New Mexico early archery tactics

[WhiteOak]

Hello all, I have been bow hunting for deer, turkey, and the occasional squirrel for the past 6 years back east and this past year was able to relocate to New Mexico. This upcoming year will be my first year in the draw and I hope to get a chance to hunt in the mountains.

All of the hunts I applied for are first archery Sept 1-15, fingers crossed. I would be lying if I said my goal wasn't to bring home an elk, Bull or Cow as they are either sex tags. My expectations are that I will most likely get my ass handed to me and this will be a huge learning experience that I will be very happy with... we all have to start somewhere.

In anticipation for this year or next, whenever I am lucky enough to draw I would like to start a gameplan... I understand elk will most likely not be entering the rut for the length of the tag and even later in NM. What are some of y'alls preferred methods for early archery. Get up high and glass until you can spot or pattern the elk then try to make a move? hike until you see recent sign and try to set up on a trail for ambush? If you know you are sharing the same space as the elk can cow calls work during this time to bring cows your way?

Any and all advice, tips, or stories are much appreciated and thanks all in advance

 

[Thomas11]

I think it depends on where u are at or which unit u draw

 

[Thomas11]

The southern units could be a totally diff tactic than maybe some northern units for that hunt

 

[WhiteOak]

Thank you Thomas, I applied for both northern and southern units. Best draw odds for my apps are for the northern. The waiting game is rough but exciting.

 

[Thomas11]

Yelp def have better odds in the northern units. Regardless u should be able to get into some rutting action by the mid dates of y hunt

 

[les welch]

As a resident you actually have pretty decent "odds".

North or South you should find vocal bulls from my experience. NM is the one state I really like to hunt early and have good success using "rut" tactics.

 

[WhiteOak]

Thanks all, much appreciated

 

[NMbackcountry]

It varies from year to year, just like most places, due to a ton of different factors. Plus each bull is different. Some will react to cow calls, some to bugles, some to raking and some to nothing. I called this bull in to my wife after bedding him in the morning, sitting on him all day and doing a 45 minute call session. This was on day five and he was the first bull to bugle at us. This past year was hot and dry. I was waking up with a bloody nose almost every morning.

You just gotta catch them at the right time on any given day. There are some units where you can spot and stalk them but good luck patterning them once they rub their velvet. From my experience, these bulls will cover some ground and start moving around to where the cows are once the rut starts up. You can sit a water hole and have decent luck but you'll definetly be missing out by not learning to call them in.

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[Topo_trekker]

Are you going to be solo? If you want a cow the spot/stalk pattern thing can be very effective. As for bulls early on they should be bugling at dusk/dawn and at night in the thick stuff. Get into the general area where you heard the bugle and do some breeding sequence calling. Raking, stomping, cow calls, a couple of bugles and panting. I found evenings were better. ElkNut has great examples of this. They will come in silent and stop about 40 yrds out and make some sort of weak bugle or rake. If you're solo, stop at that point. Wait a minute or two then go at him cow calling, with brush in between you. Get into a effective range and go silent. Stay behind the brush until he turns to leave and then step out to get a shooting lane/tunnel and cow call to stop him. Remember you can move anytime he's moving and they most likely won't blow out. Angle should be quartering away/broadside at this point, that's when you slip an arrow through him. It'll probably take you 4-8 different bulls before you get a perfect scenario to work out solo. Don't forget to drop to your knees to get a shot either if need be.


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[WhiteOak]

Thank you very much for sharing and congratulations to your wife and you on that bull. That's awesome. I have been practicing with a couple diaphragm calls and hope to be proficient for the season. If you don't mind me asking what was your calling strategy, did you hear him first or did you get him to answer you call? If the elk are quiet do you stay quiet and take a different approach? I know it will be hard to put the puzzle together until I am on the ground and the best way to learn is firsthand, which if I am lucky enough this year I hope to learn a whole lot about elk on my hunt that would be a win for me.
Thanks

 

[WhiteOak]

I will most likely be solo on this hunt. I would be perfectly happy with a cow and will probably give myself 7 days or so for the hunt. After reading these post I will probably try for a bull for the first 4 days or so then switch gears and try to get a cow if I feel like it's not going to happen on a bull. I have to brush up on some more ElkNut knowledge. I recall a podcast where he was talking about a window that the bull will come into in a given area to check out what's calling and to try to position yourself based off that likely window before you get him to come in for a shot. I was also reading about how the bull will be more vocal at night and trying to slip in to a transition area in the dark can be very effective. I'll just have to see how the terrain is and how comfortable I'll be trying to move in the dark. Thank you very much for the advice, i will be going through this over and over