Creating my own Novice Guide To Hunting The NM Gila Wilderness

[Jeronimo 56]

Great stories and info... I really appreciate how much has been shared and the straight forward honesty about what to expect and how to hunt that area. For anybody new reading this thread I can tell you that almost every thread on any forum will tell you the same story - this wilderness is bigger than your imagination and can be brutal... seems like a pretty good summary of it. These stories are really inspiring. My hunt is later in October so I hope to pick up a little more wisdom from all the early hunters.

After my partner broke his ankle, we have hired some scouting and packing help to find location where he can hunt in a walking cast while I can cover a few miles each day. I just turned 65 years old and I am at that point in life where the better decision is to pay some dollars and let another guy earn a living and provide for their family. So hopefully that prep work will pay some dividends. I know we'll not be able to have the ultimate Gila wilderness hunt but they don't allow the option to trade your tag for one next year.. so we'll make the most of it. I like the thought of taking a monster bull but with our limitations this year I'm not setting my expectations on anything specific.

Meanwhile I've been shooting the .308 and dialing things in... looks like Nosler Partition bullets in a custom handload and I'll limit myself to 300 yards or less (unless I become a master marksman between now and the end of October). Along with the shooting I've been making a 2 mile trip up the local ski hill two mornings a week - I also walk back down but the 2 miles up is a lot father than two miles down. I may add another day to the routine for the rest of the prep time... it has been getting easier these past few weeks.

Thanks again for the reports and all the added info.

 

[lbaldrid]

Just got back from my 16b second archery hunt and thought I would share a little about my experience. I would echo most of what Gila and BrokenArrow have stated.

My hunting partner and I planned on hiking in and setting up camp 4-5 miles from the trailhead and hunting from there. We found a spot that had 3-4 tanks around it that we thought would hold water. Once we arrived at the trailhead, we were fortunate enough to run into another hunter coming out. He had shared with us that they were 5 miles in and camped near the same tank we were planning to reach. Unfortunately, they hadn't found any drinkable water since leaving their truck. He was hiking back to the truck for a water run. That was an immediate mood crusher. On the bright side, he shared that they had heard bugling elk that morning.

We decided to go ahead and hike in with a modified plan. We discussed with the other group and chose to go a little different direction from them since they were there first, and set up camp about 3 miles in. My hunting partner offered to be the "water b*tch" and hike back to the pickup whenever we needed water (very thankful for that!). We got camp set up right at dark anxious for the next morning.

The first morning we hiked out to a high point to glass and listen for bugles at first light. Immediately, we heard several different bulls about a half mile off and gave chase. That morning will be a memory I will carry for a lifetime. Being in the middle of 3-4 different bulls bugling back and forth at each other was incredible. We finally laid eyes on a really nice bull with about 6 cows, a satellite bull, and a spike. We closed the gap to 135 yards and that was all the closer we got that morning. We were feeling pumped about being in bulls right away. At that point, we were down to a liter of water each, so my buddy made the trek back to camp to get us enough water for two days. I had intended on sitting a water hole in the meantime, but as we found out, water was non existent. I met my buddy back at camp that evening and we rehydrated and listened for bugles. We heard a couple in the same drainage from that morning shortly after dark.

The next morning, we went back to the glassing point and heard bugles again. We chased after a couple bulls to no avail, but they were talking and we felt confident we would get an opportunity eventually. The temps in the middle of the day were reaching the mid to high 80's, so we conserved energy by staying in at camp that afternoon. My partner told me that during his pack out to the truck for water the day before, he had come across an unmarked tank (not on onX) that had a small amount of water in it and elk tracks around it. I decided that I would hunt water that evening because it was so hot and it was the only water we had found or heard of within 3-4 miles.

I got to the water hole at 5:30 that evening and sure enough, there were recent tracks and a little bit of water only fit for animal consumption. Because we were nearing a full moon, I wasn't very optimistic about seeing any elk on water during shooting hours. But, it was the best option we figured since it was so hot. Low an behold, a bull came over the tank berm at 6:20 for a drink. He stopped at 35 yards and I was able to loose an arrow that hit near perfect and he ran 5 yards and was done. I couldn't believe my luck! This was my personal best bull! A Royal Bull. I was ecstatic as the plan had worked and on the second day!

That's when the work started. We were able to get him quartered and got all the meat to the pickup and on ice by 2am. It was tough, heavy, and it blistered feet, but well worth it. We camped at the truck for the night and hiked back in to get camp in the morning. It was a short trip but a great one.

Again, to echo some of previous points about the Gila: It is tough country and you will get out of it what you put in. I know it was a quick turnaround, but we were putting on 4-6 miles a morning and the Gila will eat you up quickly. Water is very hard to come by. We got lucky and punched a tag early in the hunt. We figured we only had one more day of being able to make our current strategy work as hiking back to the truck to get water wasn't sustainable. The bulls are plentiful. There is great genetics in the Gila and "trophy" class bulls for sure. There aren't a lot of cows to go around. The most we saw with one bull was 6 (and he had a satellite bull competing). The Gila is an awesome place. We have hunted in CO, WY, and MT for elk and this was very different. I would highly recommend a drop camp, guide, or bring your own pack stock as the terrain can eat you up quickly. If you're hunting more than a few miles from the trailhead, have a plan to get the meat packed out timely as it is HOT in September.

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread and I appreciate everybody's input. I was very fortunate to have a great hunting partner and to have success in the Gila.

 

[lbaldrid]

 

[Jeronimo 56]

Just got back from my 16b second archery hunt and thought I would share a little about my experience. I would echo most of what Gila and BrokenArrow have stated...

Congrats on a nice bull and a great update. I was wondering about the water situation down there, we had enough rain to green things up but that dirt has been thirsty for a long time and it's gonna take a lot to fill those ponds. Thanks for sharing the story and the photo! Jeronimo

 

[Valley1320]

Congrats on a nice bull and a great update. I was wondering about the water situation down there, we had enough rain to green things up but that dirt has been thirsty for a long time and it's gonna take a lot to fill those ponds. Thanks for sharing the story and the photo! Jeronimo

I've heard about all the tanks in 15 have good water at least in the area my buddy is hunting. But that's a good ways from 16b

 

[Gila]

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread and I appreciate everybody's input. I was very fortunate to have a great hunting partner and to have success in the Gila.

Awesome! Great Job! Very nice bull! Looks like that bull found a good wallow as he is covered with mud.

 

[lbaldrid]

Awesome! Great Job! Very nice bull! Looks like that bull found a good wallow as he is covered with mud.

Thanks!! Yes, he was covered. The tank was mostly mud and the only wet spot we found. I believe he was about to wallow in it as he just got done pissing all over himself and the mud.

 

[allang22]

Anyone been out into 16B these last couple of weeks? Was out scouting right after 2nd bow (23-26 Sep) and dealt with rain all weekend. Had a chance to head out to a couple tanks we found on Onx maps and they had water with fresh elk tracks. Didn't see or hear any but I'm sure the hunting pressure from the 2nd bow hunt and the rain moved them all around. Feeling optimistic still with the positive signs we saw while there.

 

[allang22]

Just adding to this post for anyone that may be heading out for the third rifle hunt this weekend. Went up to scout this weekend and to narrow down areas we're going to hunt heavily. Didn't see or hear anything but did find ton of sign. Fresh poop and tons of tracks that seemed to be relatively fresh. Talked with a few others and they said that they found them up high since it was still warm during the day (65-70 degrees, 35 and below in the mornings). Hiked in 4-5 miles and that appears to be where we have been finding the most sign. Will be heading out Thursday this week to do some final scouting and check a cam we set up in the area we're going to hunt first. Good Luck to those heading out!

 

[lbaldrid]

Just adding to this post for anyone that may be heading out for the third rifle hunt this weekend. Went up to scout this weekend and to narrow down areas we're going to hunt heavily. Didn't see or hear anything but did find ton of sign. Fresh poop and tons of tracks that seemed to be relatively fresh. Talked with a few others and they said that they found them up high since it was still warm during the day (65-70 degrees, 35 and below in the mornings). Hiked in 4-5 miles and that appears to be where we have been finding the most sign. Will be heading out Thursday this week to do some final scouting and check a cam we set up in the area we're going to hunt first. Good Luck to those heading out!

glad to hear you got out to scout ahead of time. As you mentioned, getting in off the road that far should up your odds of finding something. good luck!

 

[Jeronimo 56]

No reports yet from anyone on the first rifle hunt... maybe someone will post after their hunt?

I'm starting to pack up and we will make our way to the road camp on Thursday and I'll sort things out how far I'm going in on Friday and he's in a walking cast so we'll see how far from the truck he'll get as well.

I made arrangements for a packer to help us if we knock anything down so carrying out an elk is likely not expected to be the biggest problem we have.

From what I can gather they had pretty good rain in the last couple weeks so I'm hopeful there will be water in the ponds but maybe not so much that the elk won't need to move around to get water. So far the weather is looking pretty good... cool nights and pleasant days. Hope that holds up for us!

 

[Jeronimo 56]

I've been stalling in hopes I'd be able to come up with something optimistic to offer people researching this area... but nothing great to report here:

Made it back empty handed and slightly wiser. My partners foot injury earlier in the summer definitely forced some severe limitations on how far into the wilderness we were able to go. However, I'm not certain that was the most significant factor in preventing us from taking down a legal bull. I would simply say that honor goes to us just not being familiar enough with the area to start the hunt in a good spot.

We hunted almost exclusively off of forest road 150, mostly up on the northern end of it. Following a good monsoon season we went into a warm and dry fall but several of the tanks had water and there was a lot of water in the canyon bottoms. That along with a full moon really gave a big advantage to the elk in allowing them to stay hidden from us.

At first we camped near the Meason flats and saw a ton of ideal elk country, but no other hunters and never heard a gun shot. I managed a glimpse of a small herd (3) cows but no bulls. After a couple days of not seeing much in the way of tracks or any fresh droppings we moved up on the north side of Black canyon and things were a little more lively up there... at least we saw some other hunters. However, again we never heard a gun shot and only saw a few cows.

Early in the year we had he had hired a guy named Tommy Maldonado to do some preseason scouting for us. Initially he had a spot for us up on the norther border but it required several miles of walking to get to the camp site and once my partners foot injury occurred, I called him back and asked what our options were with limited ability to walk. He gave us a plan B but I'm not sure whether our situation was anything anyone could have helped us with. You can send me a request if you want more info on the services he offers.

I also found another guy that had agreed to pack us out if we killed anything. You can contact me for info on him as well. He also guides and I might be inclined to call him if I ever have a hunt in that area again.

I did personally put in several miles of hiking each day, walking in canyon bottoms and learning the area, but in all the 5 days I only found one spot that I'd ever recommend or return to if I were to put in for a 16B tag again. Speaking of that, I don't think I'd ever bother to put for a 16B tag again unless I went for the full guided hunt. The area is just so massive and if you can't make it into the prime areas, the elk have too many options of where to be that just didn't seem to be obvious from forum searching, Google Earth, and OnxMaps.

I'll also add that every guide I talked with said that the third rifle hunt in that area is pretty difficult unless you get deep into the wilderness and hit the hard to reach places. The bulls have left the herds and are looking for a quiet place to recover. Much of the area we were in was burned in recent years and water was everywhere. I did see two elk that were taken from 16B in the rifle hunts. One was gnarly old bull with both sides broken off at the 4th point. He was taken in the 2nd rifle hunt. The other was a massive big bull I saw in the back of a Toyota pickup down in Silver City after the 3rd rifle hunt. The rack appeared to touch both sides of the truck bed... biggest elk I've ever seen.

On the way out, I saw a nice bull in unit 21 with small herd of cows. I also talked with hunters that had been up on the north border and their claim was that they saw about 200 elk - yet no bulls.

Also I will mention that the following week in my muzzleloader deer hunt I did see several Coues deer including a couple small bucks and one legal buck. He was legal but still really small and I passed on him...

 

[lbaldrid]

I've been stalling in hopes I'd be able to come up with something optimistic to offer people researching this area... but nothing great to report here:

Made it back empty handed and slightly wiser. My partners foot injury earlier in the summer definitely forced some severe limitations on how far into the wilderness we were able to go. However, I'm not certain that was the most significant factor in preventing us from taking down a legal bull. I would simply say that honor goes to us just not being familiar enough with the area to start the hunt in a good spot.

We hunted almost exclusively off of forest road 150, mostly up on the northern end of it. Following a good monsoon season we went into a warm and dry fall but several of the tanks had water and there was a lot of water in the canyon bottoms. That along with a full moon really gave a big advantage to the elk in allowing them to stay hidden from us.

At first we camped near the Meason flats and saw a ton of ideal elk country, but no other hunters and never heard a gun shot. I managed a glimpse of a small herd (3) cows but no bulls. After a couple days of not seeing much in the way of tracks or any fresh droppings we moved up on the north side of Black canyon and things were a little more lively up there... at least we saw some other hunters. However, again we never heard a gun shot and only saw a few cows.

Early in the year we had he had hired a guy named Tommy Maldonado to do some preseason scouting for us. Initially he had a spot for us up on the norther border but it required several miles of walking to get to the camp site and once my partners foot injury occurred, I called him back and asked what our options were with limited ability to walk. He gave us a plan B but I'm not sure whether our situation was anything anyone could have helped us with. You can send me a request if you want more info on the services he offers.

I also found another guy that had agreed to pack us out if we killed anything. You can contact me for info on him as well. He also guides and I might be inclined to call him if I ever have a hunt in that area again.

I did personally put in several miles of hiking each day, walking in canyon bottoms and learning the area, but in all the 5 days I only found one spot that I'd ever recommend or return to if I were to put in for a 16B tag again. Speaking of that, I don't think I'd ever bother to put for a 16B tag again unless I went for the full guided hunt. The area is just so massive and if you can't make it into the prime areas, the elk have too many options of where to be that just didn't seem to be obvious from forum searching, Google Earth, and OnxMaps.

I'll also add that every guide I talked with said that the third rifle hunt in that area is pretty difficult unless you get deep into the wilderness and hit the hard to reach places. The bulls have left the herds and are looking for a quiet place to recover. Much of the area we were in was burned in recent years and water was everywhere. I did see two elk that were taken from 16B in the rifle hunts. One was gnarly old bull with both sides broken off at the 4th point. He was taken in the 2nd rifle hunt. The other was a massive big bull I saw in the back of a Toyota pickup down in Silver City after the 3rd rifle hunt. The rack appeared to touch both sides of the truck bed... biggest elk I've ever seen.

On the way out, I saw a nice bull in unit 21 with small herd of cows. I also talked with hunters that had been up on the north border and their claim was that they saw about 200 elk - yet no bulls.

Also I will mention that the following week in my muzzleloader deer hunt I did see several Coues deer including a couple small bucks and one legal buck. He was legal but still really small and I passed on him...

Appreciate the thorough write up on your hunt. Bummer you were unsuccessful but thats a tough situation you were in.

 

[Wallydeuce]

Jeronimo, I consider you hunt a complete success even though you didn't get your elk. The information you gained (and selflessly passed along) is invaluable. So, congratulations on a great hunt!

 

[poselio]

...16B was our first choice area and we only had a 17% of successfully drawing it so we were quite surprised when we got the draw results. We chose it because we can literally walk from my friends cabin and be hunting in 5 minutes, but sadly not in any of the prime territory.

After looking into things further, we began to better understand what a wilderness hunt means and specifically of hunting unit 16B. It became more clear that while a unit 16B elk tag is quite a prize it can be a very difficult area to hunt. So we determined to make the most of it... learn the area and prep ourselves for a potential once in a lifetime elk hunt in a wilderness area. (It's statistically not once in a lifetime for everybody but when you wait until your hair all turns gray to apply it's not as likely you'll be around to hunt it the next time you draw).

In addition to the other access challenges along the roads in and out on the unit borders, one other unique thing is that the Western and Eastern Borders are mostly roadless and even tougher to access. As I've studied and learned these things, I'm not sure if a person fully recognizes the challenges of hunting unit 16B whether more information will increase the interest in hunting there or not. As I read all these reports that the country is steep and rugged, hard to get to, and is difficult to hunt without the help of a guide or at least a packer -- I am learning that this is all valid info.

The one way I see to offset this can somewhat be solved with spending more money and personal effort. Get in top shape, hire a guide (or at least a professional scouter), hire a packer, buy a satellite phone or texter, etc.. We are doing most of those things and expect to have a great hunt... but will others be tempted to do it the same way?

Old post i know but I got a second archery hunt tag and realized the same. No luck with pack in or pack out services that I could afford. U have any tips for me?

 

[poselio]

...16B was our first choice area and we only had a 17% of successfully drawing it so we were quite surprised when we got the draw results. We chose it because we can literally walk from my friends cabin and be hunting in 5 minutes, but sadly not in any of the prime territory.

After looking into things further, we began to better understand what a wilderness hunt means and specifically of hunting unit 16B. It became more clear that while a unit 16B elk tag is quite a prize it can be a very difficult area to hunt. So we determined to make the most of it... learn the area and prep ourselves for a potential once in a lifetime elk hunt in a wilderness area. (It's statistically not once in a lifetime for everybody but when you wait until your hair all turns gray to apply it's not as likely you'll be around to hunt it the next time you draw).

In addition to the other access challenges along the roads in and out on the unit borders, one other unique thing is that the Western and Eastern Borders are mostly roadless and even tougher to access. As I've studied and learned these things, I'm not sure if a person fully recognizes the challenges of hunting unit 16B whether more information will increase the interest in hunting there or not. As I read all these reports that the country is steep and rugged, hard to get to, and is difficult to hunt without the help of a guide or at least a packer -- I am learning that this is all valid info.

The one way I see to offset this can somewhat be solved with spending more money and personal effort. Get in top shape, hire a guide (or at least a professional scouter), hire a packer, buy a satellite phone or texter, etc.. We are doing most of those things and expect to have a great hunt... but will others be tempted to do it the same way?

Old post i know but I got a second archery hunt tag and realized the same. No luck with pack in or pack out services that I could affordU have any tips for me?

 

[Scott85]

Old post i know but I got a second archery hunt tag and realized the same. No luck with pack in or pack out services that I could affordU have any tips for me?

Welcome to HT.

 

[hank4elk]

Rain gear.

 

[lbaldrid]

load a pack and start hiking a bunch to get in shape

 

[allang22]

Get out there and start glassing/hiking the area. Was out by Beaverhead this past weekend. Crazy how much growth is out there. Get in there 2+ miles at a minimum to get away from other hunters. Some areas of 16B get more packed than the others but if you're willing to get in there, you'll find elk. It was getting into the mid 80's so I highly recommend having another person with you to help you pack out. Tons of people on this thread have had success and have really given great advice. Just some tips I have. Good luck!