Hunting Season Opened for us

ID Bronco

Registered User
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
Thanks. I often wonder how they will remember their childhood. I agree with you, busy kids are less prone to get into trouble or to invent it. For me it's good, better, best kind of deal. Being with dad is probably in the "better" category. It's a lot of work, but hopefully it's effects last forever.
 

ID Bronco

Registered User
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
Good for you! I just finished a seven day, six night, 30-mile backpacking trip in the San Juan Wilderness with six Scouts, including my son. We had a great time hiking, camping, orienteering, and fishing. All things that young men should learn.
Have you ever caught Rio Grande Cutties or Gila Trout? They are on my bucket list. Any intel you may have would be great.
 

DesertRam

Active Member
Nope, neither, at least recently. A few of what I presume are your west slope cutthroats in a lake above Platoro, CO. I have tried for Gilas a couple times, but haven't been successful yet. You would probably want to try Whitewater Creek and the forks of the Gila River for Gila trout. The NM Game and Fish has killed off all the non-native fish and restocked Gilas in Whitewater and they're doing well from what I here. They're rebuilding the Glenwood Hatchery at the base of that creek to be the state's premiere Gila trout hatchery. We have a backpacking trip planned in the Gila for September during which I'll give them another go. Many years ago when I was about 10 or 11 I caught a cutthroat in the San Juan River near where I grew up. I didn't think much of it then, just knew it wasn't the typical rainbow or brown. In retrospect it was probably pretty special, as they're not even supposed to be in that river below Navajo Dam. The best I can offer on cutties is this primer from the NM Game and Fish: https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/fishing/native-new-mexico-fish/rio-grande-cutthroat-trout/

If you ever get a wild hair, come down and try the Trout Challenge: https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/fishing/fishing-challenges/nmtc/ I'm 3/5 of the way there (rainbow, brown, and brook).
 

ID Bronco

Registered User
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
Nope, neither, at least recently. A few of what I presume are your west slope cutthroats in a lake above Platoro, CO. I have tried for Gilas a couple times, but haven't been successful yet. You would probably want to try Whitewater Creek and the forks of the Gila River for Gila trout. The NM Game and Fish has killed off all the non-native fish and restocked Gilas in Whitewater and they're doing well from what I here. They're rebuilding the Glenwood Hatchery at the base of that creek to be the state's premiere Gila trout hatchery. We have a backpacking trip planned in the Gila for September during which I'll give them another go. Many years ago when I was about 10 or 11 I caught a cutthroat in the San Juan River near where I grew up. I didn't think much of it then, just knew it wasn't the typical rainbow or brown. In retrospect it was probably pretty special, as they're not even supposed to be in that river below Navajo Dam. The best I can offer on cutties is this primer from the NM Game and Fish: https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/fishing/native-new-mexico-fish/rio-grande-cutthroat-trout/

If you ever get a wild hair, come down and try the Trout Challenge: https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/fishing/fishing-challenges/nmtc/ I'm 3/5 of the way there (rainbow, brown, and brook).
Awesome insight. I am starting this trout challenge: https://wafwaprojects.maps.arcgis.c...x.html?appid=4253ebc93204460e915b6ab8f5ab7d52

It will be a years long deal but would be cool to accomplish it. Please update me after your trip in Sept!
 

DesertRam

Active Member
rholbrook, we found that oryx about 30 miles from my house in southern NM. They were transplanted to the Army's White Sands Missile Range from Namibia in the mid-1970s and have been hunted free-range since 1978. They are prolific, and have expanded their range well beyond the missile range and can now be hunted on public and private land all around the missile range by those lucky enough to draw a tag in our big game lottery. They are also hunted on range. There's about 1,000 tags per year for oryx in NM. They have also filtered over into TX and are hunted occasionally on private land there.

More information here: https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/download/publications/rib/2022/hunting/24-Oryx.pdf
 

rholbrook

Well-Known Member
Location
Kaysville, Ut
rholbrook, we found that oryx about 30 miles from my house in southern NM. They were transplanted to the Army's White Sands Missile Range from Namibia in the mid-1970s and have been hunted free-range since 1978. They are prolific, and have expanded their range well beyond the missile range and can now be hunted on public and private land all around the missile range by those lucky enough to draw a tag in our big game lottery. They are also hunted on range. There's about 1,000 tags per year for oryx in NM. They have also filtered over into TX and are hunted occasionally on private land there.

More information here: https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/download/publications/rib/2022/hunting/24-Oryx.pdf
Thank you for the reply
 

ID Bronco

Registered User
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
The Idaho sage grouse season opened Saturday. It has gone to a tag system (the same price as a deer tag :rolleyes: but they are my favorite) so I stood in line for a couple of hours in August to get tags in the area I wanted. There are only a certain number of tags sold in each area. I did a bunch of map reconnaissance and called a few land owners to get feedback and permission to hunt on their land. Many would say this is silly for a few "sage chickens" that taste more like leather than chicken, but I'm a glutton for punishment.

We had 8 tags, (one more for my daughter but a school dance/date took precedence, go figure) so we got up very early to drive to our spot for first light. We were a little late and saw about six birds off the road on the way there. That is always a good sign. With careful anticipation we rolled through the gate at the first property and parked the truck. Usually I go to Wyoming to hunt these birds since there are much higher numbers and better limits on them. This year I have to be at Cross Country races every weekend so that was out. I was bummed so this hunt had to produce.

We had to cross a good sized pasture before a creek to where the sage starts. Needless to say we were taken off guard when my Lab flushed a "thunder chicken" right out of the grass! It was quite safe since we weren't really ready for that to happen, again this was a good sign!

To make a short story long, we hunted hard, missed a lot and laughed a bunch. 11 miles later we had 6 of our 8 tags filled and had seen more birds than I have ever seen in a season, let alone a day.

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After a well earned lunch of PB&J's along with Brigham City peaches we headed to our next spot to fill the tags for my youngest two boys. Their confidence was low, they had missed a lot of good opportunities. These boys can shoot skeet and have killed many other birds on the wing, but there is something unnerving about Thunder Chickens. It was rattling them. So we tried to boost their confidence with a foreboding that the hunting was never going to be that good again.


The second spot was pretty unknown to me, but the rancher was a nice guy and gave me some good intel. With an alfalfa field nearby I was hopeful. That is the only grain these birds eat. We got out, loaded the guns and sent the dogs out in front of us. Not 5 minutes in, about nine birds came up all around us. It was tough for the boys to focus on one bird, and "flock shooting" never works out. With a few holes in the sky we marveled at the opportunity. The dogs were put out that the boys didn't convert. More positive talk and we moved on. Within about 45 minutes both boys had shot their birds and both made much tougher shots than those they missed earlier in the day. As we made the walk back to the truck, the dogs continued to point, and flush many birds along the way.

It's likely we will never see the equal of this trip again in our lives. It was magical. I'm not nearly as sad about missing my Wyoming trip and can't wait to get my daughter up there asap to fill her tag.

This will be the most expensive meat we have eaten in a while, but the memories we made with my boys is totally worth it!

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Till the next one..............................
 

ID Bronco

Registered User
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
Business gave me an excuse to head to Miami, this is the only thing I could think to do that was not a waste of time.

Yes they all look about the same, but we were lucky to get a bunch of them. I went out targeting bonefish and permit, but with a storm in the afternoon and crazy wind, it wasn't in the cards. This was a great second choice!

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