I was fortunate enough to draw first elk bow season (beginning of September) in New Mexico this year, and while I have taken elk with both rifle and muzzleloader before, this will be my first shot with a bow. Obviously I have my bow, I have bugle and cow calls and camo, etc., but my question is...
I've seen a lot of people (usually on facebook hunting groups) that claim similar numbers as residents. All I can think is that they ONLY apply for rifle hunts in the top trophy units that give like 5 tags.
Legit question, where are you applying for and what weapons? I hear people say this on forums about NM all the time, but I've drawn Elk two out of four years that I've been a resident, as well as a number of other species.
I don't see much on here about them, so wanted to share my New Mexico javelina. Used a solid copper Federal Premium V-Shok .22-250, which blew straight through him at 150 yards. He was a fun and different critter to hunt, and, for me, more of a novelty since less than 20 pounds of meat is not...
Honestly the briefing didnt help with finding them at all. I don't know about Rhodes Canyon, but the vast majority of the briefing for Stallion Range covered where we weren't allowed to go, where we couldn't drive, etc. so we didn't get in trouble with military operations. Glassing advice...
Coming back to this post to update, I got the Tidewe harness and used it on a NM oryx hunt. It worked great for me. Quiet material, easy magnetic covers with bungee securing loops, integrated rain cover and lens cloth each in their own pocket, included range finder case attached to one side...
You'll be fine with DIY as long as you are confident and comfortable with your own gear. Part of the reason I did this write up was to help other DIY hunters. As I mentioned, once you see one and know what to look for, there are a lot of them out there so finding them isn't the challenge...
Horns are very functional and those hooves are big, strong, and sharp. This is another reason why I used finishing shots and covered the last ~30 yards much slower with gun at low ready, something I didn't mention in my write up. Taking off running towards her when she was down may not have...
Thank you and YES! The meat is absolutely fantastic. It's not strongly gamey, but definitely has a taste all its own. It's a pretty lean meat, without much or any marbling in most of the steaks.
When I got to her, she was definitely down, but still kicking and moving while laying on her side. I put a second shot right through her sternum to try to put her out of her misery. While I'm sure that second shot was more than enough, I did finally put a third a few inches away from the...
After I drew a NM oryx tag in 2020, I looked on the forums here a lot for advice and what to do since you cant scout, it's a short hunt, and it is Once-in-a-Lifetime. There was some good advice, and I figured I would add my 2 cents for anyone that draws in the future.
First I want to say I am...
There is a difference between lying and being misinformed. I also used to live in areas where wolves have been reintroduced, so yes, I do know as much as the people who live there, because I was one of them. Yes there were reduced elk numbers, but as someone with a degree in wildlife...
Didn't read my whole comment did you? Missed the part where I said yes, they will likely see reduced numbers in some areas? I'm also not a fan of anecdotal evidence. Just because you see fewer elk doesn't mean that the numbers are necessarily as "drastically" cut as you think, just that they...