New Mexico Antelope Hunt

Dates September 11-13, 2015

Location West of Springer, New Mexico

Outfit JFW Ranch Consulting – Jim Welles (who posts here) www.newmexicobiggamehunting.com

Executive Summary
This will be a very short hunt report because it was a short hunt. In summary, we scouted 20 to 25 antelope bucks and could have checked out even more, before finding the one we shot. We actually saw more elk than we did antelope.

Equipment Used

Rifle – Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .280 Rem push feed

Optics – Swarovski Z6i 2.5x15x44 illuminated reticle

Ammo – Handloads – 140 grain Barnes TSX bullets. Handloads by Chris Betsworth – “Mr. Precise”

Hunt Method – Spot and stalk on a ranch that has hundreds of antelope.

The Hunt

This is the fourth antelope hunt I have booked with Jim. On all of the hunts, we have been successful taking very good bucks with the buck this year being the best so far. Here is the link to the previous report that has more pictures of the area and the accomodations –

http://forums.accuratereloadin...331031291#2331031291

Jim operates out of Albuquerque and is mainly a ranch brokering agent who happens to run a solid hunting business as well. His wife, Kelly, handles the bookings and paperwork while Jim is running around New Mexico appraising and selling ranch properties and setting up places to hunt. If you want to hunt in New Mexico and especially for antelope or elk, Jim is the guy. He knows the areas and knows the ranchers. I like private ranch hunts and this is his specialty.

His “partner” on this hunt was Chris Betsworth, a serious shooter, gunsmith, reloader who works as an industrial HVAC specialist when he isn’t building guns. The accommodation is a cabin owned by Chris that is surrounded by the CS Ranch and the U Bar Ranch. Both of these ranches are huge in terms of acreage, and covered with antelope and elk. The area is on the east side of the Rockies and very close to Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. We hunted the pinon hills that rise from the praire and roll up into the mountains.

This area is lightly hunted and Jim knows it very well. I was there for the final days of the pronghorn season just as the rut was in full swing. Coincidentally, the elk rut was starting up as well. We witnessed one herd of cows and calves that had to be 75 animals all corralled and patrolled by a long 6x6 bull. This bull was getting a lot of challenges from other bulls in the area and I suspect he will lose a bunch of cows at some point. We saw 5 bulls that were 6x6 in the immediate area along with several rag horns and spikes. It was fun to watch elk bugling while glassing big pronghorn bucks. Jim and Chris are confirmed “elk-oholics” and had a lot of fun filming and watching the bulls.

Back to the pronghorn hunt - I arrived about 3pm on Friday afternoon to start looking around. From the outset we saw a bunch of good bucks in the 14” to 15” range all out looking for does and hanging out. Jim is an expert antelope judge and has kept me from shooting a lot of average bucks. The last couple of years he has consistently put me on better and better bucks. If you look at the link above to the previous hunts and compare the bucks to this one, you will see what I mean.

After watching elk and glassing 20 or more very good bucks, Jim and Chris locked down on a buck that I did not even notice. He was with two does and seemingly oblivious to us. We looked him over with Jim and Chris both telling me this was the “one” and could be a “Booner” (referring to a Boone and Crockett size buck). I am not much of an “inch” hunter, but their excitement sure excited me. One good look told me he the biggest buck I had ever seen.

My ultimate test on an animal is to ask the guide these questions – “Would you shoot this one?” and “Would like your name plastered all over Accurate Reloading if I shoot this buck as being the guide that told me to shoot?”. If they answer “yes”, I pull the trigger. Well, Jim and Chris both said, “Darn right I would shoot that one”. So I did.



The buck was at 255 yards with his does as we approached him. The does decided to walk straight toward us for some reason – and the buck followed them. He walked right up to 133 yards where he spotted us and stood there trying to figure out what to do. When he turned sideways, he got shot.

Honestly, this was the easiest antelope hunt I have ever done. It lasted 4 hours and required about 100 yards of hiking without having to stress over being spotted or busted. We had hoped to hunt for the full three days, but this buck was too good to pass up. I think you will agree.

[b]Conclusion and Reflections[/b}

1. I like to hunt antelope. I like to shoot antelope. It does not require great preparation. It is not terribly difficult. The weather is usually good and there are usually a lot of them to look at.

2. You do not need any special gear to hunt them. Any deer rifle will do. A good pair of binoculars is needed, but not much else.

3. It is a more social hunt than deer hunting or elk hunting. You can talk, ride around looking at bucks until you start a stalk and then, they usually don’t run off when they hear you. They run when they see you.

4. I like to eat them. These New Mexico antelope do not graze on sage but eat a lot of grass and alfalfa. The ones I have shot in Wyoming are a bit tougher to swallow than these grass fed ones in New Mexico.

5. You can “shoot” antelope rather than “hunt” them if you want to. If all you want to do is shoot one, this is no problem. There are plenty that stand close to the road. However, I like to hunt them – glass a bunch, discuss them, make a few stalks before deciding on the one you want to chase.

6. Will I go again? You bet. I already have signed up to go back next year!!!




PS – This buck was 16 5/8” and scored 82 ½” green. I think this makes B&C but will have to officially score him when the horns dry out for 60 days. I may check that out!

Nice speed goat. Good shooting on some excellent table fare.
Congratulations.

DANG Nice Speeedgoat

Congrats ,thats a nice one.Do you have any side pics that show how wide the cutters are?I have found with antelope if you skin them right away and wash the blood off the meat they taste pretty good.I have seen fellas shoot them drag them back to the truck and lose half their hair.Then throw them on a hitch carrier get them full of dust and say the meat was terrible.I wonder why??

Olbiler,
I will check on side pics. I like the meat as does my wife. This one looks like it should taste good based on the condition he was in when he ran into the 140gr TSx.

Nice antelope and nice write up.

Very nice. That buck has everything I like in a pronghorn. My wife would go absolutely bonkers over that beautiful heart shape.

I have seen thousands of antelope and they live in my close to my back yard.

If I had a tag for my home area, I would have shot that buck on the first day, first minute of the hunt.

That is about as perfect of a buck as anyone could hope to shoot.

Very nice!

That antelope is great with great symmetry too. He will make an interesting mount too.

They always tell me that they don't taste very good - and now I found out differently.

If I ever see one that good I will toast him and roast him .

Where is the bird list???????????????

My bird is fairly short, but I will add it. I forgot it! Thanks for the poke!