NM newbie here

[Mike_Parson]

Well i just wanted to take the time to introduce myself and say hello to the group.

I have been hunting all my life with my family and up until about 10 years ago i had only used a rifle. While living in TX i discovered that it was easier to get access to places if you hunted with a bow so there is where i got my introduction to archery hunting. I was unsuccessful for many years chasing deer in TX and then a few years ago i moved back to NM where i was born and raised.

I decided a few years ago that i was going to do something that nobody in my family had ever done and that was to kill a deer, antelope and elk with a bow. My first year archery season here in 2013 i talked with a guy i met on a bowsite named Trophyhill about hunting a certain unit that we both knew about and he gave me some great advice. That season my oldest daughter, 16 at the time, and I spotted and stalked a nice 10pt buck. We started out stalkign after we spotted him at 600 yards. i had her stop along the way and sit at a vantage point and crawled another 75 yards to a place i felt was the right spot to try a shot.

when the deer cleared the cactus plant he was at 23 steps. i settled the pin and let the Ramcat do its job. the deer ran aobut 25 yards and backflipped over stone dead. My daughter had watched the whole thing. That deer is the one in my profile picture. We had an awesome hunt in the desert of eastern NM.

This year i have the chance to get another animal from my bucket list. I was lucky enough to draw a Unit 34 either sex tag for the first 2 weeks of Sept. Again i called on my friend Trophyhill and we have spent some good time talking about tactics and advice. THis year my second daughter is going with be, she just turned 16. She has been working on her elk calling and watching the Elknut videos and CD's and practicing to be my caller. She is totally excited about gettign to help me and i can say that i am excited to share this experiance with her more than i can explain. I dont have any elk hunting experiance but i feel confident that i will have a great time no matter what.

i love reading this forum and i glean from it all the advice i can. Hope to see you in the woods sometime soon.

[WapitiTalk1]

Howdy Mike, nice intro and welcome to "the" elk hunting forum. Man, that is awesome your daughter goes out with you and is learning to call... don't get much better than that. I am concerned however, with your choice in friends. Not sure about that Trophyhill guy at all........ Rumor has it that he received a verbal warning for setting trail cams on Hawaii beaches a few years ago... . His response was, "really, there are no elk here"?

[CurlyTail]

Welcome Mike! Super cool that your 16 y/o daughter wants to hunt with you. Lucky guy!

[Trophyhill]

You're hunting a pretty darn good unit Mike! That unit is where I cut my teeth both with a bow and elk hunting. Though I did not kill that year, I had enough encounters and blown opportunities to hook me for life. The elk in that unit are very callable. You've come to the right place. Welcome aboard Mike!

Rory, those game cams were for those beach deer

[WapitiTalk1]

Rory, those game cams were for those beach deer

Ya, that's your story mister

[Mike_Parson]

id like to see the pics he did get on those cameras that year from the beach!!!!!

[WapitiTalk1]

id like to see the pics he did get on those cameras that year from the beach!!!!!

Mike, I think they were confiscated and are still being held by the island beach police. I don't think David was ever able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was trying to game take cam pics of beach deer . I think they let him off with a warning in exchange for keeping the SD card

[Mike_Parson]

guss they wanted to see for themselves the king of "game" roaming the beachs..... lol