New Mexico Valle Vidal Unit 55

M

misner5

Guest
Just returned from Valle Vidal hunting the last cow hunt 13-17 Nov. It's a once in a life time hunt so it won't hurt to spill my guts.

Camp at the top camp on the west side (Cimmaron Camp). Get there the day before opener and drive about 2.5 miles west to a spot over looking the big valleys (Valle Vidal)to the south of the road. Glass the openings until dark (good binoculars and spotting scope) and you should see elk some where. We saw literally hundreds.

Opening morning we rode bicycles up the old logging road at the bottom to the west of the big valley. The road goes along the base of the big openings to the west of Valle Vidal creek. About 2 miles up the road it splits, the left goes to the big valley and the right goes to the head of Valle Vidal creek. We walked up on a ridge to the right and glassed, no elk. Rode bikes up the left past old cabin and saw 12 elk up on ridge to the left, buddy shot one cow. I helped skin, quarter, de-bone her and continue on foot left towards big valley. Find a herd of 150 plus elk on the east side of big valley. Walked all the way around the south end of valley to approach herd with timber cover. Stalk with in 100 yards and shot one cow. Hint--elk were not skidish after shot, I walked right at them and they didn't start moving until I was within 50 yards and then they just walk/jogged away as a herd. Could have shot numerous more.

Day 2--Parked at corral 2 miles west of camp ground, headed out to pack out my elk. The whole herd is 400 yards down the trail. Stalked to within 250 yards, 2nd buddy shoots cow (3 elk taken 1 to go). Went back to corral that evening and glassed big valley. Saw 150 elk but to far to try a stalk before dark.

Day 3--Parked at corral again, walked down trail about 300 yards and see 40 elk on ridge to the right. Make a stalk but get busted. Over 250 elk scattered throughout valley. Walk straight at 6 elk feeding on slope to the right, get within 200 yards and buddy misses elk. All the elk in valley group up and head towards the southwest side of valley just east of old cabin. We stalk to within 150 yards and the 4th cow is dead.

Don't get me wrong, we covered alot of country and had some tough packing but all got elk and saw hundreds. The bulls were still bugling to boot. Could have shot numerous medium size bulls. Bring good mountain bikes and a pull behind cart, we packed out 2 elk in the cart down the old logging road going back to the old cabin.

Good hunting.
 
Nice you get to still try for a bull tag, cow tags do not count as once in a lifetime.

I have thought about trying to pull a cow tag there but being from Ohio that is a long way for no shot at a bull.

Good story, I hope to pull there one day.
 

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