Here is the results of my son's hunt.

Saturday was the opening of the youth muzzleloader hunt in NM unit 15. We arrived the afternoon before and got the camp set up and gear ready for the next day. It had rain most of the Fiday and about half of Friday night so thing were a bit soggy in the woods.

Before daylight we started up a logging road that ends at a high rock cliff overlooking at least 100 square miles of area from different vantage points to glass for elk. Half way up the road my truck lost traction and nearly got stuck. I had to back up about 100 yards before I could find a place to turn around and go get my friends 4x4, not a good way to start the day. We finally made it up to the top and after about half an hour found a small heard about 7 miles out from where we were. We checked another spot and saw a lone cow within about 600 yards but she was 800 feet below the 300 foot cliff we were on. We also heard some bulls buggling from different directions.

We decided to work our way around to another high point that would take us by a saddle that the lone cow may come up or other elk may be near. We found some fresh tracks in that area but decided to continue to the other high point and check out a large canyon next to it. Again, we saw lots of fresh tracks headed into the big canyon.

It way time for breakfast and we were all getting hungry so we went back to camp and ate before heading into the canyon around noon. It took about an hour or so to get down to where we wanted to start. Near a water hole we found some fresh bull tracks with a few cow tracks mixed in heading up a small rocky canyon. We had the 4x4 and a four wheeler between the 3 of us. I elected to stay behind while my son and our guide friend rode the 4 wheeler back in to see if they could locate them. About 2:30 they found the ridge they had aparently had went up and started tracking on foot. Before they had gone 100 yards one of the bulls buggled not more than 250 yards from them. They inched their way forward and spotted a cow feeding at about 80 to 90 yards unaware they were in the neighborhood.

This was my son's first elk hunt and only the second animal he had ever shot at. He was nervous to say the least. He shot right over the back of the cow with the first shot. Luckily, our friend had his ML'er with him and swapped rifles with my son who made the second shot count. It took out one lung and part of the liver as it passed thru just a shade high. A very good shot for a nervous young man. She only took about 5 steps before going down.

Ed, our guide friend said this was the easiest elk hunt he had ever been on. As it turned out we were able to get the truck in and to within 10 yards of the elk. He shot her just before 2:40 and we had her hanging in camp before 5. I told my son it only goes down hill from here.

Link to picture.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b365/dmurphy317/241-4161_IMG.jpg