US Outfitters has guided hunts for Merriam's Turkey at the Cotton Wood Ranch, North of Cimmaron, N.M. This is the ranch where I hunted elk with Larry Bell in 1986! Lester P. (Pop) and I also hunted there and he killed a wonderful mule deer in Metcalf Canyon several years later. My really big elk came from the far end of Metcalf Canyon near the Vermejo Ranch. This small (22,000 acres) ranch was a part of the famed UU Bar (186,000 acres) which Mrs. Faudree and family owned. I hunted deer on the UU Bar 4 times - killing the two largest mule deer of my life on Rayado Mesa, I also took a really nice pronghorn with Larry Bell and friends from Midland. I hunted black bear twice with the infamous Butch Whitten and his dogs. I was successful on the second hunt with a very large chocolate brown bear taken on the UU Bar near the road to Aqua Fria. Too many wonderful times to recall all the detail here. Got Fletcher a nice deer in deep snow with Matt Faudree as guide, granddad Henderson and Bubba Thomas also hunted with us (Fletcher and me) on another occasion, (Lo Perryman's 40th birthday weekend). I was so looking forward to this trip; back to this wonderful ranch (if only a portion), Fletcher was joining me on this spring turkey hunt. Granddad Henderson would have been here if he had not died out on us - I still miss him and think of him everyday. We had so many wonderful times together and some of the best of them were our hunting trips!!! Fletcher had to back out at the last minute, he is having some problems and I need not go into them here. I left the office at 2:30pm on Wednesday, 29 April 09 and drove easily (not speeding) until dark. I stayed in a small hotel in Springer, N.M. ($ 39/night) got up early and did not need to meet Andy, my guide from USO until 12 noon at Cimmaron. I drove the back way into Cimmaron, by Rayado Mesa, Sunnyside, Rayado Headquarters, Mrs. Faudree's B&B, The St. James Hotel - all very significant places in the previous trips. A flood of emotion and memories came over me for several hours and I really enjoyed reminiscing about these wonderful hunts, the outstanding animals and the fabulous people: Mrs. Faudree, Larry Bell, Joe Campbell, Steve Harper, Fletcher, Granddad, Pop, Butch Whitten, RC Knox, Matt Faudree & Bubba Thomas to name a few.
Andy Valerio is the guy that has been doing my applications for the various draw hunts through USO for so many years. Andy was disappointed that Fletcher had to back out but those things in life happen and we all have these kinds of things happen. Andy was on time and we loaded up in his 4x4 truck, left the Expedition at the Cimmaron Chevron and went to Cotton Wood - we were at the "Cow Camp" same as we stayed in 1986 - USO added a bunk house wing and upgraded the kitchen - everything else was very much the same as when we were there in '86. The ranch had a major fire in 2001 and many of the huge ponderosa pines were burned, this is typical of the west - we have fires but the cycle of life keeps on going - lots of new growth now. First afternoon out we cover lots of ground - see turkey sign and no turkey - 16 elk & 11 mule deer - I keep count of animals seen for the trip, 30 April 09.
1 May 09 We are up early and gone by 4:30am, we hear turkey - the cook (Gadget) calls on the radio - we go to him and hear 3 different Toms - spend all the morning trying to get close or call them in - no luck, back to Cow Camp for lunch and a short nap. Then Andy and I get on the 4 wheeler and go to the XA or North Ponil pasture (28 miles round trip) we see 2 hens drinking from this wonderful live creek in North Ponil and drive up on a really nice Tom!! We see 4 more elk and head to camp with a plan to be where the Tom was at daylight! Lovely dinner - Gadget (Dave Huf) is a really engaging & an enjoyable guy. Good cook and has all kinds of interesting "gadgets" and raises all his family vegetables and is a full time employee for USO.
2 May 09 We are up at 3:30am for a 4am departure from camp. About 1 hour & 15 minutes to the mouth of Abreau Canyon off of XA or North Ponil, this is a large ranch with out many roads. We waited until first light to start calling (we had walked into the area we saw the Tom Turkey yesterday). We called and Tom gobbled but shut up - we move about a hundred yards up the canyon and resumed calling - he answered and came running off a big hill right at us - we were standing in the open and simply froze! He was coming at ± 150 yards - when he got behind a bush we dove behind another bush and got ready and very still! I could see him strut - puff and answer every call Andy sent - what a show! His head was white - then a light blue and then a bright red as he moved to us in full strut! 
He finally got to within 30 yards and clear of brush - bang! One shot, one turkey and my first Merriam Turkey! What a show he put on and I am a really happy hunter! This is a two (2) tag area so we left this good guy and moved up the canyon about 1/4 mile and started calling, again a big Tom (probably the one from yesterday) came in and was making all sorts of noise - answering each and every call and lots of show - big struts - he had a hen that was feeding near by and he was very responsive but would never leave her and get closer than 75-80 yards - we stayed hidden and played the game for more than 30 minutes - at first when he came running - I was thinking 2 Merriam Turkeys in 30 minutes!!!! Not to be! We finally decided to back out and leave him with the hen undisturbed and come back later when the hen left to nest. We were back at the truck with my first Merriam Turkey before 9am. Gadget had us a cooler full of food - so we had sandwiches, etc and a diet coke for breakfast. Granddad and Fletcher would have loved this!!! We spent the remainder of the morning calling in North Ponil - nothing - we got back at noon to check for the big guy - nothing, not one answer - I tell Andy lets go - I am one happy hunter and an very satisfied with my turkey. We head back to Cow Camp and with-in one mile of camp - Andy sees a nice Tom 30 yards from the road - we drive past and then turn up a side canyon - Slaughter Canyon - climb to the top of the ridge and move to where we are above him. Andy calls and we hear him at the bottom near the road, with a big answer. Andy calls again and here he comes. Next call and he is almost on us!!! We set up next to a big pine and there he is!! In a bush with a bright white then red head and I am waiting for a clear shot - two more steps - then bang - my second Merriam Turkey and this guy is huge - long beard, long spurs and big body!!! What a bonus, I thank St. Jude and St. Diane, the hunting patron saint and our Good Lord for my wonderful fortune. It took us longer to climb the hill to get to the ridge than for the turkey to come to us! What a wonderful hunt and a grand experience - back at camp Gadget has us a very good lunch and one after my heart - grilled sausage and German sauerkraut! Once again a nice supper after a short nap and some packing, missed Fletcher being here but we still have a chance for many more hunts and adventures over the coming years. Andy is a really good guide, knows the ranch very well and has the ability to call turkey. I just hope he will have the opportunity to guide me on a sheep hunt before I get too old. Andy is easy to talk with and is a fine man. Total in there, days hunting 20 elk, 12 mule deer and 9 turkeys.
3 May 09 - Slept in until 6:00 am -up, packed and nice breakfast and Andy & Gadget took me to town to get my vehicle and off to West Texas after another successful hunt in Cimmarron, N.M. - pleasant drive to Odessa got my rosary said and listened to several Catholic lectures on CD and plenty of work to do at the office next week - Thank the Good Lord.
