Hunting New Mexico Big Game

Hunting big game as well as small game has been a part of my family heritage all of my life. I am an avid archery hunter and I am extremely fortunate to live only a few hours away from the famed Gila Wilderness here in New Mexico. It is world famous for producing some of the biggest bull elk to be found anywhere. My good friend and professional dog trainer, Terry Chandler of Rugerheim Kennels and myself have been hunting elk together for many years now. Terry Chandler also played a big part as to how I got started with bird dogs some 20 years ago and we have been close friends ever since. He has an incredible understanding and ability to get inside a dogs head. Terry and I spend several days in the Gila each year (when we draw out) packing in several miles by horseback in order to locate hot bulls. Once we locate them, we set up spike camps and try our luck at calling or stalking these bulls depending on how they are reacting. There is no feeling in the world like September and the call of a bugleing bull coming into bow range. I have included other photos of big game taken here in NM.

Another good friend and next door neighbor, Steve Lithgow of Waycool Kennel, is an avid bear and lion hunter. I have enclosed some of his photos for your enjoyment. All of the bear and lion photos were taken by Steve himself. I also want to thank Steve as he took many of the dog photos for my website. As you can tell by his lion and bear photos, Steve has a great string of hounds. For all of you GSP people, Steve also owned FC/AFC Rusty's Blue Earth Rexx. Rexx was a great GSP, he sired at least 3 National Field Champions and to many Field Champions to mention. Rexx's bloodlines are traced back to many of the dogs running in field trials today. I still have an older daughter of Rexx here at my kennel and all my GSP's have Rexx in their pedigree. I will be posting other big game photos both from the past and future.