Pre-Rut NM Archery- Which dates?

[nontyp]

My brother and I drew our first elk tags for unit 666 in New Mexico. The season is September 1-14. What dates would you more experienced guys pick? We are leaning towards going early, but then again it would be nice to go later and catch a few rutting bulls.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

I would take the last week 7-14th to hunt if you're looking for rut action

 

[ElkNut1]

I'd do my best to take all 14 days, if not humanly possible then consider the last week as Idahoarcheryhunter mentions! Here's some info to consider that I use in known areas & New Areas, it's golden in finding, hunting & killing elk!

Finding Elk!


Your top priority is Finding Elk! Some of the best & quickest ways are to locate elk through bugling 1 hour to 1-1/2 hour before daylight, find areas during the daytime where you can utilize night calling off roads where areas look good or sound will carry afar! You could drive one mile or 20 miles, doesn't matter, keep stopping every mile & bugle if unsure where to bugle from until you locate them. Once elk are located or respond back, quit bugling to them, you can now grab your gear & head their way while still dark. Get as close as possible without alerting them, watch the wind direction, you do not want your scent going to the elk! It's tough to say exactly what to do next as situations can vary, either slip in silent with no calling if possible as soon as it gets light or prepare to setup & call them your way with a low volume low intensity breeding sequence. Don't think you will kill elk next to the road because this rarely happens, you are locating them then going after them, they can be a 100 yards away or a mile at their first response, all depends where you find them!

Another way to locate elk is getting to elevated areas where you can see a fair distance & sit & Glass with 10X42 optics. Many glassing areas can be had right next to a road, dirt or paved, while other areas are best found through hiking to such areas. Do not be committed to only using trail systems as entrance points, actually I rarely use them because of all the hunter activity on them. Instead I like focusing on areas most hunters would not stop to park at & start their hunt. I prefer to rambo through country void of roads or trails towards destination areas I have pre-marked out on my topo maps such as parks, basins, draws with water in them etc. If hiking trails are found with little to no use then they can be considered as entrance points & you can branch off of them as you attempt to locate elk or head to one of your pre-determined spots on your map. Do not feel you have to be 3+ miles deep to find hunt-able elk, it's not the case! It's not uncommon to find elk to hunt inside a mile from roads in many areas.


With the above thoughts in mind don't be overwhelmed by elk country but keep pushing forward as you head toward the bugles you heard from roads. So, whether you located elk via Bugling or Glassing you'll see the need to burn boot leather, you'll stumble on to waterholes, wallows, freshly used trails, bedding & feeding areas, escape routes & even places you didn't think elk would be. Take note of these areas as it's things as this that will lead you to becoming familiar with your area & where elk may be found.

A trail camera in place on a few of these spots during your hunt can help to see if elk are using them right then & at what times! It's an education & a process that will lead towards your success at becoming a more complete elk hunter who knows his surroundings well! I like pulling out my 7.5 minute Topo Map & marking these various areas & spots of interest, in time you will get a pattern & an appreciation where elk are & why they are there. Having these topo marked maps for refreshing your mind during Summer prep for following years can prove invaluable.

ElkNut1

 

[nontyp]

Thank you Elknut! I really appreciate the information. That makes a lot of sense and is very helpful to a elk newbie like me. I love hearing little detailed tactics like this.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

My brother and I drew our first elk tags for unit 5B in New Mexico. The season is September 1-14. What dates would you more experienced guys pick? We are leaning towards going early, but then again it would be nice to go later and catch a few rutting bulls.

I have to ask. Are you asking this because you only have time to hunt 7 days? Because you are allowed to hunt all 14.

If vacation time is an issue, I'd try to go 1-10 to take advantage of the two weekends. Pressure tapers of from residents during the week due to a lot of weekend warriors. If you can't hunt 1-14, I'd try for 1-10. The last four days are closer to peak rut and should be better though.

 

[nontyp]

Yeah we have a 12.5 hr drive so we'll have 2 days of travel and 7 days of hunting. I wish I could hunt all 14 days but I don't think my wife would be too excited about that. We have 2 kids under 2yrs old.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

Yeah we have a 12.5 hr drive so we'll have 2 days of travel and 7 days of hunting. I wish I could hunt all 14 days but I don't think my wife would be too excited about that. We have 2 kids under 2yrs old.

I hear ya. My daughter's b-day is during deer muzzleloader season which I always buy left over. Gotta build some political capital. Good luck on the hunt! Who knows, you may get it done opening morning.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I just listened to Big Fin's podcast with Rockie Jacobsen, and Rockie said his most successful week over time has been September 8-15th

 

[ElkNut1]

The 8th through the 15th are solid dates for sure! I think a lot of it is when guys have the time to hunt hard as to when their best dates are. My son & I have the privilege of living in elk country so are able to hit the woods at will. For us we rarely get real serious until the bulls cow up, that's our best time to take at least a 5 or 6 point . This time frame is Sept 10th to the 24th give or take a day before or after. We have taken 59 Idaho elk (96% bulls-archery) in the last 26 years on OTC DIY hunts. We've taken elk before & after those dates but the 10th-24th are hard to beat! (grin) Works for us! Calling is key, 95% of them are called in running & gunning style.

ElkNut1