UNIT 34 NM ELK RECAP

[jds]

FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTES TO THIS SITE. IT IS A GREAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO LIVE OUT OF STATE AND HAVE LITTLE TIME TO SCOUT AND BECOME FAMILIAR WITH DIFFERENT AREAS. I HAVE FOUND THIS SITE TO BE ADDICTING TO SAY THE LEAST. NOW ON TO MY UNIT 34 NEW MEXICO MUZZLE LOADER ELK HUNT. (MY FIRST SOLO ELK HUNT)

THURSDAY 9/30
SCOUTED THAT EVENING ONLY TO FIND A LONE BULL ON TOP OF A RIDGE IN THE TIMBER. SAT THERE UNTIL DARK AND HEARD 5-6 DIFFERENT BUGGLES ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE SAME RIDGE. AFTER THIS NIGHT I NEVER HEARD ANOTHER BUGGLE THE WHOLE TRIP!!!

FRIDAY 10/1
SCOUTED SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS. SIGN ALL OVER THE PLACE. BUT NO ELK. ROADS WERE HORRIBLE. IT HAD RAINED A LOT THE WEEK BEFORE.

SATURDAY 10/2
FIRST MORNING OF THE HUNT. FOG HAD ROLLED IN OVERNIGHT SO I COULDN'T GET GOING UNTIL ABOUT 7:30. AFTER THE FIRST HOUR OF COW CALLING I CALLED IN A LONE 6X7 TO 35 YARDS. HE CAME IN SILENT ONLY TO TURN AWAY AND WALK STRAIGHT DOWN THE HILL WITHOUT OFFERING A SHOT.

SUNDAY 10/3
WHILE HUNTING ANOTHER AREA I FOUND A MASSIVE 6X6 340 - 350 CLASS BULL. HE HAD FOUR COWS WITH HIM. DRINKING FROM THE CREEK AND GRAZING. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS HE WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF A BARBED WIRE FENCE. I RANGED HIM AT 177 YARDS WITH ZERO WIND. I LOOKED MY MAPS OVER AND EVERYTHING SHOWED THIS GROUND TO NATIONAL FOREST. HOWEVER BEING AN OUT OF STATER I REALLY WASN'T WANTING TO GET IN TROUBLE. I HAVE TWO MORE TAGS IN NEW MEXICO THIS YEAR (UNIT 27 DEER AND ORYX) AND DIDN'T WANT TO RUN THE RISK OF LOOSING THEM ALONG WITH ANY OTHER FINES. SO I SAT THERE IN AWE OF SUCH A GREAT ANIMAL. I COULDN'T EVEN REMEMBER TO GET THE CAMERA OUT AND TAKE A PICTURE. ALL I COULD DO IS SIT THERE AND WATCH. THAT NIGHT I WENT A SPOKE WITH THE LOCAL SHERRIF AND HE SAID IT WAS JUST A CATCH PEN FOR CATTLE AND THAT I COULD HUNT THERE. THE FOREST SERVICE OFFICE WAS CLOSED.

MONDAY - WEDNESDAY 10/4 - 10/6
HUNTED FOR THE HUGE 6X6 ALL DAY EVERYDAY BUT WITH NO GOOD FORTUNE.

COMMENTS:
HUGE AREA
TOO MANY FOUR WHEELERS
MOST ANIMALS I SAW WERE AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY
A LOT OF HUNTING PRESSURE


THANKS FOR READING,
JASON

 

[NM_Muley_Hunter]

Well, sorry to hear you didn't get any shots. At least you got to see a few magnificent animals.

Your observations of Unit 34 are exactly right on with what I have always experienced there - both for deer and elk.

 

[DonV]

2 days, 2 trophy bulls within range! That is great in my book. I have been trying to pull a 34 tag for years, even a bow one to no avail, consider yourself lucky. And you got an orynx tag.

I have heard the same thing about the unit, that sucks that you could have taken the bull, ouch! Oh well, good luck on your other hunts.

I too like you use this site a lot and appreciate all the help and info.

Thanks to everyone.

 

[NM_Muley_Hunter]

Just curious - did you see any deer (except for on the road at night)?

 

[jds]

i did see quite a few deer. they were mostly does and yearlings. the only two bucks i saw while in the unit where at night on the highway. one a mule deer 4 point. he was very young and not very big antlers. the second a whitetail just outside the town of cloudcroft.

jason

 

[ELKMAN]

Hey Jason,

That is cool you had a good hunt.

I tagged along up there with my buddies that had tags, and they both got good bulls 6x6's 310-315 range.

Marc

 

[rost495]

Hi Jason

About the same results here. Saw elk before season. Saw Interstate 10 type traffic Friday. We keep hearing bulls bugle till Sunday though.

I had a 160 class muley staked out and we were up in the fog till 11am Sat when we decided that it would not break. Went down and that afternoon before we were up again an elk hunter jumped the buck and with the crappy weather I tried to follow where the deer went but ran out of time.

Of all things we went way up towards sunspot Tuesday nite. On the way out Wed AM I stopped at a tiny burn just off 64 and walked out to peek over the edge. Only to find beautiful deer area with no deer but a big 6x6 bull less than 100 yards away..... Maybe I'll draw a tag someday.

After finally getting a new map of the area(my old one sucked pretty bad) I'm gonna call the biologist back and inquire about elk in the White Mountain and Capitan Wilderness (no roads, 4 wheelers etc.....) areas.

If not I'm game to hit 34 again. Intentions are if I don't draw next year I hope to have a new camper and take vacation about MZ season just to scout and see how they react to the season again.

Only other thing I have to say is it was totally crazy vs 92 when I bowhunted last. Back then deer where all along the roads and easy to see. Vehicles were pretty rare.......

Jeff