NM 55/54, Colin Neblett Success Story

[HuntingStudent]

Long time viewer, first time poster. I wanted to share a success story about a unit that has extremely low success and high draw odds (nearly 100%).

Most people who view this article will have come across it when googling the unit. There are other posts and on them you'll find a lot of unhelpful advice. My hope is to spread the word on how hard work pays off.

My wife and I moved to NM 3 years ago and decided to try out this hunting thing. Our first tag application was your standard list of units for a first time hunter looks like (34, 36, 16D). Its not surprise that we didnt draw any tags. No getting a tag only fueled our drive. Ee started binging watching all of Randy's, Cory's, and Steve's youtube/amazon/netflx content. We took notes and compared what we had learned. We got elk calls and spent even more time at the range.

When it came time for out next tag applications, decided to apply for the highest draw rate tag in NM. The Colin Neblett WMA (North) in 54A. We figured a tag in hand meant experience... and we needed that more than a harvest.

For those who don't know, Colin Neblett North has almost a 100% draw odd (residents only). It's 6 sq miles of THICK timber with a mountain taking up most of it. It is surrounded on 3 sides by private land, it has steep/crazy terrain, and only one accessible road that barely enters into the unit. Randy always says, find a place no one wants to go, and you'll find elk. The unit has a 7% harvest rate.

We got the tag and started e-scouting like crazy. We made multiple plans of attack. Marked every water feature, meadow, and glassing spot we could find. We showed up 3 days early for scouting and quickly realized that 70% of our plans were not executable. Long story short, we hiked 70 miles over 7 days. We saw a lot of elk at a distance and they were mostly on private property. We finally glassed up a group of bulls in their sanctuary area. Unfortunately, there was no opposing ridge to shoot from. We made every attempt to get into some sort of shooting position surrounding the area. Every time we tried, we bumped them. On the last day, we threw caution to the wind and went straight into the meadow we had seen them in a day prior. There, the wife unexpectedly came face to face with a 5x5 bull. Do you remember your first bull? Unfortunately, The awe and amazement gave her the fever and she missed.

We walked away super proud of ourselves! We were first time hunters, hunting in an impossible unit.... We hiked all over - found the elk - made a game plan - and came within 100 yds. That is success, at least 99% of success according to Randy.

THe following year, my wife re-applied for the same unit. I couldn't get the time off of work, so she went hunting solo. She scouted, glassed, and ended up going right back into the area we had been going into the year prior. There she harvested this 310 pt bull. SHe shot him only a 1/4 mile from the spot we saw the 5x5 1 year prior. BTW, that was 6 miles from the trailhead! She quartered him (gutless method because she couldn't turn him over), bundled him up, and packed out the first load that night.

I was able to drive up that weekend and help with the next 3 pack outs. All in all, she clocked over 100 miles of hiking/hunting that season.

Moral of the story? My wife is a BA, cold killer. That, and hard work can make opportunities happen in any unit. Thanks to Randy Newberg for making the content that he does.

 

[TLowell02]

Thanks for sharing! My wife's first elk hunt was Colin Neblett South. No elk were harmed, and it was an extremely frustrating hunt, but it sure is beautiful.

 

[Valley1320]

Awesome story!!!! I've stayed at a cabin at eagles nest lake before and glassed across the lake in the evenings and watched tons of elk come down out of the timber and feed on the shoreline.

 

[2rocky]

Congrats to you and your wife on a great elk and bucking the odds. I really liked that area, and I can't wait to go back.

 

[Rjadv4]

Long time viewer, first time poster. I wanted to share a success story about a unit that has extremely low success and high draw odds (nearly 100%).

Most people who view this article will have come across it when googling the unit, looking for tips. You'll find a lot of unhelpful advice on other sites/threads, so my hope is to spread the word on how hard work pays off.

My wife and I moved to NM 3 years ago and decided to look into this hunting thing. Our first tag application was your standard list of units (34, 36, 16D). No luck. After that, we started binging on Randy's, Cory's, and Steve's content. We kept notes and compared what we had learned. We got elk calls and spent more time at the range. We watched Ask Randy and listened to podcasts.

When it came for tag applications the next year, we cheaped out and collected historical NM draw/harvest data to replicate goHunt info. After weeks of work, i folded and used the 30 day free trial (facepalm). We both decided to apply for the highest draw tag in NM. The Colin Neblett WMA (North) in 55A. We figured a tag in hand meant experiance and we needed that more than a harvest.

For those who don't know Colin Neblett North, there is a reason its almost 100% draw (residents only). Its 6 sq miles of THICK timber and a mountain taking up most of it. It is surrounded on 3 sides by private land, mostly steep/crazy terrain, and one road that barely goes into the unit. Randy always says, fuss a place no one wants to go, and you'll give elk (in the post rut). The unit has a 7% harvest rate and that is mostly guides/private land by my estimate. Now, 55 is known for nice elk, but this small sub-area makes opportunities very difficult.

Well, we e-scouted like crazy. Made multiple plans of attack. Marked every water feature, meadow, and glassing spot we could find (OnX &G.Earth). We showed up 3 days early for scouting.. and quickly realized 70% of our plans were not executedable. Long story short, we hiked 70 miles over 7 days. We saw a lot of elk at a distance (Mostly private). We finally narrowed down where the bulls were going for sanctuary, but there was no opposite ridge to get a shot off from. Every attempt to get in there, bumped them. On the last day, we through caution to the wind and went straight into the medow we had seen them in days prior. There, the wife came face to face with a bull. Do you remember your first bull? The awe and amazement gave her the fever and she missed.

We walked away riding high! First time hunters, in an impossible unit, we hiked all over it, found the elk, made a game plan, and came within 100 yds. That is success, at least 99% as Randy would say.

Long story short, she reapplied. I couldn't get the time off of with, so she went solo. She scouted, glassed, and went right in and took this 310 bull, 1/4 mile from the spot 1 year prior. BTW, that was 6 miles from the trailhead! Did i mention she snuck in to 20 yds? Anyways, she dressed it (gutless method because she couldn't turn him over), bundled him up, and packed out the first load.

I was able to drive up and help with the next 3 pack outs. She clocked over 100 miles that year.

Moral of the story? My wife is a BA, cold killer. That, and hard work can make opportunities in any unit. Thanks to Randy Newberg and his sponsors for making the content that they do.View attachment 150334

Congratulations that's a nice bull. Did u guys go up by the towers?

 

[HuntingStudent]

We spent a few days trying to reach scouting glassing points from up there. The forest is too thick to really glass from that area. You can hike from there and across the saddle to glass from the peak (above tree line).

 

[RedIII]

Long time viewer, first time poster. I wanted to share a success story about a unit that has extremely low success and high draw odds (nearly 100%).

Most people who view this article will have come across it when googling the unit, looking for tips. You'll find a lot of unhelpful advice on other sites/threads, so my hope is to spread the word on how hard work pays off.

My wife and I moved to NM 3 years ago and decided to look into this hunting thing. Our first tag application was your standard list of units (34, 36, 16D). No luck. After that, we started binging on Randy's, Cory's, and Steve's content. We kept notes and compared what we had learned. We got elk calls and spent more time at the range. We watched Ask Randy and listened to podcasts.

When it came for tag applications the next year, we cheaped out and collected historical NM draw/harvest data to replicate goHunt info. After weeks of work, i folded and used the 30 day free trial (facepalm). We both decided to apply for the highest draw tag in NM. The Colin Neblett WMA (North) in 55A. We figured a tag in hand meant experiance and we needed that more than a harvest.

For those who don't know Colin Neblett North, there is a reason its almost 100% draw (residents only). Its 6 sq miles of THICK timber and a mountain taking up most of it. It is surrounded on 3 sides by private land, mostly steep/crazy terrain, and one road that barely goes into the unit. Randy always says, fuss a place no one wants to go, and you'll give elk (in the post rut). The unit has a 7% harvest rate and that is mostly guides/private land by my estimate. Now, 55 is known for nice elk, but this small sub-area makes opportunities very difficult.

Well, we e-scouted like crazy. Made multiple plans of attack. Marked every water feature, meadow, and glassing spot we could find (OnX &G.Earth). We showed up 3 days early for scouting.. and quickly realized 70% of our plans were not executedable. Long story short, we hiked 70 miles over 7 days. We saw a lot of elk at a distance (Mostly private). We finally narrowed down where the bulls were going for sanctuary, but there was no opposite ridge to get a shot off from. Every attempt to get in there, bumped them. On the last day, we through caution to the wind and went straight into the medow we had seen them in days prior. There, the wife came face to face with a bull. Do you remember your first bull? The awe and amazement gave her the fever and she missed.

We walked away riding high! First time hunters, in an impossible unit, we hiked all over it, found the elk, made a game plan, and came within 100 yds. That is success, at least 99% as Randy would say.

Long story short, she reapplied. I couldn't get the time off of with, so she went solo. She scouted, glassed, and went right in and took this 310 bull, 1/4 mile from the spot 1 year prior. BTW, that was 6 miles from the trailhead! Did i mention she snuck in to 20 yds? Anyways, she dressed it (gutless method because she couldn't turn him over), bundled him up, and packed out the first load.

I was able to drive up and help with the next 3 pack outs. She clocked over 100 miles that year.

Moral of the story? My wife is a BA, cold killer. That, and hard work can make opportunities in any unit. Thanks to Randy Newberg and his sponsors for making the content that they do.View attachment 150334

My wife pulled this tag this year. Any suggestions?

 

[HuntingStudent]

I have gotten a lot of DMs from this thread. I am happy to assist, but I must stress the need for new hunters to research on their own a little first (the whole, teach a man to fish, mindset). Once you have done that, then DM me your ideas and specific questions. I am not going to tell you where to go, but I will happily be a sounding board for your thoughts and I will help lead you to developing your own plan.

There are a lot of huge clues in the original post. In general, follow Randy's guidance. His guidance led to us finding elk the first year (missed shot) and harvesting one the second year. It takes new hunters, on average, 5-8 years to fill their first tag. Our success wasn't luck. It was a lot of research and work. Roughly, my guidance is:

• Know the stages of Elk: Watch Randy's videos on the stages of elk to learn what the Bulls are doing during your season and what habitat to look out for.
• E-Scout: Watch Randy's E-scouting video series on youtube. Take notes, and apply it to your E-scouting of Colin Neblett. I used Google Earth the first year, and OnX the second year. Both can be used and one is free!! (Earth)
  • One of the most challenging things in this unit is finding good glassing spots. Once you have identified good habitat spots (according to Randy's e-scouting videos), then look for glassing spots that allow you to see into the areas you think they will be in. I recommend picking a glassing spot that can see into multiple areas of interest.
  • This is an ideal post rut spot for Bulls. The terrain is rough and there isnt a lot of pressure when you get back off the road. We saw bachelor groups in the second rifle and there is bull sign EVERYWHERE in there.
• Go hike it in the summer. If you drew this, you are a NM resident, so go up there in the summer and check it out. Keep in mind the WMA has specific open/closed dates.
• Plan for 3 days of scouting. This is a VERY difficult unit to hunt. Taking the time to go check out all your glassing spots before the hunt is crucial. That way you can have a better execution plan when the hunt opens.
• Its a tough unit, come ready to work hard. If you cant physically hike 6-10 miles a day, consider a guide or renting a horse (just an opinion). We looked back at the hunt statistics for the second year we hunted there and my wife was the only one to fill her tag in that season(out of 40 hunters). She hiked over 100 miles (includes meat pack outs). That should give you some magnitude for the level of difficulty.

This is a very low odds hunt for a reason. Many people get dismayed after a few days. We saw it both years. Lots of camps at the start, and 3 days in they go home. It is MUCH easier to stay motivated if you create multiple plans of attack before you show up!

 

[RedIII]

I have gotten a lot of DMs from this thread. I am happy to assist, but I must stress the need for new hunters to research on their own a little first (the whole, teach a man to fish, mindset). Once you have done that, then DM me your ideas and specific questions. I am not going to tell you where to go, but I will happily be a sounding board for your thoughts and I will help lead you to developing your own plan.

There are a lot of huge clues in the original post. In general, follow Randy's guidance. His guidance led to us finding elk the first year (missed shot) and harvesting one the second year. It takes new hunters, on average, 5-8 years to fill their first tag. Our success wasn't luck. It was a lot of research and work. Roughly, my guidance is:

• Know the stages of Elk: Watch Randy's videos on the stages of elk to learn what the Bulls are doing during your season and what habitat to look out for.
• E-Scout: Watch Randy's E-scouting video series on youtube. Take notes, and apply it to your E-scouting of Colin Neblett. I used Google Earth the first year, and OnX the second year. Both can be used and one is free!! (Earth)
  • One of the most challenging things in this unit is finding good glassing spots. Once you have identified good habitat spots (according to Randy's e-scouting videos), then look for glassing spots that allow you to see into the areas you think they will be in. I recommend picking a glassing spot that can see into multiple areas of interest.
  • This is an ideal post rut spot for Bulls. The terrain is rough and there isnt a lot of pressure when you get back off the road. We saw bachelor groups in the second rifle and there is bull sign EVERYWHERE in there.
• Go hike it in the summer. If you drew this, you are a NM resident, so go up there in the summer and check it out. Keep in mind the WMA has specific open/closed dates.
• Plan for 3 days of scouting. This is a VERY difficult unit to hunt. Taking the time to go check out all your glassing spots before the hunt is crucial. That way you can have a better execution plan when the hunt opens.
• Its a tough unit, come ready to work hard. If you cant physically hike 6-10 miles a day, consider a guide or renting a horse (just an opinion). We looked back at the hunt statistics for the second year we hunted there and my wife was the only one to fill her tag in that season(out of 40 hunters). She hiked over 100 miles (includes meat pack outs). That should give you some magnitude for the level of difficulty.

This is a very low odds hunt for a reason. Many people get dismayed after a few days. We saw it both years. Lots of camps at the start, and 3 days in they go home. It is MUCH easier to stay motivated if you create multiple plans of attack before you show up!

This is good info. My wife and I are strong hikers and plan to make frequent camping trips up there before it’s go time. I have an idea of where I’d liked to hunt just need to continue our training and scouting and I think we can seal the deal come hunting season. Thanks for the info.

 

[Zim]

Congrats. As a NR after drawing VV in 1996 I often considered Colin Neblett often but instead opted for the Pecos. Back when NR were eligible. Probably a mistake. That tag was readily available to NR's in the days of paper applictions. How things have changed. Long gone.

 

[RedIII]

Congrats. As a NR after drawing VV in 1996 I often considered Colin Neblett often but instead opted for the Pecos. Back when NR were eligible. Probably a mistake. That tag was readily available to NR's in the days of paper applictions. How things have changed. Long gone.

Just gonna have to move to NM, lol.

 

[hank4elk]

I never hunted it but sure would like to someday. More rugged than it looks too,and that's saying something. I could see the frustration of the hideyholes & cover when I fished in there years back.

 

[BDH]

Long time viewer, first time poster. I wanted to share a success story about a unit that has extremely low success and high draw odds (nearly 100%).

Most people who view this article will have come across it when googling the unit. There are other posts and on them you'll find a lot of unhelpful advice. My hope is to spread the word on how hard work pays off.

My wife and I moved to NM 3 years ago and decided to try out this hunting thing. Our first tag application was your standard list of units for a first time hunter looks like (34, 36, 16D). Its not surprise that we didnt draw any tags. No getting a tag only fueled our drive. Ee started binging watching all of Randy's, Cory's, and Steve's youtube/amazon/netflx content. We took notes and compared what we had learned. We got elk calls and spent even more time at the range.

When it came time for out next tag applications, decided to apply for the highest draw rate tag in NM. The Colin Neblett WMA (North) in 54A. We figured a tag in hand meant experience... and we needed that more than a harvest.

For those who don't know, Colin Neblett North has almost a 100% draw odd (residents only). It's 6 sq miles of THICK timber with a mountain taking up most of it. It is surrounded on 3 sides by private land, it has steep/crazy terrain, and only one accessible road that barely enters into the unit. Randy always says, find a place no one wants to go, and you'll find elk. The unit has a 7% harvest rate.

We got the tag and started e-scouting like crazy. We made multiple plans of attack. Marked every water feature, meadow, and glassing spot we could find. We showed up 3 days early for scouting and quickly realized that 70% of our plans were not executable. Long story short, we hiked 70 miles over 7 days. We saw a lot of elk at a distance and they were mostly on private property. We finally glassed up a group of bulls in their sanctuary area. Unfortunately, there was no opposing ridge to shoot from. We made every attempt to get into some sort of shooting position surrounding the area. Every time we tried, we bumped them. On the last day, we threw caution to the wind and went straight into the meadow we had seen them in a day prior. There, the wife unexpectedly came face to face with a 5x5 bull. Do you remember your first bull? Unfortunately, The awe and amazement gave her the fever and she missed.

We walked away super proud of ourselves! We were first time hunters, hunting in an impossible unit.... We hiked all over - found the elk - made a game plan - and came within 100 yds. That is success, at least 99% of success according to Randy.

THe following year, my wife re-applied for the same unit. I couldn't get the time off of work, so she went hunting solo. She scouted, glassed, and ended up going right back into the area we had been going into the year prior. There she harvested this 310 pt bull. SHe shot him only a 1/4 mile from the spot we saw the 5x5 1 year prior. BTW, that was 6 miles from the trailhead! She quartered him (gutless method because she couldn't turn him over), bundled him up, and packed out the first load that night.

I was able to drive up that weekend and help with the next 3 pack outs. All in all, she clocked over 100 miles of hiking/hunting that season.

Moral of the story? My wife is a BA, cold killer. That, and hard work can make opportunities happen in any unit. Thanks to Randy Newberg for making the content that he does.View attachment 150334

Man, I love posts like this!! Great bull, great write-up. Beautiful part of the world.

 

[Flyfishmtns]

Thanks for the post & advice! Congratulations to your wife for a great public land bull!!

Heading up there in NOV 2021 with a cow elk tag and hope to fill the freezer.

Sadly, no pre-scouting other than eScouting given my location (Military).

T

 

[HuntingStudent]

Thanks for the post & advice! Congratulations to your wife for a great public land bull!!

Heading up there in NOV 2021 with a cow elk tag and hope to fill the freezer.

Sadly, no pre-scouting other than eScouting given my location (Military).

T

Been there! We did nothing but e-scouting before we arrived. Plan at least 2 scouting days in your schedule.

 

[JWH]

When did they close CN to nonresidents? I took two Bulls off of it while living in OK. Now in Nebraska and was wanting to hunt it again. If anyone needs advice on the unit let me know.

 

[bryanc1979]

When did they close CN to nonresidents? I took two Bulls off of it while living in OK. Now in Nebraska and was wanting to hunt it again. If anyone needs advice on the unit let me know.

I just drew out this tag. I would love some advice. Never been there. I’m planning a trip next month to over look the area.

 

[JWH]

Congrats on the draw. It would probably be easier to talk over the phone. I shot both my bulls in the same area. Let me know.

 

[bryanc1979]

Congrats on the draw. It would probably be easier to talk over the phone. I shot both my bulls in the same area. Let me know.

Ok that would be great! My number is 5755620583 feel free to give me a shout.