This is a hunt that almost didn’t happen, as you will read, Jay booked this hunt very last minute and I am sure he won’t mind me saying he was kind of hesitant about getting it booked.  Talking with Jay on the phone he mentioned it looked like rain for all that week and he just couldn’t decide.  Well, fortunate for him he talked himself into it and as you can see he is very happy he did.

We are now taking bookings for 2010 and 2011 for this hunt. Give me a call Greg Ray 918 407 2586 or email greg@outdoor-connection.com

New Mexico Big Game Unit 12  Elk Hunt with Double G Outfitters

This last minute hunt turned into a hunt of a lifetime!

Being in business for yourself you never know when you will be able to take enough time off for a hunt like this, but there are times when you see that window of opportunity and just have to take it.

 After receiving an Outdoor Connection update from Greg Ray on 9/18 I noticed a New Mexico hunt for Elk. I have always had a quest for a true trophy Elk. This hunt was early rifle hunt in big game unit 12, Oct. 1st thru the 5th, on approximately 20,000 acres of private land. Knowing that rut would still be going on I contacted Greg for the Hunting Inspection Report. After review of the report I called Greg to book (9/21). 

  With only a week and a half to get ready I had no time to spare. I flew in from Tulsa to Albuquerque on the 30th and was picked up at the airport by one of the outfitters personal. From there we met up with the other two hunters from Indiana and went to the Fish And Game office to get our tag and license. After leaving Albuquerque it was a 2 hour drive West to camp. Camp was set up in a beautiful public area inside the National Forest approximate. 20 miles East of the hunting area.

  After getting settled in camp it was off to sight in the rifles before dark set in. This was a 1 x 1 guided hunt and Ron G. was my guide.

The next morning it was up at 5 am for a quick breakfast before setting out for the hunt. It was still dark when we arrived at the area inside unit 12. Weather was very calm with clear skies and in the high 20′s. I’m thinking to myself, what could be more perfect for the bulls to be bugling on a morning like this! 

 Ron and I took off hiking to the south east to an area he called Maria. Along the 2 1/4 mile hike in we stopped and called several times but never heard a peep from anything.

 After it started getting daylight I could see several rubs and broken trees and a lot of fresh sign; the sort of thing that really gets your heart pumping.

 By 7;30 we had arrived at Maria , a small watering hole. The water had a skim of ice on it except for a small hole that held a lone drake mallard. It was obvious that nothing had been in to water overnight.  While standing in the trees overlooking the water hole we commented how strange it was that we had not heard anything at all. No sooner had we said that we heard a bugle approximately 800 yards to the south of us and then another to the north east of us. We both look at each other, smiled, and the chase was on.

 We moved in to get in between the two bulls and then decided to go after the one to the south. Ron was very good with the cow call and had both bulls bugling back and forth. We also heard a third bull to the east of us. We were able to close in fast on the bull on the south with Ron’s calling. At one point we were within 80 yards of the bull but had not seen him yet when all of a sudden we saw a big cedar tree moving back an forth as the bull stood hooking it. The tree never had a chance. We still could not see the elk yet so we moved to set up so we could see him when he moved away from the cedar, hoping he would move through the small clearing just to the left.

 The Elk never saw us but when he did move, it was away from us keeping the tree between us and we only got a glimpse of him. That glimpse was all we needed to see he was big. Ron decided to hold our ground and continue to cow call. It amazes me how an animal so big can make a slip on you so fast, but before we knew it the Bull Elk had made it to a ridge 200 yards away and had 3 cows and a small bull with him.

 There was no shot until they reached a small clearing on top of the ridge. They all stopped, the Bull standing broad side, but could not shoot because of a cow behind him. I was standing and shooting off hand with the Bull 200 yards out. When they moved I had about 5 seconds to make a shot with the bull quartering away. When the 340 weatherby went off the bull dropped like a rock.

  I knew the Elk was big but had no idea how big it really was until we hiked up to the top of the ridge to see him. The Bull Elk was a 7 x 7 with a gross score of 391 1/2″. Unbelievable ! Later that afternoon one of the other hunters tagged a nice 6 x 6 Bull Elk.

  Many thanks to Ron G and his crew for a hunt of a lifetime!  I would highly recommend working with Greg Ray for a hunt of a lifetime.

 Jay B.

Broken Arrow, OK