Well January archery mule deer in New Mexico takes place from January 1st to January 15th. I don't start hunting until the second week as that is when the rut really gets going. I started hunting on the 8th. The wind was blowing around 30mph that day. We found a decent buck but decided to pass on him as he was really wide but was really crabby on his front forks. I was close to putting a stalk on him but the spotter was shaking so badly that we just couldn't tell how good he was. We found several other bucks bedded down that day but nothing I wanted to go after.
The next day we got up early and got to a high point and started glassing through the Swaro BTX. I found some deer in the same area as we found that buck yesterday. They were near the top of a decent sized hill. There was a decent sized 3x3 and what we think is the buck from yesterday. There is barely any wind so we get a really good look at him even though he is around 2.5 miles away. We decide we need to get a closer look at him.
There is a road that is on the north side of the hill that the buck and does are on. There were 6 does, the 3x3, a smal 2x2 and the bigger buck from yesterday. We wait until they bed down and then pack up and make our way to the north side of that hill. We get there and hike up the hill while making sure the wind is good. We get over the top of where they were bedded but they are no longer there. We figure they worked their way around to the east side so we head to the top of the hill. When we get to the top, we see a group of cedar trees off the edge and figure they bedded down in there. My buddy stays back and I try to sneak up to find them.
Now the ground on hills in the SW desert of New Mexico is a crumbled bunch of red rock. It doesn't make for very quiet stalking. Every step is a crunch and grinding rock against rock sound. I make my way into the trees as quietly as I can. I peek over the edge and see the target buck bedded underneath a cedar tree about 90 yards away. There is a doe bedded on the other side and the 2x2 buck bedded about 30 yards from them in the open. The 2x2 is the lookout and I can only get so far before he would see me and alert the others.
I set my pack down and get my bow. I nock an arrow and tripod walk/crawl using my one hand to balance myself on the ground as I step slowly forward with each foot. This makes for quieter steps as I'm taking a lot of my weight off the ground by balancing with my one hand as I step. I get as far as I can before the 2x2 can spot me. I look at the 2x2 lookout buck through my rangefinder and to my amazement, he is being the worst lookout ever! He has his head down and is sound asleep! I range the target buck and he is 70 yards away. My plan was to draw my bow as I stand and the buck would stand up and present a perfect broadside shot! I stand up as a draw my bow and the buck doesn't even move! He sees me but he won't stand up! I'm thinking "well crap! Now what!" As we are staring each other down, I realize that I can't hold this bow back forever so I let my draw down and still the buck doesn't budge! I go back down to tripod crawling position and move slowly forward. I get about 3 more yards and the buck stands up. BUT…he is facing me but slight quartering away presenting a frontal shot. I figure deer are softer than elk so a frontal shot is acceptable. I stand up while drawing my bow back. I put the pin on his chest aiming a little low as it's set on 70 and he is 67 yards away. I am very calm and even make sure the bubble level on my sight is level. I squeeze the trigger and the arrow flies straight and true but is a few inches high. It hits the buck a little above where his chest meets his neck. He runs off about 30 yards and stops with the does. The 2x2 buck is still sleeping through all of this!!
I try to move closer and as I move the 2x2 wakes up and runs over to the other deer. The buck is about 103 yards away so to try to get another arrow in him, I turn down my sight to just past 100 yards and shoot but I cleanly miss him. The deer run down the hill and are about 400 yards away. Everywhere the buck stops, he makes a puddle of blood on the ground. He beds down and I'm thinking he is going to die.
I walk up to where my buddy is and he is watching them through his binos. He says that the buck looks pretty hurt and is bleeding good. Just then, all the does spook and take off. The buck jumps up and runs with them. He is running pretty fast with the does. The arrow is still sticking out and as he runs, the arrow looks to be cutting him inside more and more. Amazingly the buck and does run about 1.5 miles away but the he just can't go any further. He beds down immediately and the does continue on.
We watch the buck for about 5 minutes and he is no longer moving and his head is down. We were in amazement that he travelled so far! We made our way to where he bedded down and he was indeed dead. The blood trail was so good that one could have jogged and not lost the trail. Another testament to how strong these animals are.
It was the same buck we saw the morning before. He hardly has any front forks but he is a 4x4. He sits on a 180" frame but with weak front forks he scored 166". He is 28" wide and better mass than we thought. My biggest deer to date and super happy with him!
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