Valle Caldera NM 2015

[RichM]

The information packs were sent out yesterday for the lucky one that drew for the Valle Caldera hunts in NM. Even though it isn't a "trophy mature bull" hunt I'm excited, shocked and grateful that I drew for a late November rifle cow hunt in one of the most scenic places in Northern NM. I hope to actually fill my tag this year and will be lurking on the forum to learn everything I can to make this happen.

One change, and in my mind a major one for the better, is the preserve is allowing as many people that can "legally" fit in the vehicle in with the drawn hunter. All they have to do is pay the $20 vehicle pass and the $10 per person pass, which are good for 7 days. Two years ago you where allowed one guest but had to pay $100 for a "photographer/videographer". For a maximum of 3 people in the hunt party. Not this year.

Another change, which is not much different than 2013 is the information states there are no sub-units. Which I interpret as the hunters will be free to roam the entire Preserve.

I hope the best of luck to those that drew in the lottery for any of the hunts and those that you can take with you.

I hope to get up there over the summer to scout around as they have opened up the old Baca Ranch to more hiking and fishing.
It's a beautiful area and I look forward to enjoying it.

I'm also keeping my finger and toes crossed that there aren't more fire like the Thompson Ridge or Las Conchas fires of 2013 and 2011 respectively.

Rich M

[Ben Nicholson]

Congrats! I've been applying there for 7 years or so. As a DIY NR, odds are I'll never draw there. So be sure to post pics of your hunt!

[ElkNut1]

Hey Rich, congrats on the tag! Between using a rifle & glassing you will fill your tag! Good Luck sir!

ElkNut1

[slickhunter]

I'll be out there for the muzzy hunt in Oct, pulled a bull tag so pretty excited. I recieved my email info package the other day, I read the same where looks like hunters will have access to the entire preserve and not restricted to a specific area.

[RichM]

My first elk.


I'm hoping the Forest Service biologist gets back with me about her background.

[RichM]

Anyone a fan of Longmire on AMC? you'll recognize the cabin.


You can fit an elk in a subaru, quartered.

[RichM]

Other than elk:



and

[RichM]

Finally the ever present images of the Valle Grande

[Elkduds]

Rich, thanks for posting the pics and congratulations Looks like a big cow, months of good eating ahead. And it fit in the Subaru!

[Deanmac]

Congerats I enjoyed the pictures

[JimKirk]

that is one big fat cow. that is one nice place, kind of like the yellowstone of new mexico. I'm glad they allow hunting there. congratulations!!

[WapitiTalk1]

Yes! A huge congrats Rich. Would love to hear more about your hunt and shot that filled your freezer.

[ABQ_Chica]

Congratulations again, Rich! It looks like you had an amazing time. Thanks for the pics!

Did you ever hear anything regarding her background?

[Swede]

Congrats Rich on your tag. Why did you not check with the NMDG about the elk's background? I doubt the F.S. had anything to do with the animal.

[Dr. Rx]

Dude that is awesome!! I love the fact you packed your elk in your car...I hope one day I have that fortune.

Kris

[RichM]

First, thank you all for the information you have shared that makes the website a pleasant place to spend time. A special nod to ABQChica for sharing her experience from a hunt in the Caldera a few weeks prior.

The hunt I drew for was the Thanksgiving weekend, with a mandatory orientation meeting on the Wednesday before thanksgiving. While I had a few friends and coworkers that would have loved to go and help me out on my first hunt they all had, understandably, family obligations. I managed to find an outfitter out of Albuquerque that was priced within my means and willing to go that weekend, Pete Vigil from 505Outfitters. Although he almost got in trouble with his family over the idea of being out of town for Thanksgiving. Luckily for him and me, Thanksgiving was the scout day and he was able to spend time with his family and make it up in the afternoon to look a few places over with me. It gave me time to drive around and take some pictures, I would suggest bringing good camera if you get a change to hunt the Caldera. All I had was my little point and shoot, and realized I missed having my big SLR. I was in before dawn and spent a few hours seeing where the other hunters were going, which was exactly where Peter had suggested we start a few days prior. So we actually ended up starting in a different location. Which was no place near where I thought to start. I figured I had a few days and wasn't going to rush things. Good thing huh.

We were in before dawn with only one or two hunting parties ahead of us. We started rather close to "no hunt" area near the Valle Grande, which made me a little nervous. Started the hike about 30 minutes before first light. It was at least 3 hours before we saw any sign and another hour after that before you could smell elk. Around this time Pete saw on above the trail and tried to let me know were it was, but looking through the scope I could only see a and odd shaped "tree", yeah the tree was the elk and I didn't realize it till I looked back and the "tree" had walked away. Another 30 minutes and he spotted two more, this time I never saw a thing. Wait it gets better...

I'm guessing about another 30 to 60 minutes passed and we had talked a little about coming back in the afternoon to set up near the northwest entrance to the Valle Grande and wait for the elk. Neither of us were looking forward to that as it meant sitting still in 20 degree temps with a storm predicted to come in and dump another 4 inches in the preserve. Which it never did by the way, New Mexico weather as fickle as ever. Back to the hunt. I was contemplating unloading the rifle for the afternoon hike back to the truck and since the snow that was on the ground was getting really crunchy, I figured it would be safer and not like we where going to sneak up on anything. I think we saw the two bulls about the same time walk out of the woods onto the trail at about what Pete said later was about 90 yards. I raised the scope to make sure I saw antlers, which I did. Two young bulls maybe a year or two old with antlers that went straight up with no branches. Made them look like aliens or something with antenna. Pete whispered to me "Left". I looked at the one on the left and whispered back "bull". In hind sight I imagine him looking at me like I'm a complete fool. He whispered again "Left", lowered the rifle to look tell him I had a cow tag which is about the time I saw the three cows he as referring to just off the trail in the trees a few yards behind the bulls. Put the rifle back up to my shoulder just in time to see the first cow walk behind a tree and down the hill out of sight. So I took aim at the second cow, right above the front leg 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the torso in the crease and pulled the trigger. She went down and I though for a second great now the work starts. This is where things stopped going as I had hoped, or all the TV shows and Youtube videos depict. She dropped because I clipped her spine, I was way high and left. I jerked the shot. Pete told me to shoot again and I was hesitant for a second trying to decide where to aim for the follow up. The second shot was aimed the same place as the first, and it also hit high and left. I finally calmed down enough to place a good clean shot on the third time, aiming to end any suffering.

It was a lot to take in for my first kill. So incase she wasn't dead on the third shot, which I'm sure she was, I waited 30 minutes before walking up.

Since it was cold, and I thought there was a storm coming in I didn't argue when Pete wanted to butcher the elk out using the gutless method. I originally had set in my mind to do it the old fashioned, hard way so I could learn as much as I could. My frozen fingers got the better of that attitude. I think I did my fair share of work skinning and cutting meat off, I sure wasn't going to sit on my rear. I guess it took about an hour to get the quarters, back strap, neck meat and tenderloins off and split between 4 game bags. Only took us 2 trips, the first one seemed easier than the second. Luckily, we butchered out the elk about 3/4 of a mile from one of the two roads we could get to with the truck in the preserve. So the first trip was to the road where we left the packs and hiked another mile or two to the truck. The trip back up to the trail was a pain for my middle age lungs. We did it straight up the hill as following the trail would have been about 2 miles from the closest point the trail intersected the road. I don't remember if the second trip down was with the front or rear quarter, but I did have the back strap and tenderloins in the larger pack Pete let me borrow. But it was not easy with that load.

Next day it was back to civilization to drop of the quarters at the processor, I kept the tenderloins and back straps to portion out and freeze myself. I made a joke that I better not get into a wreck and get kicked in the back of the head on the way into town as the headlines would be hysterical "hunter killed from beyond the grave by elk...". I was also a little nervous about getting pulled over in Albuquerque with the quarters in the bins in the back of the Subaru. Might have been difficult explaining that to the city police.

Speaking of authority figures, the park ranger at the visitor center seemed a little standoffish when I came in to give the tag and tooth the rangers at the orientation requested. It was a little funny till he went out of his way to mention he was from Yellowstone where they don't allow hunting at all. I got the distinct feeling he did not want the hunters there. He did provide me with an envelope to put the tag and tooth into.

ABQChica, No I haven't had a callback from anyone about her background.

Swede, good idea. I'll try to remember to check with the Game and Fish department. The Las Cruces office is close to my place, I might be able to stop in this Friday after work.

I'm going to practice a lot more next time be it bow or rifle. I plan on rebuilding the rifle this summer, even though I know for a fact it was me and not the guns fault I didn't hit where I wanted to on the first two shots. But my consolation is all three bullets hit and all were fired quickly.

I didn't seriously hunt my archery deer tag, the second hunt just ended January 15th. Even after giving way what seemed like a good 1/4 of the meat to friends and family I have no room in my apartment freezer. But, if my luck holds I'll be making an offer on a house in the next few weeks with enough room for a dedicated freezer for elk, venison and Hatch Green Chile.

Wow, I usually consciously try to not be this long winded.

Thanks again all. It has been a trying 3 years with the focus of the hunts I've put in for helped keep my mind off a failed relationship, death of a very close family member and an extended unemployment.

RichM