Question: NM youth deer

[rmyoung1]

So... I'm hoping to tap into the vast knowledge represented here on HT. I'm interested in heading to the Land of Enchantment to take my oldest son deer hunting in the fall. I'm hoping he'll draw a youth only deer tag. I'm pretty interested in unit 21 since the nonresident draw odds are decent (better than 16 and 17), and I'd like to experience the Gila. My boy will be 11 by the time next hunting season rolls around. He will NOT be picky. He's never harvested anything with antlers, and I doubt he'll pass anything legal. I've never hunted New Mexico before, let alone unit 21. Is there a benevolent hunter out there with knowledge of 21 that would like to help out this father and his boy? I'd love to get someone's take on the unit. Will the NF in 21A be better than the BLM in 21B? Would the Aldo Leopold Wilderness in 21A be our best bet? Anyone have any ideas for me? I'm going to be entering this hunt a little blind, and I'd love to get some help flattening out my learning curve, especially since I'll have an eager youngster in tow. Thanks for the help!

 

[1_pointer]

I'll be following this as I'm in the same preliminary planning stages as well with my oldest...

 

[BrianID]

New Mexico's draw system is different than most states. You can draw your 3rd choice hunt before someone draws that same hunt as their first choice. You could still have unit 16 as a first choice unit and have 21 as a 2nd or 3rd choice. 21A has a lot of steep mountains and not many roads. 21B is a mix of BLM and private land that is mostly desert. There are significant variations in elevation in unit 21. High points in 21A along the divide can be over 10,000 feet elevation and low parts of 21B can be close to 4000 feet elevation. The Gila is beautiful country but overall doesn't have very high deer densities. Unless you are an experienced mule deer hunter, it wouldn't be hard to go 2 or 3 days without even seeing a deer in the Gila. Even experienced mule deer hunters might not even see a deer all day while hunting in the Gila.
If your goal is to spend some time in some beautiful country with your son and you want to explore the Gila, then 16 or 21 wouldn't be a bad option. If your goal is to see lots of deer and give your son a good chance at getting one, then I don't think the Gila is a good option for you.

 

[bobbydean]

As BrianID mentioned New Mexico draw is unique. If you are drawn, all three of your choices are drawn. You can pick the Gila , the Valle Caldera, but make sure you make a realistic 3rd choice. Basically 1 or 2 high demand units and a backup that will have elk, but not high demand.

There is still a lot of demand. Still hard to draw. Be LUCKY!

 

[rmyoung1]

Just to keep this focused, let me explain.... I’m not really interested in applying for the higher-demand tags (regular or youth-only) simply because I’m trying to maximize his chances of drawing a tag. I’m thinking about listing three easy-to-draw youth tags on his app, and I’m trying to nail down my options. Unit 21 caught my eye because draw odds were better than the other Gila units and harvest success rates weren’t much different. But I’ve never been there, and I wanted to see what someone who knows the area thinks of unit 21 as a youth-hunting opportunity. Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

 

[rmyoung1]

If your goal is to spend some time in some beautiful country with your son and you want to explore the Gila, then 16 or 21 wouldn't be a bad option. If your goal is to see lots of deer and give your son a good chance at getting one, then I don't think the Gila is a good option for you.

I appreciate the honest opinion. Thank you!