| The Jicarilla
Apache Indian Reservation is well known for producing outstanding mule deer. The New
Mexico state record non-typical (306 2/8) and typical (211 7/8) mule deer, both harvested
by Joseph Garcia in 1963 and 1965 respectively, came from the Jicarilla. The folks at the
Jicarilla were not aware of this detail because the record book lists the harvest location
of both bucks as Chama, which is outside the reservation. However, a close personal friend
of mine, Alan Drew, knew Joseph Garcia and confirmed this fact. They both lived in Santa
Cruz, Ca. at the time, and each year Joseph and his wife traveled to the Jicarilla while
Alan and his party traveled to the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. What's really amazing
is that Joseph's wife Gene harvested a 255 2/8 buck in 1964. Imagine, in three years of
hunting, a husband and wife team harvested three bucks scoring 306 2/8, 255 2/8, and 211
7/8. Unreal! Now I knew about this story for over three years because Alan had repeated it
several times. It's a story that is amazing to any mule deer hunter. As president of Northwest Lineman College, an
institution that provides training for individuals who wish to start a career in the power
delivery field, I work and associate with Alan, the vice president, on a daily basis. We
often spoke of applying at the Jicarilla, and last spring finally decided to apply
together. News came back after the draw that I had received a tag, but Alan had not. It
was bittersweet traveling down without him because we had so often dreamed of going on
this hunt together.
Another friend, Steve Alderman, did come.
Alderman produces the Lowland Mulies video series and had about five minutes of space left
for Lowland Mulies Volume Two. We both hoped we would be returning to Boise, ID with some
great footage. I was allowed seven days, December 8 to 14, with my guide Alan Vicenti of
Timber Lake Outfitters, to harvest my buck.
At 5:30 a.m. opening morning, Alan
picked Steve and I up. Alan brought Sampson Valdez, a friend of his, and the four of us
rushed off. We traveled about 50 miles to the southern end of the reservation and began
glassing the area at daylight. By 9 a.m. we had seen about 15 bucks that we passed up.
Alan positioned us about half way up on a finger ridge so we could glass a similar and
parallel finger ridge to our west. I spotted a nice buck and after looking at it through
the scope, we decided to get closer for a shot. Steve estimated it to score somewhere in
the 220s, so I was obviously quite excited.
Steve and I were very patient in our
pursuit of reaching the opposite ridge, but once there we did not see the buck. Then we
spotted him running with about six does and knew we needed to stay low. As we crept along
the ridge, we noticed the does working across the desert floor in the direction we just
came from and the buck was still with them. To make matters worse, a pickup with some
other hunters appeared and it was moving quickly toward the buck. This hunt was going
downhill fast.
The deer quickly scattered into the
cedars and the pickup worked its way up the ridge, apparently to head the buck off. We got
back to the other side and worked our way to the north end of the ridge where it tapered
into the desert floor. The buck appeared running at full speed about 150 yards from our
left to our right. As I fired, Steve yelled, "Your shooting HIGH!!" I settled
down and placed the crosshairs right on him and squeezed the trigger. The buck went down!
The entire hunt lasted just under three hours.
He green scored 260 gross and 249 6/8
net non-typical. This 11x12 point buck had 43 inches of mass, 54 inches of non-typical
points, and an outside spread of 34 3/8 inches. His frame was 205 7/8 gross and 195 5/8
net, because of the10 2/8 inches of deductions.
There were some amazing events that occurred
with this whole experience. One was realizing that Alan Vicenti had amazing eyesight. He
could spot deer in poor light conditions and in heavy cover at very long distances. It was
truly amazing. Another was seeing how excited and congratulatory the locals were when we
brought the buck into town. But the most amazing event was when I scanned the record book
and discovered the next largest non-typical buck harvested off of the Jicarilla was taken
by none other than Gene Garcia. This was a detail that I certainly enjoyed sharing
with Alan.  |
|
The Jicarilla Nation offers a limited number of seven-day trophy buck hunts each year (up
to 20). Permits are issued by random draw. Hunts take place during early December and a
Jicarilla guide is required. Jicarilla hunts are "a la carte" versus a
typical hunting package. The hunter pays for guide fees, room and meals. Guide
recommendations are available upon request. The Jicarilla also auctions one 28-day mule
deer permit to the highest bidder. Sealed bids are received only by mail. The reservation consists of approximately 850,000
acres of land dominated by Ponderosa Pine forests and Pinion-Juniper woodlands.
In recent years the average gross score
of bucks taken by clients has ranged from 186 to 207, with an average of approximately 200
B&C. Clients take one or two record book deer each year.
Hunt dates, prices, etc. are set each
year in February following analyses of harvest and aerial survey data. Proclamations and
application forms are mailed upon request or can be accessed at the Game and Fish
Department's web site: www.jicarillahunt.com.
The Jicarilla also offers guided hunts
for bull elk, cow elk, black bear and mountain lion and unguided spring turkey hunts for
the Merriam's Turkey. The reservation also has excellent trout fishing and some of the
best waterfowl hunting in the southwest. Hunters stay at the Jicarilla Best Western
located in Dulce, the reservation's only town and headquarters for the Jicarilla Apache
Nation. Information on room rates is available by calling 505-759-3663.
Tentative Prices for 2002
-Trophy Mule Deer $10,000 -Archery Bull Elk
$4,500
-Rifle Bull Elk
$5,000 -Black Bear
$600
-Mountain Lion
$400 -Spring Turkey
$350
-Cow Elk
$600
Guide fees generally average $200 per day with an exception for the hound hunts for bear
and lion, which average $2000 to $2500 per hunt.
For more information contact the Jicarilla Game and Fish
Department at P.O. Box 313, Dulce NM 87528, or by telephone at 505-759-3255,3513, 3442.
Their Fax line is 505-759-3457. New Mexico State permits are not required, but all outdoor
activities do require a tribal permit. |
