New Mexico Elk Hunt Unit 16E

[hank4elk]

Have you ever been in that unit and do you plan on staying at the motel as well? You're gonna want a base camp in the hills or you will spend more time driving then elk hunting. Also unless you find the couple shining gems (that probably aren't near you) in the state most NM motels are not places I would leave my family and then feel warm and fuzzy.

Datil is a decent place with mostly good people, but I would rethink bringing them. How tough is she? Does she like driving and Pie? LOL

I sent you a message already, but yes Im working on it... carefully, lol.

It sounds like the new plan is for her to try and bring a friend along and do some general New Mexico/Southwest US sightseeing with maybe a few days in the middle where they stop out and see us on the hunt.

Negative on being in the unit and unlikely regarding the hotel. I kept the reservation for the family in case they want or need it, but it has a great cancellation policy. It's got good reviews, right in town, and she probably be armed. I plan on staying near where we are hunting in a basecamp or on the mountain as much as possible. This is an elk hunting trip first and foremost but as mentioned above, what would've been a more family friendly trip in 23 is now changing abruptly... I'm working on it. By the sounds of it, she may be pivoting to bringing a friend along and touring the american southwest instead.

Inviting the family along on a trip and then subsequently, at least partially, uninviting them two days later is a delicate and dynamic situation. A little bit like defusing a landmine after you're already standing on it.

Let's see what we can come up with. It is a beautiful place to visit,SW NM.

 

[WildWill]

Negative on being in the unit and unlikely regarding the hotel. I kept the reservation for the family in case they want or need it, but it has a great cancellation policy. It's got good reviews, right in town, and she probably be armed. I plan on staying near where we are hunting in a basecamp or on the mountain as much as possible. This is an elk hunting trip first and foremost but as mentioned above, what would've been a more family friendly trip in 23 is now changing abruptly... I'm working on it. By the sounds of it, she may be pivoting to bringing a friend along and touring the american southwest instead.

Inviting the family along on a trip and then subsequently, at least partially, uninviting them two days later is a delicate and dynamic situation. A little bit like defusing a landmine after you're already standing on it.

I got a wife and 2 kids so I completely get it mine wouldn't be to happy if I tried the old switch a roo only a couple days after getting her all fired up. The friend is a great idea! Besides safety my biggest concern with a 1 year old would be her getting overwhelmed it can happen easy enough at home much less in a strange place the friend will be a big help. Maybe you could plan a few days you can take off stay at the hotel catch a shower and take a day off to relax and sight see with the family. Good news there are plenty of elk and they are in real good shape this year.
Last month in the Gila.

 

[hank4elk]

I got a wife and 2 kids so I completely get it mine wouldn't be to happy if I tried the old switch a roo only a couple days after getting her all fired up. The friend is a great idea! Besides safety my biggest concern with a 1 year old would be her getting overwhelmed it can happen easy enough at home much less in a strange place the friend will be a big help. Maybe you could plan a few days you can take off stay at the hotel catch a shower and take a day off to relax and sight see with the family. Good news there are plenty of elk and they are in real good shape this year.View attachment 273275
Last month in the Gila.

THIS IS TRUE.

 

[SAJ-99]

2-299, 2nd archery.

Yes, I do bow hunt! I had intended to apply for a second archery hunt, unit is where the confusion set in. Ultimately they had similar draw odds at >4%, 3-5 unguided non-res tags available.

I got very lucky, and am looking forward to it. My wife and 1 year old will be flying out and staying in a nearby motel for moral support. I've got a buddy driving out with me to help drive out (31 hours), call, and hopefully carry meat. I plan on getting there 2 days prior to the hunt staying the whole season.

Good to hear you found buddy to help with the drive and do some calling. It looks like I will be doing mine solo. I look at @WildWill picture and wonder how in the hell I am going to work solo calling in that juniper.

 

[RoughCountry]

Good to hear you found buddy to help with the drive and do some calling. It looks like I will be doing mine solo. I look at @WildWill picture and wonder how in the hell I am going to work solo calling in that juniper.

It’s not all like that ! It is big country !! Some places you can see for miles.

 

[mrcowboy]

Better make a plan b-z...night & day difference from 23.
Rethink bringing a wife & baby to stay 4 hrs from the airport and 2 from where you put boots on the ground.
Help getting an elk out is very important.
It can be sunny & hotter than heck...then you will drown in a afternoon monsoon with lightning strikes all around.
Bring lots of gas & water.

Rethink this one from the ground up.

Don't forget an extra spare tire or two. Roads can be rough on side walls.

 

[SAJ-99]

It’s not all like that ! It is big country !! Some places you can see for miles.

My tag is in 15, and I have certainly noticed that there is quite a variety of terrain. I need to narrow down an area and build a plan, or two, or three.

 

[Khunter]

Datil is a decent place with mostly good people, but I would rethink bringing them. How tough is she? Does she like driving and Pie? LOL

Let's see what we can come up with. It is a beautiful place to visit,SW NM.

@JT13 Datil and vicinity is no family vacation hang out spot. Touring SW NM sure, but hanging out in some piss ant town with a girlfriend and a one year old for a week or more waiting on a hunter not so much. Send her to Santa Fe with her friend and 1 year old and they will happily forget you are even in the same state. win win all around. Focus on the hunt and have a happy vacationing wife same time, the two need not cross path much at all.

You drew a cool hunt. Own it and experience it on the terms 16E requires or risk, after 20 future years of zero new gila tags, having all sorts of regrets for not having put everyhting you could into it by simply focusing on the hunt you had and making THOSE memories, instead of some goofed up “please everybody all at once” camping trip where you are constantly balancing “should 8 pack out to go see my wife I talked i to hanging our nearby”

What @hank4elk said. Reboot and rebuild from ground up. Already have your wife flying in. Encourage her to build out her own fun vacation from there untethered to 16E locale.

 

[RoughCountry]

Datil has a population of about 3….lol
She should take a couple days and go see the Grand Canyon. Plenty to see in the SW !

 

[hank4elk]

Send her to Santa Fe at a decent place and you could be in for an adventure. Win-Win.

I did this for years and wound up with a ranch in SW NM. LOL I still go to SF every once in a while and the ex has been here.

SW NM is not like anywhere else in NM. As huge as it is ,there is no there there. Except wild places.

 

[rmyoung1]

As my dad says:

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

 

[Jemmons25]

Welcome to HT. Did you draw this tag by chance?

yes i did. so excited my first trip to new mexico my 16y old son and i will be making the trip

 

[Addicting]

I'm on board with all of that.

I need to come up with a new attractive proposal and she already mentioned Sante Fe so that will certainly be a part of it. I'm thinking if she really wants to drive out to the middle of nowhere to meet us in during the hunt it'll be an excuse to find hot food and a shower but not more than a day or two.

I do appreciate everyone's insight on the issue. Will report back.

Send her on a Disney Cruise then go hunt!

 

[WildWill]

It’s not all like that ! It is big country !! Some places you can see for miles.

Yea that pic is in 16A. 16E is far more open.

 

[Nm252525]

it’s a stretch to call e a gila unit. Hunts was different than the others and is about as hit or miss as they come. Take a side by side if you have one. Roads, if you can call them that, are as bad as anywhere I’ve seen and can almost count on losing tires

 

[colinstewart]

Last year:
View attachment 273257
This year:
View attachment 273258

I don’t understand why NM doesn’t tie hunt codes to units or season.

 

[Goldenbananafish]

I also drew 16E second archery... Tips appreciated!

 

[ballplyr6]

What videos ?

His new mexico archery videos are all 16e pretty much.