How would your strategy change from CO to NM?

[CJohnson]

I’m headed to NM this year for archery after hunting (and being successful) in CO for the past 5 years. I’d be curious to get some input from people who’ve hunted both areas on some of the biggest differences and similarities between the two areas. Not to be super specific, but most of my hunting in Colorado was in the North-central part of the state and my NM tag is in the northwestern part of the state.

 

[rbljack]

Never hunted Colorado so i cant provide any comparisons. But the areas I have hunted in NM, WATER is key and can be hard to find at times. You cant count on finishing off your water bottle and just refilling at the next stream crossing.

Not much help I know....but its worth a couple cents anyways....LOL. Check your maps and be sure you have plenty or water stops, or carry more than you might normally have on ya.

 

[CJohnson]

Never hunted Colorado so i cant provide any comparisons. But the areas I have hunted in NM, WATER is key and can be hard to find at times. You cant count on finishing off your water bottle and just refilling at the next stream crossing.

Not much help I know....but its worth a couple cents anyways....LOL. Check your maps and be sure you have plenty or water stops, or carry more than you might normally have on ya.

I appreciate it. Water is definitely a concern.

 

[CMF]

Colorado = more people than elk
NM = More elk than people
A lot changes depending on the NM unit and area you're hunting. If hunting a high quality hard to draw unit with quality bulls, my strategy would change to target a bigger bull.
The terrain and habitat could differ or be similar depending on the specific areas and elevation.

 

[Maverick1]

I’m headed to NM this year for archery after hunting (and being successful) in CO for the past 5 years. I’d be curious to get some input from people who’ve hunted both areas on some of the biggest differences and similarities between the two areas. Not to be super specific, but most of my hunting in Colorado was in the North-central part of the state and my NM tag is in the northwestern part of the state.

Have hunted CO multiple times. Have hunted NM only once. So take the following with a grain of salt, or what you paid for it. LOL. (A couple of my friends hunted NM multiple times, and they had similar observations and experiences as mine).

Compare/Contrast NM to CO.

CO:

1. More elk. Smaller antlers. In OTC units any legal bull elk gets arrow.
2. More hunters actually hunting in remote areas.
3. Can be more challenging to call in elk.
4. No rattle snakes, scorpions, etc. to consider.
5. Spotting scope is worthless.
6. Plenty of water.
   1. Makes it easy to fill up water bladder, hunt in remote locations, over night camp, go in-deep, etc.
   2. No need to carry a lot of water very far.
   3. Sitting over a water hole may be less productive because there is water everywhere.
   4. Plenty of hunters setup way off the road.

NM:

1. Fewer elk. Larger antlers. Much more selective with antler size and configuration. Study videos on judging antler size and configurations, can't throw them back like a fish once the arrow is released. YMMV.
2. Fewer hunters actually hunting in remote areas. Many other people helping out the hunters on their hunts. (Tags are harder to come by for R and NR alike. When someone gets a tag they often have a posse of other people helping them out locate elk. Ran into more people wearing camo and not carrying a weapon of any kind in NM. Just helping out their buddies find elk.)
3. Can be easier to call in elk, especially in the remote areas. Easier to call in most calf, cow, and immature bulls, that is. Can be harder to call in the really big bulls though - they are older and have more experience telling the difference between other real elk and fake hunter elk sounds.
4. Rattle snakes, scorpions, etc. - may consider where and how you stalk when hunting and your tarp/tent setup. I used a tarp and was fine for sleeping. Something to consider as you doze off to sleep and something makes it way across the foot of your sleeping bag - - - or a loose thread from your sleeping bag brushes against your face.
5. Spotting scope or binoculars on a tripod is very helpful, especially if hunting open terrain.
6. Scarcer water supply.
   1. Makes it harder to fill up a water bladder, hunt in remote locations, over night camp, or go in deep.
   2. May have to backpack water in a great distance if you want to hunt "in deep". 8 pounds a gallon. I carried three gallons in (24 pounds) to be able to hunt remotely away from the roads for four days. It was worth it.
   3. Sitting over a water hole may be more productive because water is difficult to find. (Will likely have competition at water holes from other hunters. Getting there early and sitting all day may be required to hunt a particular water hole. But don't think that entitles you to anything. Had other hunters show up at water holes, see me, and setup on the same water hole anyhow, just a short distance away. How nice of them to share the great outdoors with me for an evening.....)
   4. Very few hunters setup way off the road.
7. Generally much drier conditions. Lots more nose bleeds, sun burn, and chapped lips. Bring unscented sunscreen and lip balm.
8. More grateful hunters, especially those that got their tag through the drawing. They realize what a special hunt they have in front of them.
9. More entitled, jackhole hunters, especially those that spent a LOT of money to purchase an expensive, unit-wide tag. (They think that because they spent X dollars on a tag, they own the entire unit.)
10. The E-plus system changes things in NM a bit.
    1. Misleading information when it comes to number of tags issued for some individual units Some draw units in NM have both unit wide and ranch only tags. Adding the number of tags up issued through the draw and the Eplus system, some of these units have over 1000 additional tags issued, which results in more hunter pressure than some OTC units in CO. You will be more crowded than you think at times. "Yeah, but they only issue 200 tags for this unit." With most people hunting close to the road due to the lack of water, and the abundance of unit-wide tags, expect to see many more people than you'd think on a draw-unit tag.

In CO I generally hike in, setup camp, and hop from location to location, bivy-style and mobile. Mountain man baths in the streams. Fill up water regularly throughout the day. Park vehicle at trail head and return once every seven days or so to restock supplies if elk are in the area.

In NM I generally camped in or at the vehicle, and drove from location to location during the hottest part of the day or at night. Took 14 gallons of water with me (14 one-gallon jugs) for resupplying water and taking solar showers at the vehicle. Filled up with water at the vehicle in the morning, mid-day if moving locations, or in the evening after being out for the day.

Really two very different hunts.

Good luck on your hunt!!!

 

[butcherboy]

I’ve hunted both. NM my whole life. A few things that never change are food, water, bedding areas, escape routes. For NM, a lot depends on which unit you are hunting. Some have quite a bit of water and others are dry, dry, dry. I live in the northwest corner and only hunt the northern and northwest units.

 

[trophyhill]

I've hunted both pretty extensively since 2009. After my first hunt in 2008 here in NM, there's no way I wasn't hunting elk somewhere. With the CO border only 3-1/2 hours away,it was a no brainer for me.

A few differences of note from my perspective.

The terrain! The Sangres in Northern NM are as steep as anywhere I've hunted in CO. CO is steep in every unit I've hunted. Google Earth doesn't do it justice by any means.

Although nowhere near as steep or high in elevation in most units I've hunted in NM, the terrain here has its own challenges. The grass covered rock here can be brutal on your feet. The constant up and down because mountains are shorter and ridges typically don't run nearly as long as those long ridges in Colorado. Both states are extremely physical.

Water availability is a stark contrast. In CO it's nice to be able to filter water when needed. It's usually not an issue in CO. Elk obviously don't have to travel very far to water.

In NM water is at a premium in alot of units and you see the kind of distance elk will travel from feeding/watering to bedding areas. You're better off if you are able to figure those travel routes out sooner than later. As a hunter you have to have plenty of water at the truck. Sucking dirty cow piss filled stagnant water out of a dirt tank is still something I refuse to do. I'll take the weight penalty to stay alive.

In CO yes there are plenty of forest roads. But they are spread out. You can typically park and hunt, move park and hunt rinse and repeat hunting alot of areas that get overlooked. You can also hike a mile in, set camp up and hunt vast areas without having to hike into wilderness areas. And you can hike into wilderness areas, set camp up and hunt that way too.

NM has very few wilderness areas comparatively speaking so truck camp is more conducive here.

The obvious where OTC is concerned is the pressure, or lack of. NM doesn't have OTC obviously. However the draw units aren't much different pressure wise. Well that was true 5 years ago anyway. Some of the units that have become draw in recent years are a draw unit on its face. I hunted a draw unit on the Western Slope last year and there were more people hunting it than when I hunted it in 2016 when it was OTC. So some of these new draw units are overcrowded.

I've hunted other draw units in CO where I never saw another human unless it was on the road system.

The vegetation is night and day in the 2 states. 75 miles or less from the border in NM, you'll notice huge changes. Going from spruce beetle kill laden forests in CO, to healthy pinion forests and the dry high plains desert vegetation. Diets are totally different.

In NM I very rarely come across wild strawberry's. In CO I've found wild strawberry's and wild raspberries in abundance. One of the few things that take my mind off the task at hand. I literally drop to my knees and gorge like an Alaskan grizzly.

I've been in the Gila and it smelled like an onion. I will get my fill of wild onions as well. And they seem to have a hydrating value as well.

In CO the drainages can be so lush with some type of willow or alder growing in them bushwacking is impossible and they can be marshes where you'll find that out as soon as you sink up to your knee in muck. And the deadfall. Oh the deadfall.

NM you wont see a whole lot of that. There will be deadfall in most forests or where there have been wildfires, but typically it doesn't hold a candle compared to CO deadfall. You literally better be able and willing to carefully tightrope, or you're not going thru and will have to find another route in CO.

When it comes to the hunting differences whether an otc unit, or draw unit in either state, my tactics don't change much, however as I continue to learn and unlock the elk code, my tactics have evolved. I'm doing a few things noone ever talks about and have taken what I've learned from a few great elk hunters (some from right here) and what elk themselves have taught me and continue to try new things.

I won't be pigeon holed into hunting a certain way because it's the next best thing since Wonder Bread. Growing up, Bruce Lee was my hero. So staying fluid and adaptable has become a big part of how I hunt. I take pride in being able to change tactics on a dime. There are many who are 1 dimensional. My tactics are very versatile. The versatility has allowed me opportunities in a dozen different units. I am confident before ever stepping into a unit that I will find them.

One of my early mentors aka Da White Shoe (Zane) once told me "David, a confident hunter is a dangerous killer". And he's right!

another man i look up to (Lou) has given a ton of tips on the forums that I've personally taken to heart, and now I spend alot of time just listening and in doing so, I've heard sounds elk make that aren't raging screaming bugles, but subtle quiet sounds that many have probably heard and never paid any attention to. Hearing these different sounds has put elk in my freezer. And taught me alot of patience.

My good friend JPD350 on the forums has been so instrumental in helping me learn where elk are, what they do and when they do it. He has been instrumental teaching me how to find elk no matter where I'm hunting. There is noone better at dissecting a unit. Having mentors is invaluable.

So the differences in hunting elk no matter which state you hunt, should be fluid and adaptable. Once you have this, there isn't a whole lot of difference hunting them. But let me say this. The factors I listed above may alter my approach slightly, but tactics don't change because of it.

Lou once told me "if you pay attention to what the forest and the elk are telling you, you will learn how to hunt them. Elk are great teachers". He also told me "elk are incredibly good at the survival game. They play it all year long".

True for all states and countries world wide.

 

[Beendare]

^ Great post David- I hope you are doing well

 

[trophyhill]

^ Great post David- I hope you are doing well

Thanks Bruce

 

[hunterfisherman1]

Agreed on a lot of the points here - NM was more arid than my hunts in CO and the elk tended to be a bit more concentrated by habitat rather than hunting pressure like I've seen in CO.

 

[NMBigGame]

Love trophyhill's post.

West of the 6s, what everyone is saying about less water is very true. NM has had a banner rainfall year so might not be as applicable as other years but still drier than high alpine CO. Anything longitudinally even with the 6's and north is a mixed bag. You can find any type of habitat you want. Higher elevation = less arid.

 

[CJohnson]

I appreciate all of the info guys. Part of what I love about this community.

 

[preach]

Headed to NM for the first time this September. Thanks for the words of wisdom, guys.


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