Mike Bondurant, owner of La Garita Outfitters, had a successful mule deer season on his premier Colorado lease the 87,000-acre Chico Basin ranch near Colorado Springs. One of his two rifle hunters shot a buck scoring 195 points. The other hunter killed oneby mistake!scoring only 175. Bondurant's lone archery hunter, Hunting Report subscriber Noah Hiscox, killed a buck scoring 182 (see photo in our online Trophy Gallery), but saw two others estimated to be over 200! "I have never before seen such exceptional trophy size," Hiscox tells us. He gives Bondurant an all-excellent rating. Archers should take note: this late season hunt during the rut is an inexpensive option ($3,700 for seven days) with the potential for a giant buck. This is also an excellent ranch for a combo muzzleloader hunt for mule deer and a rifle hunt for a representative antelope. Things didn't go so well on Bondurant's new Kansas lease. Weather was part of the problem, but worse was a car accident that left Bondurant with a broken neck just prior to the hunt. Still, the hunts took place on schedule with the help of a last-minute guide. Although Bondurant had seen several record-class bucks on the property over the last two years, his clients were unsuccessful. It was certainly no consolation that one of the rifle hunters missed a 160-class buck, or that others passed on decent bucks.
Bondurant tells us that he is on the mend and will likely move his whitetail operation to another lease in southeastern Colorado with potential for producing trophies. He plans to visit that ranch later this year to confirm expectations. Stay tuned for details as they develop.........(continued)
