New Mexico Elk Unit 56 - I Screwed Up

[Paulyester]

I drew my coveted New Mexico rifle elk tag this year, except it wasn't my coveted tag. Somehow I put down the wrong numbers and drew a unit in the northeast corner with like 20% public lands. Since you can't get a refund on New Mexico tags, does anyone know anything about unit 56, or a guide in that unit since my only chance pretty much is hunting on private land, but unfortunately I'm out of state and won't have a chance to try and get permission.

 

[Roguemountainhunter]

Well, that's the wrong side of I-25.
Grew up hunting around Raton. Just not east of the highway.

Hope it works out for you.

 

[11boo]

Could be worse, I have a friend who was supposed to put in for an easy draw unit, and he was easily confused. Guy ends up with a fall turkey tag, not elk.

 

[madtinker]

Good luck, wish I had something useful to offer.

 

[dtrkyman]

Not very familiar with that area, but I would say make the best of it. There are elk around and while it is 20% public there is still 100k plus acres to hunt. There are generally more elk in those flats than one would think.

Have seen some big bulls along the highway traveling through that area.

 

[GunsAreFun]

I don’t know if they do it every year because this was my first year applying there, but I know the my switched the codes from 2022 to 2023. Don’t really understand why but it makes things harder than they need to be.

 

[trophyhill]

You could always slip Into 55 and claim you thought you were in 56?

 

[dtrkyman]

I don’t know if they do it every year because this was my first year applying there, but I know the my switched the codes from 2022 to 2023. Don’t really understand why but it makes things harder than they need to be.

Yep, hunt codes change every year. It can get ya!

 

[Paulyester]

So here's the update. I really appreciate everyone chiming in. Apparently the hunt code from 22-23 to 23-24 changed units. I was looking at the 22-23 regulations which had the hunt in unit 56. In talking with an outfitter, I realized that I was looking at the wrong regs, and my hunt is actually in Unit 49 which is the hunt I wanted.
Once again, I really appreciate the help and PM's I got. Now, if any of you have information on Unit 49, I'll be happy to accept that as well lol

 

[Paulyester]

I don’t know if they do it every year because this was my first year applying there, but I know the my switched the codes from 2022 to 2023. Don’t really understand why but it makes things harder than they need to be.

Yep! This was my problem. I’ve gone from on top of the world, to wanting to jump off a bridge, back to ecstatic


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[madtinker]

I don’t know if they do it every year because this was my first year applying there, but I know the my switched the codes from 2022 to 2023. Don’t really understand why but it makes things harder than they need to be.

Every four years they re-evaluate tag numbers and re-allocate tags. This year they added and split a number of hunts, so the codes changed pretty significantly. But for some reasons the hunt codes are just assigned sequentially rather than something like unit #-weapon code #-hunt number.

 

[tlowell02]

Yep! This was my problem. I’ve gone from on top of the world, to wanting to jump off a bridge, back to ecstatic


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Truthfully, I'd rather hunt 56 than 49. There's plenty of elk in the plains.

 

[swampokie]

There are some big bulls on the volcano in 56. I was wondering how someone.so lucky to draw the only bull rifle tag as a nr was so naive to the.potential of that unit. Wow. I honestly didnt know there was a rifle tag available for nr in.56 or id put in for it. More elk in 49 but better glassing and.id say better trophy potential in 56