The "Hunters" Have Returned

[ACW3]

We visited the NRA Whittington Center shop and museum the day after we each got our elk.  Here is “Badger Boy” trying on the local apparel.



“Badger Boy”, in da hood!!

[ACW3]

We visited a local tortilla business called Anna’s Homemade Tortillas in Raton, NM.  Both Mike and Anna were super hospitable to us.  Mike gave us samples of his jerky and a pumpkin spice roll that was very tasty.  The first picture is the monster mixer they use to make their tortilla dough.



 The next picture is the machine they use to “stamp out the dough hockey pucks” used to make each tortilla.



Here is a short video of their tortilla making machine.  Click on the picture and it will take you to the video.  Mike is quite the crafter when it comes to automating the tortilla making process.  He took a used/broken treadmill to take the tortillas and transfer them to the cooling area.  The cooling area rotates between two fans to cool the tortillas to make them ready for packaging.  Their tortillas were some of the most tasteful I have ever had.  I bought six dozen to bring home.  So did Tee.

[smokeasaurus]

So much for eatin what ya killed!! 

I want a badger hat for Xmas!!

[ACW3]

We stopped on our last night on the road at the famous Loveless Café for dinner.  The Loveless Café is known for their biscuits.  We had a plate of four biscuits with some of their homemade peach, strawberry, and blackberry preserves.  That is a meal unto itself.  We each ordered the sampler platter.  Mine has the following starting with the meatloaf at 6 o’clock.  Going clockwise, I had some good fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, fried chicken, and finally pulled pork.  In the background we had more biscuits with a bowl of their sausage gravy.  Their sausage gravy rocks!!  Being a certified KCBS BBQ judge, I would have awarded the pulled pork a “9” for taste and a “9” for texture.  The only thing it needed, IMHO, was a little salt.  The Pitmaster has been cooking/smoking pork butts, bacon and sausage for over thirty years.  It shows!!



Here is Tee’s dinner plate.  He started with some sweet cucumber and onions.  Starting at 9 o’clock on his plate, he ordered a hash brown casserole, fried chicken, pulled pork, and fried catfish fillets.



I didn’t finish all my food.  Way too much to eat, at least for me.  Tee, on the other hand, managed to order and eat a piece of coconut cream pie.  I couldn’t even take a picture of anymore food.  It’s a good thing we drove for another hour or so after leaving there, because it is not good to go to bed on a full stomach!!

Not many photos on my part, except some of the meals and local sights.  We had a really good trip together.  We are already starting to plan other hunting/fishing adventures.  Hope you enjoyed my input.  Tee has some really fantastic photos to share one of these days.

Art

[deb415611]

Cool trip guys... can't wait to see the rest of the pictures

[TMB]

All I can say is the heck with hunting!  I want the food!!!!!!       

[Pappymn]

Great stuff.....keep it coming. 

Tee take a break from eating to shoot anything?

[TentHunteR]

Great pics Art. Keep 'em coming.

[teesquare]

Rather than start a new thread...I thought I would share a picture-story of the drive, and scenery. These pics - with only a few exceptions - were shot from a ( sometimes rapidly) moving vehicle. The priority was to get to the hunt, then get home - but, I tried to get a few good ones on the fly.
First....as we exited Amarillo - moving towards Dalhart TX:



Pretty flat - huh..?
But...what is that is the distance???


I live just off of U.S. Hwy 64 in  NC...which is about 1400 miles from this sign

Beyond here...there be drgaons...and hopefully elk!


The earth is getting lumpier... Good sign!





Getting closer!


Local natives...Pronghorn Antelope...these guys can run 60 m.ph.!!!!!


THAT is an ancient volcano...now a national historic place...I think it may be the one place in New Mexico older than Ka Honu

ZThe long and winding road....  look in the distance...THOSE are real mountains






Ahead...the thriving metropolis of Raton NM




The NRA Whittington Center...time to go site in our rifles and make any final adjustments to our scopes...



Pronghorn on the property















So...the next morning, it's up at 4:30...( somebody had to kick start the rooster...I drew the short straw ) and - go hunt!
Oh...we had to driv up the mountain to the Vermejo Park Ranch...approx 3000 ft. above us. Ranch ele. 8500-11,000 ft. above sea level.

And...we were greeted by a little white stuff...and 16 BELOW zero...

And.. the snow kept coming. Beautiful alpine forests of ponderosa pine and stands of aspen


During a break in the snow...We saw these - they are "coke ovens" for making charcoal to feed a foundry. There used to be a coal mine, and a town in this part of the ranch. Eerie looking aren't they?

This guy knew his season was over. He just loafed across the road in front of us - no hurry...

Notice the snow is continuing to come down again....


A herd of wild horses...

And the snow is getting heavier...


Look at the horse on the left...all of the snow on his back!

Now all of them are carrying the white stuff around.MAN - it is really coming down!











So...we called it a day..at lunch time - and went into town for some NM chili.



I think this was the HIGH temp on day one....


So - the next day, the snow quit - the sky was clear - and the scenery was spectacular! And our chances of seeing game improved of course...
Daybreak...







Morning sun-fall on the peaks:














Now look at the backside of the coke ovens....



And...BTW it was 25 BELOW ZERO this morning....

THIS is one of my favorite series of shots form the trip...



















Mule deer playing peek-a-boo..

More horses...

Elk tracks...now we are getting somewhere!




More tomorrow...It took 16 hours to up-load the pics from one CF card to Photobucket today....

T

[TentHunteR]

WOWIE!!!!

What a slide show Tee! Beautiful country.

Keep 'em coming.

[Keymaster]

Thanks Tim , Thats some awesome looking country.

[Sam3]

Beautiful!!

[drholly]

Great shots T2 - keep 'em coming...

David

[Ka Honu]

Great looking country (except for the temperature).

And I know at least three things/places in New Mexico older than I am.

[teesquare]

I was hoping you would show up ...and read that....hehehe

Just proves that you still are a "detail" man Turtle!

T