I could take an hour to type this all out but just don't have the time right now so ya'll just have to deal with it....grin...
 
Left Houston last Friday around noon, got to my parents place where I packed my truck with gear and packed my dad...grin... This is our 4th year in a row for NM mule deer and we love heading out of state.  Left Texas at midnight Friday and I drove all night until Carlsbad, NM running the gaunlet they call highways in west central Texas at night.  Grabbed our licenses and ate breakfast early with some friends of mine there.
 
John happened to grow up where we were going to hunt so he showed us some spots to go try first off hopefully away from the public land "hunters".  I'd prefer to call them people who wear orange and like to drive 4-wheelers, jeeps, and trucks around as they "hunt".  Well folks, we don't use these things as we do hunt and hunt hard.  That's another discussion altogether.  If you ever come hunting with me, that's what I do.  These folks kill me!  
 
The spot we had chosen had bunches of  "hunters" and no fresh deer sign at all.  Tons of coyotes though as I tried to tell myself we were hunting deer but I could not help myself.  Had two running down the hill for dad and he hit one way far back at around 200 yards or so.  Didn't find it as we ran out of light and were leaving the area the next morning but here is what we followed for 600 yards with no coyote.  
 

 
Here is some of the country we hunted in with no deer but plenty of coyotes.  Found a cool rodent too...
 




 
We made a move 1,000 feet higher and 2 hours away and found deer immediately.  Folks just can't figure out why they can't see deer while hunting driving around a 4-wheeler.  We saw close to 70 deer the day after we moved.  I crested a ridge and a bedded monster saw me 1 second before I saw him.  Maybe a buck of a lifetime.  I'll be back in that valley next year.  Stalked up on 2 bucks later this evening and played hide and seek with them and shot the smaller of the 2.  If I'd have known he was a non-typical and had this much potential I would not have shot him.
 
.260, bang-flop at 200 yards.  
 



Yes, I am tired and yes I am sunburned.  It was HOT!
 
Other random photos of the NM trip...
 
Fed within 20 feet of us.  Very dumb yearling bucks!


 
Our glassing hill...


 
We camped in the left center portion of the photo in the thick trees down in the bottoms below the hills...


Better view of the non-typical dink 5x6 rack...


 
Had a great time and we'll be back next year as we found a hidey hole...
Now back to Texas.  Deer are rutting, this guy was chasing hard and the littliest brother shot him at 50 yards.  We saw 2 bigger earlier in the day but didn't connect.  We'd have passed this guy up but littliest brother had never shot anything this big before and he won.  Believe it or not he taped 131" as he had mass and carried it well...
 
Oh yeah, .223's don't kill deer, forgot that part...Bang-whop, ran 50 yards full force into a fence hurting BAD and never got up.  Heart, lungs total jelly by a 55 grain Winchester soft point....You can see the entrance on the shoulder in the pics...
 
Pretty big bodied for down here but the bigger bucks get much bigger bodied...
 




 
Get in the blinds Texas-boys as there are many, many low fence deer out there way bigger than this dude...  Opening weekend produced 4 deer over 150" on low fence within 30 miles of me that I know of.  Who knows how many more are out there...
 
Have a good one ya'll...

Good on ya Gmoney. Good story and great pics. My brother lives in NM but I don't think I would like living there. He says it's good hunting out there. The 22 calibers can be devestating on deer. That's about all I ever use............Thanks for sharing.............Paul H

Great stuff and good pictures. That's a dandy white-tail your li'l bother shot!
 
The rodent is Dipodomys sp. - AKA kangaroo rat. I did some field research on those critters over 30 years ago. They're actually quite tame, and make good pets with no effort at all. Don't live more than about 3 years max though.
 
Paul

Great stuff, G'.....really nice deer, Congratulations:biggthumpup: ....BH51....

Beautiful deer!!!!!  Congrats!!!!
 
 
Was going to comment on the Kangaroo rat, but Paul beat me too it.  those things are fun when riding a Scoot at 3 AM through a field....... :)

Thanks for the story and pics.  Those are some fine deer you brought home and your brother's has got great mass, I bet he crowed pretty good when you brought him in.  Sounds like you had a great time.

Thanks fellas...
 
Paul, that's what I thought it was but just didn't pull the trigger with the name....
 
Sad thing is fellas, is that these 2 deer are both very much dinks compared to the other "specimens" if you will, that almost presented opportunities.  
 
Glenn,
 
I think the WTD's bases were right at 5" or slightly over as you may be able to make out all the trash he had on the bases and brows....

Gmoney,

Great stories and super pic's, my friend!:biggthumpup:

Your little brother looks to be quite proud of himself...and well he should be!

Great visiting with you last week here at Castell...I know you enjoyed Karen's half-pound hamburger or were you just hungry?

Take care thar, Greg.

Ol' John:sleeping:

Congrats on a really nice week. Anything you take on a stalk like that is a trophy well deserved. If your little brother grinned any wider i think his face would crack. Thanx for the story and pics.

great report and pics.  congrats to all.