Aunt Jemima

dang, that was a good video. The backpack aspect can't be overstated either. Nice old buck.

The Carazarrillo and Tres Hermanas are great looking places for desert mulies. I didn't hit the Tres Hermanas until my javie hunt but thats a place that deserves a better look. I wouldn't mind another go at the Carazarillos some day but I'd definately do it with a sidearm and partner. Chances are nothing happens but, it only takes once.

I thought I'd follow up on this thread with my experience in this unit just incase somebody ever does a google search for it like I did looking for info. I hunted mulies out there for 6 days. January 10-15. This is obviously not a quality deer unit and anyone applying should know that going in so deer sighting could quite possibly be very low to non existent. I knew this and even at that was very surprised at how little deer I saw. I don't think I've ever covered more ground with boots, tires or glass. Total deer sighted were 15 if I remember right. On the last day of the season I found 10 deer, one of which was a nice 3x4 buck hounding a doe. The other 8 were spotted before the sun came up and were only seen with binos. There was just enough moonlight to make out shapes and with this I didn't see anything I could turn into a legal buck. I watched them move into a massive, thick mesquite patch, this is also where the buck and doe went. Long story short I didn't kill that deer. I was just excited that I had finally done enough to just see a mature buck. I did find an old, small coues deer shed in the Victorio mountains so at least at one time there was at least one buck in there. I spent 2 days scouting in December as well as the hunt I was on. During that trip I saw 2 small bucks and about 15 does. I never saw those bucks during the hunt and I think the does I saw were the some of the same ones I saw hunting. For what its worth I covered ALOT of ground during midday and during the scouting trip. I looked at any and all water holes I could find. Some being very remote. Through all this I only found deer tracks around 2 water tanks. That was very surprising. If you still choose to use this as a application choice you might want to consider a rifle to make the most of the only shot you might get and be prepared to hike and glass ALOT! I'm strictly a bowhunter so I won't be going this route. Something else of note is the illegal activity. Seems almost every crease in the landscape from Hwy 9 north to Hwy 10 has been used or is currently in use as a staging area. At one point I was hunting the Carrazarillo mountains. These mountains stradle the border and you didn't have to get far off the road to start seeing all the signs or illegal traffic. The farther you go obviously the worse it gets. On the way out I was stopped by Border Patrol on the border road. When I told the officer where I was hunting he visibly cringed, asked if I was alone, then told me that was not a good place to hunt solo. He also told me I'm lucky my truck wasn't vandalized or stolen. I don't know if he was being over dramatic but I thought about it and it makes sense. You don't know who those people are, how long they've been there and how desparate they are. They might start to think they've come all this way and now this gringo is going to turn them in, there's nobody around, he's got a set of wheels and maybe some cash...now I'm being overdramatic but you just never know.

Every forum post I see where a guy asks for advice on a hunt, where to go, looking for help...they get info and then never come back and respond on how the hunt went. They had all the time in the world to ask for spots but when the hunts over theres no follow up. Seems the least they could do is drop a couple sentences about what the hunt was like. I suspect this dude never even went on the hunt because it seemed like it was going to be too hard but still a little follow up would be nice.

Great thread on this subject. Interesting responses. For what its worth, not much I know, but I see illegal immigration as an invasion. Thats an act of war in my opinion. I

Thanks for the info. When I come down scouting I'll just throw a tent out by the truck. Got the riot gun and 00 incase somebody tries anything. If I hunt the Cedars or Victorio I'll probably keep my trailer in the Gage RV park. That place is really big so I won't jammed in right next to somebody else. Its clean too.

Thanks, scouting trip got postponed until 1st weekend in December. Don't think that matters much it'll just be a little colder in the tent. Have any idea what camping is like in the area between I-10 and Mexico? I was going to look into the Victorio and Cedar mountains for hunting. One time behind the Gage station I saw ALOT of evidence of illegals being picked up but that was about 6 years ago. Don't know if its gotten worse or better. Am I gonna have people jacking with my stuff down there? I was javelina hunting last year and somebody walked into my camp and fired off 2 rounds right outside the trailer a little after 2 am. I spoke to a game warden Wednesday about 25. He didn't know much about that area and when I told him about the gunshots last year he told me he wasn't surprised by that at all.

Any other updates on this? I'm heading down there to scout 15/17 november for mulies. Going to scout early and late and hopefully shoot some quail in the afternoon.

Wanna share where the pigs are?

What date is your hunt on? The first hunt or second? I drew a January bow tag and I'm going to hunt the Western end of the unit. I was going to go down there on one or both of the November rifle hunts to scout and maybe see where the locals are hunting. If youre on the second rifle hunt, and I see any coues I can let you know.

The 3 hunt deal really sucks hard. I'd spend at least 10 days on a hunt.

Right on, thanks for the answers. I appreciate it. I love to walk when hunting so maybe I'll have a little luck getting away from people if I draw. On a side note, I hunted javelina with a friend in the mnts behind the Dairy Queen in Gage NM of I-10. I was real surprised by what appeared to be alot of illegal alien travel. I shouldn't be considering the location, I just didn't think they'd pick a spot so close to so many people with that mine or quarry or whatever it is and the truck stops.

I put in for 23 for deer, for the first time this year. "the circus of unit 23", that the original poster referred to, does that refer to the Burros or all of 23? I'm asking for the third time because I was shocked at all the slob hunting there during the javelina hunt and am hoping that doesn't carry over to the January deer season.

What part of 23 are you talking about? The Burros 23 or the other parts of Unit 23? Its legal to pick up sheds, you just have to put them down again.

What part of 23 are you talking about? The Burros 23 or the other parts of Unit 23?