December 2009

This dandy mulie was taken a few days before Christmas by Mike Wear.  Mike and his buddy Tony Celia were here in New Mexico for the holidays.   Both Mike and Tony are Warrant Officers in the army.  Mike flies the Apache Helicopter and Tony flies Blackhawks.  They will be deployed before next fall, Mike to Germany and Tony to Kuwait.  Both will be flying sorties in and out of Afghanistan.  This was the last chance to get in a hunt here in New Mexico before returning to work.

Fortunately for Mike and Tony, the Game Park is not under state jurisdiction and we can hunt whenever we want.  We set our own seasons, bag limit and there is no license to buy.

Although they didn’t plan it this way, they were hunting during the beginning of New Mexico’s mule deer rut.  Bucks here start getting interested in does about Christmas time and will breed through January.  Bucks are less wary during the rut, but a skilled stalk must still be made to get within reasonable shooting range.

Mike and Tony had already glassed up several bucks when they spotted this Management buck.  He was nosing around some does and acted like he was sore footed or injured.  He walked with a limp.

Mike liked the looks of him and soon had a trophy for the wall and venison for the dinner table.

Mike and Tony, we wish you good luck on your missions and a safe and sound homecoming!

November 2009

Frank Sullivan of Oklahoma, took this nice mulie on the 3rd evening of his hunt. Not to far away from where his hunting partner, Robert St. Pierre, took his buck.

Frank was sitting in an elevated blind about 1/4 mile from some irriagated alfalfa fields.  These blinds make it easier to see over the mesquite brush while glassing.

A little before dark, Frank spotted a group of bucks working their way towards one of the fields.  These bucks were a long ways off and Frank was running out of time since it was getting close to sunset.

He got out of his blind and took off trying to intercept the deer.  By the time Frank made it to the field, the deer were already out in the middle.  Frank made an outstanding 450 yard shot to collect his trophy mule deer.

Great shot Frank!

November 2009

Robert St. Pierre of Oklahoma, took this nice mule deer on the first day of his hunt.  We were sitting on the edge of an alfalfa field that was being heavily used by deer.

About 30 minutes before sunset, 20 does poured out of the mesquite brush into the field.   We could see a couple of bucks come right up to the edge of the brush line, but were reluctant to go into the field.  They were just out of range and stayed back in the brush, so Robert eased up towards them and waited.  One of the bucks finally jumped the fence and trotted into the field right at sunset.  He was 300 yards when Robert put him down.