This story starts simply enough when I called Huntin’ Fool and inquired about the best state for youth tags and draw odds. I spoke with Braxton, Shandi, and countless others. The consensus was to apply my twin boys, Matthew and Joseph, for antelope, elk, and deer in the best units for the outfitter draw.
The first notification was a very excited voicemail from Huntin’ Fool advising me that the twins had hit a home run on the draw. The twins had a less than 1% chance of drawing, and they did! I had previously contracted with Eli Grimmett of Pronghorn Outfitters and decided on them based on their incredible reputation.
Joseph drew the antelope tag, and we had a very short period of time, a weekend, to get the job done. We hunted with the amazing Dave Brown (former MLB player), and after some long hikes, seven miles and then some, Joseph harvested a mature buck, scoring 83" on a 390-yard shot with a 28 Nosler by Gunwerks. Dave said, “No small bucks,” and boy was he right as this buck had 6" cutters!
The twins both drew elk tags for unit 13 in New Mexico. This was a muzzleloader hunt with the services of LOH Outfitters out of Socorro, New Mexico. Joseph opted out of the hunt due to high school football commitments. He was heartbroken but excited for his twin brother to chase a big bull. This was an incredibly physical hunt with rain, snow, and wind. On day four, Matthew harvested a mature bull on an amazing shot with a Best of the West muzzleloader. We had very experienced guides in Brian Olney and Zach Saveraeda. The country was tough, and conditions were dry. The crew at LOH was amazing coming in after dark and helping with the pack out and transport. Thanks to Braxton, Sheldon, and of course, Jerry Blake.
How could this season get any better? We were off to New Mexico for the unit 2B youth rut hunt the week of Thanksgiving. We contracted with Ryan Nogosek of A3 Outfitters and were connected with Logan Sherwood and Justin as a spotter to attempt to harvest two mature mule deer. On day two, Joseph put a stalk on a nice, mature 3x3, only to be surprised at the last moment by a 195" 5x4 chasing off the smaller buck. A quick adjustment and the 340-yard shot with a Gunwerks 28 Nosler brought him down. This was possibly the biggest buck in the unit this year.
The pack out was past midnight, and the 20-hour day was over. Thanks to these guys for looking out for the safety of my twins and me the entire time. Matthew stalked several smaller bucks but decided to pass. I was proud of his maturity to let the small ones grow for the next hunter who comes along. These are memories-of-a-lifetime.
There are too many people to thank – Mom for packing all the right gear and the amazing outfitters for meals and endless optimism when kids really need it. Mostly, thanks to Huntin’ Fool for their selfless approach to helping the next generation of hunters chase dreams and achieve goals.
New Mexico Pronghorn
Login