I've been stalling in hopes I'd be able to come up with something optimistic to offer people researching this area... but nothing great to report here:
Made it back empty handed and slightly wiser. My partners foot injury earlier in the summer definitely forced some severe limitations on how...
No reports yet from anyone on the first rifle hunt... maybe someone will post after their hunt?
I'm starting to pack up and we will make our way to the road camp on Thursday and I'll sort things out how far I'm going in on Friday and he's in a walking cast so we'll see how far from the truck...
Yes, a fifth wheel from the Espanola side would be a rough go. There isn't a lot of options for hotels in that area but I think there is one place in Abiquiu but it will be a really long drive each day. Really is an area where camping works out best if you can do it. I have seen several camp...
Coming in from Espanola is a terror on 21 mile road, coming in from Abiqui is a far better road. You can walk that fence line along the north side of the Valle Grande and you'll see elk. You can also find some areas with old logging roads on the north side of the Valle and possibly have some...
Congrats on a nice bull and a great update. I was wondering about the water situation down there, we had enough rain to green things up but that dirt has been thirsty for a long time and it's gonna take a lot to fill those ponds. Thanks for sharing the story and the photo! Jeronimo
Great stories and info... I really appreciate how much has been shared and the straight forward honesty about what to expect and how to hunt that area. For anybody new reading this thread I can tell you that almost every thread on any forum will tell you the same story - this wilderness is...
Happy hunting to the first archery season hunters starting Sept 1! I suspect you're enjoying some moisture down there in the Gila area. It's been raining here in northern NM on and off for a couple days and overall we've had decent moisture through the summer. Where I live is considered "High...
Well, things have taken on a new flavor... my hunting buddy had a dirt bike crash and broke his ankle. He goes in for surgery in 2 weeks and will be 6 weeks on a knee scooter, then onto crutches or a walking cast just before the hunt starts. So any plans to go deep into the wilderness are now...
Thanks to all who have added input. After I did my scouting and made contact with some locals down there, I've had to tend other things and let my hunt plans rest for a while. However, I've been considering a few things and doing lots of shooting when I can get the time:
1) Plan B - in case my...
...16B was our first choice area and we only had a 17% of successfully drawing it so we were quite surprised when we got the draw results. We chose it because we can literally walk from my friends cabin and be hunting in 5 minutes, but sadly not in any of the prime territory.
After looking into...
That's sounds like a lot of days in the saddle... sorry had to laugh when I read that! I think those were the golden days while the elk were everywhere, tag drawings were friendly, and the wolves were not well established.
I scouted my way up Forest road 150 all the way between the two wilderness areas and then continued on toward Beaverhead, but turned west and over toward Snow Lake when I got to that intersection. That was a rough road and slow going for me. I followed some ruts where it looked like someone had...
In the event you choose to come in from the south side, you'll want to make sure your gas tank is full before you head up north into the wilderness. Coming in from Interstate 25 you'll get a great look at the Black Range in unit 21A. After you cross the mountain you'll come into the Mimbres...
I'm still researching things online and this evening I ran into this list of trails in the Gila Wilderness with some links, photos, and a little bit of info on them: https://trailsofenchantment.com/gila-nf/
I've been working on a home remodel project recently, trying to get it knocked out of the way so I can do more prep for this hunt. Not sure if any of you have had the pleasure of working with the state of New Mexico when it comes to building permits and inspections but it can be a challenge for...
I went down to the Gila Wilderness this past week and stayed through the weekend. It was extremely hot and dry when we got there but was raining when I left... so I saw a little bit of everything. With a few exceptions I did not see any green grass except at the sides of the streams or next to a...
Looks like things are still in Limbo down in unit 16B over the Johnson fire. Here is the latest report indicating ~88K acres burned and only 11% contained:
Structure assessment continues in the Willow Creek subdivision. A contingency line is being constructed around the Willow Creek...