Hunt trophy elk on Northeastern Ranch, New Mexico

If you're looking for a high-success hunt for mature bull elk, this 20,000-acre private ranch in northeastern New Mexico fills the bill. Virtually every customer on this hunt in the past eight years has killed a 6x6 bull. Typically their racks average about 300 Boone and Crockett points, and there are a few bigger ones. The largest two bulls killed on this ranch so far scored 356 and 386, but anything over 320 is exceptional. Most hunters will see bulls in the 260 to 320 range.

The ranch gets 30 landowner elk permits each year from the state, but it uses only a fraction of them to maintain high trophy quality. The late September and early October hunts are almost always 100 percent successful, and hunters typically see many bulls. The rancher/outfitter has taken hunters in November, December and January, and these hunts have been largely successful with the exception of one hunt about three years ago. He has decided that he would rather take six hunters a hunt for the first two hunts, and then be done with the elk hunting on the property. There is a healthy elk herd with a good percentage of mature bulls. This hunt takes place on 20,000 deeded acres, and the rancher estimated that 16,000 to 18,000 acres are excellent elk habitat. Most hunting is by spotting and stalking.

The ranch is northwest of Raton and includes 15 miles of the Canadian River in Unit 55. There is 300 acres of farmland alfalfa on the river, and they allow elk to feed on the alfalfa in the summer, which means the ranch was excellent even during the drought of recent years. The property is long and narrow. Elevation runs from about 7,200 feet at the ranch house to 8,500 feet at the top.
"Hunters stay in my old place," the outfitter said. "It is across the road from us. There are two bedrooms, kitchen, washer/dryer and the normal deal. My wife provides a quick breakfast, rolls or boritto, pack a lunch and she has a full meal waiting when we get home.
If you don't like a family atmosphere with kids around, this hunt isn't for you.

"I normally hunt the south portion of the ranch by truck and glass off points. The north section has a road, but not good for glassing. I normally do the north area by horseback. By the late hunts the big bulls are usually up in the breaks and canyons, about 2 to 4 miles off the river.
"Fish and Game figures us to have about 500 head of cows and calves on our place along the river during rut.
"Success on the elk hunts is usually 100 percent. I've had three or four hunters who didn't score on a six-point bull, but sometimes you should consider shooting a 5x5. My brother killed a 5x5 that scored 344 B&C the year before we started guiding back in '93."

Hunts.Net customer Jeff Hill of Kansas with his 2001 bull. He saw a much bigger bull earlier in the hunt. All other bulls pictured on this page were shot during the 2002 and 2003 seasons except for the mounted head.
Hunt EK4743
Hunt Price per person
Five days, Saturday through Wednesday.

Call, expect $7,000 to $8,000
Success rate Trophy size
Only three or four hunters have not scored since 1994.

Average is typically about 300. Most hunters see bulls ranging from 260 to 330.  The biggest bull so far was 386. A 340 bull is exceptional.
Lodging, meals Outfitter pickup
Old ranch/bunkhouse near outfitter's home. Meals are prepared by the outfitter's mother or wife. Meet the outfitter in Raton. You can fly into Albuquerque, Denver or Amarillo, all about 200 miles away or Colorado Springs is about 120 miles away. They should rent a car.

The ranch borders Ted Turner's Vermejo Park ranch and the NRA's Whittington Center. Rich LaRocco of Hunts.Net hunted it in October 2004 while working on a hunting video and took a nice 5x6 the last day after passing on several larger animals.

Here's the rancher/outfitter with a mount of a trophy bull shot on the ranch. He's holding one of the antlers this bull shed the previous year. He also found both sheds from one year earlier, and they're equally impressive.

"A 340 bull is a really good bull around here. Guys who hold out usually kill over 300, and we usually average right at 300. It seems like when we get an ultra-selective hunter, it's hard to find a bull big enough for him. If guys come with realistic standards and they're shooting for the 300 mark, they'll be fine. Typically during the bugling season we go to an area we call Clifton Hills, which is several thousands acres of good cover where you can't see the elk but you can hear them, and there's water, and they have a good time. What we do is still-hunt with the wind in your face toward the bugling, and you sit down and start calling, and sometimes you get into satellite bulls, and sometimes you call the bigger bulls in.We've called in a lot of bulls but typically when we hear them, we just move in and listen and set up and call. If they don't come in pretty quick, we go ahead and move in. We used to have to wait until mid-October to start rifle hunting, but when the state changed the rules for private land two or three years ago we went to the earlier season, and it's a lot of fun."