Nm elk hunting is a joke

STOMPER · May 18, 2018

So hunting fool has an ad for 4 unit 36 nm rifle elk tag for sale. Price is for 5 day guided hunt for $12,000 each!!!!

Holy crap! Are these guides serious???

Do people realize that for the most part all you will get in 36 is a 300? bull??

So $12,000 for a 300? bull is the going rate now???

For $12,000 you could go to africa kill 10 big game animals and have them shipped back and have 10 times more fun. Heck you can do some dall sheep hunts in alaska for that.

I mean $12,000 for a raghorn bull. Im honestly blown away at where hunting has gone. Theres a very good reason why i quit buying american tags long ago. Any idea how or why hunting has gone so out of control? Moreover, who would even dream of paying that?

Heck ive got a buddy with rights to a private ranch in 36 where they average 330-340 bulls and they ask $17,000 for a tag and get it. Im just astounded at where hunting has gone. Anyone else?

lovehunting · May 18, 2018

Yep does not surprise me BLOOD money Better then the Jones attitude

swampokie · May 18, 2018

They will ask 12000 as long as someone will pay it. It will soon be 20000.

264mag · May 18, 2018

Nevada $20 grand

BUGLEnmIN · May 18, 2018

LAST EDITED ON May-18-18 AT 01:57PM (MST)[p]Utah is up to 28k in some units! It's definitely out of control.
I'm with you stomper..
12k for any elk is stupid,but for a bull of that caliber it is even more ridiculous!
Stomp, I sent you a p.m.let me know if you got it.

hntbambi · May 18, 2018

As long as Texans will pay, they keep jacking up the fee.

Muleman · May 18, 2018

You can thank all the outdoor tv shows, cabelas, and outfitting industry for commercializing hunting. Not saying it's wrong or I'm against any of those shows or outfitters but it is the result. Simple supply and demand. The supply is limited and demand is high. 16a LO tags are selling for more than 12K just without an outfitter.

bonecollector777 · May 18, 2018

Tag values are whatever someone is willing to pay. If I had tags to sell and had been selling for $6000 but knew people would pay $12,000 I'd be raising the price to $12,000. A lot of guys with money that like to hunt.

cantgetdrawn · May 18, 2018

36 is my favorite unit. 12k? 17k? Heck 5k is ridiculous.

What the heck are they charging in unit 35? They drive you right up in Sept. they call one in and you shoot it with a rifle at 100 yards.

My main concern is as prices rise landowners and guides will find a way to siphon off more tags when the opposite should happen.

RioHuntNutt · May 21, 2018

We used to get antelope LO tags on a super small property $300 for 2500 acres, this ranch on one skinny area is only about 400 yards wide so you need to really be careful where you hunt and sometimes
the antelope are not on the property .Anyhow the owner passed away , son got the ranch and now sells the tags for $800 each for the 2-3 authorizations....$300 for the doe tags...I know its not alot compared to the $12K elk mentioned above but as stated , as long as there is a buyer for higher priced hunts/tags, hunting will only get more expensive harder to do...

DoeNob · May 21, 2018

Was just talking to a buddy about this. $6-$7k seems a little high end, bunch of hunts now going for double that.

Unfortunately OTC opportunities are in short supply, as long as demand keeps rising it will get worse.

marburg · May 21, 2018

They sell antelope hunts in Wyoming for 3500 now. Lots of people out there with money that like to hunt. Its crazy but that is the way it goes.

OCHO · May 21, 2018

And unfortunately as long as people keep paying the rates the prices will stay at the minimum and most likely just climb yearly!!

Sad as a young poor kid almost all people hunting were poor blue collar workers. Not one trailer in the hills, hardly any camo (flannels were the shi$) and sleeping under the stars. Miss those days! Especially heating burritos ? up on the engine block!!

Ropinfool · May 22, 2018

ive killed my fare share of elk in my life so if I never kill another one I'm ok. none of them were worth $12K. it was the time I spent with my dad and family that was priceless. it's sad what hunting is becoming.

delmag1942 · May 27, 2018

Exactly why it is nice it only costs about $100 to apply in NM...because if I am spending $12k it damn sure will never be in NM.

bobbydean · May 28, 2018

My niece just drew cow elk in unit 34. She lives in 34 close to Mayhill. Also, drew off range oryx. First year applying.

Her husband also drew off range oryx, deer, antelope, and barbary.

New Mexico elk hunting or New Mexico hunting is not a joke.

If you pay that$12000, yes you are the joke, but not New Mexico.

BUGLEnmIN · May 28, 2018

LAST EDITED ON May-28-18 AT 02:20PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON May-28-18 AT 02:19?PM (MST)

Let me rephrase for Stomp here.
New Mexico E-PLUS is a joke!!!! Our draw system is far superior to any other. Ranchers pocketing money hand over fist and a majority of the hunting taking place on government lands that are not accessible due to them being land locked IS A JOKE! Especially when in all my experiences the g&f are compelled to do absolutely nothing to make sure that ranchers and they're customers are staying within the law . Conveniently when the shoes on the public hunters foot ,the book is thrown at them. I've heard all arguments about their land providing crucial habitat for elk which in a majority of units that's a crock. National Forest and wilderness are where the majority of habitat is ,rivers creeks , grass filled river bottoms when drout condition is here. I own 4,000+ acres that have been in the family for years and from a lo perspective still feel it's a scam. It will never happen but the lo tags need to be stripped killing the cash cow.

Also on a side note as stomp originally stated , what makes it even harder to swallow is people are being conned into buying these tags to shoot raghorns! I believe we have TV and social Media to thank for that.

Ropinfool · May 30, 2018

"Also on a side note as stomp originally stated , what makes it even harder to swallow is people are being conned into buying these tags to shoot raghorns! I believe we have TV and social Media to thank for that."

Absolutely right!

DoeNob · May 30, 2018

>LAST EDITED ON May-28-18
>AT 02:20?PM (MST)
>
>LAST EDITED ON May-28-18
>AT 02:19?PM (MST)
>
>Let me rephrase for Stomp here.
>
>New Mexico E-PLUS is a joke!!!!
>Our draw system is far
>superior to any other. Ranchers
>pocketing money hand over fist
>and a majority of the
>hunting taking place on government
>lands that are not accessible
>due to them being land
>locked IS A JOKE! Especially
>when in all my experiences
>the g&f are compelled to
>do absolutely nothing to make
>sure that ranchers and they're
>customers are staying within the
>law . Conveniently when the
>shoes on the public
>hunters foot ,the book is
>thrown at them. I've heard
>all arguments about their land
>providing crucial habitat for elk
>which in a majority of
>units that's a crock. National
>Forest and wilderness are where
>the majority of habitat is
>,rivers creeks , grass filled
>river bottoms when drout condition
>is here. I own 4,000+
>acres that have been in
>the family for years and
>from a lo perspective still
>feel it's a scam. It
>will never happen but the
>lo tags need to be
>stripped killing the cash cow.
>

Make them all ranch only and I have no problem with it. Not that you lease the grazing rights to. You own the acreage, you get a landowner tag, that tag must be filled on your private property, not public land.

BUGLEnmIN · May 30, 2018

>>LAST EDITED ON May-28-18
>>AT 02:20?PM (MST)
>>
>>LAST EDITED ON May-28-18
>>AT 02:19?PM (MST)
>>
>>Let me rephrase for Stomp here.
>>
>>New Mexico E-PLUS is a joke!!!!
>>Our draw system is far
>>superior to any other. Ranchers
>>pocketing money hand over fist
>>and a majority of the
>>hunting taking place on government
>>lands that are not accessible
>>due to them being land
>>locked IS A JOKE! Especially
>>when in all my experiences
>>the g&f are compelled to
>>do absolutely nothing to make
>>sure that ranchers and they're
>>customers are staying within the
>>law . Conveniently when the
>>shoes on the public
>>hunters foot ,the book is
>>thrown at them. I've heard
>>all arguments about their land
>>providing crucial habitat for elk
>>which in a majority of
>>units that's a crock. National
>>Forest and wilderness are where
>>the majority of habitat is
>>,rivers creeks , grass filled
>>river bottoms when drout condition
>>is here. I own 4,000+
>>acres that have been in
>>the family for years and
>>from a lo perspective still
>>feel it's a scam. It
>>will never happen but the
>>lo tags need to be
>>stripped killing the cash cow.
>>
>
>Make them all ranch only and
>I have no problem with
>it. Not that you
>lease the grazing rights to.
> You own the
>acreage, you get a landowner
>tag, that tag must be
>filled on your private property,
>not public land.

I agree completely, then it leaves us with the century old gripe.. All of the landlocked public land will still be getting hunted by the ro guys. I'd say it's a great start though!

HeHateMe · Jun 3, 2018

It's often the perceived value that results in such over priced hunts, not the real value.

Bolt Tripper · Jun 4, 2018

Huntin Fool just put 2 landowner tags up for sale, unit 13 & unit 17..... $9,000 each. WTF is up with that!!!

Ropinfool · Jun 4, 2018

some fool will pay it.

rambopup4 · Jun 4, 2018

Ropinfool and others are spot on correct about prices and quality. I have no problem with the American capitalistic system of supply and demand. However, I learned a long time ago that the experience, quality, and overall value of a hunt combined into a hunting vacation is far far superior in places like Namibia, Argentina, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, and Croatia versus an elk hunt in the USA. And I'm not a wealthy investor/hunter from Texas. Just a former operating room nurse. It's a sad commentary indeed when a guy can fly half way around the world to hunt for a wider variety of quality animals for much less money than an elk hunt. And don't even get me started about the charlatans in the USA that call themselves outfitters or guides and their complete lack of customer service. Worst hunt I ever had was on Kodiak Island for a Mtn Goat. But like many have posted on this thread - some fool will pay whatever the asking price is. I call it the: "more money and testosterone than common sense type of hunter".

HeHateMe · Jun 4, 2018

Yup we live in an entitlement society here in the US. Was at grocery store in wealthy suburb yesterday and picked up two EBT card (electronic food stamps) receipts off the floor while there. They were probably driving BMW's or Benz's too. The outfitters here also feel entitled to special public land access, set aside outfitter tags stolen from public lotteries, etc. They all want somethin fer nuthin.

swampokie · Jun 4, 2018

Got the same huntin fool text on unit 13 and 17. Blows my mind what people pay to play

BUGLEnmIN · Jun 4, 2018

>Yup we live in an entitlement
>society here in the US.
> Was at grocery store
>in wealthy suburb yesterday and
>picked up two EBT card
>(electronic food stamps) receipts off
>the floor while there.
>They were probably driving BMW's
>or Benz's too. The
>outfitters here also feel entitled
>to special public land access,
>set aside outfitter tags stolen
>from public lotteries, etc.
>They all want somethin fer
>nuthin.

Curious what you consider "special public land access"?

RoughCountry · Jun 4, 2018

Hey if you have it and want to spend it....get after it. My neighbor just spent $16,000 on a fancy gate to his place when a $89 gate at Tractor Supply would have done the same job.

HeHateMe · Jun 4, 2018

>Curious what you consider "special public
>land access"?

There's all kinds of outfitter entitlements in virtually every state. Gets worse every year somewhere. This particular access example is most prevalent in Wyoming, where I have seen locked gates on federal land where outfitters had camps 4 miles back in from where the general public was allowed. I witnessed many of these over the years I hunted there. Also their ridiculous guide requirement in wilderness areas on federal land. These are both egregious examples. I saw a handful of similar locked gate examples in NM, but that was 22 years ago. NM's primary form of outfitter entitlement is in the form of the highest welfare tag quotas in the US, as everyone knows.

IdahoInfidel · Jun 5, 2018

A 300" bull is considered a raghorn?

BUGLEnmIN · Jun 5, 2018

The locked gates are a product of landowners here in NM for the most part. We have been fighting this for a long time. Idk what issues are in other states but here the UW e plus is the biggest in my opinion. Even land owners selling RO tags and influencing the clients to hunt public. As far as Outfitters go there's always mixed emotions , buy as far as them getting" free special access" that's not true. Nothing is free. If the commission were to see fit to do away with the Outfitter pool and split the ten percent between NR and residents so be it, that doesn't mean Outfitters would go out of business,and definitely wouldn't be getting things for free.

swampokie · Jun 5, 2018

>A 300" bull is considered a
>raghorn?

When ur paying 12000-16000$ for a bull it is.

HeHateMe · Jun 5, 2018

>The locked gates are a product
>of landowners here in NM
>for the most part. We
>have been fighting this for
>a long time. Idk what
>issues are in other states
>but here the UW e
>plus is the biggest in
>my opinion. Even land owners
>selling RO tags and influencing
>the clients to hunt public.
>As far as Outfitters go
>there's always mixed emotions ,
>buy as far as them
>getting" free special access" that's
>not true. Nothing is free.
>If the commission were to
>see fit to do away
>with the Outfitter pool and
>split the ten percent between
>NR and residents so be
>it, that doesn't mean Outfitters
>would go out of business,and
>definitely wouldn't be getting things
>for free.

My access comment was in response to rambopup4 as an example of the entitlement mentality of Americans in general, not just New Mexico outfitters specifically. The NM LO's obviously have the same entitlement mentality. Also, I never used the word "free". Outfitters, LO's & EBT card users all want sumthin fer nuthin of their own expense. They all want the taxpayer to absorb the cost.

joesikora · Jul 16, 2018

Hi Stomper, how you been? Did you draw a tag this year?
Hope all is well

Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora

STOMPER · Jul 17, 2018

sorry buglenmin. My ex finally got the better of me and I had to close my business. I'm working in the oilfield now. Right now I'm working 24's in the middle of nowhere and don't have time much for social media. not to mention service is hard to find.

I did draw an off range oryx tag. I located a 41ish bull the day before the july hunt. I haven't got him yet but ive passed up several smaller cows and bulls.

And yes mr Idaho a 300' bull is a raghorn any where in the us.

I'm suppose to get off on Monday and I'm thinking about heading back out and looking for that 41" bull. Most people say they just wander and never visit the same place twice but I'm afraid their dead wrong. I find the same oryx in the same places month after month so long as theres water.

Oryx here arnet much different than in africa. They wader till they find a secluded spot, food, and water. Then they stay.

Anyways my wife drew her oil oryx hunt for the rhoads in October.

Finally, I'm thinking of giving up my last unit 34 honey hole for elk hunters this year. Its the place where the elk run to when the outfitters hit the pinon area. Theres a bull pushing 400 in there again this year. Hes a straight six and he was there last year but my hunters were too out of shape to follow me in the area. I saw him in my head lights two weeks ago. I will get back on MM closer to season and decide if I'm going to take someone to another big bull. After the fiasco that followed me taking an outfitter to that giant 8x8 I had pinned down last year I'm just not sure if I will continue to help people..

Anyways I'll check in from time to time and throw the less fortunate average joe a bone when I see them in mm somewhere.

264mag · Jul 17, 2018

Stomper you still got you're Raptor?

264mag · Jul 19, 2018

Never mind

Ropinfool · Aug 31, 2018

saw unit 10 cow tags being advertised for $600. now that's ridiculous!

roadrunner · Aug 31, 2018

$500 - $600 is pretty normal statewide.

Now paying $1,000 for a Jicarilla (unit 2 and 4) cow elk is not only ridiculous but a almost a racket.

Largebull · Aug 31, 2018

Wow ! I have killed 2 different 330 bulls Here in AZ. and almost consider them Rags. I know they are good Bulls But would never pay that much for one. Have at it Rich Boys............BULL!

tallpine13 · Sep 3, 2018

>So hunting fool has an ad
>for 4 unit 36 nm
>rifle elk tag for sale.
>Price is for 5 day
>guided hunt for $12,000 each!!!!
>
>
>Holy crap! Are these guides serious???
>
>
>Do people realize that for the
>most part all you will
>get in 36 is a
>300? bull??
>
>So $12,000 for a 300? bull
>is the going rate now???
>
>
>For $12,000 you could go to
>africa kill 10 big game
>animals and have them shipped
>back and have 10 times
>more fun. Heck you can
>do some dall sheep hunts
>in alaska for that.
>
>I mean $12,000 for a raghorn
>bull. Im honestly blown away
>at where hunting has gone.
>Theres a very good reason
>why i quit buying american
>tags long ago. Any idea
>how or why hunting has
>gone so out of control?
>Moreover, who would even dream
>of paying that?
>
>Heck ive got a buddy with
>rights to a private ranch
>in 36 where they average
>330-340 bulls and they ask
>$17,000 for a tag and
>get it. Im just astounded
>at where hunting has gone.
>Anyone else?

I'd go ahead and spend $2500 more and hunt the Res personally..... go from hunting 300? bulls to 360-400? bulls.

Ropinfool · Sep 4, 2018

"$500 - $600 is pretty normal statewide.

Now paying $1,000 for a Jicarilla (unit 2 and 4) cow elk is not only ridiculous but a almost a racket."

guess there's lots of fools out there!

420Bull! · Mar 14, 2024

STOMPER said:
So hunting fool has an ad for 4 unit 36 nm rifle elk tag for sale. Price is for 5 day guided hunt for $12,000 each!!!!

Holy crap! Are these guides serious???

Do people realize that for the most part all you will get in 36 is a 300? bull??

So $12,000 for a 300? bull is the going rate now???

For $12,000 you could go to africa kill 10 big game animals and have them shipped back and have 10 times more fun. Heck you can do some dall sheep hunts in alaska for that.

I mean $12,000 for a raghorn bull. Im honestly blown away at where hunting has gone. Theres a very good reason why i quit buying american tags long ago. Any idea how or why hunting has gone so out of control? Moreover, who would even dream of paying that?

Heck ive got a buddy with rights to a private ranch in 36 where they average 330-340 bulls and they ask $17,000 for a tag and get it. Im just astounded at where hunting has gone. Anyone else?

It's called supply and demand and inflation.