Last week we headed to New Mexico to film a desert bighorn hunt for our friend Cole’s dad, Chad, who was lucky enough to draw one of just two tags in the unit. Desert bighorn tags are as rare as it gets. Most hunters will never hold one in their lifetime, so we knew this trip was going to be special.

Two days before the opener, part of our group was glassing off the road when a truck drove by and parked a little further down. We immediately swung our glass toward them to see what they were up to. They were towing a Can-Am with a Vortex sticker on the back, so we figured they were hunters. With a deer hunt going on in the area, we just assumed that’s what they were there for. When they pulled out of the spot later, they honked and waved as they drove past us.

The next morning we ran into the same truck again, but this time we stopped to talk. That’s when we learned they weren’t deer hunters at all. It was Charlie, the other bighorn tag holder, along with her dad, mom, and sister. Native New Mexicans, out there on their own. No guides, no outfitter, just a family hunting together.

They told us they had seen some rams during summer scouting, but hadn’t been seeing much lately. They weren’t holding out for a particular ram, they just wanted the experience and would have been happy with any opportunity. From the very beginning our group agreed that if we could help them, we would.

At one point we mentioned we were filming for Marsupial Gear. They said they had never even heard of us, which somehow made the interaction even better. It was real. Just hunters sharing openly and looking out for one another. 

Later that day we met up with them again, they told us their plan was to hunt a main cut on one side of the range opening morning. The problem was, that was the same cut we planned to hike through in the dark to get up and over to the backside to move in on a ram we had been watching.

If we went ahead without saying anything, we would have hiked right through their spot and blown the sheep out in the dark. The last thing we wanted was to ruin their hunt. Normally when you meet other hunters with the same tag you tend to keep your cards close, but this time we laid everything out on the table.

We told them our plan, showed them video of our #2 ram, and dropped pins for where we had been seeing him. They were extremely grateful and excited, which made us even more glad we shared. 

Opening morning came and went, but Charlie’s family didn’t find the ram. They made plans to make a big move for the next day to head way down south into an area we had all been talking about checking out.

The next day, part of our crew glassed up a good ram not far from camp. We tried to get ahold of Charlie’s dad, but service was nonexistent. Calls and texts weren’t getting through.

A few hours later a message finally came across.

“We just smoked a nice one.”

The timing was perfect. While we were trying to reach them about a ram near camp, they had pushed into that new country and turned up a ram of their own.

What impressed us most was that this wasn’t some guided hunt with an outfitter handling all the details. It was a father, mother, and two daughters chasing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity together, doing it all on their own, and absolutely crushing it. True Native New Mexicans, tough as they come, making the most of an opportunity most hunters only dream about.

On top of that, they went out of their way to help us too. They offered to lead us into some rough country they had already driven, saving us the trouble of figuring out a tricky road, and even loaned us their spare Can-Am wheel when we needed one.

Watching them succeed on a tag this rare, celebrating with them in camp, and walking away with new friends made this hunt unforgettable.

This is what it’s all about. Hunters sharing the mountain, strangers becoming friends, and families making memories that will last forever.

Congrats again, Charlie. We’re so glad our paths crossed in the desert.

And as for our hunt, that story is coming soon. It’s a film we’re excited to share with you all.