I managed to get lucky and get drawn for a Mobility Challenged Antelope hunt in New Mexico.
After a 5 hour ride we made it to Quemado, New Mexico then 18 miles south to a campground to setup camp. Camp was pitched by 2:00 PM and Abel, Abran, Ernie & me went out to do some scouting the day before the hunt. We came on 2 herds of Antelope,1 had about 30 animals in it and a couple good sized bucks. They were about 300 yards off the road. The 2nd herd was allot smaller with 8 or 9 in it and Abran has them on video and still pictures. It had only 1 buck in it but he had a good pair of horns and was maybe a 100 yards off the road. Later, before sunset, we went out scouting for Elk. Abel was lucky enough to draw a permit in Sept. for a bow hunt, he should fill his permit seeing how he was shooting soda cans at 38 yards. The first herd had 6 bulls in it ranging in size from a couple of 6x6�s down to a 4x4. The second bunch had 3 bulls and one was a trophy bull, a 7x6 along with a 6x6 and a 5x6 and the third batch had 4 bulls in it. Abel's son Abran scooted across the road with his video camera and was filming them when one lunged at him and barked a challenge. After getting no response he ran off and all those Bulls were still in velvet. As we headed back to camp we spotted another herd of Elk but it was a mixed lot and seen from quite a distance. Then it started to rain and it kept it up till 4:00 AM the next morning filling the tent with a puddle of water large enough to raise Catfish in. Opening day found us on the road by 5:30 AM as we started to cross highway 32 we spotted a herd of Elk standing in the middle of the blacktop. That herd was made up of two Bulls, four cows, one calf that took their time crossing the road. We hoped to see the sunrise but it was cloudy and by about 7:00 AM the sun burned through. We looked till about 1:00 PM and spotted a bunch of does, a couple dozen and only 1 buck. He was that trophy buck spotted the day before but all he offered was a 1000+ yard shot. From there we headed South to a well traveled dirt road. We went a few miles then spotted a couple of does grazing and a buck bedded down. As we drove towards them they just plain vanished. It ended up they spooked and ran off a half mile and they were spotted by a power line tower. As we moved to find a better shooting spot they spooked again and ran off again. But we saw them take off so Abel jumped on the gas and the chase was on. They had about a 1200 yard lead on us and finally disappeared around a hill and we lost them. We went on down the road anyway and came on a "Tee" in the road. So we turned left in the direction those Goats went. We dropped down into a little valley and lo-n-behold there were the Lopes. I caught a puff of white (their tails) disappearing behind a bush and then the 2 does appeared. One stopped and offered a perfect broadside shot and I dropped a reticule on her but something kept saying "its not right" there was no black blaze going down the snout. At about the same time Abel said the last one was the buck. At 4:00 PM I swung my rifle on him and Abran got his video camera on him right as I shot. Abran he said he saw a puff of white as the bullet hit in his camera lens. They continued running so we got the truck started and took out following them. About 300 yards further, up and down the hill, we saw the 2 does but no buck. I was depressed figuring we had to track him down by following his blood trail but Abran looked behind us and saw some white under a tree about 150 yards behind us. Sure enough the buck was down. The bullet took out his juggler vein. His horns measured 14" and had big prongs the cool thing was that the horns crossed and are ivory tipped. After we field dressed him we went back to the shooting spot and put a range finder on the spot of the shot. I earned myself a atta-boy, it was a 287 yard running shot. I led him a bit to much but he was bled out good. After we field dressed him we headed back into Quemado. In back of the grocery store is a gambrel with a chain hoist so we could hang him to skin him out. There is also a walk-in so I could hang the meat overnight.
Now I got extra meat in the freezer and the head and hide to the taxidermist.
