New Mexico Unit 13 Elk Muzzelloader Hunt

[mikeff]

I have drawn an elk tag for Oct. 13 - 19 muzzelloder hunt and I have never hunted in New Mexico. I got the tag by putting in the hunt info wrong as I was tring to draw unit 15 o well here I go to unit 13 I am going it aloan but am thinking about using a packer, I use my camper in Colorado but i know wre the 4wheeler trails are there. Are there many trails in unit 13? And where is a good place to start looking I will be going in 2 weeks early to scout Thanks for any help mikeff

 

[Mudranger1]

Hmmm and no one has chimed in on this one yet?

 

[sbhooper]

Unit 13 is north of Magdalena. That country is immense and water will be the key. I have never hunted there, but I did hunt south of there in Unit 17. What I do know is that there are many miles and few elk, but some very large elk. Do some serious homework and when you go, plan on spending lots of time on high spots glassing as far as possible. The country is full of junipers and at ground level is real thick in spots. There is a big ranch just west of Magdalena called the Montoya Ranch or something like that if I recall. They take super elk off that ranch and the perimeter of it may be a good starting place. In the years that I was hunting over there, the 13 tag was real easy to draw as they were trying to keep the elk from getting too thick. I don't know what their management strategy for the area is nowadays.

Really spend some time with public land maps to learn the lay of the land and where potential water sources are. Google earth would be a real help, too.