Its always fun and I always enjoy hearing the stories and seeing pics from others so I thought I'd add my own here.
I had drawn a muley tag in NM in an area we've hunted a few different times that is kinda ugly country in southern NM. Its about a 1.5hr drive to be in hunting areas but this is was a little further back in there. I had drawn the tag but due to hip issues/surgery, I was able to transfer it to my 14yo son, boy number 4, who has been on many hunts but had never hunted himself. His 3 older brothers have drawn a few tags over the years. Since he didn't draw anything, figured it was a good idea.
He got a basic Savage Axis XP FDE for his 14th birthday in a 270win with the cheap stock scope that comes on it. Family tradition is they get a hunting rifle at 14. I go with the 270 for them since is a medium cartridge they can handle, many options for factory ammo, and can work for most all north America big game; a basic starter rifle to get them going and may never have to buy another. Anyway, we set it up shooting factory Hornady Superperformance 130gr SST ammo and it actually shot well all stock at about 0.75moa at 100yds.....good to go.
1st rifle hunt in NM is around the first week of November. A few buddies of mine had drawn the same tag and we were camped together. We got there a bit earlier then the rest and glassed a 170 class 4 point the day before opener and went after him the next morning. The others headed out other directions and we went after him at first light.
Spotted this buck about a mile off and actually thought it was the same deer so we took off.
After a couple hours of hiking, got to 350yds across a ridge from him and once in the glass, I could tell it was a big 3 point, same exact frame and back forks as the other, but not the same buck. Son decided no problem and wanted to shoot.
Got him set up on a rock with a pack and held and shivered for near 10min waiting for him to turn broadside. I had him in the spotter with a phone so we waited. Here's the clipped video. I hope it works to see the video
First shot was a bit low and didn't really clip the vitals. Looks better in the vid than it was as we were uphill from him. He was bleeding but its hard to say if it was mortal. Second shot was high lung
It's some fairly steep country and he actually rolled a ways. I may have helped after we got over there to roll him a bit further til we were down in the bottom and then broke him down and loaded packs(customary tagging pic)
What's funny, he's shot the biggest deer between him and his 3 older brothers so he made sure to rub it in their faces....and still does to this day.
And what's kinda funny is his 2 older brothers shot their first deer on the same hill side about 6 years ago, 2min apart from each other, roughly a half mile from his.
![IMG_20161123_142539531_HDR[1].jpg](https://www.longrangehunting.com/attachments/img_20161123_142539531_hdr-1-jpg.427409/ "IMG_20161123_142539531_HDR[1].jpg")
![IMG_20161123_155032041_HDR[1].jpg](https://www.longrangehunting.com/attachments/img_20161123_155032041_hdr-1-jpg.427413/ "IMG_20161123_155032041_HDR[1].jpg")
Hope you enjoy
Keith
I had drawn a muley tag in NM in an area we've hunted a few different times that is kinda ugly country in southern NM. Its about a 1.5hr drive to be in hunting areas but this is was a little further back in there. I had drawn the tag but due to hip issues/surgery, I was able to transfer it to my 14yo son, boy number 4, who has been on many hunts but had never hunted himself. His 3 older brothers have drawn a few tags over the years. Since he didn't draw anything, figured it was a good idea.
He got a basic Savage Axis XP FDE for his 14th birthday in a 270win with the cheap stock scope that comes on it. Family tradition is they get a hunting rifle at 14. I go with the 270 for them since is a medium cartridge they can handle, many options for factory ammo, and can work for most all north America big game; a basic starter rifle to get them going and may never have to buy another. Anyway, we set it up shooting factory Hornady Superperformance 130gr SST ammo and it actually shot well all stock at about 0.75moa at 100yds.....good to go.
1st rifle hunt in NM is around the first week of November. A few buddies of mine had drawn the same tag and we were camped together. We got there a bit earlier then the rest and glassed a 170 class 4 point the day before opener and went after him the next morning. The others headed out other directions and we went after him at first light.
Spotted this buck about a mile off and actually thought it was the same deer so we took off.
After a couple hours of hiking, got to 350yds across a ridge from him and once in the glass, I could tell it was a big 3 point, same exact frame and back forks as the other, but not the same buck. Son decided no problem and wanted to shoot.
Got him set up on a rock with a pack and held and shivered for near 10min waiting for him to turn broadside. I had him in the spotter with a phone so we waited. Here's the clipped video. I hope it works to see the video
First shot was a bit low and didn't really clip the vitals. Looks better in the vid than it was as we were uphill from him. He was bleeding but its hard to say if it was mortal. Second shot was high lung
It's some fairly steep country and he actually rolled a ways. I may have helped after we got over there to roll him a bit further til we were down in the bottom and then broke him down and loaded packs(customary tagging pic)
What's funny, he's shot the biggest deer between him and his 3 older brothers so he made sure to rub it in their faces....and still does to this day.
And what's kinda funny is his 2 older brothers shot their first deer on the same hill side about 6 years ago, 2min apart from each other, roughly a half mile from his.
Hope you enjoy
Keith
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