New Mexico Unit 16D rifle tag

[FullCurlEarl]

Really sorry to hear a great tag was associated with such a lousy experience. I have been on 2 guided hunts in my life, and many DIY hunts throughout the Wester States. Those 2 hunts were the only no harvest hunts. Its one thing to blow your own hunt, doing things your way. Its a completely different deal when someone else does it for ya.

 

[Gila]

Horrible experience. Some of it was the full moon but most of it was the shit show called David Mathews Outfitting. My guide was a good guy but seemed a bit lost. Dave spent the whole week helping his nephew who guides for him and a client that couldn't walk. They spotted 3 bull over 380 for her. She couldn't get to any of them. Her guide carried her pack for her.... I hiked 10 miles per day and didn't see a bull over 280. I asked Dave on the 4 th day why he doesn't like getting elk killed because I could have easily gotten to any of the bulls he was finding for the other client. It was her first elk hunt , but her husband is a return client. She ended up trying a 950 yd shot, that is the closest she could get, missed 3 times. I can't believe they even let her shoot since she had only been to the range once. I have only hunted bulls for 25 yrs. and can hike anywhere....I told Dave good work he went 0 % that week. I have used outfitters all over the US for 25 yrs and have never experienced anything like I did that week. Some of the stories I heard about the shots they let clients take and the wounded bulls made me sick.

That is a shame for that tag. Seems like just about anyone who hunts elk here are outfitters, including their cousin Jose. Very few good ones though. I have always been a DIY type. Scouting is the big challenge for me and the most enjoyeable part of my hunting. That is besides the rush of putting a wall-hanger in my sights. My good wife was going to buy me a one on one guided hunt on a private tag bless her little heart. But drawing this first rifle tag is like winning the lottery. I won't be using an outfitter. Last year I had a tag in a newly opened area that only had 10 tags all season. I had high hopes. I filmed cows with a trail cam in the middle of the night. The elk were completely nocturnal on public land. The hunt really sucked. I never saw an elk.

Last year the night before the opener was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey! No more back pack tents for me. This year I am upgrading to a hot tent with wood stove and a matress on a cot. No more eating from a bag....nope it's gonna be cooked meals on a plate. I will take the side by side to the different hunting areas then hike it in as far a I can with a day pack. They will still be in the rut but I will most likely just be using a cow call if needed. We have had a good winter with plenty of snow. The spring rains have brought enough moisture so far so the tanks should be full, hopefully they will stay that way through summer. The prescribed burns are at a halt for now, so hopefully we won't have any wild fires, always a concern down here.

As far as using an outfitter this season, this pandemic has changed things. To what extent is anyone's guess, I think. If the virus is with us in October, which in all probability it will be, then outfitters and their clients will have some issues to deal with. I think that not as many hunters will be able to afford an outfiitter in the Gila this season. Also, not as many prospective clients will want to risk catching the virus and bringing it back home with them. Currently, the Governor of New Mexico wants all travellers coming into the state to self isolate for 2 weeks. I can't think of a better way to self isolate than to go on a DIY hunt. I hope everything goes well for everyone. This is the tag of a lifetime for me, so I will make the best of it if at all possible. Good luck and fortune to all!

 

[FullCurlEarl]

Well said. I have a 2nd rifle season and will be in 16D earlyier scouting if you need help packing out the bull of a lifetime!

 

[FullCurlEarl]

Geez, thats full of bad grammar! Apologies lol

 

[Gila]

Well said. I have a 2nd rifle season and will be in 16D earlyier scouting if you need help packing out the bull of a lifetime!

Thanks for the offer. I have help for the packout. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[elkhuntinut]

sorry to hear of that experience on what is an extremely sought after tag.

What a great tag and 2018 was a challenging year for moisture that was for sue.

 

[wannabemtnman]

Sounds like some pretty shady characters out in western NM hustling the $$ out of the NR. It’s a shame given how coveted of a tag that is.
My dad drew 16D for the mobility impaired hunt (below the knee amputee). He can’t get around super well but can walk a mile or so back. I’m going to hunt with him since I didn’t draw a NM tag, which will be awesome to hunt together again!
Question for anyone who knows the area halfway decent - just looking for good camp sites to use when heading there to scout in the summer. Any sites that are much nicer/well maintained than others? Anywhere specific someone recommends camping in the summer. We already rented a cabin for his hunt in Oct.

 

[Gila]

Sounds like some pretty shady characters out in western NM hustling the $$ out of the NR. It’s a shame given how coveted of a tag that is.
My dad drew 16D for the mobility impaired hunt (below the knee amputee). He can’t get around super well but can walk a mile or so back. I’m going to hunt with him since I didn’t draw a NM tag, which will be awesome to hunt together again!
Question for anyone who knows the area halfway decent - just looking for good camp sites to use when heading there to scout in the summer. Any sites that are much nicer/well maintained than others? Anywhere specific someone recommends camping in the summer. We already rented a cabin for his hunt in Oct.

Check with the Gila National Forest website. I know that Cibola NF has closed down the camping facilities for now. They have been talking about cabin refunds so you may want to keep your ear to the ground. I am going primitive for my Gila hunt.

 

[HankNM]

NM NF's are closed @ devoloped sites,major campgrounds,RR's,etc..open fire restrictions in place early.
DIY in undeveloped sites and have plans beyond b,c...
Verify registrations and what is open.
Catron county is very remote with limited services anyway.

 

[wannabemtnman]

NM NF's are closed @ devoloped sites,major campgrounds,RR's,etc..open fire restrictions in place early.
DIY in undeveloped sites and have plans beyond b,c...
Verify registrations and what is open.
Catron county is very remote with limited services anyway.

Thanks to you both - I'm not planning on heading down until July and August but I'll keep an eye on the Gila NF website.

 

[Gila]

I checked the Gila NF website last night and found that the only camping availabe is dispersed (primitive) until at least July. The forest service is reacting to covid measures taken by each state. New Mexico is a closure and stay at home state. I couldn't find anything specific about cabins other than they will give refunds for the affected areas. If the Governor of NM extends the closures to this fall, the cabins may not be available. There is no travel ban in place yet but she has been talking about implementing one. The outfitter lobby here has some political clout so I will go out on a limb and opine (and hope) that non-resident hunters may be excluded fom a travel ban.

 

[wannabemtnman]

I checked the Gila NF website last night and found that the only camping availabe is dispersed (primitive) until at least July. The forest service is reacting to covid measures taken by each state. New Mexico is a closure and stay at home state. I couldn't find anything specific about cabins other than they will give refunds for the affected areas. If the Governor of NM extends the closures to this fall, the cabins may not be available. There is no travel ban in place yet but she has been talking about implementing one. The outfitter lobby here has some political clout so I will go out on a limb and opine (and hope) that non-resident hunters may be excluded fom a travel ban.

Thanks for the information. We rented a place on VRBO for October. I'm remaining hopeful the fall hunting season will still move forward as planned.

 

[CAElkhunter]

my advice for 16 D would be to drive up on top of, I know I am not going to spell it right, a ridge the locals called John Kerr and glass. You can see an incredible amount of the unit from up there. Mark where you see elk on your GPS as when you drive down it will all look different. The road goes right to the top and around from all sides.

 

[wannabemtnman]

Has anyone been down in 16D lately? Heading there this week but it still looks hot and dry! Hoping to find some elk still talking to get the old man a nice bull!

 

[Gila]

Should be fair weather and good hunting....Que la pases bien!

 

[FullCurlEarl]

Has anyone been down in 16D lately? Heading there this week but it still looks hot and dry! Hoping to find some elk still talking to get the old man a nice bull!

Hows the weather and moisture Wannabe?

 

[wannabemtnman]

Weather is perfect, no moisture but the big tanks have a lot of water. We rolled this guy this morning. Have seen a number of bulls 350+ but a lot of broken up bulls as well. A number that have broken off mains. Can’t beat the Gila

 

[FullCurlEarl]

Well thats fantastic! Nice job.
What day into the hunt is this for ya.

 

[CAElkhunter]

Congrats. That is great. DIY or Guided ? If so who ?

 

[wannabemtnman]

Congrats. That is great. DIY or Guided ? If so who ?

Thanks, was a great hunt. It was DIY. This was in day 4. He missed one on day two but if I were the one shooting I could have rolled nice bulls every day. 330” within 500 yards every day. They’re still bugling solid.