For those who are interested, NM unit 17 is west and southwest of Socorro. From this unit west to the AZ border there are some very good elk habitat and hunting. My hunt is in unit 15, about an hour or lesswest of 17 and I have always seen elk when hunting there. In fact several record book bulls have come from that area. Some areas also have black bear and cougars in the area. The deer hunting in that area is pretty good too. Sabots and scopes are legal in all ML hunts except a few restricted ML hunts.

Good luck on your son's hunt and enjoy the great scenic beauty of the land of enchantment. Do have lots of water on handas the area is high desert and dehydration is a very real possibility. I would suggest drinking plenty of water for a couple of weeks before heading out to NM to build up your hydration.