ryagar2
Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2025
- Messages
- 22
Hey fellers,
Hope everyone had some success in the New Mexico draw—or at least knows someone they can tag along with this year to enjoy what we all love. By the grace of God and a bit of luck, I’ve drawn the Gila for the third year in a row. First year was 16D, second year 16A, and this year, I'm heading back to 16A with my dad. I’m hoping I haven’t burned through all my “once-in-a-lifetime” points, but truth be told, these have been some of the most exciting hunts I’ve ever been on, tag punched or not.
Last year, my dad and I both ended up with tag soup—not from lack of effort, but that's just how it goes sometimes. We had a few missed opportunities and some that almost came together. We were holding out for something in that 350+ class range, knowing full well that's a tall order—even in the Gila. But that’s the gamble when you're trying to be selective.
We focused most of our hunting in the Northwest and North Central parts of 16A, with a day or two further south near the 16B line. We were in elk every day, but it felt like the numbers were lower than what I’d seen back in 16D. That hunt was like chasing locusts—elk everywhere. In 16A, it felt more like isolated pockets.
To add to that, my childhood buddy had a 16D tag last year too and was in camp with us. Every day he’d come back absolutely fired up. Said the rut over there was insane—nonstop bugling from dawn to dusk, bulls fighting, cows on the move—just full-blown chaos. He ended up tagging out on a beautiful 6x6 and said the whole week felt like something straight out of an elk hunting video. Definitely a different world from the quieter rut activity we experienced in 16A.
For us, the rut was pretty mild. Most of the action happened in the evenings, and mornings got quiet fast—usually by 8:30. We mixed in some spot-and-stalk with calling to test the elk’s mood, but man, calling just isn’t what it used to be 10-15 years ago. It’s changed, no doubt about it.
We considered pushing further east in the unit, but decided to stay west after hearing that the eastern side tends to see quite a bit more hunting pressure. We focused on staying mobile and in the game without running into too many other hunters.
I’m not asking for hot spots—totally get that. But I’d love to hear any insight or experience from others who’ve hunted 16A, whether you tagged out on opening day or hunted hard to the final hour. What worked for you? What would you do differently?
And if you’ve got photos from past Gila hunts—feel free to drop them here. Your success speaks for itself, but those pics and stories are always great to see and learn from.
Looking forward to hearing from y’all, and wishing everyone a safe and successful season!
Hope everyone had some success in the New Mexico draw—or at least knows someone they can tag along with this year to enjoy what we all love. By the grace of God and a bit of luck, I’ve drawn the Gila for the third year in a row. First year was 16D, second year 16A, and this year, I'm heading back to 16A with my dad. I’m hoping I haven’t burned through all my “once-in-a-lifetime” points, but truth be told, these have been some of the most exciting hunts I’ve ever been on, tag punched or not.
Last year, my dad and I both ended up with tag soup—not from lack of effort, but that's just how it goes sometimes. We had a few missed opportunities and some that almost came together. We were holding out for something in that 350+ class range, knowing full well that's a tall order—even in the Gila. But that’s the gamble when you're trying to be selective.
We focused most of our hunting in the Northwest and North Central parts of 16A, with a day or two further south near the 16B line. We were in elk every day, but it felt like the numbers were lower than what I’d seen back in 16D. That hunt was like chasing locusts—elk everywhere. In 16A, it felt more like isolated pockets.
To add to that, my childhood buddy had a 16D tag last year too and was in camp with us. Every day he’d come back absolutely fired up. Said the rut over there was insane—nonstop bugling from dawn to dusk, bulls fighting, cows on the move—just full-blown chaos. He ended up tagging out on a beautiful 6x6 and said the whole week felt like something straight out of an elk hunting video. Definitely a different world from the quieter rut activity we experienced in 16A.
For us, the rut was pretty mild. Most of the action happened in the evenings, and mornings got quiet fast—usually by 8:30. We mixed in some spot-and-stalk with calling to test the elk’s mood, but man, calling just isn’t what it used to be 10-15 years ago. It’s changed, no doubt about it.
We considered pushing further east in the unit, but decided to stay west after hearing that the eastern side tends to see quite a bit more hunting pressure. We focused on staying mobile and in the game without running into too many other hunters.
I’m not asking for hot spots—totally get that. But I’d love to hear any insight or experience from others who’ve hunted 16A, whether you tagged out on opening day or hunted hard to the final hour. What worked for you? What would you do differently?
And if you’ve got photos from past Gila hunts—feel free to drop them here. Your success speaks for itself, but those pics and stories are always great to see and learn from.
Looking forward to hearing from y’all, and wishing everyone a safe and successful season!
