My Quest for Papa Grande - NM Adventure
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: bowfinatic
26-Sep-14
My 2014 quest was to try and arrow a nice mulie in New Mexico. I have been really looking forward to this trip for the last year not only for the hunting experience but also for camaraderie. Included in the trip was my mum and dad as well as two of my brothers. My dad and brothers all had late season elk tags. We were hunting in Unit 16 on a DIY hunt on Private land that we have hunted on in the past Here I am getting off the plane excited to get up into the hills
From: bowfinatic
26-Sep-14
On our way up into the hills. Elevation about 8500-9000 feet
From: bowfinatic
26-Sep-14
The main focus of the area we are hunting is for elk. Over the years this area has produced some awesome bulls. The first one here is one that I guided and filmed a buddy. He came oh so close but ultimately didn't get it done. The second is a bull we saw a number of years ago during archery season but it was killed later during rifle season. Obviously these type of bulls are not around every hill but you know that there is a chance at this type of quality
From: bowfinatic
26-Sep-14
From: bowfinatic
26-Sep-14
My main focus however was going to be on mule deer. This area does not hold many deer in fact in a good year you may see 2 dozen deer total. Although this may seem like a small number every year we see at least 1 good shooter buck. The nice thing about early season is that the deer are pattern able and they are in bachelor groups, so if you can find 1 buck you usually can find 3-5 together. 2 years before this trip my brother took this old warrior in the same area
From: bowfinatic
26-Sep-14
First started out with a lot of walking and a lot of glassing. The country out west is absolutely beautiful. The clouds, country, and sky are something special after coming from the state of Michigan. I love being able to see miles into the distance as storm roll through. First morning I glasses a couple different groups of does as well as a spike. Not what I was hoping for but at least I was spotting a few deer. The evening I didn't find anymore deer but was able to watch a number of different pockets of nice bulls with their cows
From: bowfinatic
26-Sep-14
From: bowfinatic
27-Sep-14
Day 2 I thought I would try out the west side of our area where in years past we have spotted a few good deer. After a couple hrs of glassing I spotted 2 deer about 600 yards away. I knew one had some antlers but couldn't see how big. So I dropped into the btm of a ravine and snuck to about 200 yards. After glassing the 2 bucks they turned out to be a small 3x2 and a spike. I didn't find anymore deer after glassing the 2 steep ravines. I then decided to check out some of the low lands. After an hr of hiking I slowly starting going from cut to cut trying to find any deer. After a couple hrs I only ran into a small antelope buck and 9 does. So I decided to head back to camp to try a different section in the evening. As I made my way back to camp I of course was not being stealthy as I just glassed these cuts for the last 3 hours. Of course on an open section with about 3 juniper bushes I ran into this group. I have no idea where they came from or why they were out here in the open.
From: bowfinatic
27-Sep-14
After hooking up with dad at camp he told me about a group of 5 deer he saw this morning with one being a big buck. This of course got me pumped up and I knew where I was heading in the evening. Dad brought me to where he saw the deer this morning. right away we found 1 doe bedded under a juniper bush but could find no other deer. Dad left and went to chase after elk and I settled in for the evening waiting for the doe to get up. I was hoping that once she got up the other deer would reveal themselves. After waiting few hrs finally she got up and starting feeding south. sure enough 15 min later I see a nice buck pop up about 30 yards away from the doe. The stalk was on. I dropped down the gully and up the next hill trying to get in front of them as the doe and buck were feeding to the west. When I thought I was close I dropped my pack and boots and started sneaking closer. When I snuck to where they should be they were no where to be found. I couldn't figure out where they went. I glassed for about 10 minutes and finally found them about 400 yards away. they had dropped down low to get a drink. I never got closer than 250 yards but did watch the buck for about an hr and took one long range pic of him
From: bowfinatic
27-Sep-14
I forgot to post about the first night success. My brother shot an awesome bull the first night. This bull was estimated to be 10 years old and had only one cow. He snuck in to 65 yards and got it done!
From: Iaintafraidofnotag
28-Sep-14
Wow! Keep em comin!
From: bowfinatic
28-Sep-14
Sunday we drove a couple hours south to go to church and visit friends. Of course the drive was breathtaking and a nice refresher after a couple days of hunting.
From: bowfinatic
28-Sep-14
Its the little things that mean a lot
From: bowfinatic
28-Sep-14
Monday I went back to "mulie hill" as I began to call this. My "family" was right back where I left them Saturday. Included in the group was papa grande (big buck), junior (150" buck), mama (doe) and 2 baby bucks one of which I called bulls eye due to him having a nice patch of black fur right where you would want to put an arrow. I watched them for about 2hrs feeding on the hill. Eventually they all bedded down and then my stalk began. It took me a couple hrs to get in position. They were bedded on the upper portion of the hill. Papa Grande, Mama, and bulls eye by one bush and baby buck and junior about 30 yards from them. I started from the NE position down low working my way until I got to 70 yards from the bush where they were bedded. I saw papa get on his feet and start feeding but he was on the backside of the bush so no shot. Bulls eye and mama were feeding on the front side and I had a clear shot at both. I figured I would wait them out and hope to have papa feed my way. Unfortunately I didn't take into account the thermals as well as I should have as they caught a whiff of me and headed away and over the hill =(
From: bowfinatic
28-Sep-14
I knew only mama and maybe bullseye had caught a whiff of me and they didn't blow out. they just trotted away and over the hill. My wind was not great for a stalk where I thought they were so I elected to back out and glass a few different areas and hope the family would be in a similar spot on Tuesday. I didn't find anymore mulie Monday night but did spot this nice bull that I got to about 150yards from
From: T-Rex
29-Sep-14
Awesome story and pics - Keep them coming, and tell your brother congrats on the beautiful bull!
From: Bill VanderLaan
29-Sep-14
"...one of which I called bulls eye due to him having a nice patch of black fur right where you would want to put an arrow."
From: bowfinatic
29-Sep-14
haha nice bill. Hopefully in about 5 years that's what it will feel like
From: Predeter
29-Sep-14
Keep it coming!
From: bowfinatic
29-Sep-14
Tuesday morning found me back on mulie hill and sure enough the family was back in a similar spot. this time they were much lower on the hill. I watched them again for a couple of hours until they bedded on the bottom 1/3 of the hill. This time I did almost the same stalk as Monday except I did this in reverse. I went on the backside of the hill started up high and worked my way down. When I got to the landmarks I had picked out I was stuck. I knew I was close but there was enough cover where I didn't know exactly where they were bedded. Since the thermals were rising and I was above the deer I gambled that my wind would stay consistent and I would wait for the deer to get up in the early afternoon and hopefully feed left, right or higher where I would have shots. I sat down around 11:00 and figured I was in for the long haul. I could hear the deer get up from time to time and clink a few rocks together so I knew I was close. I was guessing I was within 40-50 yards of some of them. After a 4.5hr wait I finally couldn't take it anymore and decided I was going in. I slowly crept my way down and found a couple of their beds but no deer to be found. I slowly made a wide sweep around the hill but the deer had vanished. I still have no idea where they went. I don't think they smelled me because I would have heard them blow out. my best guess is that they went north the one direction I didn't really check.
From: bowfinatic
29-Sep-14
From: bowfinatic
29-Sep-14
this was really the best pics I got of this buck as I was not using a spotting scope. Hindsight I wish I would have filmed him when he was a little closer to get better pics but when your in stalk mode the camera tends to stay in the bag
From: bowfinatic
29-Sep-14
At this point I have about 2.5hrs before dark so as started glassing the next ridge over high up in the dark timber. I spotted a large mule deer body about 800 yards directly across from me. I thought I saw antler flashing so I figured why not I don't have anything better to do. So down the steepest hill around and up the next hill which was every bit as steep. I took me about an hr to go down and up with way to many breaks in between. about 3/4 of the way to the top I ran into a nice bull which bugling and coming right to me. I'm assuming he heard me coming up and thought I was one hot mama. Much to his chagrin I turned out to be less desirable than what he was expecting. he came in to about 80 yards before I he high tailed it out of there. I know I really shook him up because he traveled about a mile to a water hole my brother was sitting at that night and he took some nice video of him
From: t-roy
29-Sep-14
I could see why you would forget about that dink of a bull! ;>) Congrats to your brother on a stud!
Looks like a whale of a mulie as well.
Good luck & keep us posted.
From: bowfinatic
29-Sep-14
Finally I get to the top of the ridge, drop my pack and my boots and go into navy seal mode. I sneak about 200 yards west moving on top of the ridge. As I'm cresting a small rise I see a brown back 50 yards and think I'm in business!! It turned out to be another small bull elk. First I'm thinking this is pretty cool and sit down to watch him. My brother had taken my video camera that night so I grabbed my phone and figured I would have some fun. Well this bull continued to feed closer and closer and closer until he was in my lap at 15 yards. He gave me the hairy eyeball a few times but must of figured I was just a weird looking bush and continued to chew his cud. It was pretty cool for the first 10 minutes but when this goes on for 30 minutes I'm thinking how can I get rid of this guy. I figured I would make some movements and he would blow out graciously like the last bull. so I started to make some movement and that bull busted out of there into tomorrow right....... of course not he runs back 50 yards and decides to bark at me and bark at me....and bark at me some more. Finally I stand up and walk toward him trying to wave him away. As I'm walking toward him and waving like an idiot I crest the hill that he was on and what do I see
From: bowfinatic
29-Sep-14
Ok Ok this is not my pic but it looked like this. 50 yards behind my barking guard dog is all ears and antler sticking out of the grass. Here was the deer I was after and here I am waving stupidly at an elk. Open mouth insert foot I don't think the deer really saw me but when they have a barking bull running all around right threw them lets just say they weren't going to hang out and see what was hanging around. They just followed the elk to the west out of sight. I couldn't believe how dumb I was. they were in a perfect position to stalk. I could have backed out, dropped on the side of the ridge and popped up right by them, but that's how it goes sometimes. Live and you learn. there was 4 bucks. One really nice 165-170ish, 1 medium and 2 small. After trailing them until I lost them I headed home with my tail between my legs figuring I had one more day to redeem myself
From: orionsbrother
29-Sep-14
Great story. I'm following too.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
30-Sep-14
Great job, keep it coming!
From: bowfinatic
30-Sep-14
Last day can I get it done? So far I have been getting close but no chance at any shots. I started out this day with both of my brothers. One of them trying to get an elk as the side I was hunting was loaded. my other brother was along with me. Right away we came into a bull bugling a couple hundred yards from us. One brother started sneaking in while we hung back and started cow calling hoping to bring him by for a shot. When we started calling we immediately got some action. THe big bugler closed some of the distance. After a few more calls we here elk coming. After the fact we found out we called 3 satellite bulls right by my brother but nothing big enough to shoot. The big bull would bugle but wouldn't commit. Eventually we faded off into the distance as my brother went after the elk. That was a fun sidelight for 45 min. now its back to mulie hill!
From: bowfinatic
30-Sep-14
After glassing for about a half an hr we see one deer on mulie hill. after we got closer we saw it was the one we wanted papa grande. It was strange that he was all by himself as he had been with his crew for the last 5 days on the same spot. Wasn't complaining thought. only 2 pairs of eyes and ears was a welcome change. We watched him until about 9:00. He was slowly feeding uphill into a clump of pines. As this was about the times they had been usually bedding I figured he was following the same script as before. So we headed down the hill and back up on the hill he was on. We got about halfway up the hill and about even where we last saw him. We were within 125yards of the last spot we saw him. We are slowly creeping along looking for any signs of movement. Something catches my eye to the right and I look at the btm of the hill and see a buck. I think oh there's junior and probably the rest of the crew behind him. Pull up the binos and its papa grande??? What! he fed up and then headed straight down the hill heading north. We watch him just cruising looking like he was on a mission. He went by about 100 yards from where we were glassing him initially. If we could only have been there when he decided to change plans. We watched him go up and over the ridge and disappear out of sight. So we dropped back down the hill and up the next. Once up and over the top we start classing the cuts looking for him again. By this time its close to 11:00 and we assume he's bedded down.
From: bowfinatic
30-Sep-14
So we head up the next hill and take a break eating lunch, talking strategy for the evening. An hour and a half later we have it all figured out on where each of us was going to go and where we were going to glass. Suddenly I hear running to my right. I look over and who would have thunk it here comes papa grande over the hill running right in front of us cruising by at 70 yards heading down into the pines. We look at each other in disbelief. What are the odds that he happens to get up and gets spooked by something and runs right by us? He has been acting crazy all day almost looking like a buck in rut how hes moving all around like hes on a mission trying to find something. Well at this point its game time and we are going after him. Slowly we dump over the ridge and take a step and glass. Take another step and glass. I get about halfway down this ridge looking left and right. I glance to my right and I see two sets of forks sticking out above the grass. I grab my binos and sure enough there is papa grande bedded down 80 yards away. I dump off my pack and my boots and belly crawl his way. I gain another 15 yards setting up next to a scrawny pine. Now I'm at 65 yards with the next tree 35 yards in front of me. I am very confident at 65 yards and figure I'm sitting in the cat birds seat. Now the waiting game begins. All I need him to do is stand up and turn broadside so I can send my bloodsport arrow hurdling his way.
From: bowfinatic
30-Sep-14
Here is my view at the "last Alamo" I circled where the papa was bedded. If you zoom in you can actually see 1 fork sticking up above the grass
From: bowfinatic
01-Oct-14
An hour goes by watching him nibble some grass, nod off and look around. I see him get fidgety and stand up. I come to full draw and get ready. He is facing away from me. He turns and takes 2 steps toward me and immediately beds back down. No problem all I have is time. I let back down and settle back in for another wait. Another hour goes by and he gets fidgety again as the sun has moved slightly so it is just touching his back. He gets back up facing me nibbling a tree. I come back to full draw. He slowly turns broadside exploring the foliage around his bed. I settle my green pin in the middle of his body. I slowly start to squeeze the trigger telling my self to "take your time pick a spot" He is broadside for 2-3 seconds. As my release is about to fire he turns hard left and beds down.......UGGHH!!! this deer is going to drive me crazy. I settle back down and the wait is back on. Another hour goes by and he stands up again facing away from me. Back to full draw, alright I have to get this done now. Instead of browsing like hes has done the previous two times he decides its time to giddyup and go. He starts briskly walking due east away from . ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!! 3hr sit no shot at 65 yards. I'm sure my mouth was agape I couldn't believe it. I grabbed my arrows and tried to close the distance. After 40 yards he must have spotted my movement because he looked back and then busted out of there.
From: bowfinatic
01-Oct-14
I joined back up with my brother demoralized and crestfallen. I was convinced I was going to get a shot. I was envisioning myself with my arms wrapped around his majestic horns but it was not meant to be. We ended up finding the rest of his crew a couple hours later on the same ridge that I just sat on for 3 hours. I'm convinced now that he was trying to find his buddies and that why he was so much on the move on that day. As the sun crested below the last ridge I reflected on the last 5 days of hunting. It was a fantastic week with beautiful weather, excellent camaraderie, and game a plenty. I was on a big buck for the last 3 days and got to 65 yards. I had a sense of extreme satisfaction on a wonderful trip knowing I had did my best. My trip was a great success even though I did not fill my tag. This is the stuff that makes you want to come back and fuels the inner fire for future adventures. Thanks for following along. Hope I gave you a small sense of the adventure that was my quest for Papa Grande!
From: bowfinatic
01-Oct-14
From: bowfinatic
01-Oct-14
From: bowfinatic
01-Oct-14
From: bowfinatic
01-Oct-14
From: bowfinatic
01-Oct-14
From: Bill VanderLaan
01-Oct-14
Great story. Sounds like a wonderful time. I bet you will remember Papa Grande (you named your deer after Jose Valverde?) for a long time. The ones that get away always seem to stay in our memories.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
02-Oct-14
Awesome hunt. Thanks for sharing!
From: stealthycat
02-Oct-14
really nice photo's man - great animals taken
From: writer
03-Oct-14
Great hunt, story and photos.
Thanks, and congrats on some well-earned memories.
From: realunlucky
03-Oct-14
Thanks great write up
From: skinner creek
03-Oct-14
Thats what keeps you coming back.
