Tradgang/Mule Creek 1st Annual Hunt

[smokin joe]

Great photo. We saw a bobcat out prowling around at dawn on the first morning.

[Terry Green]

Ah yes...one of two cats I saw on this trip.  The 2nd one was a little bigger.

[Terry Green]

I need to stop prior and make mention that I really want to thank Rick Alexander for picking us up from the airport and allowing us access to her his car if we need it.

Many thanks Rick. 

[Terry Green]

Hey guys.... Just because I start the thread don't mean yall can't pile in...tell your stories....

Steve,....did your wife find you???

[Terry Green]

After Jacob rode us around giving us a feel for the land we returned back to camp to prepare our gear and cook supper.  Oh wait, we didn't have to cook supper, Steve made elk chilli!!! Yep, for all of us.  I have to say although it was borderline too hot for me....it was the best chilli I've ever eaten.  The flavor was out of this world. I would have 5 bowls over the next 2 days.

Next we'd get a game plan for the morning attack.

I'd looked over the map as to where we'd been and I saw an interesting area on the topo were I wanted to start.  Joe agreed, and our AM battle plans were laid....

[smokin joe]

Oh my, yes. Steve's elk chili. Wow. Steve is from a part of New Mexico where he can hunt elk pretty often, he told me. If the chili is any indication, elk is darn good meat. Steve also said that pretty much every meal in his part of New Mexico gets spiced up. Terry found the chili to be a bit on the spicy side and his face started sweating and got very red pretty soon after he started eating it. Steve also made a terrific salad to go with the chili. That was a great evening supper that I will never forget. I hope I get to share camp with Steve again, especially if he makes more chili.

[Terry Green]

Voice command screwed up my last post. I have corrected it so if you would read it again so you can actually comprehend what I was saying 

[smokin joe]

Our pick of the first morning strategy started out well. We were near a blind location called the "Cattle Pens" because there are huge cattle round-up pens near by. Our plan was to spend the morning hunting on foot working into the wind following a power line through an area that is roughly 3/4 of a mile long and across. We encountered quite a few mule deer that were close enough to stalk, but deer season is already over.

One of the great things about this 100 square mile ranch is that it is bowhunting only. A great place for an annual Trad Gang get together.

[Terry Green]

Yes Joe is correct those mule deer got curious and were actually stalking us After we pass by them.

This area we were in would prove to be one the most Active areas we saw the whole week. There were crisscrossing trails all under those power lines. And I about stepped on a big boar hog and it blew out. If only it would blew out to the right it would have ran right in front of Joe.

[Terry Green]

All in all, it was a great slip through the Bush with sign all around and Hope's of a critter behind every mesquite.

The plan now was to ease around into the wind slowly back toward where we started.  The wind and the weather where perfect....

[stujay]

Enjoying this I'll keep checking back for more! 

[pdk25]

Can't wait for the rest of the story.

[Terry Green]

As Joe and I were rounding the last turn on our slow stalk toward our pick up location at 11 AM, now 10:30, I saw a lone Javi  cross the road about 150 yards ahead. I alerted Joe and we ducked into the cover of the right side of the road and proceeded to watch 6 more of different sizes make their way across.

It was on....

[mj seratt]

Terry, did you get to go see the Marfa lights?

[stevem]

I had a wonderful time with great companions.  Missed my lone shot, which I blame on not practicing night shooting with a green flashlight.  Am now at Big Bend NP.  Spent a night by Marfa mystery lights- did not see any.  Big Bend is roughed and beautiful.  Hope to see the gang again.

[smokin joe]

I slowed down so that Terry could get about 40 yards ahead of me. Then I cut deeper into the bush, away from the road, so that if Terry moved something deeper into the mesquite scrub I could intercept it.

I only caught a glimpse of the javelina, and I wasn't sure whether it was a javelina or a hog. I started working my way through the bush.

[wvtradbow]

We're leaving Friday,can't wait,hopefully you guys left a few,(lol) maybe next year we'll get on with the Tradgang hunt..

[Terry Green]

Once I figured the all of the group had crossed I took off in pretty quick pursuit to bite off a big clip of the distance between us.

 I look back many times for Joe but he was nowhere to be found. I later found out Joe had went in deeper off the road before turning in pursuit,  Therefore the reason for me not seeing him. I was kind of concerned because I was hoping, since I had killed javis a few times before, to get him on one.

 At this point I didn't know if we would even get on them being that it had been a few minutes and I really didn't know if they went deep into the brush or paralleling toward us or away, but I stayed the course just in case.....slowing down now as I thought the gap was closing in....

[Terry Green]

Spot and stalk is great. However spot, then relocate, and stalk can be frantic....

After moving along at a pretty quick clip I began to slow my place to a pretty good degree. Trying to search in a very quick manner and then movie forward briskly kind of leaves you on edge.....

 However, the further I moved forward the  slower I progressed.....hoping I would spot the gang before I stepped on one of the members.

[Pmringer]

Looks like a good hunt.  I am going to try to get there when I am working in west Texas over the next few weeks.