NM outfitter recommendations

[RLXFXR]

Looking for an outfitter recommendation on a New Mexico rifle hunt for bull elk in 2024 with a landowner tag available, budget being around $10K. Though the hunt quality is important, I’m also want a great camp experience hopefully w/ wall tents and horses versus getting picked up from a Motel 8 and driving for an hour each way.

 

[Gila]

I would call up some outfitters and ask around and see what the best strategy is for your needs. I am a resident and (so far) I have been doing my own DIY hunts. We have a 10% allocation for the outfitters pool. Non-resident DIYers have a 6% pool. I don’t know of outfitters in the North as I have not hunted up there in years. There are a few unit wide land owner tags, and they are highly priced accordingly. But your guide can have you hunt any other ranch in the unit that is in the program, as well as all state and federal land (BLM, National Forest).

Here in the South the elk hunting is about as good as it gets. The bull to cow ratios in the Southern Units are some of the highest in the state. The Lincoln National Forest has an incredible number of elk and the numbers are increasing fast. The Gila and Apache National Forests also have a high number of elk but also have a high number of Trophy bulls. The Merriam’s Elk (and largest elk sub-species) which is supposed to be extinct, inhabited those areas. Some locals think the Merriams survives in the Gila wilderness areas. Whether or not the Merriam’s survived, the bulls in the Gila are Huge!

I have seen a few outfitter camps in the Gila and they seem rather comfortable. Big wall tents and hot showers, kitchens and nice eating area for the most part. Some have permanent cabins in the heart of elk country. I personally don’t know any outfitters per se; I just run into the the horse wranglers and guides when I am out scouting for my hunts. First rifle is the best season. In the middle of October the bulls are still with the herds and bugling In the mornings and evenings. It is common to see over a hundred elk with a dozen or so bulls on a 5 day rifle hunt. Bottom line is if you want a chance at a Trophy of a lifetime, hunt the Gila. If you are after a respectable bull (6x6) then hunt the Lincoln. To get you started on info, you may want to call these guys:

A3 Trophy hunts: https://www.a3trophyhunts.com/new-mexico-hunts

San Francisco River Outfitters: https://sanfranciscoriveroutfitters.com/

Mountain Legends Taxidermy: https://www.mtnlegendstaxidermy.com/

Garcia Taxidermy: https://www.facebook.com/garciataxidermy/

 

[RLXFXR]

I would call up some outfitters and ask around and see what the best strategy is for your needs. I am a resident and (so far) I have been doing my own DIY hunts. We have a 10% allocation for the outfitters pool. Non-resident DIYers have a 6% pool. I don’t know of outfitters in the North as I have not hunted up there in years. There are a few unit wide land owner tags, and they are highly priced accordingly. But your guide can have you hunt any other ranch in the unit that is in the program, as well as all state and federal land (BLM, National Forest).

Here in the South the elk hunting is about as good as it gets. The bull to cow ratios in the Southern Units are some of the highest in the state. The Lincoln National Forest has an incredible number of elk and the numbers are increasing fast. The Gila and Apache National Forests also have a high number of elk but also have a high number of Trophy bulls. The Merriam’s Elk (and largest elk sub-species) which is supposed to be extinct, inhabited those areas. Some locals think the Merriams survives in the Gila wilderness areas. Whether or not the Merriam’s survived, the bulls in the Gila are Huge!

I have seen a few outfitter camps in the Gila and they seem rather comfortable. Big wall tents and hot showers, kitchens and nice eating area for the most part. Some have permanent cabins in the heart of elk country. I personally don’t know any outfitters per se; I just run into the the horse wranglers and guides when I am out scouting for my hunts. First rifle is the best season. In the middle of October the bulls are still with the herds and bugling In the mornings and evenings. It is common to see over a hundred elk with a dozen or so bulls on a 5 day rifle hunt. Bottom line is if you want a chance at a Trophy of a lifetime, hunt the Gila. If you are after a respectable bull (6x6) then hunt the Lincoln. To get you started on info, you may want to call these guys:

A3 Trophy hunts: https://www.a3trophyhunts.com/new-mexico-hunts

San Francisco River Outfitters: https://sanfranciscoriveroutfitters.com/

Mountain Legends Taxidermy: https://www.mtnlegendstaxidermy.com/

Garcia Taxidermy: https://www.facebook.com/garciataxidermy/

I would call up some outfitters and ask around and see what the best strategy is for your needs. I am a resident and (so far) I have been doing my own DIY hunts. We have a 10% allocation for the outfitters pool. Non-resident DIYers have a 6% pool. I don’t know of outfitters in the North as I have not hunted up there in years. There are a few unit wide land owner tags, and they are highly priced accordingly. But your guide can have you hunt any other ranch in the unit that is in the program, as well as all state and federal land (BLM, National Forest).

Here in the South the elk hunting is about as good as it gets. The bull to cow ratios in the Southern Units are some of the highest in the state. The Lincoln National Forest has an incredible number of elk and the numbers are increasing fast. The Gila and Apache National Forests also have a high number of elk but also have a high number of Trophy bulls. The Merriam’s Elk (and largest elk sub-species) which is supposed to be extinct, inhabited those areas. Some locals think the Merriams survives in the Gila wilderness areas. Whether or not the Merriam’s survived, the bulls in the Gila are Huge!

I have seen a few outfitter camps in the Gila and they seem rather comfortable. Big wall tents and hot showers, kitchens and nice eating area for the most part. Some have permanent cabins in the heart of elk country. I personally don’t know any outfitters per se; I just run into the the horse wranglers and guides when I am out scouting for my hunts. First rifle is the best season. In the middle of October the bulls are still with the herds and bugling In the mornings and evenings. It is common to see over a hundred elk with a dozen or so bulls on a 5 day rifle hunt. Bottom line is if you want a chance at a Trophy of a lifetime, hunt the Gila. If you are after a respectable bull (6x6) then hunt the Lincoln. To get you started on info, you may want to call these guys:

A3 Trophy hunts: https://www.a3trophyhunts.com/new-mexico-hunts

San Francisco River Outfitters: https://sanfranciscoriveroutfitters.com/

Mountain Legends Taxidermy: https://www.mtnlegendstaxidermy.com/

Garcia Taxidermy: https://www.facebook.com/garciataxidermy/

Thank you so much for all the helpful information!!

 

[RuggedYogi]

Miguel with NM Outiftters out of Taos is a great guide. Not as flashy of a website or social media presence as some of the other outfits, but he gets the job done.

NM Outfitter - Google Search

 

[WRO]

Hunthard, Arizona pro, and black mountain need to be on your list.

A3 I'd be leery of.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[Mojave]

Most landowner elk tags in Southern New Mexico are $8000-20,000 for the tag, and another $6000-8000 to guide.

This is for 34 and the 16's. Where the ability to shoot a 400 inch bull exist.

The $10,000 hunts including the tags are in Northern New Mexico, where a 320 bull is awesome.

 

[GatorMike]

Looking for an outfitter recommendation on a New Mexico rifle hunt for bull elk in 2024 with a landowner tag available, budget being around $10K. Though the hunt quality is important, I’m also want a great camp experience hopefully w/ wall tents and horses versus getting picked up from a Motel 8 and driving for an hour each way.

DO NOT waste your money with Milligan Brand in Chama ....I hunted with them in 2022 and the owner is an arrogant prick who is drunk walking through camp all the time and you will not se many animals....the camp is a dump...flies/spiders everywhere and you will hear the neighbors having domestic issues daily. Plenty of other great outfitters in NM...this guy is a crook

 

[huntabsarokee]

I would at least call Tim B. at Kiowa. We used them for a 2 day trip and communication was excellent and reasonably priced.

 

[nguerrero5]

goodluck