Mescalero Cow Hunt

[masonbanta]

Has anyone done this hunt recently? I am looking at them and the Jicarilla cow hunts for applying this year. Are you required to have a guide on the Mescalero? When I called and left a message as well as sent an email asking but figure I would find out any first hand information I can here.

 

[masonbanta]

Spoke to them this morning. Guide is required on everything except turkey. They will provide a list after you draw a tag. Just in case anyone else is wondering since this appears to be some top secret thing…

 

[ElGuapo]

Trying to get info from any of the Tribe GF organizations is like extracting top secret intel! Either the Mescalero or the JIC would be a slam dunk to get a cow. Both are awesome country as well.

 

[Draak]

Hunted south unit of Jicarillo for cows early November without success. Saw a few herds but they were on the run at a distance and up hills so no clean shot. It is amazing territory for them, guide pushed too hard so we only had running animals. From what the guide said most of them are more familiar with the main unit and the landscape is more mountainous and better for spotting them. Where we were was perfect country, but there is constant pressure as they are the largest energy producers in the country iirc. The roads are generally pretty nice because its in constant use from the oil & gas company use, but the landscape is covered in pumps and patrolled.

Most of the unit was like attached pictures, as we went more north it was significantly more mountainous and green, didn't take pictures though, saw some gut piles from other guides out there but no dice for us.

Guides are required & no suppressors if you normally use one.

For the price and the animal availability, I would go again. Bull & Muley tags are outside my price range though.

 

[masonbanta]

Hunted south unit of Jicarillo for cows early November without success. Saw a few herds but they were on the run at a distance and up hills so no clean shot. It is amazing territory for them, guide pushed too hard so we only had running animals. From what the guide said most of them are more familiar with the main unit and the landscape is more mountainous and better for spotting them. Where we were was perfect country, but there is constant pressure as they are the largest energy producers in the country iirc. The roads are generally pretty nice because its in constant use from the oil & gas company use, but the landscape is covered in pumps and patrolled.

Most of the unit was like attached pictures, as we went more north it was significantly more mountainous and green, didn't take pictures though, saw some gut piles from other guides out there but no dice for us.

Guides are required & no suppressors if you normally use one.

For the price and the animal availability, I would go again. Bull & Muley tags are outside my price range though.

Man that’s a nice bull! The muley tag is definitely out of my price range but it would be cool to see one of their giants. Thanks for the information!

 

[Draak]

Man that’s a nice bull! The muley tag is definitely out of my price range but it would be cool to see one of their giants. Thanks for the information!

He ran out on the road with another smaller bull as we were about to enter the unit. Got flushed out from the herd we saw running by a oil & gas pickup driving to the pumps. Found a group of 4 nicer bulls going up a hillside about 45 minutes later. They definitely have some nice animals if you can afford it.

 

[Steve from GA]

Hunted south unit of Jicarillo for cows early November without success. Saw a few herds but they were on the run at a distance and up hills so no clean shot. It is amazing territory for them, guide pushed too hard so we only had running animals. From what the guide said most of them are more familiar with the main unit and the landscape is more mountainous and better for spotting them. Where we were was perfect country, but there is constant pressure as they are the largest energy producers in the country iirc. The roads are generally pretty nice because its in constant use from the oil & gas company use, but the landscape is covered in pumps and patrolled.

Most of the unit was like attached pictures, as we went more north it was significantly more mountainous and green, didn't take pictures though, saw some gut piles from other guides out there but no dice for us.

Guides are required & no suppressors if you normally use one.

For the price and the animal availability, I would go again. Bull & Muley tags are outside my price range though.

I hunted the south unit in Nov and was successful on day 3, but it was after an insane amount of work. I was pretty convinced that it wasn’t going to happen, but it finally did. The north end is crawling with elk that are much easier to hunt.

 

[masonbanta]

That’s strange when I talked to the biologist he said the south unit is quite healthy with cow elk. But he said the guides tend to stay to the north because of the drive. Guess we will see if I get lucky on even pulling a tag first

 

[Steve from GA]

There are good elk numbers in the south unit, just not like the north unit. It’s a different climate as well. The south unit is dryer, warmer, and more desert-like. The elk stay out of the open spaces and travel the high mesas. They know how to disappear, especially when it’s warm. You have to find the active water sources, pattern them, and stay after it. Some guides will work that hard and others won’t.