I could take an hour to type this all out but just don't have the time right now so ya'll just have to deal with it....grin...
Left Houston 2 Fridays ago around noon, got to my parents place where I packed my truck with gear and packed my dad. This is our 4th year in a row and we love heading out of state. Left Texas at midnight Friday and I drove all night until Carlsbad, NM running the gaunlet they call highways in west central Texas at night. Grabbed our licenses and ate breakfast early with Breatheandsqueeze and Cat Daddy Cold (John and Kelly). Have had the pleasure of eating with Kelly a few times and shooting lots of wind before but this was my first time to meet John. Both first-class gentlemen who I'd share a hunt or meal with anytime...
John happened to grow up where we were going to hunt so he showed us some spots to go try first off hopefully away from the public land "hunters". I'd prefer to call them people who wear orange and like to drive 4-wheelers, jeeps, and trucks around as they "hunt". Well folks, we don't use these things as we do hunt and hunt hard. That's another discussion altogether. You go hunting with me and that's what I do, hunt hard...grin...
The spot we had chosen had bunches of "hunters" and no fresh deer sign at all. Tons of coyotes though as I tried to tell myself we were hunting deer but I could not help myself. Had two running down the hill for dad and he hit one way far back at around 200 yards or so. Didn't find it as we ran out of light and were leaving the area the next morning but here is what we followed for 600 yards with no coyote.
Here is some of the country we hunted in with no deer but plenty of coyotes. Found a cool rodent too. Kangaroo rat...
John, here is the dirt tank 2-3 miles due south of the ranch house on the dirt track that goes in a straight line due south where we shot to coyote from. This picture is looking due west and the road is just on the other side of this pond. the ranch house is to the right in this picture. They came off the hills in the background to the left just off picture...Pretty recent looking fill work done...
John, this is a ridge overlooking the pecan orchard and the alfalfa field that wasn't planted looking due east. This is the place I could have got my quail limit with rocks in 10 minutes...
We made a move 1,000 feet higher and 2 hours away and found deer immediately. Folks just can't figure out why they can't see deer while hunting driving around a 4-wheeler. We saw close to 70 deer the day after we moved. I crested a ridge and a bedded monster saw me 1 second before i saw him. I'll be back in that valley next year. Stalked up on 2 bucks later this evening and played hide and seek with them and shot the smaller of the 2. If I'd have known he was a non-typical and had this much potential I would not have shot him.
.260, bang-flop at 200 yards.
Yes, I am tired and yes I am sunburned. It was HOT!
Other random photos of the NM trip...
Fed within 20 feet of us. Very dumb yearling bucks!
Our glassing hill...
We camped in the left center portion in the thick trees down in the bottoms below the hills...
