Clothing Recommendations for Second Season Archery Elk Hunt in New Mexico

[rangerman]

I would appreciate any guidance/recommendation on what clothing would be good for a mid to late September archery elk hunt in New Mexico. This will be my first trip out west to archery hunt. We will be hunting on public land where you can access hunting areas via ATV/UTV but will still need to hike to the elk from access roads. May be walking up to 8 to 10 miles a day and will be primarily hunting early morning and late afternoon from what I've been told. I have no idea what kind of weather we might face but we will be hunting in Unit 51A which is northern New Mexico and will be in the mountains.
I already have picked up a Sitka Jetstream vest and a Sitka Jetstream jacket. I will need pants and maybe a mid layer (puffy) as well as some next to skin under layers. I'm primarily an eastern whitetail stand hunter and have heavy insulated coveralls and parka/bibs type clothes that work well on cold days when on stand but probably won't lend themselves to the more active type hunting that we will be doing in New Mexico.
Any and all suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks,
Brian

 

[Jtelarkin08]

Merino bottoms (just in case)
Good pants
Merino long sleeve
Merino thicker hoodie
Fleece layer
Puffy layer
Lightweight rain jacket


That’s basically all you will need.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ten Bears]

Hunted it last year. Man did it get toasty.

Packed the following.
Sitka Core Lightweight Bottom
Mont Bell Puffy Pant (these are awesome)
First Lite Obsidian
Black Ovis Merino T Shirt
First Lite 200 Fuse Crew
Arcteryx LEAF Atom LT Hoody
First Lite Seak Jacket and Boundary Pant

Switching to Apex Pant and Hoody next year over the Fuse/Obsidian
And swapped out rain gear from seak/boundary to sitka dewpoint.

Hope that helps

 

[rangerman]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I forgot to mention that I have the Cabelas Microtex pants and shirts which might be suitable for this hunt. I've been told that the Sitka Mountain pants would be great for this hunt but have never had an opportunity to try them. As far as the next to the skin top and bottom would the lightweight (2.0) Under Armour work here or would I be best just to find some merino or merino blend? I've never worn any clothing with merino wool but I would like to try some as long as it is not itchy! As for a puffy would the new Kuiu super down puffy jacket be a good investment? I really don't have a ton of money to spend and would like to use what I have but am not against investing in quality clothing if needed. We will be day hunting and hope to find lodging somewhere nearby so we will not be camping unless plans change.
Thanks again and your help is greatly appreciated!

 

[roadrunner]

How do you know you'll be hunting 51A public land already?

Late season gear one day with all the base layers, "shorts and a t-shirt" the next. Plan for both. Welcome to NM...

 

[rangerman]

Have a friend who has been able to come up with landowner tags from a landowner there. Hope it pans out this year as I have never had an opportunity to archery hunt for elk. Have taken a bull and cow with a rifle in my home state of KY and one in CO.

 

[Marine4life]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I forgot to mention that I have the Cabelas Microtex pants and shirts which might be suitable for this hunt. I've been told that the Sitka Mountain pants would be great for this hunt but have never had an opportunity to try them. As far as the next to the skin top and bottom would the lightweight (2.0) Under Armour work here or would I be best just to find some merino or merino blend? I've never worn any clothing with merino wool but I would like to try some as long as it is not itchy! As for a puffy would the new Kuiu super down puffy jacket be a good investment? I really don't have a ton of money to spend and would like to use what I have but am not against investing in quality clothing if needed. We will be day hunting and hope to find lodging somewhere nearby so we will not be camping unless plans change.
Thanks again and your help is greatly appreciated!

I grew up in the state and hope you have a great hunt. Your Cabela’s pants will be fine. I have wore them for many days while hunting the archery seasons in NM. They are decent when it is warm and work fine over a base layer. The only time I would see them as a disadvantage is when the tempts are above 80 degrees and then they can be a little warm. I am personally not a fan of the under armor material base layers. They get very stinky on me and I start to feel sticky. The merino is where I would invest. They have come a long ways making it comfortable next to skin. If you are light on cash then keep a look out for a solid color puffy from north face or 32 degrees. You will get a good insulation layer for a lot cheaper than a hunting puffy. If you have some good midlayers and hunting in September you likely won’t need it anyway. I also recommend you have a set of packable rain gear because afternoon thunderstorms can be a daily occurrence. A decent set could be Cabela’s space-rain or you could invest and get something more durable and versatile from KUiu, Sitka, etc. inexpensive fleece can be good mid layers. Don’t forget good boots. I would make sure I had good boots before spending money on my clothing. Hope that helps.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[hunting1]

Layer, synthetic and wool. Plan for 20-degrees to 80-degrees. As said, rain gear and good boots! Beautiful country, just enjoy!

 

[rangerman]

Thanks guys for your recommendations. I believe I'll try to purchase a Black Ovis 190 merino base layer as all I currently have are UA's. The Black Ovis 190's seem to have great reviews and I believe the 190 weight would be about perfect for mid-September in NM. I believe on boots I'll be fine as I already have a pair of Cabela's Perfect Hunters made by Mindl and a couple of pair of Danners. As far as a rainsuit I have a couple that might work but may not be ideal as they're not very light or packable. Any other suggestions/recommendations are welcome!

 

[taz_gerstman]

Good luck with your hunt. Me and some friends went out there a few years ago and elk hunted unit 6A with a guide. Archery that is. I understand your concern about going from sitting in a stand to spot and stalk in the west. I live in North Alabama so I was concerned as well. Just remember that weight is everything and what you take in you have to bring out. I don't know much about the area you are talking about but 6A was up and down. Make sure you have good boots. I had the danner pronghorns which worked well. Go by cabelas or order you a rain suit that is light and packable. makes a world of difference. My biggest trick to overcoming a lot of the walking was gum. Yes, gum. Don't ask it just works. haha You will have a blast but yes be ready for temp swings from low 20s to 80s. It snowed one morning while we were out and about but it was so much fun. for socks I really like the smartwool brand.

 

[Wtwallin]

Hey rangerman, I'm from New Mexico, am familiar with some of that unit and I've also hunted unit 52 which can be similar in terrain and climate. So, I'll touch on the environment since you got a lot of feedback on gear. A lot of it is high country and just like the rest of the mountain West, if your going to be in the back country, be ready for serious temperature swings and weather. I've been stuck in a storm in July that dropped temperatures 30+ degrees over the course of minutes. That said, September is usually pretty moderate, cold at night and warm during the day if the weather holds. Stay hydrated and stay dry. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.