DREW VALLE VIDAL

marley · Apr 12, 2017

It's going to be a busy elk season this year. I drew an AZ unit 27 late tag and now a Valle Vidal muzzy tag. I can't believe it. Luckily I live only 3 hours from the unit so I will be doing a ton of scouting this summer and fall. This is a once in a lifetime tag so I'm going to make the most of it. Has anyone hunted this unit before? Does anyone have any advice for me, starting points? I do not have horses but I love backpack style hunts so I will be packing in. Any advice or help will be greatly appreciated.

bobby · Apr 12, 2017

Congrats there is elk everywhere in this unit and big bulls too. Anywhere near beaty lakes is good or the rough stuff near windy gap.

>It's going to be a busy
>elk season this year. I
>drew an AZ unit 27
>late tag and now a
>Valle Vidal muzzy tag. I
>can't believe it. Luckily I
>live only 3 hours from
>the unit so I will
>be doing a ton of
>scouting this summer and fall.
>This is a once in
>a lifetime tag so I'm
>going to make the most
>of it. Has anyone hunted
>this unit before? Does anyone
>have any advice for me,
>starting points? I do not
>have horses but I love
>backpack style hunts so I
>will be packing in. Any
>advice or help will be
>greatly appreciated.

Phantom Hunter · Apr 12, 2017

Marley,

Congrats on the tag. I have not drawn it, yet. We will be there camping with two other couples and our horses in Aug. I am not sure where we will ride and explore but if I see any esp. large bulls I will contact you with location. Good luck.

ixsolracxi · Apr 12, 2017

I hunted it with a friend two years ago, i will pull out the map and let you know where we were seeing a lot of elk...i will be up there in August for the bear hunt and will share any information i can get for you...congrats on your tag.

Phantom Hunter · Apr 12, 2017

ixsolracxi,

When in Aug will you be up in the Valle? We will be there the last week of Aug. Find the horse trailers from Texas at Cimmaron and come say howdy.

Phantom Hunter

STOMPER · Apr 12, 2017

so i spend 30 years applying for the valle vidal and decide not to put in for it this year. stupid marley asks me where to put in. i was laughing under my breath at the moronic non resident when i sent him a list of hunt codes that had the first one as valle vidal muzzy. its kinda the best unit in the state in my books. then he calls me first thing to let me know he drew. i think i called him a liar for the better part of 10 minutes.

i just want to publicly put it out there that i hate marley. i think i speak for all of mm when i say we all hate you. yes i may hate everyone on mm but i especially carry great amounts of disdain for marley in particular.

nmwapiti · Apr 12, 2017

PM sent.

Cahunter805 · Apr 12, 2017

Congratulations Brent! You sure have some luck in the draw! A Henry's tag and now a valle Vidal elk!
Can't wait to see the monster you kill!!

muleybeast · Apr 12, 2017

Man that's a badass tag. Good luck.

marley · Apr 12, 2017

Man the response I've gotten is amazing. Thank you all for your pm's and texts. I can't wait to get some boots on the ground there. Thank you all!!

BigChiefJ · Apr 13, 2017

>It's going to be a busy
>elk season this year. I
>drew an AZ unit 27
>late tag and now a
>Valle Vidal muzzy tag. I
>can't believe it. Luckily I
>live only 3 hours from
>the unit so I will
>be doing a ton of
>scouting this summer and fall.
>This is a once in
>a lifetime tag so I'm
>going to make the most
>of it. Has anyone hunted
>this unit before? Does anyone
>have any advice for me,
>starting points? I do not
>have horses but I love
>backpack style hunts so I
>will be packing in. Any
>advice or help will be
>greatly appreciated.

I've got a bear tag there. I can let you know what I see.

JJhunt · Apr 13, 2017

Great tag!

My wife drew second rifle this year so we will be in there after you.

I was in there on the first rifle last year with my neighbor. He killed a bull on the opening night.

We scouted for three days and I can save you sometime. PM me and I'll share what I know.

JJ

Iowan · Apr 13, 2017

Marley,

I have hunted it three times all archery and my friend drew the same tag this year that you have. He is older but in pretty good shape. His age (81 and I am not kidding - not your typical 81 year old - more like 59) will limit us on where we will be able to go but I can get to some of the spots I really like.

You can easily hunt it on foot if you are in good shape. It is really nice to have access to horses if you get one down. We have had great luck just working with people in camp that have horses. I found the terrain to be moderate to easy compared to most elk country I have hunted. It is easy to hike in and out each morning/evening. A four mile hike from the main road gets you to almost every nook and cranny in the unit.

Depending on which camp ground you stay in we will probably run into each other. I see Tony P. commented above. He has helped me before so I sort of owe him. I am happy to work with you guys and help you anyway I can.

I will tell you and everyone that reads this that the VV sucks and you have a terrible tag. The biggest bulls will get close to 310". People should stop applying for it as I have not been able to draw it myself yet.

Feel free to PM and we can talk.

Russ

RdRdrFan · Apr 13, 2017

I drew the second archery hunt. I'm pumped and ready to do some scouting!

Anyone here hunted it during the second archery and want to let me know how great it was? lol

muleywhisperer · Apr 16, 2017

I never saw anything bigger than 300" while sitting on my a$$ driving around in my truck, yet I managed to kill a 374" inch bull after hiking two miles west of the 9 mile road. My cousins 360" bull by the microwave repeater by Cimarron camp ground was also just dumb luck and his step sons almost 380" bull on the youth hunt north of the cattle guard by the Whitman Vega was beginners luck! Or could it be if you are willing to hunt hard and not settle you might have a chance at a good bull. You will definitely have opportunities at bulls but, only you know what you will be happy to kill. Good luck and take a fishing pole,the shuree ponds have great fish,"barbless only" and is also a great area the glass elk coming down to feed in the evenings. Good luck!

Mtnranch · Apr 17, 2017

I'd like to stay in touch with ya I drew first rifle. That being said ...I just joined the site. Glad I found it !

Bowdeadly · Apr 18, 2017

360, 374 and almost a 380.
I would like to see pics of these 2 giants!

tega52 · Apr 18, 2017

Me too!

Reuben_Soady · Apr 18, 2017

Hey Marley, I think your buddy Stomper wrote this a few years back.

"Uh yeah! take your truck in the day before the hunt,
find the slope next to the road that allows you to back
your pickup up to the point that a downed tailgate will
butt right up to the underside of an elk. Mark all these
spots on your gps. Openin? morning/day don't shoot a cow
until they are exactly on one of these spots. Here's some
more advice: You can start by removing your blindfold,
if you don't see an elk behind every tree your in the
wrong unit. Or try this: Hit your OnStar button, the
stupid lady in the phone can even take you to a cow."

There's a hundred other posts in the archives about hunting VV, but none as witty as Smelly's.

I think Tega's "Me too!" is not exactly curiosity...

Have fun!