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New Mexico Elk Trip
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:37 am
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:37 am
Made it back from a grueling week of chasing Elk in the high country and all I can think about is counting down the days until we leave again for next years trip (and the upcoming East/Coastal Zone duck opener, of course.) Was really amazing to see these things in the wild and truly understand the sheer magnitude of how big these animals are and the speed/agility they have.
First morning of the trip, my buddy and I slip in the woods and aren't in 200 yards and hear a bugle right next to us. We slip on over to a meadow where it came from and spot a nice 5x5 coming up the mountain about 120 yards from us where he stops dead in his tracks and senses something isn't right and turns around and hauls arse before we could get a shot off. A little disappointed, we set off and pushed on with the morning hunt where we later encountered a spike and few cows making their way to their bedding area. I peel off that evening and have a young 5x5 come out to feed and shot him with my range finder at 204 yards. I watched him feed for about 20 minutes and hit him with a soft cow call and he literally jumped up and ran straight to me and stopped about 20 yards broadside. Not wanting to kill a young bull on the first day and still having 4 full days left to hunt, I decided to pass on him and let him walk.
The next couple of days were rough, being as how clear skies and a full moon weren't optimal conditions and the Elk were coming out at dark, feeding all night in the meadows and headed back up the mountain around 4-430 am before daylight to bed for the day. Bugling completely shut-off and the only Elk we were seeing were one's we jumped while trying to cover some ground looking for bedding areas. We needed a serious weather change and out of nowhere on day 3 around noon some clouds blew in and the snow starting coming down. Temps dropped to around 11 degree's the next morning and a few inches of snow came down overnight. The group split up and headed out the next morning and the bugling started again like crazy.
We ended up shooting 3 bulls and unfortunately only found 1 of the 3. It's amazing how tough these animals are and surprisingly how hard they are to kill and how far they can track even after being shot.
]
First morning of the trip, my buddy and I slip in the woods and aren't in 200 yards and hear a bugle right next to us. We slip on over to a meadow where it came from and spot a nice 5x5 coming up the mountain about 120 yards from us where he stops dead in his tracks and senses something isn't right and turns around and hauls arse before we could get a shot off. A little disappointed, we set off and pushed on with the morning hunt where we later encountered a spike and few cows making their way to their bedding area. I peel off that evening and have a young 5x5 come out to feed and shot him with my range finder at 204 yards. I watched him feed for about 20 minutes and hit him with a soft cow call and he literally jumped up and ran straight to me and stopped about 20 yards broadside. Not wanting to kill a young bull on the first day and still having 4 full days left to hunt, I decided to pass on him and let him walk.
The next couple of days were rough, being as how clear skies and a full moon weren't optimal conditions and the Elk were coming out at dark, feeding all night in the meadows and headed back up the mountain around 4-430 am before daylight to bed for the day. Bugling completely shut-off and the only Elk we were seeing were one's we jumped while trying to cover some ground looking for bedding areas. We needed a serious weather change and out of nowhere on day 3 around noon some clouds blew in and the snow starting coming down. Temps dropped to around 11 degree's the next morning and a few inches of snow came down overnight. The group split up and headed out the next morning and the bugling started again like crazy.
We ended up shooting 3 bulls and unfortunately only found 1 of the 3. It's amazing how tough these animals are and surprisingly how hard they are to kill and how far they can track even after being shot.
] 
8
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:41 am to Dmaxxx37
Where's the pic of the bull?
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:48 am to Dmaxxx37
Hope you like up votes. Public land?
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:53 am to Dmaxxx37
frick Yes! You go with an outfitter? Public land DIY?
I was scheduled to be there last weekend as well. I had to back out until next year. I got a pic yesterday of a 350" 6x6 they killed on my hunt.
I was scheduled to be there last weekend as well. I had to back out until next year. I got a pic yesterday of a 350" 6x6 they killed on my hunt.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:55 am to Dmaxxx37
Amazing trip! Hoping to make that same trip next year. Where were y'all in New Mexico? Also, I see y'all were rifle hunting. We're y'all on public of private ground? I ask because NM is very hard for non residents to get draw.
Great looking bull! Thanks for the photos.
Great looking bull! Thanks for the photos.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:56 am to AUCE05
Private Ranch- Girlfriend's Uncle and his business partner have a lodge/camp up there and bought 300 acres. They put up 100k every year and buy the surrounding private ranch landowner tags and guide every year during bow/rifle season. I got lucky and slipped and buddy and myself in, but supposedly they have the same groups of people that go every year and have been for the last 12-15 years-
Posted on 10/24/17 at 7:59 am to DirtyMikeandtheBoys
Went with the girlfriends Uncle and his business partner, but we had a Dr. and a Lawyer that went with us too that they guided the whole time. We basically got them to show us the plat at the lodge and point us where to go and he and I hunted together the first two days and then split up the rest of the time so. Wanted to do it on our own I guess- Was definitely an experience!
Posted on 10/24/17 at 8:15 am to eyepooted
We were in Chama, NM which is Unit 4. Literally on the Colorado line. This is her uncle's bull he shot 2 weeks before we got there during bow season he lost. We ended up finding it and managed to salvage the rack despite the bears /yotes destroying the carcass. I'd imagine he's 300"+ due to the mass..
Posted on 10/24/17 at 9:17 am to Dmaxxx37
That's some amazing scenery in those photos. I'd love to have the chance to hunt a place like that.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 9:18 am to Dmaxxx37
wanting to do a bow hunt solo in New Mexico in 2019... When do you need to apply for tags etc?
Posted on 10/24/17 at 9:26 am to Dmaxxx37
Man, you are KILLING ME!! Sounds like an awesome hunt, and definitely one on my bucket list.
Awesome that you have connections, too. Most of NM is apparently very difficult to get drawn on, and it can take several years to get drawn for a tag, if ever.
Awesome that you have connections, too. Most of NM is apparently very difficult to get drawn on, and it can take several years to get drawn for a tag, if ever.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 9:49 am to Dmaxxx37
I am not sure how you left. I avoid that area of the country because I know I wouldn’t come back to the SE. Soon....
Posted on 10/24/17 at 10:09 am to jimjackandjose
Not really sure on when to apply for the tags- I believe the lottery is held sometime in the Spring and from what I hear you need preference points to have a chance at the lotto. Every year you apply, you gain a preference point and they accumulate. I definitely didn't want to leave because the place was absolutely gorgeous. No cell service, lodge was solely ran off of propane, etc. and loved every minute of it. The connections aspect definitely helped being as how they buy all the tags for the neighboring private ranches every year, so all I had to do was buy the tag and my license and head out. The only shitty part is you get 5 days to hunt per your tag and that's it. If you don't kill in that 5 day window, you're tag becomes invalid and you're basically shite out of luck. I was talking to her uncle about that and being as how he killed during bow season and never found it (until we came across it in the woods later) i'd figure he'd still be able to hunt and kill another one but not the case. Despite the draw efforts, you can get online and search for private landowner tags and can find some for sale but they are pricey and most are all inclusive with lodging/meals/guides etc.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 11:04 am to Dmaxxx37
That’s my only rub with hunting out west. An American can’t hunt in his own country because of price gouging. Every citizen should be permitted one animal per species on public lands. Hell, we paid for it.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 11:16 am to AUCE05
I've heard Steve Rinella talk about this subject. He said there are less than 1000 Bighorn sheep tags in the entire country, but several thousand more applicants each year. But, he also said if you gave every applicant a tag, there wouldn't be enough sheep for every person to shoot.
I think that applies to a lot of species, which is why they are so stingy.
New Mexico only has an estimated 70k elk, compared to between 250k and 300k in Colorado, and 150k or so in Montana.
I think there are still a lot of opportunities in the form of less hunted units and OTC tags. Rinella had some guys on one podcast that were big into all of that. Hunted all over the west. They spoke, at length, about how to take advantage of some of those easier to obtain tags.
I don't agree with every citizen getting one of each species on public land, though. There aren't enough of some species even for the small percentage of the population that does hunt. All of those animals aren't on public land.
I think the elusiveness of some of those hunts is what makes them special. And in a lot of cases, those tag systems are what maintains those populations. The funding to manage those public lands and those herds has to come from somewhere.
I think that applies to a lot of species, which is why they are so stingy.
New Mexico only has an estimated 70k elk, compared to between 250k and 300k in Colorado, and 150k or so in Montana.
I think there are still a lot of opportunities in the form of less hunted units and OTC tags. Rinella had some guys on one podcast that were big into all of that. Hunted all over the west. They spoke, at length, about how to take advantage of some of those easier to obtain tags.
I don't agree with every citizen getting one of each species on public land, though. There aren't enough of some species even for the small percentage of the population that does hunt. All of those animals aren't on public land.
I think the elusiveness of some of those hunts is what makes them special. And in a lot of cases, those tag systems are what maintains those populations. The funding to manage those public lands and those herds has to come from somewhere.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 11:20 am to Cowboyfan89
This is how hunting was eradicated in Asia and Europe. The rich consolidated the land, and kept the common guy out. National land should trump state rights. Maybe not give every citizen a tag, but make an X amount per unit, and have a lotto. 30-50 dollars per. This $1000 in Montana, Wyoming, etc to hunt on land we paid for is a racket.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 11:53 am to AUCE05
meh, the lotto works out pretty well in New Mexico.
The avergae Bull killed in a state with a strict lotto like NM, Utah are much bigger than the average bull killed in CO where OTC is readily available. It sucks that you don't get the quantity, but it is a direct trade off to a more quality harvest.
The avergae Bull killed in a state with a strict lotto like NM, Utah are much bigger than the average bull killed in CO where OTC is readily available. It sucks that you don't get the quantity, but it is a direct trade off to a more quality harvest.
Posted on 10/24/17 at 12:05 pm to AUCE05
quote:
This is how hunting was eradicated in Asia and Europe. The rich consolidated the land, and kept the common guy out. National land should trump state rights. Maybe not give every citizen a tag, but make an X amount per unit, and have a lotto. 30-50 dollars per. This $1000 in Montana, Wyoming, etc to hunt on land we paid for is a racket.
LOL, what? I mean you are insanely wrong in basically everything you said.
An out of state license for every state is around $500 out west. Even in the hardest states to draw, there are units where almost anyone can get a cow tag every year.
All states have draw only units because that is what the population has asked for. To have some better units where quality bulls can be chased and potentially harvested by anyone.
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