NM Unit 16 archery mulie

[1arrowR]

I have a tag for NM unit 16 late mulie (Jan 1-10)archery. I will be going DIY. I have never hunted there so any advice would be welcome. For example, are there good locations for glassing? Is it advisable to base out of Silver City or elsewhere? Am I likely to need snow camo, etc?

 

[hank4elk]

Reserve or Datil would be better,even Apache Creek or Quemado.
SC is way south of it really except the south wilderness end.
There will be snow and cold.Huge unit,not a lot of deer anymore.
Good luck and good hunting.

 

[1arrowR]

Thanks for your suggestions. Reserve and Apache Creek are on the northern border of 16 (southern border of 15), but Quemado is way up on the northern border of 15 so would not do me much good.

 

[hank4elk]

..but it has a motel,cafe,gas and a hwy that gets plowed...lol.And way closer than SC,just sayin'.

 

[1arrowR]

All true.

 

[sportsman01]

I've done this hunt a few times. It's cold, usually snowing and usually hovering in the teens to slightly below zero. Last year, we got 14" in one storm and my buddy saw -14 degree temps the following day (i left that evening). Deer are few and far between. I usually hunt around beaverhead north of SC simply because i know the area but deer are hard to come by. If you truly want a good chance at harvesting, I'd go lower and hunt Pinon juniper type areas. Its not a great hunt by any stretch and a cold one.Be prepared for snow packed, icy and muddy roads and bring plenty of fuel. The middle of that unit is a long way from everywhere and there isn't a lot of traffic around to help out if things go bad.

Good luck.

 

[hank4elk]

WORD! Sage advice.
Most of the unit is above 7k and that means cold here.Real cold.

 

[mozey]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-15 AT 04:10PM (MST)[p]Agree on the taking extra fuel in with you--I always take a couple five-gallons cans with me. On our deer hunt last year, I didn't see another soul after I turned off the paved road until I pulled back onto pavement about 140 miles later. With a truck that only gets about 12 miles to the gallon, that's something I have to keep an eye on. It's a bad place to run out of gas. It's also a bad place to get stranded by a dead battery or to have more than one flat.

Unfortunately, I'm speaking from experience--if you go in deep, make sure you have a good vehicle battery and take a can or two of fix-a-flat with you--may save you an unintended ten-mile hike... ;-)

 

[1arrowR]

Thanks gentlemen. Good advice all.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

It is pretty tough the further away from civilization you get. I always have this hunt as my 2nd or third choice and have killed deer here the years I've drawn it. For the first time ever I drew my first choice this year. Take the advice stated in the above posts and just get prepared for anything. Good luck let us know either way how it goes.

 

[stevie]

I just returned from a scouting trip in 16D for my daughter's upcoming cow elk hunt right after Christmas. Plenty of places to stay in Reserve. Datil might have some place as well. As for deer, I didn't even see a track and there was alot of snow on the ground.

 

[1arrowR]

I have been wondering whether or not this is really a ?rut hunt? at all? Everywhere else (at least close by, such as southern Colorado) the mule deer rut is late November and possibly some into early December. But January 1 ? 15? Might this be a hunt primarily for the benefit of otherwise relatively destitute communities in the region (such as Reserve) to bring in ?hunters? and their money rather than a bona fide biologically legitimate ?hunt??

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

>I have been wondering whether or
>not this is really a
>?rut hunt? at all?
>Everywhere else (at least close
>by, such as southern Colorado)
>the mule deer rut is
>late November and possibly some
>into early December. But
>January 1 ? 15?
>Might this be a hunt
>primarily for the benefit of
>otherwise relatively destitute communities in
>the region (such as Reserve)
>to bring in ?hunters? and
>their money rather than a
>bona fide biologically legitimate ?hunt??
>
I've lived and hunted new Mexico my whole life, from Albuquerque south I've never been on a January hunt that had not been in the rut,or at least part of it. I believe close by the rut is just beginning to peak. I've been out everyday for two weeks now. I've killed two 16 January muleys both fighting and both with does, and late in the hunt. The real issue in 16 is sheer numbers of deer are not good, that's the real problem, not the rut activities.

 

[1arrowR]

OK. That is very good intel. Thanks.

 

[ortegageno]

There ain't any deer in unit 16! Lol