New Mexico non-resident elk is is worth it?

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Thanks Ben! I feel pretty good about my 3 choices and how I have them ordered. I am definitely going to apply. I was just trying to figure out if the Habitat Stamp and HMAV are required to participate in the draw, or are they only required if you draw. Also, I didn't realize the private cow tags were reasonably priced. Will have to look into that one more.

Sure, glad to help. I looked at your profile and woah, I grew up in Geauga County! How about that. Where you are down by the river is real beautiful, always special to me. People don’t even know about the mound building ancient prehistory. Once they see Serpent Mound, can’t ever forget. My purchase this year automatically included HMAV and I added HS since that allows the license to be exercised on Federal lands. As for the “cheap” cow tags, it’s probably close to $500 access in addition to NM state landowner tag purchase. Mescalero Apaches charge $625 now, up from $500 maybe 6 years back. So goddamn, right there you’re looking $6-700 total for a late season cow. Likely high success % too as you know, large herds in December. That price puts you same cost as 2nd rifle CO in late October. Now, you may find generous landowners or somebody knows a guy who prices cow tags $300, but that’s not the average.

 

[hank4elk]

My mentioning the extra $ was not a dig,per se. Just less hassle later.
Get your tags sent early to have them in hand. I still do not trust the full cell electronic stuff here. Hell, the call will get dropped...
And speaking of calling,good time to narrow down opportunities for LO tags by calling the LO contact.At least you know who has them,besides outfitters and price.

 

[Cerebral Stalker]

Sure, glad to help. I looked at your profile and woah, I grew up in Geauga County! How about that. Where you are down by the river is real beautiful, always special to me. People don’t even know about the mound building ancient prehistory. Once they see Serpent Mound, can’t ever forget. My purchase this year automatically included HMAV and I added HS since that allows the license to be exercised on Federal lands. As for the “cheap” cow tags, it’s probably close to $500 access in addition to NM state landowner tag purchase. Mescalero Apaches charge $625 now, up from $500 maybe 6 years back. So goddamn, right there you’re looking $6-700 total for a late season cow. Likely high success % too as you know, large herds in December. That price puts you same cost as 2nd rifle CO in late October. Now, you may find generous landowners or somebody knows a guy who prices cow tags $300, but that’s not the average.

Haha, small world isn't it? My brother actually drew a controlled deer hunt up at Mosquito Creek last fall, so we got to do some hunting up that way last year. We ended up leaving more jealous of the waterfowl hunting opportunities compared to down here in the southern part of the state. I've been to Serpent Mound too. Pretty cool place.

Yeah, $6-700 isn't cheap, but armed hiking in Colorado isn't cheap either. $6-700 is within reason unlike other guided cow hunts that go for $2-3k which is just insane. Also, you're probably going to have something to show for it which is always nice. Nice option to be aware of. Also, your experience clears up my question about the HS and HMAV. Thanks.

 

[Cerebral Stalker]

My mentioning the extra $ was not a dig,per se. Just less hassle later.
Get your tags sent early to have them in hand. I still do not trust the full cell electronic stuff here. Hell, the call will get dropped...
And speaking of calling,good time to narrow down opportunities for LO tags by calling the LO contact.At least you know who has them,besides outfitters and price.

No problem, I've read enough of your posts to know that's not what you're about. Thanks for the opinion on the electronic stuff. I'll probably follow your advice and go with the in-hand tag rather than the E-tag option then. Yeah, I probably won't go for a landowner tag this year but it's nice to keep in mind, especially as my Dad gets older. Besides I'm going to draw my 1st choice anyway . Just kidding of course. Thanks for the input.

 

[RSET]

So I’m trying to break this down as a DIY elk hunter this year for 2020 in NM. Forget about archery and focus on rifle. If unsuccessful in the draw your application fee is about the only thing you don’t get back; it says on the website that the license (“hunting”) is refunded if no draw is rewarded.

My only concerns is that the draw odds are so low in most of these units (ie .3%-5%) that odds in drawing would be nothing short of a miracle. I guess I’m just missing it. Why are some of these online hunters pushing New Mexico for a no brainer application? The odds are super low as a nonresident and non-guided....I might have a better chance at lottery hunting tickets than spend the interest on my refundable tag. Please suggest to me a different way of looking at the odds so that the application makes sense to apply as a nonresident unguided elk hunter....thanks!

The hunting license is refundable; the only cost would be interest and the application fee (around @ most $30) maybe that would be worth rolling the dice. Thank you for any clarity. But for $30 the draw odds realistically on most of these units is <.01% with all the unguided nonresidents applying...just left scratching my head on why I shouldn’t focus elsewhere. Thanks for the clarity.

thanks for the suggestions and clarity, but please don’t say,”awesome, one less guy I don’t have to compete with....”. The odds are still super low regardless if I apply or not as a nonresident. It would take thousands of nonresident unguided hunters to make a % change to increase success. Let’s talk this through. Thanks.

It’s not worth it. Everyone should stop applying to NM.

 

[Nick28]

It’s not worth it. Everyone should stop applying to NM.

I agree! haha

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Haha, small world isn't it? My brother actually drew a controlled deer hunt up at Mosquito Creek last fall, so we got to do some hunting up that way last year. We ended up leaving more jealous of the waterfowl hunting opportunities compared to down here in the southern part of the state. I've been to Serpent Mound too. Pretty cool place.

Yeah, $6-700 isn't cheap, but armed hiking in Colorado isn't cheap either. $6-700 is within reason unlike other guided cow hunts that go for $2-3k which is just insane. Also, you're probably going to have something to show for it which is always nice. Nice option to be aware of. Also, your experience clears up my question about the HS and HMAV. Thanks.

Mosquito Creek is impressive and sure does draw in a lot of waterfowl. They may still offer blind drawings too. Ladue Reservoir was great fishing as a kid and may also do waterfowl options. Ok, so the private tag sales are really like a trespass fee. Not a guided hunt. Same for tribal land hunts. Unless you are sold a tag with the agreement that you’ll be guided, which is commiserate with CO; starting at the several thousand dollar mark too. Here in NM, we have TX vacationers who spend a lot of $ every year. TX loves NM and the consistent interest does influence the going rates of private land hunts. All that said, private land cow elk are a pest to ranchers. It is to the benefit of the men offering private cow tags to ensure you blast an elk. Not an elk, but I once drew an A-tag (antelope) which is a NM deal to encourage private land owners to have one public hunter on their land for every private tag they are allotted. Well that rancher was so helpful and directed me right where to hunt. He even gave me a better map than the one from the State. So yeah, if you ever do get a private cow elk tag, don’t expect full-service guiding. The ranchers would rather not have the elk competing with the cows either though and they know the land.

 

[Kwazar63]

I'm a DIY'er from AL. I've driven out west for OTC elk hunts the last few years, plan to continue do so for the foreseeable future, and NM is on my list of apps each year. I'm just looking at GoHunt - so actual odds may be much worse - but seems to be multiple units each year (archery or rifle) with 2-5% draw odds, >70% public land, and decent success rates (way better than OTC UT or CO)...Compared to the caliber of hunts I'm getting with 0pts in other states, it's worth eating the license fee to me.

I've never hunted in NM, so maybe I'm naive, but seems worthwhile to me. If nothing else, the prospect of being able to elk hunt terrain that isn't preposterous is highly appealing to me!

 

[ImBillT]

I'm a DIY'er from AL. I've driven out west for OTC elk hunts the last few years, plan to continue do so for the foreseeable future, and NM is on my list of apps each year. I'm just looking at GoHunt - so actual odds may be much worse - but seems to be multiple units each year (archery or rifle) with 2-5% draw odds, >70% public land, and decent success rates (way better than OTC UT or CO)...Compared to the caliber of hunts I'm getting with 0pts in other states, it's worth eating the license fee to me.

I've never hunted in NM, so maybe I'm naive, but seems worthwhile to me. If nothing else, the prospect of being able to elk hunt terrain that isn't preposterous is highly appealing to me!

Just keep in mind that 2-5% draw odds is the equivalent of a frequency of drawing one tag every 20-50years.(1/20=5% and 1/50=2%) On the other hand, 2-5% at 0pts in a bonus point state, turns into 4-10% at 1pt, 8-20% at 2pts and so on.

I’m in favor of random drawings like NM and wish more states would go back to random, but because NM and Idaho are the only two states doing purely random draws, the influx of new applicants has smashed the draw odds in NM. The highest odds rifle elk hunt is about 20%, or 1/5 years. There are reasons is it easy to draw. It’s in sheep country, is mostly wilderness and has low harvest success. I believe it used to have closer to 60% draw odds, and my guess would be that most of the new applicants to that unit are of the mind set that any tag in NM is going to be something like the Gila or AZ. There are almost certainly some units in CO with 100% odds at 3-5 points that offer better hunting than that 20% draw odds hunt.

Because I border NM, and have hunted elk there twice and deer there four times, the familiarity and ease of potential scout trips compared to other states leaves me thinking that I will probably always apply there unless they price me out regardless of plummeting draw odds. I can currently hunt mule deer every year in my home state, and don’t care to drive too far to hunt deer out of state, so as long as I’m applying for deer in NM, I might as well apply for elk. If I lived closer to ID, MT or WY, I don’t think NM would be on my radar unless their odds took a turn back toward where they were 4-5 years ago. Even though I’ll probably always apply in NM, their plummeting odds are pushing me to finally enter the CO system. I sure wish the CO and NM application and results dates did not conflict.

 

[lawtonbj]

I apply my son and I in New Mexico. Haven't drawn yet, but it's not unreasonable compared to what you pay in other states for a chance at a high quality hunt.

 

[Elkslayer56]

Preface: I’m a resident so I speak with experience. Do it. Don’t concern yourself with the low NR % allocation and do look for opportunities outside of the Gila. NM is transparent and has all resources easily available to help your application. The NMGFD has a handy explanation of figuring draw odds. When you have your top three selections made then apply with lowest % to highest %. The randomized draw works most in your favor if you put your selections in that manner.
If you’re not drawn then consider landowner tags, especially cow tags. Also tribal tags. Alternatively, you could spend about the same as a private cow tag to get a second or third rifle MB hunt in CO.

I got a muzzle loader elk tag for unit 45. Any suggestions on area?

 

[Cheesehead]

I got a muzzle loader elk tag for unit 45. Any suggestions on area?

Welcome to hunttalk. Off to a good start!

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Elk mountain! It’s even in the name!

 

[Elkslayer56]

Elk mountain! It’s even in the name!

Thanks

 

[TN_Rifle_Junkie]

Thanks

ANDDDDDD... He's gone, and never back again.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I got a muzzle loader elk tag for unit 45. Any suggestions on area?

I’ve never drawn that unit, but the Pecos is phenomenal country! I’d carry something for grouse as well when you’re there. Only elk I’ve ever seen there are on the East of the mountain closer to Las Vegas. Keep an eye on fire activity this year because that could change everything.

 

[Elkslayer56]

I’ve never drawn that unit, but the Pecos is phenomenal country! I’d carry something for grouse as well when you’re there. Only elk I’ve ever seen there are on the East of the mountain closer to Las Vegas. Keep an eye on fire activity this year because that could change everything.

Thanks

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I got a muzzle loader elk tag for unit 45. Any suggestions on area?

And there it is! Rincon fire, that’s where I’d go. https://nmfireinfo.com/2021/06/13/rincon-fire-update-june-13-2021/

 

[Elkslayer56]

Any idea how bad the Rincon fire was?

 

[TLowell02]

Judging from the map I really don't think it did too much. Probably more good than anything.