CHASING GIANTS: A NEW MEXICO ELK HUNT
In October of 24, several members of the C&H team boarded a plane and headed west for what would promise to be a hunt we wouldn’t soon forget. Except for Buck, who would prove that the real adventure was to be had on the wide-open roads that span the US of A. His drive for progress couldn’t be stifled by hours of wasted time sitting aboard a vacuum sealed tube being hurled through the air at 20,000 feet.
Once we touched down in Colorado, we began the 4-hour drive to our destination, Colfax County, New Mexico. It was an easy trip, full of rolling hills to wide open plains, and winding mountainous caverns quickly replacing the humid, flat wetlands of the coastal low country I’m accustomed to. It was Elk country and even though I’ve seen it a hundred times, the landscape was just as awe-inspiring as it was the first time I’d seen it.
It was near supper time when we pulled into our destination, The V7 Ranch, an incredibly unassuming cluster of small structures nestled beneath the foothills of the surrounding mountains. Without a doubt, the walls in these old homes have heard hundreds of stories shared among just as many hunters. The evidence clearly visible that they’ve stood the test of time and countless stents of abuse through snow, wind, and environmental torture on the outside, but surprisingly welcoming and warm within.
Our hosts, Jim & Misty might as well have been one our grandparents. They were immediately personable and pulled us into their home, introducing us to their family and friends as if we’d already known each other our entire lives, only being reunited after years apart. They would go on to tell us about the history of the Richey family and the original 7 family members that founded the Ranch, generations before. The V7 Ranch was a working cattle ranch made up of 35,000 acres, extending across several small mountains and miles of sprawling creek beds snaking their way throughout the property, perfect for stalking and getting us easily within a couple hundred yards of an Elk herd. The Richey’s years of working the land and guiding hunts made them intimately familiar with every pass, bedding, and game trail around.
After some quick gear prep and a warm meal, we gathered around the fire and shared a drink and some made-up stories before calling it a night.
That next morning was met with a quiet excitement. Barely a word spoken as everyone suited up and donned their gear, you’d think we were a hundred yards from a herd. Our guide arrived with great news, he’d spotted a herd moving down the mountain along the west side of the ranch, an easy location to haul out our kill. We grabbed our rifles and set out into the dark, driving only a couple of miles before stopping to hide the truck in a ravine. Quiet as the moon that lit the sky, we made our way west only stopping for minute to glass the hills. Just as the sun broke across the valley, we eased into our shooting position, a small drift of soil and bushes concealing us from view. In the distance, bugles were getting closer, but so were the yips from a nearby coyote seemingly warning the Elk of our arrival to the valley. Three hours pass and the Elk never show. The coyote won this round, and it was time for us to head back to the V7, but not before a well-placed warning shot to send him running. (Do we include the part about shooting at the coyote?)
After a break and lunch, we hopped back in the truck and headed southwest to see if the herd our guide saw earlier had made its way to the other end of the valley. We were wrong… These Elk had somehow made their way across the entire valley and had bedded down to sun near a small creek without anyone noticing. Luckily, they hadn’t seen or caught wind of us before we noticed them. The range was too far at around 600 yards away, we decided to move in for a cleaner shot. We’d gotten within 450 yards before the first cow noticed us, but by that time we were already setting up our shot. The lead bull was located on the south side of the herd but surrounded by cows and some of the younger calves, so it became a waiting game. Ten minutes passed and the tension was starting to set in, the bulls finally beginning to move around, the herd now standing and watching us. Finally, we saw an opening, the cows putting enough distance between them and the bull made for a clean shot. Matt (the shooter) adjusts his holdover and leans into the rifle, slowly squeezing the trigger. A shot rings out and it’s a solid impact, the 6.5 PRC landing just shy of a heart shot. The bull stumbles for a second but stands shaking, bleeding out from a lung shot, but not running. Thanks to the suppressed rifle, the others aren’t sure which direction the shot came from and are now stirring, looking to the bull for direction, but he’s now struggling to breathe and slowly losing his footing. Matt sees another opening, a second shot hits its mark and the bull drops, spooking the rest of the herd who are now running north… The sun was barely setting when the truck pulled up to haul the bull back for dressing. It was his first Elk hunt and judging from the expression permanently left on his face, it wouldn’t be his last.
The final tally was 615 lbs of meat on a 5×5 Bull Elk at 450 yards with Hornady ELD Match 147gr 6.5 PRC. It was still only day 1 of a 5-day hunting trip and we had 5 tags left among the group. The V7 ranch was about to prove to several hunters why so many come back, year after year.
