msh1064

I drew a tag in Unit 50 in Carson National Forest for an elk hunt 10-14 Oct. 2009. I have not hunted up there before and would like some advice on areas to pursue. I called the ranger district and they said they expect it to be a good year for elk hunting, but had no real good advice on locations that might produce. This was my 4th choice hunt, not great but at least it is a chance to get out there. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Mike

John Deer

I bow hunted unit 50 a couple of years ago in mid September. In my opinion it's not typically what you would think of as elk country but it was a learning experience. We hunted the northern end of the unit and focused on a Mountain called Cerra de la Olla or Pot Mountain. Anyway, to get there, after crossing the Rio Grande Gourge going west out of Taos on HWY 64 you turn north and wind your way across the desert till you get to the tallest mountain you can see in the distance which is approx 15 miles on a sandy road and you need 4x4 because it gets messy if it rains. It's actually an old volcano. We camped out there at the base of the mountain otherwise you'll have to drive from town and that takes quite awhile. You can use ATV's in this unit and there is a rough road that goes to the top of the mountain which is over 9500 ft in elevation. Now we hunted the Northeastern most areas on this mountain and we took an ATV to the top and hunted the top which is flat and open with a water hole. We saw several elk during our hunt and picked up sever shed antlers. We talked to a wildlife deparment official and they told us that the later it gets in the year the better the elk hunting gets in that area and particularly on that mountain as it is a wintering area for the elk as they migrate down from Colorado and out of the higher elevations. We didn't kill an elk with the archery tackle but last year my brother-in-law drew out again but this time with a rifle. He went back and hunted the same area and killed a beautiful 7x6 that came out of a drainage with several cows on top of the mountain. It was near the ATV trail. There is a big burn area on the east north east side of the mountain that would be a great area to glass as we found many sheds there. My brother in law said during his rifle trip there were a few other hunters on the mountain and that he heard a couple of other shots during his hunt but that it wasn't crowded by any means. We talked to a local guy in Taos and he said that the southern end of the unit was pretty good hunting but we already had camp set up and were commited to the area we were in. I believe my brother-in-laws hunt was in November and he told me that he saw approx 40 head of elk during his 5 days of hunting before he killed his bull. I think this unit is one that can produce a good bull and there is a private ranch to the west side of the mountain that you can't hunt that takes some good bulls every year. I believe this is their website www.elkhuntingnewmexico.com

Anyway we had a pretty good hunt and I think this unit may be overlooked by many hunters. Like yourself it was our last choice when we filled out for the draw. Nevertheless we had a good trip and a good hunt. When you get there you'll see that there have to be elk on the mountain it's just a matter of finding them. If you decide to hunt this same mountain I'd suggest glassing the burn area which is very large or going to the top and picking a drainage to watch. You'll see elk, I guarentee it. Please let me know how it goes for you.

I've attached a link to google maps that takes you right to the mountain I'm talking about and you can zoom in to see the topography and zoom out to get an idea of where it sets in the unit.

http://maps.google.com/maps?num=1&t=...4,0.07699&z=14