Hello all,
My name is David Eldridge, I grew up hunting wildgame in the great state of NM. I am writing this blog to give some insight into the great hunting opportunities in NM as well as to share some of my memories from my early years hunting to current season events and happenings.
I currently reside in Roswell NM and mainly hunt with archery equipment and spend lots of time calling predators. I currently serve as a pro staff member for Gameface Addiction, a NM based hunting show. I also serve on the local chapter committees for the Mule Deer Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation along with serving as chairman of the NM Predator Callers Association. Along with the above I am currently starting Killshot Outdoors with two of my closest friends, this will be a full service archery shop and will host 3D archery tournaments.
Along with my own hunting adventures I get to accompany my daughter on her hunts. In the past couple of years she has harvested mule deer, whitetail deer, antelope and elk. In upcoming blogs I will share about our adventures as well.
This first blog is about how I got my start as an avid hunter and conservationist.
My dad loved to hunt and I think the only thing he loved more was having my younger brother and myself along. He hunted deer and predators mainly as well as running a trap line. I was so excited when I got my first trap at for my 7th birthday. My dad let me set that trap in his line and thinking back on it he let me set it in one of his favorite spots for grey fox. He kept every fox I caught that winter separate from his catches and let me sell them at the end of the season. I don't remember how much I made but I took all that money and bought more traps.
In 1979 my dad enrolled me in hunters safety, at nine years old I was the youngest one in my class. Back then the class was a lot different than what is taught today. We met every night for a week and listened to the instructors and watched films on hunting and firearm safety. On Friday night we had a written exam and if you passed with 70 percent or more you passed the class and were issued a little orange hunters safety card. I was so excited when I passed, knowing I would soon be able to hunt myself.
My dad bought me a Savage model 99 .243 lever action rifle when I passed hunters safety. It was love at first sight with that beautiful gun. I spent many hours with my dad shooting that gun and reloading shells to make sure it was as accurate as we could get it. I was so excited for deer season to arrive that I am sure I drove my dad a little crazy.
November finally arrived and opening day of deer season was finally upon us. We hunted public land, mainly National Forest. I was excited and nervous and could barley contain myself as we loaded up in the old blue Scout my dad used for hunting and headed out that morning. As we made our way up the mountain it was still dark but I was trying my best to see a deer along the way. Shortly after daylight we turned off the highway onto an old two track logging road. My dad told me to watch my side of the road real good and to let him know if I saw a deer. We had traveled what seemed like hours on this road, which was only about 15 minutes, when I spotted a deer on my side.
We stopped and got out. I was knelt down beside the truck when I heard my dad say that the deer on the right was a buck. He told me to just hold my sight where I wanted to hit and squeeze the trigger. To this day I can still see the sight pointing right behind the deer's shoulder as he stood in the aspen trees. I held that sight there and squeezed the trigger just like we had practiced so many times. At the shot I lost sight of the deer, he was just not there anymore. I worried I had missed and he had ran off, but the other three deer that were with him were still standing there. My dad walked around the side of the vehicle and the look on his face was one I will never forget. He had this huge smile on his face and his eyes were so full of pride. I of course was still trying to figure out where this deer went. My dad grabbed me and hugged me and said lets go see your first deer. I can remember telling him I thought I missed and him laughing and he said no you got him, he fell right there.
Walking up to that deer laying there on the ground was an experience and feeling I will never forget. He was only a spike with about 5 inch antlers, but he was my trophy buck. I can remember looking at that beautiful animal and the emotions running through my young body, I was excited and sad at the same time. I was elated to be able to harvest my first animal and the adrenaline was flowing like crazy but I was also saddened to know I had ended the life of this wonderful animal.
My dad showed me that it was okay to feel both emotions and to also show respect for the animal by how we handled it afterwards. Those two feelings are still present today whenever I harvest an animal. I show my excitement a little more, but I also take time to pause and say a prayer for the animal and to give thanks for the opportunity to harvest an animal and provide food for my family and friends.
That day in 1979 started a passion that has lasted a lifetime. I have been fortunate enough to pass this same passion along to my children and have made some of the most amazing memories in my life through hunting and pursuing an outdoor lifestyle.
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