Valle Vidal MZ

Mulchatna · Sep 15, 2017

Hi all...this is my first post here but I've been reading the Valle Vidal posts for months.

I'm headed to VV for the upcoming MZ hunt. I don't have a tag but my wife and an old family friend drew it as a party! I'll be heading down a week early to scout before the season. I wish I could have been there a few more times pre-season but I live in Alaska so scouting on the weekends is only an option for me on Google Earth.

To say that my group is excited is an understatement! Every time I find an elk pic here and on other forums I send it to my whole team. Seems to make the days go by faster.

In any case, I just wanted to say thanks to all who share so generously on these forums!

And...if any of you want to hunt in Alaska, I can help you with some logistics on your way through Anchorage.

Will be back with elk pics in a few weeks!

TLowell02 · Sep 15, 2017

Good luck! I am sure you are used to beautiful landscapes but the area to are visiting is beautiful as well. Takes lots of photos!

N_Corey · Sep 15, 2017

Good luck with the tags that should be a fun hunt.

STOMPER · Sep 16, 2017

LAST EDITED ON Sep-17-17 AT 01:21AM (MST)[p]Sent you a pm.

Gator · Sep 18, 2017

Listen to Stomper.
But remember to look behind every big tree because that where the big ones hide.
You got a helluva tag, Good Luck scout hard and find a Monster.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

JJhunt · Sep 18, 2017

Good luck on our hunt. You are in for a real treat!

I was fortunate to go to the VV last year and help a buddy on the first rifle hunt. This year i am going again to help on the second rifle hunt. Last year we were able to get it done on the opening day.

Looking forward to your post-hunt post.

Mulchatna · Sep 18, 2017

Thanks all. I haven't been this excited about a hunt for years.

Wondering if anyone could help me out on a couple of questions. I've read that there is and that there isn't water at Cimarron. Anyone know for sure? If not, where might the closest potable water be?

Also, what's the moisture level like in VV right now? Has it been raining or dry? I've found some good information on historical precip for the most of this year but nothing yet for August & September?

And one more...don't laugh but is there any chance I could find a can of Iso fuel in Costilla for my backpack stove? I can't fly with it from AK. If not in Costilla, what might the closest place be if I'm driving down from Denver. (I'd buy it there but I get in just after midnight and would like to drive through the night right to VV.)

BigChiefJ · Sep 18, 2017

The campgrounds have drinking water. I was up there in August and everything was green.

STOMPER · Sep 18, 2017

LAST EDITED ON Sep-18-17 AT 11:22PM (MST)[p].....

Pilot048 · Sep 21, 2017

I'll be there the week after you for 1st season rifle. I actaully plan to arrive Sunday evening the week before, so will be there during your MZ hunt. I've never been there myself, so decided to arrive 5 days early to scout. Good luck!

Mulchatna · Sep 21, 2017

Sounds good Pilot! If you see a pickup with Alaska or Oregon plates...that's us.

Mulchatna · Sep 27, 2017

Alright...fully packed and heading to the airport in an hour to fly from AK to Denver. Then a quick 5 or 6 hour drive and I should be staring at VV elk! Am nervous I forgot something but am grateful for the help of members here.

I'll be scouting until next Wednesday when I have to come back for work for a few days. I'll try to report in then.

Ryan

Toro · Sep 27, 2017

The VV mz hunt is the hunt to draw IMO! The bulls are screaming, the fall colors are at their brightest and the folks(most) of them are great people! It was a cold SOB up there last year for the MZ hunt so be prepared! We have a cold front in the Questa area today and got the first mountain top snow cover.

This is the wife's 09VV mz bull

Good luck

Toro · Sep 27, 2017

PM sent

Mulchatna · Sep 28, 2017

Toro, PM sent back to you.

Mulchatna · Oct 5, 2017

Hello all! I'm back from five days of scouting at VV. WHAT A PLACE!!! With the fall colors it rivals the best landscapes I've ever seen here in Alaska. Oh and the elk...

The bulls are red hot right now. On several different occasions I was in the midst of groups of 8 to 15 bulls along with cows and raghorns. The bugling never stopped. I was with one group for an hour or so and literally.....literally heard 500 bugles. They would bugle right over the top of one another. I think part of the issue is that the rut is just now really turning on and so the big bulls haven't sorted everything out yet. The mature bulls, cows, calves and immature bulls are still all mixed up with each other. Throw in a few cows already in heat and you have maximum chaos.

My wife and old hunting friend have the two tags and arrived a day before I left to come back to AK for three days of mandatory work. They will scout from yesterday through Friday and then get ready for the opener. I will get back midday on Sunday, the second day of the season.

Thanks to all those that have helped me out so far especially Stomper!!

STOMPER · Oct 9, 2017

LAST EDITED ON Oct-09-17 AT 04:47PM (MST)[p]You need to repost. That monster 5 i put you on should have been dead saturday. Im assuming hes 350 if its the one i saw.

That is the only canyon in the whole unit that i dont think got pounded. I personally will never go Back to the vv. Theres just too many people. We walked to the top of elk meadows, and to the top of little costilla peak and there was nothing but hunters. We couldnt get away from the pressure. Combine that with the fact the rut literally just stopped days before the hunt and it was an awful experience. My phone had me at over 120 miles by sunday morning and we couldnt even find decent bulls by the opener. Heck, 2 days before the hunt i was finding 350 bulls with ease.

We were chasing 5 bulls over 370. I have pictures but i wont post them since i dont want all the inexperienced hunters in here calling them 300" bulls.

Im just really hoping you guys got that big 5 and are all done. Brent tagged out saturday night on a 300 class bull. It was really disheartening.

Mulchatna · Oct 13, 2017

Hi all...got back to AK in the middle of the night last night from VV.

We didn't get a bull but my wife did pass on three lesser bulls and missed one that was 330" or so.

Stomper - the canyon that the 5x6 was in did get hunted hard. I had a trail camera on the path up there and had hunters going in every morning and evening through most of the hunt. Although, I didn't ever get any shots of elk horns coming out???

It did turn out to be a tough hunt and the elk sure did turn off b4 the opener and stayed that way until it snowed so much. Things were really starting to get better on the last day and a half but we just ran out of time. I think the rifle guys that start Saturday will hit it really well.

I thought it was an awesome place and will happily try to get back there one day.

Thanks for all the help!

JJhunt · Oct 17, 2017

Sounds like a fun hunt although yall were unsuccessful. Ill be in there this week for the second rifle and hopefully have a picture. thanks for the report.