king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated April/May 2008 - Index

what excites you and set that as a
goal. It might be a buck with extra
forks, drop tines, palmations, mass,
etc. The deer in Mexico defi nitely
have lots of character.
My recommendation is to
set realistic, attainable goals as far
as trophy size is concerned. Don’t
expect the world, but greet it if it
comes your way. There are lucky
hunters who always seem to stumble
on good fortune, but don’t count
on it. There’s always a story about
a novice hunter who wakes up late
and lady luck places the trophy of
a lifetime in his path. If you really
think your hunt is guaranteed to go
that way, then I’ve got some prime
swampland for sale in Sonora. When
I look for the mold of an ideal desert
hunter, I don’t have to look too far.
Martin Baker’s name keeps popping
up in my mind. Here’s a guy who had
no true mule deer experience some
years back. He was fresh clay in my
hands and was molded accordingly.
His entire hunting experience when
we fi rst met was limited to whitetails.
He quickly adapted and learned that
patience in Mexico is essential. He
didn’t see the numbers of animals
he was accustomed to. He quickly
learned that numbers mean nothing
when it comes to trophy hunting in
Sonora.
Martin has the one thing
that is most needed when hunting in
Old Mexico, perseverance. In my
opinion, this is the most important
quality a hunter could possess. It’s
the mental and physical dedication
to continue on through pain and
hardship when your mind and body
say otherwise. This determination
is what sets Martin apart from many
others - and success is an extension
of this determination. He maintains
a positive attitude throughout. He
will walk until both he and his guide
are on the verge of collapse. He has
earned the respect of all the guides
who, in return, would do anything
for him.
While success has been
steady for Martin, it has not always
been easy. Last season was no
exception. Martin’s guide, also
(Above) Martin Baker has had great success hunting in Mexico due to patience and
perseverance. (Below left) Martin’s great 32-inch buck from 2007.
named Martin, and he set out eagerly
every morning. Both Martins are positive
personalities and failure really isn’t an
option for either one. The guide found a
good size buck track one day and felt it
was a buck worthy of locating. Martin is
a relentless tracker and lives to outsmart
old bucks. This particular buck sent them
through wide open desert country fi lled
with thorny cholla cactus and oceans of
thick palo verde trees. This didn’t deter
either of the Martins who stayed on his
tail. Martin, the guide, soon realized
that the buck kept enough of a lead that
it might be a task covering several days
to fi nd him. He knew that this hunter
would keep up with him if he attempted
this chore.
Over the next few days, the
Martins stayed on the track but always
seemed to be a jump behind the buck.
They continued tracking this deer and
only decided to let up if they stumbled
across a track larger than his. When asked
if he wanted to try fi nding another buck,
he responded, “Let me talk to Martin and
see what he thinks. Whatever he feels
is best, I’m fi ne with.” He continually
places faith in the real expert, his guide.
Most North American hunters tend to
get easily discouraged after a few days
of not seeing much in the desert. This
can be a costly mistake. A few seasons
back, Martin hunted one particular lease
for a week straight. They’d found a
great track and went after this buck
of the
5SOUTH BORDER5
hard. The buck outsmarted them
every time, but they never relented.
They covered just about every inch
of the lease and I offered to move
him somewhere else. Both he and
his guide refused. Finally, after
countless miles, they realized the
only way to kill this buck was to stay
two steps ahead of him. His guide
got very creative and anticipated the
buck’s next move. It worked like a
charm and they ambushed a super
buck over 200-inches.
Back to our story… The
weather changed over the next few
days with rain blanketing the desert
country. The Martins picked up the
buck’s track early the following day
and stayed on it. Martin, the guide,
felt confi dent he would fi nally come
face to face with the buck sometime
soon. Several hours later, Martin told
Martin (the hunter) that he felt they
were closing in. They pressed on
and a short time later rounded a palo
verde tree and came face to face with
the bedded buck only a few feet away!
Everyone was startled. The buck
immediately jumped up and lunged
forward. Martin instinctively shot
from the hip and dropped him a few
yards away. He was a great looking
buck who taped out to 32-inches wide.
This buck was yet another notch in
Martin’s arsenal of big Sonoran mule
deer adventures.
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