New Mexico 16e and 51

[Trott2478]

Smokinf15 I sent you s pm, let me know if you don’t get it, some have not been going through, or I havnt been receiving messages for some reason.

Again thank you all for the advice and helping a new elk hunter

 

[Trott2478]

I am hesitant to chime in after Randy already offered, but PM me if you want some additional help. Although my info is dated I know the unit well. I have hunted it 5 times during archery season the last being 2009. I know the unit fairly well and would be happy to help.


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Marine for life, I tried to pm you but no one is receiving my messages, any advice you are willing to share would be great. Randy was very insightful but the more information I can gather, the better. I want to know as much about the unit as I can. Thank you

 

[Marine4life]

Marine for life, I tried to pm you but no one is receiving my messages, any advice you are willing to share would be great. Randy was very insightful but the more information I can gather, the better. I want to know as much about the unit as I can. Thank you

Sent you a PM with phone. Let me know if you didn’t get it.


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[Trott2478]

Thank you everyone one for your help, it’s nice when I can experience first hand hunters helping other hunters! I’m supprised that no one I’ve talked to has ever rifle hunted this unit.

 

[robie]

Thank you everyone one for your help, it’s nice when I can experience first hand hunters helping other hunters! I’m supprised that no one I’ve talked to has ever rifle hunted this unit.

Do you have a side by side or atv?

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[Trott2478]

Yes, I have a polaris ranger I planned on taking

 

[robie]

Yes, I have a polaris ranger I planned on taking

You can hunt the Lueras with it. The road is the worst thing you will ever ride on.

Start doing your research and if you have specific questions PM me. And by specific i mean more than where are the elk.

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[Trott2478]

Robie I’ll try to send you a visitor message later, but have not figured out how to pm unless someone pms me first. If you could pm me it would be very helpful, and thank you for your help, as this was one of the areas I’ve been looking into

 

[Trott2478]

I just bought an eberlestock team elk pack, does this pack distribute weight well or am I going to regret it if I end up packing an elk out?

 

[Jbark60]

I had an eberlestock but now have a kifaru the extra $$$$ is worth it especially in that unit.

 

[robie]

I just bought an eberlestock team elk pack, does this pack distribute weight well or am I going to regret it if I end up packing an elk out?

Stick with what you have. There is no need to purchase a ton of new gear for this hunt.

You would be fine with a small day pack and a pack frame. You aren't packing gear in for an overnight anywhere in this unit.

1. You will need a warm place to sleep. This could be an RV, Tarp with Stove or tent with a warm bag. Any of those will work
2. You need a vehicle that can handle a little abuse and a ATV/Quad with slime in the tires and or a spare or two.
3. You need a gun you are comfortable shooting.
4. An ok pair of binos will do just fine, no need to buy swaros. On this hunt you should shoot the first decent bull you see. You aren't counting inches in this unit. Outfitter I talked to said his average is a 280" bull. Which means a lot of 5x5's are getting killed by his clients. Unless you are OK with tag soup I would be happy with what he is averaging. Remember it was a 17% success rate in 2016, I don't see 2017 being much better.
5. Day pack with food and water and kill kit and some way to pack meat. You don't need a bad ass pack that will hike camp in for 10 days.

Other than that you should be ok on gear. This isn't a backpacking hunt or something very rugged, you can be in town in about 2 hours at Walmart if you need something.

Another note, cell service is terrible in this unit the new tiny Garmin in-reach would be a good purchase if you need to communicate otherwise if you have Verizon or Sprint on roaming you will get service in a couple of spots. AT&T is a no go in this unit.

It can be a fun hunt but because it has a 16 before the E people expect it to be a Gila hunt and because the Gila slips into the unit in on one tiny corner people call it a Gila unit. It's just not.

 

[Trott2478]

Thanks for your insight robie you have been a great help!!! I am thinking of returning the eberlestock when it gets here, I think I might spend a little extra and get the mystery ranch cabinet, if nothing else resale value should be better if I don’t get a chance to elk hunt again for a few years after this hunt, and from what I’ve read mystery ranch makes great packs.

 

[robie]

Thanks for your insight robie you have been a great help!!! I am thinking of returning the eberlestock when it gets here, I think I might spend a little extra and get the mystery ranch cabinet, if nothing else resale value should be better if I don’t get a chance to elk hunt again for a few years after this hunt, and from what I’ve read mystery ranch makes great packs.

Check out the classified if its not something you are going to be using often. Its hard for me to justify some of the high $ for a once a year item.

 

[smokinf15]

Stick with what you have. There is no need to purchase a ton of new gear for this hunt.

You would be fine with a small day pack and a pack frame. You aren't packing gear in for an overnight anywhere in this unit.

1. You will need a warm place to sleep. This could be an RV, Tarp with Stove or tent with a warm bag. Any of those will work
2. You need a vehicle that can handle a little abuse and a ATV/Quad with slime in the tires and or a spare or two.
3. You need a gun you are comfortable shooting.
4. An ok pair of binos will do just fine, no need to buy swaros. On this hunt you should shoot the first decent bull you see. You aren't counting inches in this unit. Outfitter I talked to said his average is a 280" bull. Which means a lot of 5x5's are getting killed by his clients. Unless you are OK with tag soup I would be happy with what he is averaging. Remember it was a 17% success rate in 2016, I don't see 2017 being much better.
5. Day pack with food and water and kill kit and some way to pack meat. You don't need a bad ass pack that will hike camp in for 10 days.

Other than that you should be ok on gear. This isn't a backpacking hunt or something very rugged, you can be in town in about 2 hours at Walmart if you need something.

Another note, cell service is terrible in this unit the new tiny Garmin in-reach would be a good purchase if you need to communicate otherwise if you have Verizon or Sprint on roaming you will get service in a couple of spots. AT&T is a no go in this unit.

It can be a fun hunt but because it has a 16 before the E people expect it to be a Gila hunt and because the Gila slips into the unit in on one tiny corner people call it a Gila unit. It's just not.

Spot on. Not your normal Gila unit. And don’t camp in the lueras. It’s state land (not blm/ngb) and illegal. You can camp in 16c if you are gonna hunt that side.


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[WapitiArcher]

I've hunted in, or helped hunters in, both units. Happy to help. Send me a PM. Good luck.

Here is a youth rifle hunt in 16E. Be in very good shape for this hunt, both for the hunting and the extraction.

[video=youtube_share;avc0m2pkeFc]

Hello Randy,

I can't click the link, would you mind sharing the title of the youth video? When I copy and paste it brings me to your hunt with Bruce Pettet, which was awesome. Very similar to the terrain I hunt in Oregon.

 

[Adair county]

I've hunted in, or helped hunters in, both units. Happy to help. Send me a PM. Good luck.

Here is a youth rifle hunt in 16E. Be in very good shape for this hunt, both for the hunting and the extraction.

[video=youtube_share;avc0m2pkeFc]

Hey Randy! My name is Tyler Fourkiller and I’m new to rok slide… I was on here looking through some of the forums trying to learn.. i got a 2nd season archery tag for 16E! Super excited just trying to find out the most general information I can about the unit so I can get out there and hit the ground running best I can!

 

[Gila]

Hey Randy! My name is Tyler Fourkiller and I’m new to rok slide… I was on here looking through some of the forums trying to learn.. i got a 2nd season archery tag for 16E! Super excited just trying to find out the most general information I can about the unit so I can get out there and hit the ground running best I can!

Randy has quite a few videos of his scouting strategies on his website forum “Hunttalk”. I believe he stuck a bull at like 15 feet away In 16e. The video of his hunt is awesome! I think the above info is really good. I am more familiar with other 16 units. As previously mentioned, be careful of going on private land. I harvested a nice bull last season on a rifle hunt in a nearby 16 unit. I have an article of that hunt here: “A Gila elk hunt“. The same strategies will apply for your hunt for the most part. However the rut will be full bore when you hunt. Last season the bulls went nuts on the 21st. For your archery season chasing bugling bulls will come into play. In that unit I wouldn’t hesitate to stick the first legal elk that comes in range. Any 16 unit is a great hunting opportunity.

 

[BBob]

Times change. Reading through this and the comment that 280" was the average getting killed is not the E unit of old. E used to regularly hold some of the biggest trophy bulls around. Way back it was the preferred unit in some circles for the Gila area and even over D believe it or not. I myself much preferred D but I didn't tell anyone that. Back then most people weren't aware of the big and equal bulls roaming D. Maybe because in E they were so easy to glass up?

 

[trophyhill]

Get ready to cover some ground in E. Ya have to stop in Magdalena for some 5 alarm Chile and ya might want to take a string of llamas to pack in and out

 

[Gila]

Get ready to cover some ground in E. Ya have to stop in Magdalena for some 5 alarm Chile and ya might want to take a string of llamas to pack in and out

Llamas in New Mexico? HaHaHa

There are plenty of trophy bulls in any 16 unit. The problem is getting to them. That 5 alarm chilli is for the tourists. Go across the street to the gas station and get some of his wife’s burritos...to die for!