Story By: Ryan Martenson
Since becoming a Huntin’ Fool member in 2012, my personal strategies have certainly changed. A lot of state draws have changed as well. One state that I feel has the best draw for nonresidents is New Mexico. During the application process, I visited with several different outfitters. I enjoyed the discussion with Ryan Nogosek of A3 Trophy Hunts NM and felt he had a well thought out plan. Ryan took the time to listen to me and consider the drought conditions prevalent in New Mexico. After our discussion, we agreed on how to apply. Fortunately, I was able to draw my first-choice rifle elk hunt.
I am thankful that two great friends, Tyson Anderson and Jason Goette, were able to be a big part of the hunt and devote their time to our success. I quickly reached out to Matt Kranz, a long-time friend at Paradigm Technologies, to build a long-range rifle.
After discussions with my guide, Brandon Sanchez, and my outfitter, Ryan Nogosek, we decided to arrive at the unit two days early to scout for bulls. During this time, we were able to locate several bulls that would reach 350”. The evening before opener, we felt very confident about the bulls we’d located, and I had decided to pursue the chance of locating a larger bull. Boy, were we wrong in that decision. We hunted hard for three and a half days with no opportunity to harvest any bull. Having six of us glassing and covering ground helped a lot; however, it wasn’t till the evening of day four of a five-day hunt that I had my first opportunity to harvest a bull.
On the evening of day four, Brandon decided to try a new area that had been good in the past. That evening, keeping one eye peeled for rattlesnakes, we hiked in two and a half miles and found our first elk of the hunt. He was still bugling. We figured the bull would score around 330”. I had a goal of a 350”+ bull, but after four days of hard hunting and covering a lot of ground with six people, I had a difficult decision to make: harvest this beautiful bull and enjoy sharing the elk meat with my buddies or pass and continue to pursue the type of bull that I was after. I decided to pass on the only opportunity I’d had after four days of hunting.
That evening was filled with doubt and the possibility of regret over passing on such a beautiful bull and the opportunity for such great table fair. After arriving back at camp and checking on evening success with others, I found that no one else had located a bull that night. I hardly slept a wink, second guessing my decision.
Day five, the last day of the hunt, I awoke and discussed with Brandon that I would like to go back and try for the 330” bull. He reluctantly agreed due to the fact we had agreed on pursuing larger bulls. We headed back to the bull’s last location. We were very fortunate to turn up the bull at first light. However, the bull was now on private ground. Brandon and Ryan were able to call the bull to the fenceline twice, but the bull simply would not jump the fence onto public. The morning hunt came to a close with the elk bedding safely on private property. We were all very frustrated, to say the least. One could certainly ask if “karma” didn’t have something to do with the fact that the bull I was not willing to harvest the day before was the same bull I was unable to harvest the following morning.
We reluctantly went back to camp, made lunch, and packed up. There was a lot of discussion around how to proceed and why things seemed to keep going in the elks’ favor. There was even a brief discussion of “Should we quit early?”, though we quickly decided the answer was “No.” The final evening hunt location was my decision. I decided to go back to an area we knew well but hadn’t seen elk in for days. We felt the elk would cycle through every few days and that there may be a chance we’d spot some elk. I have always said, “The best hunt of your life is five minutes away.” That statement certainly rang true for this hunt. On the final hour of the final day, we located my bull on a hillside, silent, by himself. Brandon and I closed the distance to 565 yards before harvesting this one-of-a-kind bull.
In the end, I would like to thank Ryan Nogosek and Brandon Sanchez with A3 Trophy Hunts NM. They are truly a class act and a pleasure to hunt with. Without their service, this success simply wouldn’t have happened. I also would like to thank Logan Hedges and Robert Hanneman from Huntin’ Fool for both their advice and friendship over the years. Lastly, thank you to my good friends Jason Goette and Tyson Anderson; I look forward to the future and relish the past because of you.
In many ways, this was a hunt of a lifetime. I realize people often harvest larger elk. However, the opportunity to hunt the entire duration of the season, harvest a truly unique bull on a down year, and spend quality time with friends is something I will never forget. Isn’t this what we are all chasing? Tags are precious. Take the time to maximize them, make the memories, and hunt till the final minute... Because you never really know when karma may reward you.