Gone Western

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="088085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Andy Milam's Hunting Adventures</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Andy Milams Hunting Adventures"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Gone Western</B>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Buck by a String"><U>Buck by a String</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Unbelievable Season"><U>The Unbelievable Season</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Quest"><U>The Quest</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Rock King"><U>The Rock King</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="One Great Week"><U>One Great Week</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Canadian Bacon"><U>Canadian Bacon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ramblings From a Man"><U>Ramblings From a Man</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oklahomas OK"><U>Oklahoma's OK</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My Buddys Buck"><U>My Buddy's Buck</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hunting the August Rut"><U>Hunting the August Rut</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Challenge"><U>The Challenge</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Still Rambling"><U>Still Rambling</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Changing Tactics"><U>Changing Tactics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blue Bulls of the Wild Horse Desert"><U>Blue Bulls of the Wild Horse Desert</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bowhunters Heaven"><U>Bowhunter's Heaven</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="089d2e83.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hunting Articles"><U><B>Back to Hunting articles</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Andys Photo Album"><U><B>Back to Andy's photo album</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#CCFF33" TEXT="#080000" background="08a07073.jpg"> <div> <I>Gone Western</I></div> <div> unpublished</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="24936950.jpg" border=0 width="566" height="405" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> GONE WESTERN</div> <div> By Andy Milam</div> <bR> <div> January 2000, my friend Johnnie Walters invited me to go on a late season archery Mule Deer hunt in New Mexico.  He had met a fellow on a job whose family owned property south of Clovis and they had offered him the opportunity to hunt their ranch.  My expectations were low because in Texas where I am from no one just let's you hunt their land.  You have to pay and pay well to hunt anywhere and the better it is the more it costs.</div> <div> I knew there was decent hunting outside of Texas at more reasonable cost and like most hunters I've ventured to Colorado a few times after western game on public land.  A couple of years ago I even hunted Pronghorn Antelope on a private ranch in Colorado and was surprised at how little it cost.  While unsuccessful, it was exciting challenging bow hunting with lots of game to see.  I had a great time without spending all the kids' college money.  On the way home driving through Northern New Mexico, Mary and I picked up a couple of camo-clad, bow toting teenagers hitchhiking home from an Elk hunt. They had just called in and shot a bull and needed a ride back to Taos to recruit some help getting their trophy out. They were very excited and reminded me of my younger self. All their talk about the great public land hunting only reinforced the thought that I was missing an opportunity not spending more time out West. </div> <div> Over the years I had been thinking I should concentrate on New Mexico since it is the closest place where I could hunt all the western species. Mary and I went to Northern New Mexico that following fall to check out some of the country the boys had told us about.  I could not hunt Elk because I had not submitted for the draw so I bought an over the counter tag and hunted Mule Deer.  The seasons for Elk and Mule Deer ran concurrent and most of the hunters we saw were after Elk.  I didn't score but I saw Elk, Mule Deer and Antelope, all in the same area and didn't have to purchase another deer tag to go on the hunt with Johnnie the following January.</div> <div>   Johnnie and I had a great time and saw a lot of deer. We would also see Antelope on the way back and forth from our hotel in Portales.  Johnnie scored on an awesome buck on the sixth day of our hunt and I saw a couple of great bucks though it never quite came together for me.  We couldn't wait to come back and started planning our return trip if we could secure permission to return.  After talking to the landowners, Roy and his son Alex Blevins, and getting permission to hunt the early season in September we started plotting for the next hunt.  I decided to return to the ranch in July and set up some blinds on waterhole's.</div> <div>   While on the January hunt we had met a wonderful family of hunters at a cafe in Portales one evening.  Jim & Shirley Woods and son T.J. were great fun to talk bow hunting with and also very informative.  We exchanged numbers and vowed to stay in touch.  The conversations we had with them and remembrance of the conversations with the boys from Taos started really getting me pumped.  I wanted to hunt everything, Elk, Mule Deer and Antelope.</div> <div>   That spring for the first time ever I submitted for the drawing for Elk and Antelope and got drawn for both. Now I just had to figure out where to hunt them.</div> <div>   That July I went back to the ranch where I would be hunting Mule Deer and set up blinds.  I almost died of heat stroke but got the job done and then started driving around looking for a place to hunt Antelope.  I went over to visit the Woods in Portales and Jim and his family were extremely helpful.  They gave me maps and told me about public places as well as names of ranchers I could speak to about gaining permission.</div> <div> After talking to them and calling Alex Blevins that night I decided to ask the landowner of the ranch adjacent to the one I was Mule Deer hunting on.  I had located a great public area but the general consensus was that the trophy potential might be a bit better on the private ranch.  </div> <div>   I felt a bit strange driving up to the ranch house in the middle of the day.  Apparently they were working cattle that day because there were saddled horses picketed all over while the cowboy's had lunch.  I located the ranch foreman and the owner and told them I was looking for a place to hunt Antelope.  They didn't seem receptive at first but seemed to loosen up some when I told them I was interested in bow hunting.  It turned out that the ranch foreman, Tommy Holmes, had a daughter in law who bow hunted so he was no stranger to the sport.  We soon struck a deal and I was excited about having a couple of places to hunt.  The Antelope season was only 5 days so I thought I would start out at the private ranch where there seemed to be less animals but better top end potential, and if that wasn't working I would move to the public area where there seemed to be more animals.  I quickly set up one blind at a stock tank where I had seen bucks on the way to and fro on the Mule Deer hunt in January then headed home for I was out of time.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="25037900.jpg" border=0 width="567" height="400" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The Antelope:  August 12- 16, 2000</div> <div> The first of my western hunts would be the Antelope.  The season was August 12-16<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> and it was hot.  I soon learned that the only thing you appreciated more than Antelope on a hunt like this was shade.  After the first couple of hunts I was burnt to a crisp and the closest I had come to an Antelope was a couple of miles.  I quickly got frustrated and decided I should head to the public area.  I walked to the ranch house to get my truck at noon the second day and Tommy Holmes walked out and asked how it was going.  I told him not well and he suggested we get in his feed truck and take a ride.  It seemed like there were Antelope everywhere!  About noon we spotted a herd that Tommy thought were headed towards a stock tank and asked me if I wanted him to drop me off.  I agreed and sat under a small tree on a cross fence 55 yards from the waterhole.  I was grateful for the meager shade cast by the tree but after 20 minutes or so I was so hot I wished he would come and pick me up.  Suddenly I spotted movement on the horizon and forgot all about the heat as three bucks headed my way.  One of them was a buck we had spotted driving around that Tommy thought was the second best buck presently on the ranch.  They never knew I was crouched behind the small tree till my arrow passed just under the bucks chest as he stood broadside sipping the cool water. They were gone in a flash and soon Tommy showed up to pick me up.  I was very excited and now quite pumped about the hunt.  While I was disappointed about the miss, I had gotten some action and it was only the second day.</div> <div> That evening I had Mary drop me off at the same spot and had several young bucks and does come in to water.  I had stood up some old fence posts on the fence that was nailed to the little tree and fashioned a blind.  I was looking west but was able to use the fence and tree to block the sun.</div> <div>   The following morning Mary again dropped me off before daylight at my new spot.  This time I found someone else was already in my blind.  A fight ensued and the rattlesnake lost so I claimed my spot for the morning hunt.  Action was very slow</div> <div> early, but as the day-warmed things picked up.  Antelope began to come in and drink.</div> <bR> <div> The only problem was that now the sun was at my back and there was no relief.  Finally I could stand it no longer and during a break in the action got up and once again using old fence posts fashioned a blind on the western side of the tree where I could get some shade.  Just as I settled in some more Antelope came in.  I was glad to see that my changes to the fence line went un-noticed.</div> <div> Mary picked me up around noon and I went back to camp for lunch and some practice.  I showed her some of the video I had taken and shared my excitement. I practiced my 55-yard shots and was quite confident.  I practice year round and one of my 3-D targets sits at 55 yards from my back porch.  It was very windy and I did have to compensate for the wind.</div> <div> Back in the blind that evening I was in for an exciting hunt.  Right at sundown a group of does came in and as soon as they started drinking in came the BIG BUCK.  We had also seen this guy while riding around and Tommy felt he was the best buck presently on the place.  He circled the waterhole and offered a perfect shot. Shrrrack! Something went wrong and I wasn't sure what, but I had missed by feet not inches.  The huge buck, not knowing what happened, came towards me to about 35 yards and started pawing the ground.  Now the pickets I had stood up that morning completely blocked a shot.  He soon turned and followed the does out of sight.  I was sick.  I finally drew my bow back to see what had happened and found that the mosquito-netting pullover I had worn due to the heat was being blown up like a balloon right into my bowstring at full draw.  In a sport where no mistakes are allowed I had made a big one.  I had a full-length arm guard in my bow case for my bulky cold weather gear but had never needed one in hot weather.  I had borrowed the pullover from Mary due to the extreme heat and had never worn it before.  The next morning I was back with a full-length arm guard on but didn't see an animal.  I was afraid I had spooked them off even though they didn't seem to have a clue what had happened.  That evening I returned again though my spirits were low.  It was the fourth evening of a five-day hunt and I had missed opportunities at the two best bucks on the place.  By sundown nothing had shown and I was sure I had spooked them off when suddenly a group of does came in.  Could I be so lucky?  Sure enough here came the BIG GUY to give me a second chance.  This time my arrow flew true and I had my first trophy Antelope, one that would go high in the record books to boot.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="252651e0.jpg" border=0 width="357" height="542" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The Mule Deer: September 1-5, 2000</div> <div> Only a couple of weeks later and September 1<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >st</FONT> rolled around.  It was time to hunt Mule Deer.  My buddy Johnnie was not able to make it but the landowner's son Alex and his wife Cindy were able to show up.  That was a real pleasure.  I had only talked to Alex on the phone but we shared the common bond of bow hunters and hit it off from the first.  Cindy was a pleasure to have in camp and we had a great time.  I had set up 4 blinds on waterhole's that summer so we each picked a spot to hunt the first evening.  I hunted a Gametamer tree stand clamped to a windmill where I had seen a couple of big bucks back in January.  I was there less than thirty minutes when a nice young buck came in.  Later, a group of does and fawns came in.  Alex hunted another windmill and didn't see anything so the following evening he hunted where I was the first evening and I hunted a box blind I had set up on another waterhole.  We both saw does and fawns but no horns.  I got some great video of the does wading out chest deep in the water.</div> <div> The third evening Alex went to our only virgin blind and I returned to the waterhole I hunted the first evening.  By sundown I hadn't seen a thing and was feeling I wasn't going to, when I spotted a deer moving towards the West directly in front of me about 500 yards away.  I could tell right away it was a good buck and said a silent prayer as I watched him through my binoculars. He slowly circled and looked like he might come in as he worked his way closer and closer.  Even though he was in full velvet he was marking scrapes as he circled the waterhole.  When he crossed the ranch road 100 yards to the west I was sure he wasn't coming in.  I just couldn't believe that he would pass within 100 yards of water and not come in for a drink but it was becoming obvious that his mind was on other things.  I glanced back at the area that he had come from and spotted movement again!  Two bucks were on a beeline for the waterhole and one was nicer than the buck that had just circled.  I got into position and waited trying hard not to glance at his velvet covered rack as he approached.  As soon as his nose touched the water I eased to full draw, picked a spot behind his shoulder and released.  At the arrows impact he leaped into the stock tank, then out and sped off in a trail of dust.  I had no doubts about the shot so I eased down and headed back to the truck to wait for Alex.  When he returned we went back to camp, picked up Cindy and some flashlights and retrieved my Trophy.  I was overcome with excitement looking at the velvet-racked monarch.  I could not believe that I had taken my first Pronghorn Antelope and a trophy Mule Deer in the same season.</div> <bR> <div> The Elk: September 15-20, 2000</div> <div> Now I was down to one western hunt left. Everyone I talked to kidded “Wouldn't it be something if you got an Elk too”.</div> <div> I had no idea what to do for my elk hunt.  The Elk and Mule Deer season run concurrent September 1<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >st</FONT> - 20<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT>.  Due to a busy schedule at work I had allotted the first 5 days for the Mule Deer and could only spare the last 5 days for the Elk.</div> <div> A friend of a friend of a friend had said if I got drawn for one of three areas that he would help me hunt for an Elk.  After drawing my tag I was unable to contact any of them again so I had to assume they had changed their minds and did not want to be troubled.  I wasn't to upset since I had already had one of the best seasons of my life but was of course disappointed.  I called around and spoke to a couple of outfitters.  Normally I'm more of a do it your self type but now that work dictated I only spend 5 days in pursuit I was thinking an outfitter might be a wise choice.  It was already early September and I hadn't figured out what I was going to do.  One evening I happened to think of the Teenagers I had picked up hitch hiking.  They lived right by the area I had been drawn for and might be willing to help me out.</div> <div>   I called one of them, Patrick Dunleavy, and broached the subject.  I told him I wasn't in the greatest shape (I knew I couldn't keep up with these young fellows) so I didn't want the most rugged terrain around.  I would rather hunt somewhere I could enjoy and if I didn't get anything that was OK.  He said he would talk to his buddy Cameron and get back with me.</div> <div> A couple of nights later he called and said that they would be glad to hunt with me and help me out.  We decided that I would call the morning I left to confirm I was on my way and they would meet me and take me somewhere.  I drove hard all day and showed up early the afternoon of the 15<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT>.  We wasted no time and by that evening I had my pop-up camper set up and was ready to go.  The energetic boys were chomping at the bits but I told them to go ahead without me for I needed some time to acclimate.  I took my time getting settled in and preparing my gear.  The place they had brought me was absolutely beautiful and I couldn't have been happier.  I was in prime country with a couple of young, exuberant bow hunters & looking forward to the next several days.  By sundown I couldn't stand it any longer and took a walk.  I had just gotten out of sight of camp when I heard the guy's come thundering down the hill into camp.  Turned out they had spotted some elk and came back to get me but I was nowhere in sight. That night Elk came into the meadow below camp and bugled away.  We couldn't wait to take off but never heard an Elk after daylight.  The following days were more of the same with plenty of fresh sign but totally quiet elk during daylight hours.  The guys were apologizing for not being able to show me some Elk.  I told them I was very happy with where we were and it was just hunting.  There was obviously plenty of Elk around.  I wasn't expecting them to come knocking on our door.</div> <div> At noon the third day I told them that since the Elk weren't talking I felt we should just hunt them like deer.  There were several water holes in the area with plenty of sign and I wanted to sit at one of them.  We put up one of the Gametamer tree stands I had brought and that evening I saw my first Elk.  Thank God for unanswered prayers, the nice 5x5 did not come in to drink and I couldn't quite get a shot as he passed through.  I felt good about the set-up and decided that I would be on that waterhole till the hunt ended. The following evening just as the sun dropped behind the hills “Daddy” stepped out and headed straight to the water.  I don't think I breathed from the time I saw him till my arrow sunk deep into his chest. As the huge bull ran past I was able to stop him just before he reached cover with a cow call.  I could see that he was hit hard.  After 5 minutes of standing in the same spot he eased into the cover.  I waited till dark and circled wide heading back to camp.  I wanted to give him plenty of time and refused to look for him till the next morning. </div> <div> We celebrated hard and heavy that night then retrieved my trophy the next day.  I told the guys that he was big but I don't think they realized how big till we walked up to him.  He caused quite a stir in town and I thanked the Lord a million times for my good fortune.      </div> <bR> <div>   A year like this could be once in a lifetime for any hunter but as far as I'm concerned a year like this is worth a lifetime of hunting.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="24936950.jpg" border=0 width="566" height="405" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>      </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>