My New Mexico Mulie

[Mex. Bowhunter]

Two years ago I was blessed to draw my first ever muledeer tag in New Mexico. After seeing a few good bucks on my elk hunt I decided I'd like to try and harvest a mature publicland muledeer. As luck would have it I drew my first ever deer tag for muzzleloader. After putting in time to learn my muzzleloader and finding the right loads I put in a few weeks of scouting. It was a slow learning experience but, I felt good about the coming season. What I didn't know was covid would destroy all of my scouting due to every person from the city decided to hike or camp in the area I targeted due to the covid shutdown in New Mexico. After covering over 50 miles on foot and not seeing 1 mature deer the first 3 days of season I almost gave up due to not being able to get away from the people. I ran into full groups up to 9 miles deep in the wilderness. Changing my strategy to only look for a area with no hikers I got totally luckily my last morning and ran into a awesome mature buck. After bumping him at daylight on the hike in I cycled around and found a nice vantage point hoping he would use as a escape route. 30 minutes later he came sneaking through the timber below me giving me a 168 yard shot. Luckily all the practice paid off and I had my first ever trophy muledeer on the ground. I felt very blessed to take such a awesome animal and wondered if it was only by luck I was given such a opportunity.





Well fast forward to this season I was blessed with another New Mexico muzzy tag. As bad as I wanted to be chasing Bulls this season I didn't over look the greatness of having a chance to be in the mountains again come October. After a busy summer with work I tried to work in a August scouting trip. This time I only could work out a 5 day trip with the family but, my plan was to target my original area from 2 yrs prior. The scouting was tough but, on the morning of my birthday we located a group of 7 bucks with 3 possible shooters in the Group. 1 deer was definitely the oldest and biggest framed of the group. Going home I felt there was a chance to find another good deer come season but, regardless it was awesome to spend a week in the mountains with the whole family again.






Well the day finally came and we was headed to the Mountains. I couldn't work out getting up there as early as I would of liked too for more scouting but, It would have to work. After flying in from work and driving straight there overnight we was given 1 full scouting day before Season. We decided to go Check Out an area we scouted 2 yrs before about 1 hr drive from camp. We hiked in about 5 miles and was glassing new country at daylight. Only spotting 6 does we kept working the area at different angles with no luck of turning up any bucks at all. The trip was not a total bust though. At about 9am when I'd given up all hope on muledeer I spotted 2 bighorn sheep. It made the whole trip just to be able to watch two old awesome warriors.




After the morning trip we headed back to camp to finish setting up camp and get some much needed rest for the opener. We did hit one other area on the way back that only turned up some good bear sign and alot of campers coming in for opening day.

After getting a good night's rest we was packed up and heading up the mountain at 4:30am to be in place by daylight. Walking In and listening to the elk talking made the 4 mile hike very easy. We managed to get in place without bumping any animals that we knew of. We set up in a burt timble patch between three major canyons where we had spotted the group of 7 bucks. The plan was to sit in place till 10am and then head to glass each canyon separately. I had set up 2 cameras in the area but, hadn't gotten a chance to check them yet. We sat without seeing anything till 8:10am. To my surprise I spotted a big forky sneaking through the timber behind us. After getting turned around enough to glass the timber good behind him I pick up multiple bucks including a tall narrow buck I knew was 1 of the group of 7. At that moment I started to get real excited and scanned the timber real hard locating the big mature buck we had seen in August. Right then the wind decided to shift for a split second sending all the bucks the direction they came. As bad as that sucked it was awesome to know the big deer was still in the area. We seen 2 more young muledeer bucks around 11am crossing through but, that was it for the morning. After the hunt I snuck into the bottom to grab my cameras. To my surprise we had multiple good pictures of the big mature deer, elk, bears, and even 1 lion. To say we wasn't pumped would be lieing.





We hiked out and back in for the evening hunt with no luck. Only seen hikers and 1 small bear. The next morning we got up earlier and headed up the mountain to be in place before daylight. Normally I don't enter the timber till I can see to shoot but, I felt it would be good to be set up at daylight incase they came through earlier to get to thier bedding area. The morning was overcast with rain In the distance. We set silent watching for any movement in the timber or clearing below. 7:30 came and went without seeing even I bird. Around 8am a rain storm moved in bringing cooler damp temperatures. We rode it out and kept glassing the area. Finally at 8:30 I caught movement again in the timber behind us. I glassed the area and couldn't make out what it was. I kept Watched the few small openings and out of no where I picked up the white patch of a deer but. I glassed the deer waiting for him to pick up his head and comfirmed it was the big forky from the morning before. I slowly got turned around and set up my shooting sticks for a uphill shot through the timber. Deer slowly started to appear one by one till I picked out the big mature deer headed our way. I started looking for any openings through the timber that would offer any clear shot but, it was very difficult to find any. Before I knew it the buck disappeared and I panicked a little. After glassing the area over and over slowly I found his horns sticking out from behind a tree where he had laid down. I tried the get a good range through the timber and limbs with mixed ranges. Luckily he didn't stay laying down long and was on his feet again. The best range I could get was 167 from a old burt stump close to his position. I held on a hole looking through all the limbs waiting for him to feed in. As he passed through the hole I started squeezing till the muzzleloader surprised me and the buck dropped in his tracks. We started celebrating as the rain returned unnoticed at the time. Looking back up through the timber to my disbelief the buck was back on his feet. I reloaded the muzzleloader in a hurry and was able to get another shot into him walking away from me. He went straight over the side on a hillside completely covered in dead fall. I reloaded again in the rain and cycled around to try and relocate him down in the dead fall. After covering a long dreadful decent down into the dead falls that can not be put into words I was able to relocate him laying behind a fallen log. After taking my time I was able to get in range on him at 143 yards straight down. I took the shot in the rain and blew him over once more. We sat and watched him for about 15 minutes only to see him roll back over lifting his head in a alert position. I was beside my self at this point. It was still raining, we was In A terrible position given the location, and I was out of bullets. I finally committed to climb up out of the dead fall and hike out to return as fast as possible with more powder and bullets incase the deer was still alive when I returned. I made record time going down and getting back up making the 7 mile round trip in under 2hrs. We unloaded our packs and started climbing back down into position. After getting back to our early location we could not see the deer in its previous spot. I found the highest log in our area and climbed to the top of it. I glassed every in. of that area and picked up the tips of him mainbeams sticking out from behind a tree about 20 yards from where we had left him. I crawled down the mess of trees to get within 115 yards and took a shot through the brush for a front chest shot. The buck was finally down.


We celebrated for a short period and took some picture's right before the heavy rain, sleet, and hail set in. It was as bad as you can imagine getting him broke down and prepped to pack him straight up a 1000ft in elevation gain to get him up out of the canyon. Besides him be a huge bodied deer the wet hillside made it very challenging. On our first pack up I found the biggest set of elk sheds I have ever seen in person. As a avid shed hunter you know you can not leave a find like that regardless the situation. It took us till almost 3.5 hours to get everything out of the canyon but, it was finally done. Soaked to the bone and cold we hung everything up on top and hiked out for the night in the still steady rain with lit loads.


The next morning we hiked back up top with dry clothes and well rested to start the pack out. It was far from easy but, we made the best of it and enjoyed every heavy step. My wife Tracy never left my side from beginning till the very end. This hunt will never be forgotten from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. We walked off the mountain tired, soar, smiling, and dreaming of the day we get to return.





Sorry for the long story but, I couldn't write it unless it covered the whole experience. Good luck to everyone this season

[TKC]

So awesome and thank you for sharing Sir, congratulations!

[IvoryRoot]

Fantastic trip and Muley. Thanks for sharing.

[ColinR]

Incredible! Great write up. May I ask what area this was?

[curtintex]

Awesome writeup. My quads were on fire just reading about that pack out. Congrats on a great Muley.

[trophy8]

Amazing hunt. And those sheep! Congrats

[rlwenzel]

Awesome bud. Congrats.

[sako]

Awesome trip!

[Slick8]

Amazing hunt capped off with a great trophy. I'm headed to nm in November and hope to have a fraction of the success you had.

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[Snapperhead94]

Awesome!

[freerhunter16]

Awesomeness!

[RS3]

Awesome buck! Congrats!

[jrshuman]

Stud of a buck and a great write up! Congrats!

[M16]

That’s living the dream! Congrats!

[SHSU18]

Awesome write up and great deer! Congrats

[Gclyde12]

Awesome write up

[Bone Thug]

Wow!!!!

Super impressive all around. Big congrats….

[ClayW]

Awesome write up

Thanks for sharing!

[MasonCo.]

That’s the best write up I have seen in awhile.


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[Gumbo Man]

Awesome buck and great write up. Congrats on the family success.

[TKRanch]

Awesome write up and fantastic harvest!!! Sounds like a dream trip for sure! Congrats!

[jaspermac]

Great story! Thank you for sharing

[lovemylegacy]

Was that a Grizzly? No thanx

[elgato]

Great story, great mulie. Stuff of dreams and magic memories.

[Trapper76]

Congratulations on a fine trophy!!

[Tx.Fisher]

Outstanding write up and beautiful deer and pictures!!

[AggieDVM15]

Congrats! Awesome animal!!

[rtp]

Well done Bo. Great write up on your awesome hunt! I enjoyed it all.


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[HOOKNBULLET2]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

[lmartin5]

Great buck and really enjoyed the write up!

Congratulations!


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[myway]

Well done across the board sir! Congratulations on a great deer.

[skinsfan]

Great buck and write up!

[Mexico]

Congratulations Bo!

[CarbonFlinger]

Well Done Sir! Nothing like Muley hunting in the high country!
Thank you for the write up and amazing pics!

[slayr]

Awesome hunt! Congrats!

[WyoBull]

That is a great framed 4 point. Congratulations on a great hunt and very enjoyable write up.

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[TAMU Hunter]

Incredible trip and congratulations

[txoutdoorsman24]

Looks like y’all had a great trip. Congratulations on a nice buck!!

[Roger]

Great buck and outstanding writeup. Congrats!

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[JakeM]

Heck of a buck and an awesome story to read. Thanks for sharing

[TexasTK]

Congrats on a super Muley. Nothing like spending time in the mountains chasing critters.

[flywise]

Great bucks, I am headed up in a couple weeks for NM muzzleloader.
Im getting up there 4 days early and hoping I do some good scouting. I have been hiking for a couple months to try and get ready.

[Lexington]

What part of the state were you in? It looks awesome

[Incline]

Great write up and pics. You and your wife certainly earned that trophy!

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[Johnson]

Heck of a deer and even better memories! Congratulations again.

[porkrind]

Awesome write up, Congrats

[KingsX]

Awesome! Congrats on a great hunt.

[Hsbtgarcia]

Awesome hunt, write up and Muley!!!
Congratulations!!!

[N.DaWoods]

Wow. Congrats and a great trip and trophy.

[Mahan]

Thanks for sharing the photos and great write up! Congrats!