I just got back from the Rim country a couple weeks ago. Just a family vacation the week before Labor Day weekend. Lots of thunderstorms! Made everything nice and green, though. We didn't see any elk... but the rut hadn't started yet.
Coues
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I harvest this antelope in NM with a tag I bought from Jim (JFRWC). I highly recommend his services and would not hesitate to do business with him again.
Now, if I could just learn how to use this dang digital camera, I will be happy.
Now, if I could just learn how to use this dang digital camera, I will be happy.
pschultheis
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Our trip was interesting to say the least. I didn't check the AZ reg's close enough and it turns out the archery cow hunt is in full swing when we arrive. We didn't get to play with the elk 'cause we didn't want to blow anyone's hunt for the sake of our video endeavors. But we had a nice few days in the rim country and explored some new terrain.
Then on to New Mexico. We chose to hunt without the assistance of a guide, that's just the way we like to hunt, so we arrived with time to do a little scouting without having a negative impact on the antelope. We looked over the property from the surrounding roads on Thursday afternoon and spotted four nice bucks. One clearly a shooter. Friday. we entered the property and got familiar with the roads and terrain. We saw 6 bucks without leaving the truck. Jim surely has some nice properties and the antelope like them. It was pretty dry throughout the area but the ranch has several full tanks to support the livestock operation and the antelope were drawn to what little greenery there was in the meadows and the good water supply.
Saturday morning we were in the field before sun up. Sat on a rock outcropping glassing a meadow until daybreak. Back to the truck for a little four wheel scouting. At the first rise we spot two bucks at about 300 yds. I backed the truck down as quietly as possible and we approach on foot. The bucks are buggin out and are heading for the horizon by the time we sneak up the ridge. Lesson Number One - Just because your just starting out, don't assume you won't see anything in the first quarter mile. As we approach the next rise, we stop and glass before letting them see the truck first. We are on the property line and there is a decent buck on our side, but there is a good one on the other side guarding his does. We watch for about 15 minutes hoping the bigger one will cross over. Bonny tells me it's time to do something if I want the smaller one or we'll miss out on any of them. She's right. I decide to give him a try. I take the range finder and my rifle and start sneaking from cholla to cholla, stopping to check him at each cactus. The closest I can get is 363 yards. I try to move closer, but he starts to feed away from me and I run out of cover. At the last cactus I decide to try a shot and he's too far out for the range finder. I judge him to be right at 400 yards. I take a sitting position and hold 18 inches high just like at the rifle range. At the shot he bolts for the horizon full tilt boogie. I watch him run, first through the scope, then through the range finder. At about a half mile, he goes over a little drop still at full speed without a sign of a hit. I figure it's a clean miss, but I never saw dirt fly and I know there is no way I shot over him. I walk to the spot he was standing and I find prints from where he launched into his sprint and no blood. What a let down!
Back to the truck and off we go to let Bonny try at one. Around noon we run into one of Jim's guides. One of his clients is tagged out and they're looking for a buck for the other client. I tell them of my blown shot and we head our separate ways. We see a few bucks, but never get a chance to put a stalk on any. A monsoon moves in and it rains pretty good for a couple of hours. We stopped by the guides camp in the evening to compare notes and one tells us of a dead antelope they found shot through the heart. It doesn't take long to figure what happened. Bonny and I went out that night and searched in the pouring rain, but don't find the buck. Next morning we go out and find him. He dropped stone dead just after going out of my sight. Lesson Number Two - No matter how sure you are you missed, follow the tracks for a reasonable distance before you give up. I was sick that I let that animal spoil in the field. Varmints had already started the scavenging process but I was able to salvage the horns. A very bittersweet moment.
We spent the rest of the day trying to get a buck for Bonny. We saw lots of antelope, but only two bucks. One of them we saw four different times. We tried one unsuccessful stalk on him in the morning. We pretty much learned what he was using as his home turf and around 2PM we spotted him from the truck at almost a mile out. Even through the spotting scope, I could only tell that it was a bedded antelope, but I couldn't see horns through the heat mirage. We had a long discussion about the possibilities and the alternatives for an approach. Bonny decided to give it a try. Somewhere in the previous day and half we learned Lesson Number Three - Antelope can see even better than you think they can. We started this stalk at a mile out and we never moved without having cover between us and that buck and always checked to make sure he was looking away. Slowly we made progress to within about 600 yards. Now 600 hundred yards might sound like a long way off, but when you're stalking antelope, it's definately within the adrenalin rush range. It's about this time we discovered that the buck was not alone. He had a feeding doe and a bedded fawn with him, and the doe had us pegged! We crouched behind a cholla for fifteen tense minutes until she went back to relaxed feeding. Every move after that was made with extreme caution. Just inside of 500 yards we ran out of cholla, which is the best cover we had. There are three clumps of small yuccas between us and the buck. The last clump will get us inside of 400 yards and close enough to try the range finder. I know if I can get a reading on that buck, Bonny can do him, once I give her the range. She's a much better shot than I, so I know it's a done deal. Before we leave the last cholla and start through the more open country to the yuccas, Bonny turns to me and says, "We're going to get him, aren't we?" It was more an excited statement of fact than a question. I nodded and we started creeping to the first clump of yuccas. We made the first clump of yuccas and when I raised up to glass, the buck was bedded and facing away from us, the fawn likewise and the doe was feeding calmly, head down. Whew! We caught our breath, I checked the goats one more time and I hand signaled to Bonny to move out. Another 35 yards of open ground and we reached the second clump of yuccas. I check the antelope and all is as before. This is going perfectly. Another forty yards and it's ranging time. Suddenly Bonny hisses "Ants!" I look down and big black ants with red butts are swarming out of the ant mound my right foot is on! There is no place to go. Bonny and I try to quietly swat them of but they're swarming out of the mound too fast. Now they're crawling up my arm and running across the rim of my glasses. Bonny says we have to move. We crab crawl to a yucca just a few feet to the right and we swat all the ants off. I grab the glasses and check the antelope. They're all up a staring at us. Just over 400 yards and busted! We freeze and wait for them to calm down. Slowly they start feeding and moving away from us, glancing back at us every few seconds. We're done. No way to get any closer without blowing them completely out. We let them feed away and walk back to the truck. What an exciting hour. Oh, by the way, Lesson Number Four - Pay attention...to everything! One little slip can screw up a great situation. We located the buck one more time in the evening coming into a cactus patch we had seen him the previous two evenings, but couldn't get a stalk on him.
All in all, this hunt was the complete range of emotions for a lot of reasons. Bonny said she wants to try it again until she gets her antelope. After all, it's still her turn for a shot! When the time comes to get her speedgoat, we will definately be giving Jim another call. A super guy, with great properties, and good people working for him. Seven hunters took six antelope in a two day season. Not bad! If we had a little more experience, it would have been 7 for 7. As others have said before, if you want an experience of a lifetime, contact Jim.
Then on to New Mexico. We chose to hunt without the assistance of a guide, that's just the way we like to hunt, so we arrived with time to do a little scouting without having a negative impact on the antelope. We looked over the property from the surrounding roads on Thursday afternoon and spotted four nice bucks. One clearly a shooter. Friday. we entered the property and got familiar with the roads and terrain. We saw 6 bucks without leaving the truck. Jim surely has some nice properties and the antelope like them. It was pretty dry throughout the area but the ranch has several full tanks to support the livestock operation and the antelope were drawn to what little greenery there was in the meadows and the good water supply.
Saturday morning we were in the field before sun up. Sat on a rock outcropping glassing a meadow until daybreak. Back to the truck for a little four wheel scouting. At the first rise we spot two bucks at about 300 yds. I backed the truck down as quietly as possible and we approach on foot. The bucks are buggin out and are heading for the horizon by the time we sneak up the ridge. Lesson Number One - Just because your just starting out, don't assume you won't see anything in the first quarter mile. As we approach the next rise, we stop and glass before letting them see the truck first. We are on the property line and there is a decent buck on our side, but there is a good one on the other side guarding his does. We watch for about 15 minutes hoping the bigger one will cross over. Bonny tells me it's time to do something if I want the smaller one or we'll miss out on any of them. She's right. I decide to give him a try. I take the range finder and my rifle and start sneaking from cholla to cholla, stopping to check him at each cactus. The closest I can get is 363 yards. I try to move closer, but he starts to feed away from me and I run out of cover. At the last cactus I decide to try a shot and he's too far out for the range finder. I judge him to be right at 400 yards. I take a sitting position and hold 18 inches high just like at the rifle range. At the shot he bolts for the horizon full tilt boogie. I watch him run, first through the scope, then through the range finder. At about a half mile, he goes over a little drop still at full speed without a sign of a hit. I figure it's a clean miss, but I never saw dirt fly and I know there is no way I shot over him. I walk to the spot he was standing and I find prints from where he launched into his sprint and no blood. What a let down!
Back to the truck and off we go to let Bonny try at one. Around noon we run into one of Jim's guides. One of his clients is tagged out and they're looking for a buck for the other client. I tell them of my blown shot and we head our separate ways. We see a few bucks, but never get a chance to put a stalk on any. A monsoon moves in and it rains pretty good for a couple of hours. We stopped by the guides camp in the evening to compare notes and one tells us of a dead antelope they found shot through the heart. It doesn't take long to figure what happened. Bonny and I went out that night and searched in the pouring rain, but don't find the buck. Next morning we go out and find him. He dropped stone dead just after going out of my sight. Lesson Number Two - No matter how sure you are you missed, follow the tracks for a reasonable distance before you give up. I was sick that I let that animal spoil in the field. Varmints had already started the scavenging process but I was able to salvage the horns. A very bittersweet moment.
We spent the rest of the day trying to get a buck for Bonny. We saw lots of antelope, but only two bucks. One of them we saw four different times. We tried one unsuccessful stalk on him in the morning. We pretty much learned what he was using as his home turf and around 2PM we spotted him from the truck at almost a mile out. Even through the spotting scope, I could only tell that it was a bedded antelope, but I couldn't see horns through the heat mirage. We had a long discussion about the possibilities and the alternatives for an approach. Bonny decided to give it a try. Somewhere in the previous day and half we learned Lesson Number Three - Antelope can see even better than you think they can. We started this stalk at a mile out and we never moved without having cover between us and that buck and always checked to make sure he was looking away. Slowly we made progress to within about 600 yards. Now 600 hundred yards might sound like a long way off, but when you're stalking antelope, it's definately within the adrenalin rush range. It's about this time we discovered that the buck was not alone. He had a feeding doe and a bedded fawn with him, and the doe had us pegged! We crouched behind a cholla for fifteen tense minutes until she went back to relaxed feeding. Every move after that was made with extreme caution. Just inside of 500 yards we ran out of cholla, which is the best cover we had. There are three clumps of small yuccas between us and the buck. The last clump will get us inside of 400 yards and close enough to try the range finder. I know if I can get a reading on that buck, Bonny can do him, once I give her the range. She's a much better shot than I, so I know it's a done deal. Before we leave the last cholla and start through the more open country to the yuccas, Bonny turns to me and says, "We're going to get him, aren't we?" It was more an excited statement of fact than a question. I nodded and we started creeping to the first clump of yuccas. We made the first clump of yuccas and when I raised up to glass, the buck was bedded and facing away from us, the fawn likewise and the doe was feeding calmly, head down. Whew! We caught our breath, I checked the goats one more time and I hand signaled to Bonny to move out. Another 35 yards of open ground and we reached the second clump of yuccas. I check the antelope and all is as before. This is going perfectly. Another forty yards and it's ranging time. Suddenly Bonny hisses "Ants!" I look down and big black ants with red butts are swarming out of the ant mound my right foot is on! There is no place to go. Bonny and I try to quietly swat them of but they're swarming out of the mound too fast. Now they're crawling up my arm and running across the rim of my glasses. Bonny says we have to move. We crab crawl to a yucca just a few feet to the right and we swat all the ants off. I grab the glasses and check the antelope. They're all up a staring at us. Just over 400 yards and busted! We freeze and wait for them to calm down. Slowly they start feeding and moving away from us, glancing back at us every few seconds. We're done. No way to get any closer without blowing them completely out. We let them feed away and walk back to the truck. What an exciting hour. Oh, by the way, Lesson Number Four - Pay attention...to everything! One little slip can screw up a great situation. We located the buck one more time in the evening coming into a cactus patch we had seen him the previous two evenings, but couldn't get a stalk on him.
All in all, this hunt was the complete range of emotions for a lot of reasons. Bonny said she wants to try it again until she gets her antelope. After all, it's still her turn for a shot! When the time comes to get her speedgoat, we will definately be giving Jim another call. A super guy, with great properties, and good people working for him. Seven hunters took six antelope in a two day season. Not bad! If we had a little more experience, it would have been 7 for 7. As others have said before, if you want an experience of a lifetime, contact Jim.
Paul thanks for the detailed blow by blow. I was really hoping she'd score. It sounds like your learning curve went like an F-16. I didn't get a chance to tell you but we are leasing a new ranch east of Raton in 2004. This place is beautiful and I haven't seen an ant pile on it. Thanks for coming out and your kind words of praise. Jim
