yard pin on his shoulder and SMACK! The arrow buries itself up to the nock right behind his shoulder. He spins and walks off real slow and wobbly. He gets back to the top of the hill and lays down. I can't see him now but my buddy can and tells me that his head is down. I walk up to the top of the hill with another arrow ready. The bull is barely breathing and moving his head around a bit so I put another arrow in him to speed up the process.
We get him all quartered, neck meat cut out as well as back straps and cape him out. We pack him out on the horses and go 4.5 miles back to the trailhead. We get all the way to the trailhead and my buddies horse gets excited to see the cars and pens and for some reason, he freaks out. The horse spins in a circle three times and then runs right at my buddy and knocks him over. My buddy ends up with a pretty bad bruise on his hip and a scraped up arm.
We gather up the stuff that the horse bucked off and take it in to be processed. We return to the trailhead but my buddies hip hurts so bad that he can't ride in and the horses hind leg is hurt too so we didn't want to ride him. I tell my buddy that we will just trailer up the horses and he can head home. He was reluctant to abandon us but I insisted. I told him that I would pack his stuff out.
I get back to camp and let my buddy know about the news and we decide to just pack out. I pack up all of my stuff (tent, sleeping bag, inflatable air mattress, food etc). I also pack the same stuff on my pack that my buddy has. It was so much that I couldn't get my eberlestock J107 dragonfly straps to fit on the back. I had to use para cord to strap stuff to my pack.
I hiked out the 4.5 miles on the up and down trail back to the trailhead and was glad to be done! When I got home, I weighed the pack and it was 90 lbs!
In the end it was all worth it but I hope I don't have to do it that way again!
Woke up early the next morning and got on the trail. My other buddy with a tag decided he wanted to sit a water source today since there was fresh sign on it. He left and I let out a bugle and we could hear a bull call back on the other side of the hill by camp. We headed that way. After about a half mile, we heard him bugle again. We went up on top of the hill that he should be on and I walked ahead while my buddy stayed back a ways to call. I get around a bush and I spot a decent 6x6 about 100 yards away. I signal back that I see him and to start the cow call. My buddy lets out two cow calls and the bull half bugles and comes running right in. The only problem is that the bull picks the spot where there is brush between he and I. He is at about 10 yards from me and he gets his head around the bush and looks right at me. I am drawn and waiting for him to take two more steps to clear his vitals for the shot. He spins and runs off. Busted! Just then we hear another bull that is coming in to the call as well!
So I get resituated for this bull. I move down the hill and kneel down in some brush. Right when I kneel down, he comes over the top of the hill. Not a big bull but as well as the hunt has gone so far, I decide if he gives me a shot, I am going to take it. I range him at 40 yards on top of the hill but no vitals shot. My buddy cow calls once and down the hill he comes. At 20 yards, he stops and is broadside. I draw back and put the 20 yard pin on his shoulder and SMACK! The arrow buries itself up to the nock right behind his shoulder. He spins and walks off real slow and wobbly. He gets back to the top of the hill and lays down. I can't see him now but my buddy can and tells me that his head is down. I walk up to the top of the hill with another arrow ready. The bull is barely breathing and moving his head around a bit so I put another arrow in him to speed up the process.
We get him all quartered, neck meat cut out as well as back straps and cape him out. We pack him out on the horses and go 4.5 miles back to the trailhead. We get all the way to the trailhead and my buddies horse gets excited to see the cars and pens and for some reason, he freaks out. The horse spins in a circle three times and then runs right at my buddy and knocks him over. My buddy ends up with a pretty bad bruise on his hip and a scraped up arm.
We gather up the stuff that the horse bucked off and take it in to be processed. We return to the trailhead but my buddies hip hurts so bad that he can't ride in and the horses hind leg is hurt too so we didn't want to ride him. I tell my buddy that we will just trailer up the horses and he can head home. He was reluctant to abandon us but I insisted. I told him that I would pack his stuff out.
I get back to camp and let my buddy know about the news and we decide to just pack out. I pack up all of my stuff (tent, sleeping bag, inflatable air mattress, food etc). I also pack the same stuff on my pack that my buddy has. It was so much that I couldn't get my eberlestock J107 dragonfly straps to fit on the back. I had to use para cord to strap stuff to my pack.
I hiked out the 4.5 miles on the up and down trail back to the trailhead and was glad to be done! When I got home, I weighed the pack and it was 90 lbs!
In the end it was all worth it but I hope I don't have to do it that way again!
