NM, Unit 34 First archery hunt. Bust. Anyone elsehave luck?

[RichM]

It was more of a get away from it all (after some family tragedy) and scout trip for a late November elk rifle hunt trip, so I wasn't trying all that hard. But I did try.
Russia Canyon I saw a doe and fawn around 8 am near highway 130.
Benson Ridge I saw two doe's well into the trees around 3pm.
aside from highway 130 the most activity I saw as in Curtis Canyon were we say 6 Does/fawns and one spike.
All and all I saw only one buck that was legal, but he was in smack dab in the middle of some private land right off HWY 130.
Lots of elk bugling at night and lots in fields after shooting hours. I'll have to wait till January to fill my deer tag, I hope to fill my elk tag with a rifle hunt in late November in the same area.

Equipment: The NAP hellrazor broadheads were shooting about 4 inches lower than my field tips on Beaman ICS hunter shafts with blazer vanes at 60 yards. Makes sense as the broadheads are going to add a little more drag compared to the field tips.
Tent: I need a new tent, or I need to not go camping when the tail end of a hurricane makes it inland to southern NM. I spent the first half of the first night in the tent and the next 3 nights in the car. I found only one camp site that wasn't a muddy mess, it was all rock. but I ended up moving to make life easier for my friend that as nice enough to help me out on the last two days.

IMHO, Campbell's soup beats Mountain House when your cold and wet.

Anyone do better? any suggestion for January?

camp site for the first few nights;

Benson Ridge camp site.

IMG_3268s.jpg (357.61 KiB) Viewed 3349 times

my pup was not assumed with my chances before I left ;

Not amused

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[pointysticks]

i used to see so many elk mountain biking the La Luz trail. and the rim trail.

and at Sunspot. that place still any good?

love how you are hunting out of a Subaru. cool stuff.

[GWH]

I missed a very nice 10 point on opening day, and passed on 5 or 6 smaller bucks throughout the hunt. I was more just using it as an excuse to get out and hunt, because I'm waiting for January .

[RichM]

pointysticks, Sorry I didn't get to either of those trails so I can't say as to good things were there. We did hear a lot of buggleing, and they were responding to cow calls, after the rain let up. But I had a deer tag and didn't want to push any elk out of other hunters way. The Subaru did amazingly well other than one rock putting a dent in one of the rocker panels. I need a hunting truck someday, Been looking at old Rangers and Dakotas on Craigslist, but I need to find better employment before I add the expense of another vehicle.

GWH, a 10 point would have been nice. I would probably have had a heart attach if I saw one that big after the lackluster showing where I was looking. As I wrote earlier the only saw on spike and one forked. Everything else were does and fawn. Were you up high near Cloudcroft or in the flatter/dryer areas near Weed?

In general I was sad that it took me a day and a half to acclimate to the 9000 feet. I live at 5000 and didn't think the 4k would affect me much. But the headache did come on the second day. Luckily it went away in a few hours. Hopefully my schedule will let me go up a day or two early for the the elk hunt in November and the second deer hunt in January.

[GWH]

I was hunting up high near Cloudcroft