KatyHunter007
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2012
- Messages
- 2
Little late getting around to posting a report on my recent elk hunt with No-Limit Outfitters in Espanola, New Mexico. I had submitted for a draw hunt in Gila but no luck getting drawn this year. I ran across this deal from No-Limit Outfitters for an archery hunt tag and jumped on it. This would be my first elk hunt and was pumped!
A day later I got a call from Gabe Romero indicating he had a rifle tag if I wanted to take it, so I decided to switch to Oct 8-12th hunt for opening of gun season in NM. Now the hard work getting ready for this hunt started! Living at sea level over here in Lagos, Nigeria made it a challenge to get ready for those hills. Dropped 20 lbs on tread mill and bicycle, but no illusions that this would prepare me for the elevation and thinner air.
I made the 12 hour drive from Katy, Tx to Espanola, NM to meet with Gabe and my guide Michael Martinez on Friday afternoon. Got the gun permits and licenses done and discussed the hunt to be in Carson National Forest. They had a private land owner unit wide tag for me on this hunt and they put me up in casino hotel in Espanola.
We got up early to make the 1 hr drive to Carson National forest to our hunt area. Michael had hunted this area few weeks earlier during bow season and had spotted several nice bulls. We climbed up a ridge before day light and made a few cow calls, no responses heard. We ended up hiking up and down ridges for the next 5 hrs with no bugling or elk spotted. Back to the truck around 1030 am for a snack and then off to scout in the pickup. About 1 pm we were at a tank looking for fresh tracks and heard some bugling nearby.
Grab the rifle and sticks and headed up the ridge. We setup and starting calling, had several bulls bugling and coming to us in this thick cover. Saw 3 different bulls but it was too thick to get off a shot with them ducking in and out of heavy cover (needed a shot gun with buck shot). Eventually they took off with no shot opportunity. Regrouped and decided to setup on same tank that evening.
It is public land so first come first serve right? Apparently not, we sitting on a ridge 200 yds from tank when a pickup truck comes down the road and past the tank. Then 3 guys come hiking back to the tank and decide to sit in tree's 20 yds from tank in spite of fact we are whistling and waving at them. After 20 min's we decided to hike over next ridge and glass another tank. We spotted half dozen cows and 2 bulls already at the tank. We hiked down to within 500 yds of this tank and they had jumped the fence into private land.
We ended up sitting on this tank to dark and had a nice shooter bull come to the tank and jump the fence to private. Micheal made some calls and he jumped back on public land but never stopped running to the tree line (head back bugling the whole time). That was end of day 1 but filled with excitement and activity.
Sunday morning same as day 1 started calling before sunrise and heard one bull. We hiked around 5 hrs and never spotted any elk. That afternoon we setup on a tank again and only spotted one spike. The elk got quiet on day 2 with no calling. Monday morning same as 2 prior days a lot of hiking and no elk heard or seen. All this hiking was kicking my rear end, legs were dead!
Monday afternoon we setup on another tank and waited. We spotted one cow but it winded us and went back over the ridge. With about 15 min's of light left Michael decided we should go over the ridge where the cow went to glass another tank. Hike over this ridge and glass with nothing spotted at the tank about 300 yds from us. It was getting dark when I spotted some movement from the arroyo behind the tank. With naked eye I could see it was a bull moving from our right to left across the valley to the next ridge.
Michael said it was a shooter and I was already on the sticks. He slowed to a walk and I touch off a shot at 275 yds. Heard a good thump and off he went to our left. It was now dark and we took off to where we thought the bull was standing when I shot.
Looked for about an hour trying to find blood, hair or track. No luck and we decided to come back in the morning as it was going to be a cold night. I was confident in the shot and sounded like a solid hit.
Next morning we returned at day light and started our search. We hike up and down that ridge to our left looking for tracks, blood or any sign with no luck. We were about to give up after 2 hrs when Micheal yelled out that he found him. The bull was down in a small depression on the hill side and had only run 70 yds from the point of impact. Hit was square on the shoulder with no exit hole to give a blood trail.
6x6 Bull that scored 328", LRR 300 Win Mag w/ 190 gr Berger VLD, Night Force 5.5x22 50mm. I would highly recommend No Limit Outfitters, Michael busted his rear end to get me on an elk (dragging me most of the way - ha ha).
I think I am hooked on this elk hunting! Note the pickup truck in the back ground of picture, we were fortunate to be able to drive within 30 yds of where he fell (thank you baby Jesus).
Kent
A day later I got a call from Gabe Romero indicating he had a rifle tag if I wanted to take it, so I decided to switch to Oct 8-12th hunt for opening of gun season in NM. Now the hard work getting ready for this hunt started! Living at sea level over here in Lagos, Nigeria made it a challenge to get ready for those hills. Dropped 20 lbs on tread mill and bicycle, but no illusions that this would prepare me for the elevation and thinner air.
I made the 12 hour drive from Katy, Tx to Espanola, NM to meet with Gabe and my guide Michael Martinez on Friday afternoon. Got the gun permits and licenses done and discussed the hunt to be in Carson National Forest. They had a private land owner unit wide tag for me on this hunt and they put me up in casino hotel in Espanola.
We got up early to make the 1 hr drive to Carson National forest to our hunt area. Michael had hunted this area few weeks earlier during bow season and had spotted several nice bulls. We climbed up a ridge before day light and made a few cow calls, no responses heard. We ended up hiking up and down ridges for the next 5 hrs with no bugling or elk spotted. Back to the truck around 1030 am for a snack and then off to scout in the pickup. About 1 pm we were at a tank looking for fresh tracks and heard some bugling nearby.
Grab the rifle and sticks and headed up the ridge. We setup and starting calling, had several bulls bugling and coming to us in this thick cover. Saw 3 different bulls but it was too thick to get off a shot with them ducking in and out of heavy cover (needed a shot gun with buck shot). Eventually they took off with no shot opportunity. Regrouped and decided to setup on same tank that evening.
It is public land so first come first serve right? Apparently not, we sitting on a ridge 200 yds from tank when a pickup truck comes down the road and past the tank. Then 3 guys come hiking back to the tank and decide to sit in tree's 20 yds from tank in spite of fact we are whistling and waving at them. After 20 min's we decided to hike over next ridge and glass another tank. We spotted half dozen cows and 2 bulls already at the tank. We hiked down to within 500 yds of this tank and they had jumped the fence into private land.
We ended up sitting on this tank to dark and had a nice shooter bull come to the tank and jump the fence to private. Micheal made some calls and he jumped back on public land but never stopped running to the tree line (head back bugling the whole time). That was end of day 1 but filled with excitement and activity.
Sunday morning same as day 1 started calling before sunrise and heard one bull. We hiked around 5 hrs and never spotted any elk. That afternoon we setup on a tank again and only spotted one spike. The elk got quiet on day 2 with no calling. Monday morning same as 2 prior days a lot of hiking and no elk heard or seen. All this hiking was kicking my rear end, legs were dead!
Monday afternoon we setup on another tank and waited. We spotted one cow but it winded us and went back over the ridge. With about 15 min's of light left Michael decided we should go over the ridge where the cow went to glass another tank. Hike over this ridge and glass with nothing spotted at the tank about 300 yds from us. It was getting dark when I spotted some movement from the arroyo behind the tank. With naked eye I could see it was a bull moving from our right to left across the valley to the next ridge.
Michael said it was a shooter and I was already on the sticks. He slowed to a walk and I touch off a shot at 275 yds. Heard a good thump and off he went to our left. It was now dark and we took off to where we thought the bull was standing when I shot.
Looked for about an hour trying to find blood, hair or track. No luck and we decided to come back in the morning as it was going to be a cold night. I was confident in the shot and sounded like a solid hit.
Next morning we returned at day light and started our search. We hike up and down that ridge to our left looking for tracks, blood or any sign with no luck. We were about to give up after 2 hrs when Micheal yelled out that he found him. The bull was down in a small depression on the hill side and had only run 70 yds from the point of impact. Hit was square on the shoulder with no exit hole to give a blood trail.
6x6 Bull that scored 328", LRR 300 Win Mag w/ 190 gr Berger VLD, Night Force 5.5x22 50mm. I would highly recommend No Limit Outfitters, Michael busted his rear end to get me on an elk (dragging me most of the way - ha ha).
I think I am hooked on this elk hunting! Note the pickup truck in the back ground of picture, we were fortunate to be able to drive within 30 yds of where he fell (thank you baby Jesus).
Kent
