Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

New Mexico Archery Elk

Willie

Willie

PMA Member
Has anyone ever done an archery hunt for elk in New Mexico? I'm told there are public units that are archery only - no rifle or smokepole seasons allowed. I'm seriously considering this hunt and if anyone has any info or has ever hunted there I'd appreciate it. I'm headed to New Mexico's state wildlife website but their regulations booklet is quite large. This would be the first elk hunt for me so I'm pretty much a rookie. Thanks in advance!
 
Willie,
Better check out this website.The IBA will be auctioning off a hunt to Milligans for this fall, at the Spring Banquet next Sat. night.Private ranch so the tag is included in the price. Still have to buy NM license.

www.milliganbrand.com
 
Thanks for the heads up. I plan on coming in next Friday night for the informal gathering and will definitely be there Saturday too.
grin.gif
 
Hey elkhunter have you personally ever hunted with them. Iam curious because my best friend is marrying Milligan's daughter and I'll be in NM this june as the best man at the milligan ranch. Just curious on the opinion on the place from a third party.
 
I've not hunted with them, but know 3 guys that did last year,2 out 3 shot bulls.The guy that didn't is coming to the banquet to buy the hunt.They had nothing but good things to say about the hunt.I'd make sure I stayed on really good terms with your buddy and treat the brides mom like she was your mom.
grin.gif
 
I have know Ray Milligan since the late 1970's when we wre both involved heavily in the trapping industry, but lost touch with him over the years. He has a fantastic reputation for producing quality hunts.
 
My hunting partner (postman)and I hunted with them last fall. We had a great hunt. I shot a 240 6X6 and we both shot black bear. Postmans was over 300 lbs and made P&Y. We will both be at the deer classic at the TIP booth and at the IBA banquet if anyone wants to talk about the hunt.
LG
 
I've archery elk hunted New Mexico 4 times. Wouldn't waste money on an outfitter, even for a rookie. I hunted 3 units out of my van/campsite: Unit 55 & 49. I backpacked in to unit 44/45 twice. New Mexico is a great state to concentrate on as quality is above average and draw odds very high with 22% of the tags going to NR's. Just get a few videos of hunting techiques and arrange for horses if you get one down. Not that hard to do. I got two on the wall that gross 330 & 340. Saw bigger.
 
Zim -

Are the units you speak of archery only? Is there such a thing as a unit being only archery? Thanks for the info
laugh.gif
 
There are no archery only elk units in new mexico. units 13 and 15 have bow and muzzleloader hunts, but no rifle
 
Willie,

If you decide you want to go on your own, for your first elk hunt, I have 2 suggestions, depending if you like to backpack. For driving in, I'd apply for unit 49. Draw that and I can tell you where to go to get shots at a 5x5's. Lots of Colorado guys go there because they can get a raghorn every year there as opposed to CO OTC units that totally suck.

You can easily secure horses or even ATV's to get the meat out if you score in that unit. It's close to Taos and very touristy. The bulls are not numerous or too vocal, but you will be in them and should score. Good hunt for 50%+ draw odds. Good hunt for a rookie to cut his teeth.
 
Danno,

As I staterd in an earlier post, I backpack into unit 44/45. There are only 3 wilderness areas in NM. They lie in unit 52, 44/45, & the Gila area. The Gila is not a good candidate for a rookie. More expensive and harder to draw. I've heard good things about unit 52 as well, but 44/45 has much more wilderness area. The prices for 52 & 44/45 change from year to year depending on NR demand. If you can catch either 52 or 44/45 in a regular price year that is a good deal. At the high prices I'd say they weren't worth it. May as well apply for the Gila units 15 or 16 if that is the case.

Unit 44/45 is pretty well known among hikers/backpackers as a popular destination. Supposedly lots of treehuggers/granola crunchers in the summer months. It is a very large area and you can hike in there away from everyone in hunting season. Very nice bulls.

I am in fact pretty pissed right now because after waiting 10 years in Colorado I'm finding my bonus points still don't get me into anything better than a 300" class bull unit. Unreal! Heck I viewed 3 bulls in the 320 class in NM 44/45 in my second day there! With zero preference points. One year I almost killed a dandy 5x5 (not a raghorn) on the 3 mile hike in. He was in a wallow at high noon 20 yards off the hiking trail. My hunt would have lasted 15 minutes. The ONLY reason he escaped was my bow was strapped onto my back and I could not get it off and dig out my release in time.

You will need to pack in at least 3 miles all uphill to get into the bulls. They are as high as you can climb, where it is cooler.
 
Hey Willie,

I just checked my 2005 regulations. Unit 52 was classified as HD (high demand). Skip that. That is what you have to look for. With their system, most all the HD hunts are overpriced. 44/45 was regular price. This hunt is great for someone who enjoys backpacking. You can easily hike away and be hunting alone in good areas. I hope to return there someday.

Unit 49 was also regular priced. That unit swings back and forth, R to HD. You can easily drive in and camp right with your vehicle there. The bulls are quiet there but you can stick a 5x5 very close to camp. Fun hunt.
 
Zim -

I just checked 52 and the season is split - first season is HD the second is S. Why would that be?

Secondly, on the application it looks like you can have more than one person on the application applying for the same unit choices ensuring that if you are drawn your buddy is drawn to the same unit as well. Am I correct? Never applied out West - shows doesn't it!
confused.gif


Bill
 
Willie,

Yes, you can apply with a buddy. They call them party applications. Either you both draw, or neither.

Forget unit 52. New Mexico has a unique method of pricing their hunts. If a large number of nonresidents apply for a specific hunt one year, the next year they classify that hunt as HD and jack the price up. Thus hunters swing from these marginal quality units to other marginal units. Some hunts ping pong every year. It looks like NM split the unit 52 archery hunt. The second is more near the peak rut but it's only 7 days! That is crazy for an archery hunt. I don't think I've ever seen one so short. Stay away from both those hunts. You'd be much better off applying for 44/45 if you want to backpack, and 49 if you want to hunt from camp. Both are regular hunts. By the way, in NM you have a very good chance of drawing your 2nd or 3rd choice hunts. You should pick a great hunt for #1, then maybe another slammer hunt, then either 49 or 44/45 as your 3rd choice. Pick Valle Vidal as your first choice. Maybe 15/16 as a 2nd choice.
 
Willie,

By the way, I live in Indiana, but have been on about 15 big game hunts out west, all but one have been unguided. Four of my hunts were in NM. It is in my opinion the best state for someone to start elk hunting: No bonus/preference points needed; Very high number of tags available to NR's; High quality.

My best hunts were:
1. Arizona unit 1
2. New Mexico Valle Vidal unit
3. Utah Bitter Creek unit
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom