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Hunt one of New Mexico's better elk areas at a bargain price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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New Mexico reserves 12 percent of elk tags in each unit for non-residents who hire outfitters, and only 10 percent are issued to free-lance non-residents. Since free-lancers outnumber outfitter clients by a ratio of at least 2:1, your odds of drawing a tag in the annual computer lottery can be extremely good if you book with an outfitter. One of our outfitters works in a northern unit where you stand an excellent chance of drawing an outfitter-allocation tag. The elk herd is in great shape, and there are good numbers of five- and six-point bulls in this 470 square mile unit, which ranges from pinyon and sage at 7,500 feet to alpine terrain over 9,000 feet. No four-wheelers are allowed off the roads. Because the state limits the number of resident and non-resident tags, you don't have high competition for bulls the way you would in areas where residents tags are not limited, such as in most of Colorado.
The outfitter offers full-service guided hunts as well as afforedable semi-guided hunts. Both hunts include the use of the outfitter number for drawing a license, tent quarters, meals and retrieval of game meat. Semi-guided hunts are a good choice for hunters who know how to hunt elk on their own and are in good physical condition. A camp chief who knows the area will go over maps to direct you to good areas and will pack out your venison. Guided hunts include guide service, transportation during the hunt and trophy preparation. The bow hunts typically run about Sept. 8-14 and 16-22.
This outfitter has designed a hunt for the sportsmen on a tight budget. You'll hunt in a 300,000-acre public-land unit that holds an excellent elk population. Part of the unit is wilderness where motor vehicles are prohibited. Part of the unit is crisscrossed with roads, usually two to three miles apart. There are good numbers of bulls. |
These hunts are for those hunters who feel confident about hunting elk on their own and who do not want the added expense of constantly having a guide by their side. The semi-guided hunts include the use of the outfitter number for drawing a license, an outfitter representative who is knowledgeable of the area and can direct you to good hunting areas, tent accommodations, meals, retrieval of game, and trophy preparation of the animal. The hunter must pay for the elk license and must provide his own personal gear, bow or gun, and transportation to and from camp and during the hunt. The odds of drawing a tag vary from year to year, but if you use an outfitter your odds should be 50 to 100%, depending on the hunt. Unattached hunters face drawing odds in the 10 to 25% range. This is far superior to a typical public area in Colorado because all hunters, even residents, must draw a tag to hunt the area, and the bulls are generally bigger with a lot of 5x5 and 6x6 bulls. The outfitter also offers guided hunts in various public units in New Mexico. For information on one of those, click here for details. The odds of drawing an outfitter-sponsored license are excellent (100% last year).
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