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Newmexicohunter

Newmexicohunter

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Iv herd rumors 16B has fallen off in the past years but I don't give two craps lol. I simply love this unit. Its where I shot my first elk years ago and never thought I would be fortunate enough to get drawn again, and better yet we'll be bow hunting second archery season. This year I got a buddy who is going to pack us in on his mules and with a little luck be packing us out heavy with two big bulls.
 
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I saw elk all over the place right off the roads in that unit last June but when I went back in November they had vanished completely. This might be a stupid question but is that due entirely to hunting pressure? Maybe the sept. archery season? I assume they would move lower as the weather cools but they had beaten it out into the sticks.

For the record I wasn't hunting elk last year and I'm not going to this year. It was just something I noticed.
 
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It has definitely fallin off. Not near as many elk in the wilderness as 10 years ago, from wolves and mainly drought. The wilderness can be finicky as elk will move a lot based on conditions. Still a great hunt and should be great antler growth this year
 
I've drawn the 16B NR early rifle tag twice - 2003 and 2013. My son drew it last year in 2023.

As others have said, the wolves have made an impact. The fires have also drastically changed things in that unit. With my limited experience I have found that the elk will move around a lot.
 
Hunted the first Archery hunt it was damn tough... Tons of people willow creek Aeroplane mesa. Christie trail looked like a road from all the horses and foot traffic... We hiked a lot glassed sat tanks tough hunt not much rut activity... Weren't seeing many cows, saw as many bulls as cows total elk was around 30...
 
I hunted the 1-14 and my report is nearly identical. We were having some small bulls come into wallows and that was promising until all the wallows dried up by day three. Incredible country, it felt like there should have been a much higher population, but water is definitely an issue. It was hot and dry - very dry. I heard one wolf but never saw any. Several bears. I knew the success rates were only about 15% for this hunt but I also know there are some studs running around in there. It was my third choice and at least I was hunting. The most surprising part to me was the hunting pressure - it was rare that we did not run into other hunters on a nearly daily basis. The second week we were a long way from any trailhead, and it did not change anything. I have always wanted to hunt the Gila wilderness area, and I can check that off. If you are going to hunt this unit, go in with realistic expectations: lots of hunting pressure, it will be hot, success rate is 15% (and many of these are rag horns), and getting an elk out in those temps without four+ people or horses/lamas would be impossible. There were several days we did not see or hear an elk. We had one morning they were bugling good, and I should have been more aggressive.
 
There was more people in the wilderness on the 1st hunt than I had ever seen, there was also very little water so everyone was piled in the same areas. It was tuff hunt but a few good ones were taken but not by our crew.
 
BUGLEnmIN said:
A lot has happened it’s unrecognizable
Click to expand...
I agree, The burned areas 10-12 years ago were GREAT areas to hunt with the new growth. Now many of those same areas are choked with low growth vegetation and you can't hardly walk through many areas let alone see an elk at 20 yards.

Like I mentioned previously I've been there in 2003, 2013, and 2023. Each time it was a new learning curve. Even some of the main trails are no longer there.
 

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