Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire On the border...

Last minute whim I decided to join my buddy Jack on his backpack coues hunt. He had drawn a New Mexico tag, talked with mudhen, who connected him with a rancher for local info. Jack had different folks lined up to go but one thing after another and he was faced with going solo, so I went.

5 1/2 hours of driving, the last bit nasty stuff. We park in arizona, pack into NM, looking into old mex on the south.

It was warm in the 90s, mosquitoes eating us up even with spray, knee high grass after 8 inches of rain in september. Classic coues country and beautiful.

We set up camp on a large flat where we could glass multiple areas.

Breaking the binos out, pretty soon Jack say's, there's a lion, no two... I swing over and there's three. Probably a mother and two adult cubs, they were all the same size.

We never did glass a deer in that basin, which shocked me in such perfect habitat. But with a record amount of grass, water in pockets everywhere and the lions, the deer didn't need to be in there.

We decided to move up higher above the lions and glass a higher basin, we finally bumped one deer in a saddle but it went over so fast we couldn't ID if it was a buck.

Found a cave up close to the lions, looked like illegals may have used it a time or two, we weren't killed by the cartel, buzzed by an army green hilo twice, no markings, we donated to the local mosquito blood bank, sweated gallons of water and were chitty deer hunters.

But got to explore new country, test my leg that gave me such trouble this summer and had a great time.

Kent

Looking back from camp to where were hiked in.





lions were up high by the white bluff





Looking back to where we camped on the flats...



The cave was at the base of that bluff in the trees and Old Mex in the background.

Sir, this is not fair, it just isn't

Glad to hear you're doing better - and getting around that well.
Kudos from "The Warden" and me.

How did the leg do? I guess if you were not packed out, it did fine. If it were me, not killing a deer in that country would be a good thing. miles

Leg did fine, though the pack seemed heavier... or I'm just older...

Kent

And the older I get, not packing a deer out is as good a thing as packing one.

Kent

Did you get nervous checking out the cave? When me and my buddies found a brown bear cave high atop a ridge on Kodiak Island we were a "little" apprehensive. None of us would go inside.


I've been having issues with my right leg but on my mulie hunt this year I "walked it off." It's hell getting old.

Nice lookin' country and Thanks for the pics.

Looks like it was a good time. Glad the leg is better.

Glad I ain't the only one with knee/leg issues.

Is this just a 50-something thing or what?

I killed a medium size doe the other day. I could loan you a little meat. I pack mine with an ATV. miles

I used the last of my elk meat from last year on jerky for this trip... I'm going to have to get serious on some later hunts.

And Mike, yes it's a 50s thing... unless you're ingwe, then it won't hit you till the 200s...

Kent

What sorta' Tonk sign in the cave, Kent ?

GTC

If you look close you can see a plastic 1 gal water bottle at the entrance. Which signaled alarms, but I looked in and didn't see anything else close. The cave continued in farther and Jack said not to go in and it was sound advice.

Not far I found a few tuna and bean cans that were rusted with expiration dates of 2014.

Otherwise there was little illegal evidence. Talking with the rancher on the way out he was surprised as the BP told him there was a lot of traffic. He also said illegals weren't leaving the trash as much hiding their movements. But with that much grass, all the trails were covered and obviously not being traveled lately, we were bending the grass down noticeably, easily trackable and obviously the only ones in there recent.

Kent

Sorry to hear that you guys didn't get a deer. That is some of the best country that I know of on public land, and very few people get that far in.

Thanks for the photos! Makes me a little homesick...

It's great country and definitely worth hunting. We just didn't have a lot of time, the perfect storm of grass and water throughout that country, lions and having to commit to one spot packing in didn't work this time. Laying on my bedroll, looking at the stars bright because of a new moon... I felt at home and slept great with a slight breeze keeping the bugs off, it was great. Thanks amigo.

Kent

great photos, really enjoyed them


so when you're hunting in "illegals" territory for deer, what's the weapon of choice?

AR with a few 30 rd. mags?


so hard for me to fathom factoring that into hunting

really makes me angry with our gov't

This was a muzzleloader hunt, that's all Jack could have for long guns, I had my kahr 45 and extra mags. I didn't have a NM license and didn't want to cause any confusion if checked by having a rifle.

Now where we camped on the flats was about on the state line, no fence so it's just best guess and GPS. Also this area is hard to get to and doubt any GW would check it out from either state.

But I'll hunt america and to hell with illegals keeping me out. I'm just on alert when returning to the truck, that's the best chance of getting jumped.

Kent

Kent, sure pleased to know that your leg is so much better and that you got down there to roam that country.

Thanks for your account and photos. Very recognizeable country, and some of it IS tough to get into. You sure brought back lots of memories from the 60s through 80s and those Coues east and south of the Chiricahuas. Did you get down into Guadalupe Canyon?

Enjoyed the photos and words. Very pretty country. Thanks for sharing.

Yeah, great story and pics.