Three of us hunted the first MZ season. Two of us in zone 15 and the other was zone 13. While scouting we found a dead 5x6 that was killed by another bull. I know that because there was a broken tine stuck in his forehead. The warden gave us written permission to keep the head which is currently being munched on by beetles. Pics to come in a few months.
The zone 13 hunter hunted hard, passed on two small bulls and got nothing.
The seasons are 5 days and I spent all my time on the north side of Mangas Mountain. Here's a quick rundown:
Day 1. Quiet morning but we found a nice tank for the PM and I was positioned 90 yards from it and looking down at it. At 6:30 a small 5x6 approached and I had his head and front half of his shoulder in the crosshairs. He was not the bull I was looking for nor was that the shot. 10 minutes later 4 cows were drinking and then some major bulging on the opposite hillside. In short order he was standing dead head on in the tank with water halfway up his body. A buddy/caller whispered don't shoot him while he's in the tank, we'll never get him out. After sucking up his fill of water, he made a 180, walked out of the tank and stood on the bank - still head away and then he left. I was on him like a hobo on a ham sandwich, but it was not a high percentage shot. Good bye mr. 6x6
Day 2 Nothing of substance.
Day 3 We chased bugles in the morning. Late morning we had a monster bugle within 50 yards. We never saw him, but imagined his size because of a 3 inch diameter branch. Imagination is a beautiful thing! We continued on to a new water tank and could here bulging in the distance from two bulls so my buddy found a tree and started calling while I worked slowly closer to the tank. Whoa!!!! There was a bull broadside at 70 yards. He was missing half his rack on the right side. I chose not to shoot and he departed and then we heard bulging from where he went. That was the last bull I saw.
Our 3rd hunter has Parkinson's and he hunted nearer our cabin. He was encouraged every day by distant bugles and frequent cows. Mid-morning on the last day he heard a bugle and responded with a cow call which he claimed sounded more similar to a duck call. Regardless, the bull came and he got him. We had filet, a lot of filet, for dinner and it was spectacular. Some might describe the bull as a small 6x6 but I'd be inclined to call it a very nice 5x5 and one I would gladly have taken. Probably will score 280-290.
We had a great hunt and I'm definitely going back.
Best regards from the cob pile.
Cob
The zone 13 hunter hunted hard, passed on two small bulls and got nothing.
The seasons are 5 days and I spent all my time on the north side of Mangas Mountain. Here's a quick rundown:
Day 1. Quiet morning but we found a nice tank for the PM and I was positioned 90 yards from it and looking down at it. At 6:30 a small 5x6 approached and I had his head and front half of his shoulder in the crosshairs. He was not the bull I was looking for nor was that the shot. 10 minutes later 4 cows were drinking and then some major bulging on the opposite hillside. In short order he was standing dead head on in the tank with water halfway up his body. A buddy/caller whispered don't shoot him while he's in the tank, we'll never get him out. After sucking up his fill of water, he made a 180, walked out of the tank and stood on the bank - still head away and then he left. I was on him like a hobo on a ham sandwich, but it was not a high percentage shot. Good bye mr. 6x6
Day 2 Nothing of substance.
Day 3 We chased bugles in the morning. Late morning we had a monster bugle within 50 yards. We never saw him, but imagined his size because of a 3 inch diameter branch. Imagination is a beautiful thing! We continued on to a new water tank and could here bulging in the distance from two bulls so my buddy found a tree and started calling while I worked slowly closer to the tank. Whoa!!!! There was a bull broadside at 70 yards. He was missing half his rack on the right side. I chose not to shoot and he departed and then we heard bulging from where he went. That was the last bull I saw.
Our 3rd hunter has Parkinson's and he hunted nearer our cabin. He was encouraged every day by distant bugles and frequent cows. Mid-morning on the last day he heard a bugle and responded with a cow call which he claimed sounded more similar to a duck call. Regardless, the bull came and he got him. We had filet, a lot of filet, for dinner and it was spectacular. Some might describe the bull as a small 6x6 but I'd be inclined to call it a very nice 5x5 and one I would gladly have taken. Probably will score 280-290.
We had a great hunt and I'm definitely going back.
Best regards from the cob pile.
Cob
