Elk Unit 51 New Mexico

[Dhardage]

I was lucky enough to draw a bull elk tag for the first rifle season (Oct 8-12) in Unit 51, New Mexico.

I live in Colorado and plan to go scout the area next weekend. My buddy was fortunate enough to have been drawn about 5 years ago and I was able to go with him for 2 days. That is my only knowledge of the unit. I will be hunting the North / North East portion of the unit.

I have done extensive map research in order to identify possible elk locations (water, bedding, travel routes, pressure, access, etc) (Google earth, Carson Nat. Forest, Motor Vehicle Usage maps, OnXMaps, Topos, etc). I have also reached out to NM Department of Game & Fish to talk with a wildlife biologist (left a VM). Through all this I have identified several places I think look promising and am making my plan of attack

HOWEVER, because I am so knew to the area I'd love to know if any one has hunted it? OR, does anyone have any advice on what the elk may be doing that time of the year? I don't think it is rutting time, but I think they might be transition from rut to post rut? How vocal might they still be?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated?

Also, I have hunted deer and elk for many years in Colorado. So hopefully I can help someone out as well. Just let me know.

Thanks for your consideration.
Dustin Hardage

 

[aahrens_83]

Good afternoon

I also drew a hunt in the Carson but its the first week of December muzzleloader. This will be my first elk hunt. I will be out scouting Labor day weekend.

I have done a ton of research. Everyone says the west side of 51A (East of Hwy84)is the ticket. And after talking to the game warden and a friend who is a former wildlife biologist in the Canjilon district, they both agreed that the best chance to take an elk is in that area however your looking at a ton of cows and lots of young bulls. They said this unit has great elk population but that massive wall hanger bull is a needle in a hay stack.

I have learned from many successful hunters, such as Randy Newburg, that you have to go where people wont go in order to find the mature bulls. So i have been looking at promising spots with food, cover, water in the middle and eastern parts of the unit. I spoke with a resident who lives off Hwy 111 (cuts north to south through the unit) and he said that as the season progresses and hunting pressure increases, he usually sees the number of elk around his area increase as they get pushed eastward but hunters out of the Mogote ridge region.

 

[Dhardage]

Thanks for replying. I agree with you, I definitely plan on trying to find those places where hunting pressure may be pushing them. I"ll hiking where ever it takes. My usually elk hunts in CO are back packing hunts ... so I'm used to long distances and heavy loads I'll be out scouting labor day weekend too. We should see if we can connect.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Howdy to you both,

I love Unit 51. I am going into my third season in a row hunting it (all first season archery) and I also took a buddy out last year for the first rifle hunt.
I got him into many bulls, but the deal was never sealed.

aahrens hit the nail on the head when he said "this unit has great elk population but that massive wall hanger bull is a needle in a hay stack".
The first year was my first season hunting elk ever and first year hunting with a bow....I shot a spike day 1.
Last year was my second time and I was able to shoot a nice little 6x.
This year I plan to get another!

There are elk all over the unit, it's basically a meat hunters paradise.
Get off the roads, but you don't have to hike in too far before you start finding them. In my experiences I have seen a lot of road hunting and through the locals learned there is a lot of road hunting. With that being said.... just get in the woods, keep the wind in your face and you'll find them!

Dhardage, bulls were still bugling during the first rifle hunt of last year. So keep that in mind!


I'm not sure what you guys are looking for bull quality wise...there are some decent bulls, but they are few and far between.
In my two years of running cameras and after LOTS hiking, I've come across a few 300"+ bulls, but they are rare.

If you don't mind some nice little branch bulls then you will have a ball!


For someone like me who is still so new to elk hunting, it's a dream unit.

Here is a fatty bull that I am hoping to see in a few days.







but these are more what you will see on average






Good luck!

 

[johnp]

Threads like this with these helpful replies are what I love about this website !!

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Target rich environment...

 

[dcopas78]

My dad and I will be there third rifle. All I can say is, if it's legal it is in big trouble! It would be the first bull for either of us so we aren't picky, especially since I found out 2 weeks ago that the reason my plantar faciitis isn't healing is because I have a peroneal brevis tendon split in my foot. I've been casted up and have had PRP injections and will hopefully be on the mend by the time the season gets here. Good luck to all!

 

[Dhardage]

Lostinthewoods thanks for your response. Those are some nice bulls and I would take anything similar I am not going to be very picky as it cost a lot to come from out of state and I sure want to leave with some meat. That is good to know that they are still vocal this time of year. Just curious, were you also in the North part of the unit? I am looking forward to doing some scouting next weekend as well. Thanks again for replying and for the pics. Good luck on your hunt! I'd love to hear how it goes, post hunt. I am trying bow hunting for the first time next year.

 

[duckhunt]

Good luck on your hunt.

 

[Dhardage]

dcopas78 Hope you heal up well and are at 100% for your hunt. I have a horrible time with my plantar faciitis too. Haven't gone the route of surgery yet, but I may not be too far off. Hope you have a great hunt. I'd love to year all about it afterwards.

 

[dtrkyman]

Had a great hunt there a few years back, did not kill an Elk but could have killed several. I bought a landowner tag and hunted 2nd archery. Do not overlook the lower areas, most pressure I saw were guys headed up to some high country near some springs. I stayed low and had a ball, only had other hunters around one morning.

pm me if you do not have a starting point yet.

 

[Dhardage]

dtrkyman Thanks for the adviceon not ruling out the lower areas. I really appreciate it. I'll think I do have a starting place but I'd love to send you a PM to give you my thoughts and see what you think a little more specifically. Thanks for the option.

 

[aahrens_83]

Well how did the scouting go this past weekend? It was pretty busy area being Labor Day weekend .

 

[Chase]

Dhardage, I hunted the first rifle hunt in 51 two years ago. Send me a PM with the areas you are looking at and I will tell you what I know. I've got a few spots for you to maybe add to your list.

 

[Dhardage]

It went pretty well. There were not as many people as I expected to see ... so that was good. I just wished I had more time to scout. It was kind of a combo thing in that I was also there camping with family so I had to split the time. But I covered as much country as I could.

 

[Dhardage]

Chase Just sent you a PM. Thanks so much. REALLY appreciate it.

 

[TLowell02]

Did you hear any bugling? I was there the first 5 days hunting and didn't hear a sound. Headed back tomorrow for four more days, hoping they're a little more talkative this time.

 

[aahrens_83]

I didn't see any bulls while scouting but walked up on small heard of cows and yearlings over by Mogote ridge.

 

[Dhardage]

TLowell02 keep us posted on how things are going. When I was there last weekend I spoke with a few bow hunters and they said there were getting into elk but that they were not being vocal at all. Good luck and hope you get a chance at a bull.

 

[NCArchery]

Good luck to all, I have a unit 51 first rifle tag as well. Its my first time in the unit, I have hunted 52 a couple of times including getting my first bull with a MZ there in 2014. I won't get a chance to scout, so will do it Big Fin style with cyberscouting, try to target 10 different spots at least a mile from a road, begin the process of elimination and more aggressive as we get closer to the 12th of Oct. I do plan to get there a day early, so that will hopefully help. If anyone wants to meet up (Dhardage) or say hello, I will be in a Nissan Titan 4x4 with an Appalachian State University Sticker on the glass with plenty of character marks on the paint from AZ, NM and CO. Happy to help pack meat out!