I'm searching hi and low for a guide or ??. Ive got COPD in a bad way and cant do much walking....need to go to a location and SIT and glass a lot and then take my shot.
Most guides think that by walking your *** off they get a bonus in their check....LMAO
I'm not exactly young, but I think you surmised that long ago plus I'm minus some parts from a bout with cancer about 18 years ago. I don't mind walking and I was a bit concerned that the altitude would adversely impact me. It didn't. We hunted on private land abutting the Gila. Most of our hunt was actually riding in a 4wd pickup scouting and then staking on foot.....
One of the group has back issues and can't trudge so our guide dropped us at designated spots where the mulies were coming in. All in all, I might have hiked 10 miles in the time we were there but it was entirely discretionary on my part. It was a lodge hunt, all meals and accommodations provided.
I wanted to get up as high as possible (mesa tip top) so walking, or should I say climbing was the order of the day. I wanted to be up so I could glass the valleys in search of those grey things.
The terrain is alien compared to here where we live and that took some adjustment on my part. Don't touch the 'green grass', it cuts you.... High quality hunting boots are in order, the rocks are unforgiving as is the cactus, plus coming down is all about side hilling on loose rock and it's a long way down if you slip....
And...don't drink the water, period. I drank bottled water (carried my Ebrelstock) with a hydration bladder filled with spring water and the rifle (308) in the scabbard along with the necessary stuff, range finder, camera, extra ammo, compass and granola bars...and toilet paper of course. Was a nice catch all in the back of the pickup. Meals were also provided by the guide for lunch out on the mesa. Most times I left the pack in the truck, took the rifle, bino's, range finder and a couple granola bars with a bottle of water and left the group. Pretty hard to get lost especially being up high, looking down.
30's at night, 50's during the day. Had a helluva a time. If I do it again, probably will, I'll hunt the Gila.
Mulies are interesting creatures and creatures of habit, much like our deer. They operate on schedule so once you ascertain that schedule, it's pretty easy to anticipate where they will be at and when. Out there, because water is scarce, they frequent pump troughs that water cattle, we just hung around the windmills ans waited.
In NM, you can't take a doe (at least where we were at). You have to take a buck and not a spike, It has to be a certain width and the bucks are especially wary. The does know they aren't fair game. They ignore you.
I took the 338 but not with any intent on carrying it, just took it because the 308 and the 338 both fit the Pelican together and we drove out so baggage weight wasn't an issue. The 308 was plenty of rifle as I ranged animals, the farthest I ranged was 375 yards. I wouldn't carry the 338 to the corner store, let alone out in the boonies. It's too **** heavy and I'm too old.