unit 51 nm elk

[jp3]

I recentle drew a land owner tag for unit 51 in nm and being that I am from utah I only know the land that we own. I was hoping i could get a heads up about what I am getting into. what quality of elk are in this unit? what would be a big bull for the unit? is there a lot of pressure? any info would be appreciated..

 

[vinihunt]

what season?

not many big bulls...raghorns....lots of pressures..YES...


vinihunt

 

[5x5elk]

I believe area 51 is around my grandmas house. I haven't seen to many elk in the area but a few years back my brother shot a nice mule deer around La Madera. Beautiful country. Let me know if you want to sell the tag. I would love to hunt New Mexico
5x5elk

 

[Wailing4Wapiti]

I've archery hunted 51 on several occassions. It can be a blast as the elk numbers are pretty decent. However, they are mostly small skinny horned bulls. If you want to talk to me about specific areas, drop me an email and I will point you to some good places. I love the area and always have a blast. However, In 6 years of hunting it, I've only seen one P & Y bull and I've probably called in over 100 bulls in those years.

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

Pretty good responces on 51 and pretty much on the money. It has decent elk numbers, better once it snows in the higher country. The archery hunts can be a bit tough depending on the weather but isn't it like that in every unit for bow hunts. I think if you can find some areas with good water , feed and cover, you'll find the elk. I know a few guys who love the unit , my brother in law and his family put in for 51 religously .I know another guy who is a member here who has hunted 51 and killed some nice bulls but as mentioned above , alot of rag horns and younger mature bulls if that makes sence.

 

[Agar426]

51 is terrible, stay away from that unit...no elk for miles!!!

Just kidding! Here's my take on 51:

Good: Big unit, plenty of elbow room in theory.
Bad: Big unit, but many people congregate to the popular areas, so the elbow room theory goes out the door.

Good: Good elk numbers
Bad: Trophy potential is somewhat limited....if that's your bag baby! Seriously though, 340 would be a monster in this unit, although I am sure there are exceptions.

Good: Pretty good access.
Bad: Good access = many road hunters, at least I have noticed that.
Bad: Bear seson brings out the hounds, increasing the number of people in the woods. To be fair though, the woods belong to all of us....

Recommendation: Stay off the beaten path, and just sit back and enjoy the diversity of terrain....5,000 feet to well above timber line. P/J's in the morning, ponderosa in the evening, all withing short drives of one another. Big unit, so study the maps. Temps vary greatly, so plan for extremes just in case. The NE portion of the unit seems to get the most traffic, so keep your ear to the ground. Most of all, enjoy the hunt, because the diversity in this unit beause I believe that is it's calling...not 400" bulls.

 

[no_catch]

Unit 51, In my opinion is somewhat like 6c , low elk numbers with scattered populations.

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

I really like 6c, have hunted it 3 times and killed a 5x5 on a muzzleloader hunt in 02 and a cow on the bow hunt last year.I'd hunt 6 over 51 , but have friends and family who also hunted the 6s' and prefer 51.