Unit 6C a few years later

[fishfurlife]

We all know that this unit was used and abused in years past but it has been a few years since the NMDGF has cut back on the tags (Elk) they issue for the unit. Has anybody seen a change in heard structure in this area. My first guess would be that there isn't much change given that the LO tags are still going for pretty cheap in relation to the rest of the state?

 

[WFGinNM]

Elk were still in isolated pockets in the southern 1/2, I don't know about the northern 1/2. After this fire I don't know if there will be a 6C. Do you have a tag for this season?

--Bill

 

[mozey]

Except for the new boundary on the northwest end, 6c has been gutted by this fire, and it ain't over yet:

It may be a good thing in the long run if the right vegetation grows back, but very difficult to project what the elk will do over the next couple years. I know from my shed hunting area that was gutted by fire a couple years ago that the elk have not yet returned to that area at all.

The other thing about 6c is that even if you have a bull scouted on the right side of the 6b fence, once the rut starts you can pretty much count on him being on the wrong side of said fence. Then it's a matter of how long it takes for him to either get his butt kicked and give up, or seed the next generation before he decides to come back. If he's the seeder, he probably won't be back before the last rifle hunt is over. The one exception is if we get an early snow storm big enough to push 'em off, which in my experience has happend only once or twice in the last ten years...

 

[NMelkhunter]

I have a tag for this season...last bull rifle hunt. I thought that if it hadn't burned too hot that it might make for some pretty good hunting but it looks like everything is fairly torched to ash. We were looking at three different areas to start scouting, two of which were within the fire perimeter. Now I don't know what to do. It'll be interesting to see if G&F takes any action. Bill, I'd like to talk to you sometime about the southern 1/2.

 

[WFGinNM]

>I have a tag for this
>season...last bull rifle hunt.
>I thought that if it
>hadn't burned too hot that
>it might make for some
>pretty good hunting but it
>looks like everything is fairly
>torched to ash. We
>were looking at three different
>areas to start scouting, two
>of which were within the
>fire perimeter. Now I
>don't know what to do.
> It'll be interesting to
>see if G&F takes any
>action. Bill, I'd like
>to talk to you sometime
>about the southern 1/2.

Sent you a pm.

--Bill

 

[fishfurlife]

>Elk were still in isolated pockets
>in the southern 1/2, I
>don't know about the northern
>1/2. After this fire
>I don't know if there
>will be a 6C.
>Do you have a tag
>for this season?
>
>--Bill

No tag here, however I noticed that LO tags were still pretty inexpensive for this unit so I assumed there had not been much change. So I figured I might try to drum up some small talk.

 

[SweetBull]

Anyone who has hiked in the canyons burned 11 years ago know how miserable they are with all the deadfall and thornbushes that overtook the area. This new fire will clear alot of that junk out actually, and clear the forest floor allowing for some good grass growth .. but only in the areas previously burned by cerro grande. I think overall the unit is still pretty bad, and will be for some time. There are a few elk that winter and shed in the spring, but they are all valle bulls that return there.

A good question is where will the 800 or so bandelier elk go? I would expect G&F to further cut tag #'s for the charred remains of what used to be 6c, which is a good thing

 

[WFGinNM]

Here are some of the sheds I carried out last year. Most of the whites I hang in trees.

Didn't do so good this year, found 54 but only 7 where brown. Don't have any pictures of them on the computer yet.

--Bill

 

[SweetBull]

Wow, very nice finds! here are the bigger ones ive found in the last year. Found lots of white this year, only 4 browns

 

[SweetBull]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-08-11 AT 04:39PM (MST)[p]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos/6122kevin1.jpg

 

[SweetBull]

wow that didnt work at all ...

 

[crazeymaez]

I used to enjoy looking for white horns but looks like
those will be ash.Sweetbull That set looks like I may have a single from,A couple years back.But alot of them bulls share the same genes.If its the same bull looks like he got more mass and grew out his 5ths a little bit

 

[NMHUNTNUTTG]

I drew 6C this year and spoke to my friend this morning who is stationed up there and well, it's a tough deal but whos t say it won't turn around in the coming months. The bad is the fire is still going and many of the elk have pressed on , but as I was told, this is the most catastrophic(spelling) thing that NM has ever seen , it goes way beyond the affect it has on an elk hunt...

 

[mozey]

I spent this last week in Los Alamos for work.

It doesn't look quite as bad as I expected, been then I was only able to look from the "open" roads where most of the burning was from the back burns that the fire fighters made to establish containment. Can't really get in and look yet because all of the trails are still closed, but glassing from the roads there seems to be a lot of green islands surrounded by the completely tourched. Still lots of plumes of smoke all through it.

We sure do need it to rain some more...