If you have mulies (and/or elk) on your mind and are already looking ahead to 2012 and beyond, subscriber Cary Renner has found a noteworthy spot in northern
New Mexico, a few miles south of the Colorado border. He hunted the
Quinlan Ranch with Randy Slaughter of
Rio Brazos Outfitters (505-863-3815). Renner booked his hunt at the last minute when his booking agent from
Cabelas (800-346-8747) called him about the opening.
The Quinlan Ranch is a single block of 17,000 acres, right in the heart of a major migration route for elk and mule deer heading out of the Colorado high-country toward wintering grounds in New Mexico. It also abuts the 20,000-acre state-owned Edward Sargent Wildlife Area and serves as a haven for animals moving away from hunting pressure there.
Renner says this ranch is a purpose-built hunting operation, and that he was impressed both with the ranch and the management plan they have in place. He says, "This was a big cattle ranch, but they pulled most of the cattle and made habitat improvements, like clear-cutting and water dams. Grass is good, not beat up, and the ranch is clearly not over hunted.....
