NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
10-30-2002, 04:53 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rancho Murieta CA USA
Posts: 160
NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
Just got back from a guided hunt with USO in unit 16A NM. Had a great time even though I didn't bring home a trophy. The guide was great and worked his butt off showing me some good elk. (damn near killing me in the process!) I passed on a huge 5 point that had one of his main beams busted off. Also passed on several smaller 5's and some raghorns. Last day I botched a good opportunity a great 6x6. Can't blame the guide for that one. This was my first bull elk hunt, the elk were buglin' like crazy and I had a blast. I can't wait to go again!!!
10-31-2002, 04:45 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
RE: NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
Hope you tipped yer guide like you kilt a whopper. Sounds like you took a good attitude into the endeavor. How many days did you hunt? You obviously put a premium on the guide's ability to show you game. Did you ever feel like you were just along to pull the trigger? Some guys are fine with guides pointing to elk. Some want the guide to handle the horses while they hunt. Guiding is the hardest job in the world next to full time horse shoein'. Always tip 10% of what the outfitter charges regardless of what you kill. Unless you get a lazy guide that doesn't know the country.
BJ
BJ
10-31-2002, 05:11 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: durango Colorado USA
Posts: 567
RE: NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
Sounds like we have another "Elkacholic"!!!! Welcome to the club. This disease has no known cure !! It must be treated every fall when the aspens turn gold & the bull are bugling !!!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
10-31-2002, 05:14 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: durango Colorado USA
Posts: 567
RE: NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
Hey Beaverjack----- Guiding isn't the hardest job in the world---Being married to my wife is the toughest one I know !!!! LMAO !!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
11-04-2002, 08:59 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 171
RE: NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
Elkaholic-The only disease that is known to infiltrate your system to the point of taking over total control. The hardest part is getting funding to find a cure.......Those who get it LOVE it and only want to feed their addiction....It is however known to have disasterous financial impact.......Keeping those wives happy in the off season so that you can buy all yoru hunting stuff during the season and trips etc. is a full time job!!!
11-13-2002, 02:18 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rancho Murieta CA USA
Posts: 160
RE: NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
Thanks for the comments fellas, Yeh BeaverJack I gave the guide a real good tip. He did me a good job and worked hard every one of the 5 days we hunted. My guide was a fairly young but had been guiding a long time. He had good people skills and I think could have made a good hunt for most anyone. I'm not one for just following along waiting to pull the trigger, so I was constantly asking questions, glassing and trying to see the elk before this eagle eye guide did. Rarely happened that way though!!!!. I think sometimes I was driving him half crazy asking questions about when to bugle and how the elk move and all kinds of stuff you can't read in a book. I went on this trip with the intention of coming away with two things: some knowledge I didn't have before I left ,and a hunt that I would remember forever. Woulda' been nice to bring home some meat and a trophy, but I got what I really came for.
11-13-2002, 02:26 PM
#8
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rancho Murieta CA USA
Posts: 160
RE: NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
OldElk ; The hunt I went on was in the Gila National Forest, all public land. From what I can see on the maps, there is only a little bit of private land in Unit 16A. It's pretty much all public. We hunted mainly in the south eastern portion of the unit.
11-13-2002, 02:55 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rancho Murieta CA USA
Posts: 160
RE: NM Elk Hunt in unit 16A
Beaverjack; One thing I forgot to mention in my last reply to you.. as this was my first guided hunt, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect of my guide except that I did definitely expect him to show me some elk (not necessarily a B&C 300, but some elk)and I was prepared to follow him up a sheer cliff if I had to do it. I was in good shape for the hunt and I when I go again I'll try to be in better shape. The nastier the country the bigger the elk got.
Here's a question for you guide types, what are your feelings about hunters coming back and hunting an area that you guided them in previously? (public land). I expect to go back at some point and hunt in some of the areas my guide took me to. Even though I can't afford to hunt with a guide every year(else I would) I still feel like I'm doing him wrong by going back to these areas even though they're public. What do you think?
Here's a question for you guide types, what are your feelings about hunters coming back and hunting an area that you guided them in previously? (public land). I expect to go back at some point and hunt in some of the areas my guide took me to. Even though I can't afford to hunt with a guide every year(else I would) I still feel like I'm doing him wrong by going back to these areas even though they're public. What do you think?