Valle Vidal NM youth hunt

[davinski]

OK, my situation is a bit unique, but please hear me out. A longtime friend of mine, basically family, G, put his teenage son, G2, in for the VV first rifle youth hunt. G doesn't hunt, never has. G2 is interested and some mutual friends got him (and G) in on a cow hunt 2 years ago and G2 got his first elk. G2 has limited time to hunt and learn hunting due to split family, all of that. I've been telling G "you guys live in NM, swing for the fences!" so he did...and he did. Now those same 2 mutual friends and I are going to be taking G and G2 hunting. The catch is none of the 5 of us have hunted VV. I got a DIY bull in nearby unit 53 in Oct 2015, the other two guys have hunted all over NM, around VV, but never in it. So now we are learning and scouting. I'm the only nonresident in this merry band.

So in scouring the internets and GoHunt, I've learned, and please call me out where I'm wrong:
There will likely be lots of elk, but a nice bull is not a sure thing.
There's basically one road through the middle of the VV.
You travel by truck, foot, or hoof. ATV's or mountain bikes won't be much help.
Horses might be a very good idea.
If you're day hunting by truck and not camping in the VV, plan on not much sleep because we'll be driving and hiking a lot in the dark. The town of Cimarron looks like the closest place with a hotel, if we go that route.

I do have some questions without having set foot in there:
Does that main east-west road resemble the Autobahn during the rifle seasons? I know how crazy things get around western CO.
If camper-camping, it appears that Cimarron campground in the middle of VV would be the best place? Any weird seasonal closures on that? I found out the hard way in 2015 that some campsites between Questa and Red River looked dandy in August but were closed come October. I know a call to the USFS would answer that, but I'm kind of brainstorming questions here.
I learned 53 seemed much more suitable for archery elk hunts than rifle elk hunts. I had to look far and wide for good places to set up, glass, spot and stalk. Is the VV thick vegetation like most of 53?

Our group is working on a scouting trip or two this summer/September. Any advice you can offer would be immensely appreciated. I've been hunting CO elk since '95, am certainly still learning, but have probably filled my tags more often than not. But this country is new and I'm trying to stack the odds as best I can. I'm more of a logistics guy. I mean, I always figure if I can get in to where the elk typically are and don't waste time learning new trails, plan for murphy's law, and stay mobile enough to move to the next place if the elk don't show, eventually I hit paydirt. This business of splitting hairs over rifle cartridge, where to aim, brand of boot, etc. is all second fiddle to setting up a hunt to be in the right place early and often. In the Army we always said amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics. That's kind of how I rifle hunt.

I'm looking at the semi-guided horse hunts that the local outfitter offers and thinking it might not be a bad way to go. I don't know how he'd feel about one youth hunter with a parade of gray-hairs tagging along with our collective "advice." I'm sure we'd have to set some ground rules. But as of now, we're all thinking of a DIY exercise. I could be persuaded either way.

I'm fully aware that this situation might draw some angst. My hat is in my hand here. I know there have to be countless experienced youth hunters out there who did not draw. I know that, and I know how it sucks when my kids don't draw their CO tags. But I also know how much fun it is to get someone on their first elk, especially a kid, so I'm going to do everything I can to get G2's tag punched.

I promise to follow up with a story and pictures!

Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

[BDH]

Dave, if you can kill a bull in 53 then you will have no issues finding and killing a bull in VV. This is a fun hunt. I may be mistaken , but I think camping is only authorized in the established camp grounds within VV. Put up a tent or back a camper in and enjoy the hunt. There aren't a lot of tags for this hunt so no the main road doesn't look like 1-25. Horses are a big help, but if you guys are in decent shape then getting a bull out with 4 or five guys will be no issues. Save the money and buy some new optics. VV is pretty open and not as steep as 53.

RLTW

 

[bobbydean]

My brother bought a cow tag from the not sold list in Valle Vidal at least 20 years ago. I went along as a mule.

We just parked at some corrals and walked in about 2 or 3 miles. Bulls were everywhere and no cows. Finally found some cows about noon. As we had entered on a diagonal line. The road was only a mile away and downhill. The hardest part was breaking down the cow and it wasn't hard

Fun hunt. Elk are everywhere in the Valle Vidal. If looking for a monster, horses would be nice. If looking for a nice bull. you need a few guys to carry him out. You hunt uphill and carry out downhill.
I was not carrying a rifle and it was a blast!

 

[davinski]

Thanks, guys, that's great information. I'm feeling better about the whole thing. Yes, it's my understanding camping is only allowed at those two campgrounds inside the VV, you can't just go camp anywhere. We will likely go that route in a camper. With a little luck, we'll be asking about taxidermists come October!

 

[ltho98]

I did this hunt back in 2017 and here are some of my notes.

There will be lots of elk-- but not as much as you think . I've seen more in other parts of NM. Its not like they will be off-roads waiting for you to shoot them, you still have to go in deep and away from vehicular traffic. Keep in mind the primary elk needs - food, water, and sanctuary. Then you will find elk.

There are actually 2.5 roads in the Vidal. The primary one that goes through Costilla all the way to Cimarron. Its trafficked but not as busy as you think. Probably about 10-15 vehicles per hour depending on the time. There is also a loop that begins at Cimarron campground and loops all the way around southward toward McCrystal. The 0.5 is a road that heads up towards powderhouse canyon and ends at Costilla lake at the northern end of the boundary.

I did my hunt with just my 4runner and the 2 legs that god gave me. In hindsight, a mountain bike would have been a dream. My buddy brought one on his hunt with a little towing trailer to pack his elk out. There are trails that are not accessible by vehicle but are suitable for mountain bikes and horses would be overkill. In fact, where I shot my bull was about 3.75 miles away from the road on one of these trails and a mountain bike would have greatly improved my quality of life. If you have access to horses then you will obviously have access to more stuff, especially the stuff on the north end of the unit. ATVs aren't much help.

Don't stay in the town of Cimarron, the road into the vidal takes a lot longer than you think. It takes about an hour or so to get to Cimarron or Costilla if not longer as the roads are typically heavily washboarded. Plan on bringing a camper and setup either in Cimarron campground or McCrystal campcround. I preferred McCrystal campground as it was less clusterfucked than Cimarron. McCrystal also put me closer to where I wanted to hunt and was less pressured (for me anyway). There are no power hookups at either place, but for me my camper was solar-powered so it didn't matter. Other people found out there wasn't power and didn't have a generator. If spaces runout at both places, you can camp on private land in Rio Costilla... for a nominal fee of course.

There are no seasonal closures during the hunting seasons but I believe that it is closed until June or July for the elk to calve.
Bring a fishing rod - the creeks and the ponds are stocked with trout and are great fishing.

Do yourself a favor, bring your backpacking gear and spend a night in the backcountry. You can backcountry camp 1/2 mile from the roads and was the most amazing experience for me to camp among elk bugling all around me.

I cannot give you specific areas of where elk are as they are kind of every where and respond to pressure but I wish you all the luck!

PM me if you have any questions.

OK, my situation is a bit unique, but please hear me out. A longtime friend of mine, basically family, G, put his teenage son, G2, in for the VV first rifle youth hunt. G doesn't hunt, never has. G2 is interested and some mutual friends got him (and G) in on a cow hunt 2 years ago and G2 got his first elk. G2 has limited time to hunt and learn hunting due to split family, all of that. I've been telling G "you guys live in NM, swing for the fences!" so he did...and he did. Now those same 2 mutual friends and I are going to be taking G and G2 hunting. The catch is none of the 5 of us have hunted VV. I got a DIY bull in nearby unit 53 in Oct 2015, the other two guys have hunted all over NM, around VV, but never in it. So now we are learning and scouting. I'm the only nonresident in this merry band.

So in scouring the internets and GoHunt, I've learned, and please call me out where I'm wrong:
There will likely be lots of elk, but a nice bull is not a sure thing.
There's basically one road through the middle of the VV.
You travel by truck, foot, or hoof. ATV's or mountain bikes won't be much help.
Horses might be a very good idea.
If you're day hunting by truck and not camping in the VV, plan on not much sleep because we'll be driving and hiking a lot in the dark. The town of Cimarron looks like the closest place with a hotel, if we go that route.

I do have some questions without having set foot in there:
Does that main east-west road resemble the Autobahn during the rifle seasons? I know how crazy things get around western CO.
If camper-camping, it appears that Cimarron campground in the middle of VV would be the best place? Any weird seasonal closures on that? I found out the hard way in 2015 that some campsites between Questa and Red River looked dandy in August but were closed come October. I know a call to the USFS would answer that, but I'm kind of brainstorming questions here.
I learned 53 seemed much more suitable for archery elk hunts than rifle elk hunts. I had to look far and wide for good places to set up, glass, spot and stalk. Is the VV thick vegetation like most of 53?

Our group is working on a scouting trip or two this summer/September. Any advice you can offer would be immensely appreciated. I've been hunting CO elk since '95, am certainly still learning, but have probably filled my tags more often than not. But this country is new and I'm trying to stack the odds as best I can. I'm more of a logistics guy. I mean, I always figure if I can get in to where the elk typically are and don't waste time learning new trails, plan for murphy's law, and stay mobile enough to move to the next place if the elk don't show, eventually I hit paydirt. This business of splitting hairs over rifle cartridge, where to aim, brand of boot, etc. is all second fiddle to setting up a hunt to be in the right place early and often. In the Army we always said amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics. That's kind of how I rifle hunt.

I'm looking at the semi-guided horse hunts that the local outfitter offers and thinking it might not be a bad way to go. I don't know how he'd feel about one youth hunter with a parade of gray-hairs tagging along with our collective "advice." I'm sure we'd have to set some ground rules. But as of now, we're all thinking of a DIY exercise. I could be persuaded either way.

I'm fully aware that this situation might draw some angst. My hat is in my hand here. I know there have to be countless experienced youth hunters out there who did not draw. I know that, and I know how it sucks when my kids don't draw their CO tags. But I also know how much fun it is to get someone on their first elk, especially a kid, so I'm going to do everything I can to get G2's tag punched.

I promise to follow up with a story and pictures!

Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

[davinski]

Wow, thank you! That's great info. I think I'll leave the atv at home but throw in a mtn bike or two, and definitely the fishing rods! Looks like the Cimarron campground is has reservations available, but the McCrystal campground is first come, first served, and has way more room.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

You can camp anywhere in VV as long as you're away from the roads. Definitely do not stay in Cimarron, that's easily 2 hours away. Do not stay in a hotel. Get out in the backcountry, it's your land! You can be in legal camping in 15-20 minutes of walking from the truck. You'll need to be further in than this anyways to find the elk. Plus, the kid will have an experience of a lifetime.

I shot a nice bull on opening morning at first legal light less than a 5 minute walk from my tent...my only regret was not getting to hunt longer.

It's a gorgeous unit, enjoy every minute of it. Elk should be bugling all night. Honestly, it's a slam dunk of a hunt... and if you hunt CO or 53, you won't have any problem finding or killing elk. Mountain bike is a good idea to get distance between you and the roads. There's a good reason it's a OIL tag! Congrats on drawing it and enjoy the hunt! Be sure to get a bear tag for the hunter(s).