Sonora Mexico Mule Deer

by Ricardo Leon

“Sorry for my bad English, I’m Mexican”

My For me, hunt the desert mule deer from Sonora (Mexico) turns as an obsession. Id require nine years to get the first one.

At Santa Cruz Ranch (in Mexico ranch means free ranging hunt) and very close to Hermosillo. I get my first desert mule deer. Maybe this is the most loved of all my mule deers just for be that, the first.

I keep chasing pardos (name given due their coloration) and obtain my second at el represo del verde (the green dam). My dreams always was populated by massive 10 pointers. In that hunt we also found a tremendous animal which I like to call the monster of the green dam. This fabulous animal is a 15 pointer, and 190 b&c points. No doubt a lifetime trophy.

After that stories, I knew that this could be my last expedition to chase this formidable beasts. Mainly cause my consideration about three or four of those trophies are enough for one typical hunter.

We departure on december 12, 2003. heading to the world capital of desert mule deer, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. There and after some inconveniences with our luggage we drive to rancho el datil, 15,000 acres of authentic mexican desert, relatively close to pitiquito, near to the border and in the close range of the altar desert.

Entering by the main breach, we need to drive more than 60 dusty miles, which separate the property from the highway.

The ranch is an austere white house, decorated with an old mezquite and an ancestral palo fierro.

The facility had just the minimum services, the cell phone does not work, and it has an small electricity power plant, four bunk beds, a chimney and one bathroom for the whole party.

There live Mr. Hector Aguirre Espinoza, a distinctive senior, bilingual, descendent of the old travel caravans, in fact comes from a lineage family. This man of advanced age, lord and holder of this place is an extraordinary person, full of experience. He and as his family always show proper manners to help during our stay.

The field is inhabited mainly for lechugillas, ocotillos, tremendous sahuaros, choyas, sotoles, palos verdes, palos fierros, oreganos and ancient mezquites.

Our hunting group was formed by my brother Robert, my nephew Robert Jr. (11 years), his friend Rodrigo (11 years) and my son Ricardo Jr. (18 years).

Also we were assisted by our experience guides Gustavo, El Guero (the older one), Noe, Martin (the sheep guide) Y Juan. All of them put an extra effort to be succeed in this hunt. But as the outfitter use to say; the hunt is inconsistent.

I experience great happiness cause my son was hunting big game with me. Im a convinced that outdoors tans the men, and here is no doubt that the human beings can really reach his truly essence. Is here in remote places where the man can improve and be a better man, more sensitive and allows the purification of our own spirit.

Hunting days come along with heavy walks, cold weather and few animals, but evoking the truth with an excellent genetic quality. I was impressed by the females size and the horns of others harvested animals on the ranch. at the small white house we found mounted a couple of impressive horns which scores close to 198 B&C points and 34 inches wide.

We also note the damage cause by several mountain lions, trough the days and frequent hunts we discover deer carcass that were ultimated by predators. The guides use to say: the mountain lion just kill the big ones.

In the third day of the hunt the weather was bitterly cold, but the wind calm. so I suggest climbing the highest hill of the property. The objective was to use our optics.

Next morning we did that and as usual we start our campaign at first light, getting close to one side of the cerro del cochi.

On this part of Sonora we observe tremendous plains of thousands and thousands of acres, just interrupted for medium size rocous formations which are the den of lions and dominant mulies.

The flora was really green because the rainy season was abundant. That give us the chance to believe that the males had great antlers.

About 8 am we start to climb el cochi. the guides Nartin and El Guero, my son Ricardo and myself. Step by step win in a serpent sendero, with constant slope. Trying to do not make any noise, surpassing big rocks behind the tread of the older guide (El Guero).

Soon we get the top and everyone without notice take diverse observation points according the cardinals.

After a while, Martin the sheep guide, ask for attention. Down there about 550 yards detect the first brute. The rest of us join the wonderful view on silent reunion.

Fortunately the clock pointer walks and discover a second mule deer still undisturbed.

The diverse powers of our optics allow understand that there were two animals, the first maybe a little wider but the second very wide and high.

I notice that the second one was a little better because we had as reference a muley killed last week in the same ranch for one American.

At glance, I dude about the distance (I had forgotten my leica range finder). I put the scope of my 30-06. The target was just visible.

I change rifle and scope for a similar mounted on my son gun, a 7mm Rem Mag, but now I was getting a clearest optic.

My position was compromise and I asked some jackets to get a better support cause I couldnt feel much comfortable.

Some minutes later, my heart rhythm slow down. more when I notice that the animals do not know about our worst intentions.

My personal code of ethics reads that the hunt must be solve with one cartridge and to do so, you need to be patience, tenacious, and practice a lot. I do that frequently to 450 yards and always try at 500 yards.

Confidence take place under that circumstances, up to flood myself.

The unavoidable moment of truth comes and it was time to take a decision, I choose to go for the animal upper right. He must have at least 28 inches, but definitely he was tall and handsome. If we looked those horns at 500 hundred yards, it was because he has them well placed.

I consider than this could be my last mule deer (buro). The spectatives were high, but the hunting circumstances always change and in that particular moment, that was not an exception.

I had the shoot of a lifetime, the animal could worth it and for me the most important part, just a few inches beside me was my son Ricardo, as judge and a first row spectator.

I decide to take him.

Once again I lie on the rocks; take prone position but now much more comfortable. Getting finally a good support for the 7mm.

The reticule just filled the small target. As an old habit, decide aim a little high over the shoulder.

I know well that rifle and was confidence about the gun, knew that the rifle does not fail for an inch, if it happen all would be up to me. Everything depends on my own skills.

I start to feel a pleasant sensation just obtained after years of hunting the mexican outdoors, that allows to feel calm and confidence and every second I was more.

Finally, I felt totally relaxed.. breathe deep and began to call the shot very much slowly.

With no announcement the rifle respond with a brutal detonation, everything was mist and vapor. Immediately hearing the typical crunch of bone and skin. Not seeing the target I knew had hit it hard.

Ask the guides to check if the animal moves, fortunately it does not happen.

Everybody was happy and I notice that the guides had play their bets about the shot, arguing that in 26 years guiding for sheep and mules nobody attempt to shoot at such distance and nevertheless hit it.

We walk down slowly. The Guero (the older guide) still unbelief and counting the steps. his final estimation was more than 550 yards (500 meters).

We continue looking for my brute, now resting under the shade of an ancient sahuaro.

The trophy wasnt less of what we hoped, this had not ground shrinkage. it was my last desert Sonorant mule deer. The last one of my already exceed balance with Sonora the beauty.

There it was maybe the must representative of all my muleys, with antlers over 28 inches, wide, symmetrical, heavy, a good typical 10 pointer and now for its own merits. It deserve to be a whole body mounted.

The bullet hit right in the middle neck with a fulminant and deadly impact,

The guides went for the truck and my son and I remain resting under the light of the sun, remembering and thinking about the last events.

I had the shoot of a lifetime and for me the best, my son was beside me to live and tell that.

I cant be grateful enough with god and life after this experiences, I had enjoy the mount, the desert, the woods, the wind, the cold and the hot, the land and sun.

No doubt, I had taken my share of the nature, simply cause my in apprehensible human condition.

My son, my shoot and my muley, will be always unforgettable memories. an adventure about our stay at el datil, a ranch relatively close to pitiquito, near to the north border and in the close range of the beauty altar desert at Sonora, Mexico.

Ing. Ricardo Leon.