HUNTERS STRANDED IN NEW MEXICO – Late season hunts can be extremely dangerous. Bad weather can move in at any moment, and hunters could be stranded without anyone to help them. This is exactly what happened to a hunting group from New Mexico.
Historic October Storm
Joe Lovato, from Albuquerque New Mexico, was on a hunting trip with his cousins in New Mexico. They had finally drawn their elk tags, and they were excited to be on the hunt. However, when a historic October storm blew in, Lovato and his cousins were caught off guard.
“Oh man, this is real, we’re actually going to be stranded,” said Albuquerque resident and hunter Joe Lovato.
Lovato had done some scouting in the area prior to the hunt, and he knew where he thought he would be successful once the hunt started.
“I saw some game, nothing that was shoot-able.” said Lovato. He says he noticed it getting a lot colder Sunday afternoon. “[I] went to town, booked a room. Came back and I finally told the guys,” Lovato says. His plans to leave Monday morning quickly changed when he woke up to about a foot and a half of snow.
When Lovato woke up to the amount of snow on the ground, he knew they wouldn’t be getting out. Knowing that they may be spending the night on the mountain, he and his cousins prepared themselves for that possibility.
The Rescue
In the majority of the locations that hunters to to hunt there is no cell service. Luckily, Lovato was able to get enough service to reach his wife and Search and Rescue. Search and Rescue worked with local landowners to help save Lovato and his crew.
“We’re driving down following this snowmobile and everything was working out great, just moving along slowly.”
“Getting out on the same day you’re stranded was really good because we were just prepared to spend another night,” said Lovato.
Have you been stranded in a storm while hunting? What resources or tactics do you use to avoid these types of situations?
