New Mexico was good to me

[Turkeyman11]

Well, my cousin Bret and I made our yearly trek to New Mexico this week and had a good hunt despite the weather.  We arrived Saturday afternoon and after setting up the wall tent set out for some scouting.  We picked up a couple of elk horns and located a few birds.  They were really flocked up.  I saw one group that had 21 hens, 3 jakes, and four longbeards.  Opening morning brought 30 mph winds but I was fortunate to have roosted a gobbler and a group of hens the night before.  We got to within 100 yards in the dark and waited.  As it got light I could tell the hens were on the other side of him so I gave him a couple of tree yelps and when he flew down he landed in gun range.  Bret was on the gun and he leveled him.  From there we split up and an hour later I found myself working two stubborn gobblers.  As I was trying to figure out how to deal with them a gobbler from my right chimed in and a few minutes later he was running across the meadow to my setup.  Game over.  That evening I returned to the same area where I shot my bird and struck a gobbler about 5:45 p.m.  After some maneuvering and thank goodness to a mouthy I hen I was standing over my best Merriam ever at 6:30 p.m.  He weighed 23 lbs. and sported 1" hooks and a 10 3/4 inch beard.  We blew a golden opportunity the following morning on a solo gobbler by trying to get to close before working him.  You'd think we'd learn!  Anyway after two more days of solid nonstop wind we headed back to Utah.  I now have my laundry done and am waiting till next Thursday to head for South Dakota. Sorry about the upside down antler pic.

[hobbes]

Awesome!  I like the wall tent set up.  The weather has sucked in the Hills if that is where your headed, hopefully it will clear up for you.

[Gooserbat]

Congrats!!!

I'm headed to NM for the 1'st time in a couple of weeks.  I want one of those white tipped mountain birds.

[headbanger]

Congrats...those merriams are some pretty birds!

[DirtNap647]

congrats

[TRKYHTR]

Thats a great looking tent. Nice pics with those white tipped Merriams. Congrats,

TRKYHTR

[cuppednlocked]

Very cool.

[alclark2]

Awesome pics and sounds like you had a great trip.

[stinkpickle]

Very nice!!!

[ghillie]

Beautiful! 

[alloutdoors]

Awesome, congrats! Looks like a nice setup with that tent.

[tomstopper]

Congrats on a good looking bird.....

[captin_hook]

 

[ElkTurkMan]

Congrats i love those white tipped merriams

[beagler]

Congrats!