ELK HUNTING ON THE VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE
Last fall I was checking around in New Mexico trying to pick up a last minute Elk hunt.
I contacted Jess Rankin who has been an outfitter for over 20 years and has an excellent reputation.
Jess told me about the first ever Elk hunt that was being conducted on the Valles Caldera National Preserve, previously known as the Baca Ranch.
About 1.6 million years ago, a volcanic eruption rocked the Jemez mountains in Northern New Mexico. Less than half a million years later another eruption spewed out 16 times more volcanic ash and rock than Mount St. Helens. These successive volcanic explosions created a 12-15 mile wide crater with green valleys, quiet streams and majestic mountains rimmed by peaks. This ancient volcano also provides panoramic views and a home for a variety of wildlife. The ancestors of the present-day Pueblo Indians once occupied this land along with several other Indian nations.
The �Valles Caldera Preservation Act� (P.L. 106-248) designated this spectacular ranch as a national Preserve and outlined how it would be managed. The act states: ��the Preserve is established to protect and preserve the scientific, scenic, geologic, watershed, fish, wildlife, historic, cultural and recreational values of the Preserve and to provide for multiple use and sustained yield of renewable resources within the Preserve...�
When congress authorized the money to buy the Baca Ranch, part of the agreement was that it would be self-sustaining in four years. So in 2002 the National Forest system and the State of New Mexico agreed to start a hunting season on the Preserve. It was estimated that there were 4000 Elk living on the preserve. *
A lottery system was set up where anyone could buy as many lottery tickets as they wanted for $25.00 each. All money raised from the sale of these tickets would be used to support the cost of running the preserve. Those who were lucky enough to draw a permit to hunt on the ranch could in turn sell their permit if they chose to. Several outfitters spent several thousand dollars on lottery tickets and also bought some off of successful winners of the lottery.
Needless to say, these permits went for big �bucks�. Especially the archery tags which were for the first hunt and then they had four five-day rifle hunts. The very last hunt was a five-day muzzleloader hunt.
So this is how I came to be in the picture. Jess Rankin had a couple of muzzleloader tags he was trying to fill at the very end of the hunt. I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to harvest a trophy bull on a ranch that had 4000 Elk and hadn�t been hunted in several years. Although my 5-day muzzleloader hunt would occur after a week of archery and four weeks of rifle hunting, I couldn�t pass up on an opportunity like this.
Before you can hunt on the Valles Caldera you must attend a hunting orientation much like Michigan requires before you can hunt Elk here. I attended this orientation with my guide. Once it was over the hunters draw a hunting unit from a hat, which determines which hunting area you are assigned to. After my guide saw which unit I had drawn, I saw the biggest smile I had ever seen on a guides face. I drew unit 2B, the unit that borders the area of the ranch that was closed to hunting. An area where a large number of Elk graze every day. Many of these Elk would remain in this area without leaving, but many of them would leave and travel through my unit in the morning to bed down in the mountains and in the evening to return to graze.
My guide and I spent the entire day before my hunt started scouting my hunting area. We saw over 300 Elk that day, the rut was over and the bulls were back in bachelor groups. I told my guide that I was looking for a mature bull, not necessarily Boone and Crockett, but a nice 5X5 or 6X6.
The first day of the hunt found us waiting for the sun to rise in my guide�s truck. With the rut being over we knew that attempting to call in a bull wouldn�t be very productive. So we decided we would drive the two track that bordered my hunting area and glass for a bull leaving the fields and heading back up the mountain into the timber to bed down for the day. Once we saw a bull big enough we would get out of the vehicle and try and stalk close enough before it could reach the timber. As I found out soon, this was easier said than done. We saw several good bulls that morning but in every case they reached timber before we could get close enough for a shot.
That evening we saw probably 20 bulls and 30 cows coming down from the mountains heading toward the fields to feed. We finally saw a herd of Elk that we thought were all cows working their way down the mountain through the timber. Suddenly we saw this huge set of antlers working its way through the timber, we estimated with a rough score of 330. As we started our stalk and an attempt to head off the Elk, the wind changed directions and the entire herd started heading away from us. We knew it was now or never. My guide told me that the bull was 200 yards away.
I felt confident shooting my Knight muzzleloader 150 yards, but this was 200 yards. After I fired and the smoke cleared all I saw was Elk running everywhere, including the targeted bull. We hadn�t had time to use a range finder before the shot and it turned out that the bull was 240 yards away.
The second day began much like the first. We saw several bulls and cows heading from the fields to the mountains to bed down. We saw a large 6X6 that morning but we couldn�t head it off before it reached the timber.
After lunch we headed back out for the afternoon hunt. We spotted a bull grazing at the edge of the timber at the base of the mountain. My guide thought this bull would score somewhere around 365 Boone and Crockett. The Elk was about � of a mile away. We thought it would be tough getting close enough for a shot, either he would wind us or see us crossing the open field. We worked our way around the edge of the timber. When we got to where we thought the Elk was, we couldn�t find him. As we worked quietly around the edge of the timber we both were thinking the same thing, he had winded us and had headed back deeper into the timber. After walking about 20 yards we saw him about 60 yards away standing in some very thick timber looking right at us. All I had was a chest shot provided I didn�t hit any of the branches or small trees in front of him. I thought for a brief second that he might turn and give me a better shot, and in that brief second, he was gone.
The third morning was much like the previous two mornings. We saw several smaller bulls and cows. We tried two unsuccessful stalks on 6X6 bulls, but both times the bulls caught our scent and headed back into the timber.
As we headed out that evening, we noticed two bulls working their way down through the timber. The end of legal shooting was quickly approaching. The bulls were about 150 yards away (we had time to use the range finder this time) and I shot. After the smoke cleared I was able to see my first Elk lying on the ground. A large 5X5 bull. I didn�t realize how big Elk could get or how difficult it would be to drag it down hill. After dragging it about 200 yards, we were able to get the truck close enough to load it in.
Prior to leaving the Valles Caldera Preserve with an Elk you have to stop at their headquarters. There they take a tooth, age it and score it. My bull scored 265.
After being lucky enough to hunt on the Valles Caldera Preserve, Elk hunting will never be the same again. Having the opportunities that I had in just three days would be very hard to match again.
If you are interested in hunting on the Valles Caldera National Preserve or experience other fine Elk hunting that Jess Rankin has to offer, please contact Jeff Pendergraff at 989-344-9038 or at jptrophyhunts.com ([email protected])
*United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, pamphlet on The Valles
Caldera National Preserve
|
