Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game He's just under 30"

Been busy recovering and doing admin stuff, but wanted to post a pic of a decent buck I took last weekend. He's an odd framed deer, but he's 29 1/4" outside. Bases are close to 6 3/4". I found it pretty odd that he was still 1/2 in velevet, and the horns were either bone white, or still stained with blood. Drop tine adds cool points as well.

I enjoy reading everyone else's storys, but some are too long, so I'll try and keep it interesting and brief.

Have many nice rifles, all lefties. Had a shoot off to see which was making the trip. Took a Montana 1999 300 WSM with a McSwirly Coyote Bomber Supergrade. Have a 3-10X Leupie on top. Had an elevation turret added. Loaded a Triple Shock 168 on RL-22.

I had to backpack into the area from a windmill. Was over 3 miles to the top I intended to hunt. I hang out on the backpacking forum, and have been more involved with backpack hunting each year. Even with some High Tech Gucci Gear, my pack was still over 40 pounds. That was rifle and binos, all up. I'd been training, and dieting for some time, and have whittled myself down to a consistant 201 pounds. This was from 243 or so. The pack in involved a 2000 ft verticle gain in about 1.7 miles. Stalking with a 40 pound ruck going up that much vertically was interesting. Running up the mountain trying to get one last peek at a bedding 4X4 was even more fun.

Meat of the hunt. Put 3 bucks to bed the eve prior from 2 miles out thanks to a Zeiss spotter. A shooter 4X4 in the bunch. Early rise and pack in with a headlamp. Set up to glass at the base of the mountain. Takes more time than usual, but I spot one buck....just as he beds down in a cholla. I never saw the headgear. Spot another one bedded down in the open. A 3X2. So this is looking like the group of 3 from the prior night, but I can't be sure. Then a pull an amazing spot of a pair, a 3X3, and a 4X4. Both have red colored antler, which is unheard of here in southern NM. Decide to try for the red antlered 4X. Start hauling ass, but it's difficult to approach and stalk from the bottom up. The short of it, get pinned down by 11A. Say goodbye to a buddy who has plans, and send spotter with him down the hill.

I am trying to be patient....wasting a day pinned down under a juniper. I planned on waiting them out to stand up in the evening. By 5P, I can't wait any longer, and decide this day was botched, and wanted to get to the peak to set up camp and glass from top down in the AM. Stillhunting and "cutting the pie", glassing the horizon with each step. I am totally exposed. Spot a doe, then a fork, going real slow, I spot a huge, blocky deer on the ridgeline. A quick Zeiss bino shows it's pretty wide and long tines. I shuck the Eberlestock and prone out behind it ever so slowly. Range it....367 to juniper. Take of the turret cover, check dope, dial in. He's not visible. Start coming unglued, as the older I get, the more pressure I place on myself to succeed. He out again. Re-range. 340 yards, then no reading, no reading. Adjust dope to 325, as it's very steep up hill. He's browsing the yellow buds off a cholla cactus with his head up and slightly back. Facing me with just a slight quarter, and facing donwhill.

My partner has had a good season loading ammo for family, and has recovered 2 TSX's from elk. I begin to smile and tell myself I am going to try and stop this 168 TSX in this deer. I've recovered a 168 TSX from a WA bear, so we have a pretty neat pile of picture perfect bullets.

Place the crosshairs inside the shoulder blade, in the brisket pocket near the windpipe. Rock steady over the pack and squeeze. Was a BANG-FLOP, or a DRT, whichever you prefer.

A few pics, a quick cell phone text, and it was time to hastilty set up a bivouac. Then skinning and quartering under the stars with a headlamp.

Same buddy (Billygaot-no it's not my typo, but how he registered) came in to save my bacon, literally. This guy is a billygoat, and he woke at 4A, and walked in with a torture device called an ALICE pack. Met me at my geocoords. Finished boning the deer, at some chocolate, and marched down the mountain. Since he was nice enough to come in an help a buddy, I gave him the "light" load with modern equipment. I took almost all boned buck, head, rack, and cape. He said the Eberle felt great. The ALICE chewed 2 holes in my butt cheeks, and crippled me up for a few days. Go figure.

Very rewarding to backpack in and harvest a deer. Was great to have a nice, steady shot, and have it play out like it did.

Here he is...



Best I could do without a tripod...



A quick camp..



A happy guy, 3/4 of the way to the truck..

Very nice sir...

Fantastic buck Jesse,

I'd be proud as heck of it. A "hunting trophy" for sure.

I love your style of hunting and that made for a great story as well.

Appears everything was downhill after the kill.

Looks like you went bivy for the pack and no tent?
What were the temps?

very nice! thanks for sharing!

Excellent! I think under the conditions you did pretty well. I would be proud of that buck, he is kinda unique!

That country looks sunny, dry, arid and rugged with little water sources, thats tough country to hunt muleys IME.

Alot of folks are spoiled by easier hunting and would have thrown in the towel.

MtnHtr

Great story, great hunt, GREAT buck.

Congrats and thanks for sharing.

J

Looks a little longer than I'd have liked.

I was prepared to go about 3 nights with my gear if I'd had to. Hunting this way was different even than packing in and spiking out, as I had the full kit on all the time. Physically, I could have gone longer pretty easy. Feet were fine. Going up, as much as it sucks, is easier than going down.

I am sure there are tougher places to hunt, but I must say that the entire surface of southern New Mexico is covered with cantelope sized rocks, and you are constantly rolling them and your ankles. It's very irritating. At the bottom of the mountain was an arroyo (sand filled wash). So that really sent the pain to the cheeks.

Temps were only down to 46 while I was trying to sleep. Day times were 75, which makes it a little tougher dealing with the swings as opposed to a constant 30 ish temp.

First time in a bivy.....and last. Think a Tyvek ground cover and a siltarp would have been better.

Looks to be a great outing and fine deer. Way to go.

Good story and pics! That mulie sorta has a whitetail look to his rack.

Very nice.

Around here, you couldn't pay me enough to walk with brown/tan clothing, and antlers on my back, during hunting season.

I dont think anyone will shoot at Jesse otherwise u might have the Youngers and Coles looking for ya , nice buck btw.

Shane, you know, I never even thought about it until you mentioned it. My bad. From my vantage, I could almost see Texas, and Arizona both. The closest encampment of 3rd eyes was about 3 miles away, and in the flats. No one could have even come close to hitting me. And none would have gotten off the 'wheelers anywho....but good point.

Good Job and you did it the old fashioned way, too........you earned it.

MM

Good story and pictures...great deer too!

Is that an old shed laying there under the tree in camp?

Yeah, I found a few sheds within 200 yards of the shot. They burn up quick here in the desert.

Nice deer

Jesse, you did it right... that's a real trophy. Congrat's!

That was impressive

I had a good year
I shot my first elk at age 52, a nice 6x6 13 miles back in the mountains by horseback.
My 13 year old daughter bagged her first deer, with several cheater points it was a 6x6 with a 20 something spread.

Nice, Jesse!

Hey, I grew up in central NM (Socorro) and have been jonesing to get down there and hunt it one year... where was that, roughly? North of Las Cruces?

Getting into the Gila is my dream hunt... that or the Sangres up north...

-jeff

I am gonna go with that one . . .

Its a true trophy sir,

BMT