elkmaster101

so first time out of state applicant into area 15 in New Mexico what are my chances, I pegged onto a locals tag as hunting together, think that will help?
would love to discuss spots (your favorite ) hehehe just kidding.
the draw will be posted the end of april. if I don't get it I will be looking for someone that wants to hunt up in Colorado over the counter public. bow hunting by the way if your wondering.

Topgun 3006

The way NM has dropped a DIY NR to only 6% of the tags, all I can say is good luck and be looking into your alternate plans for hunting in CO. If you do get lucky and draw 15, it is a neat unit. I hunted it back in 2003 with a ML for deer and it was a much better place for elk than mulies. If you draw the tag, take a good look at the country right south of Quemado Lake for a few miles on south of there as high as you can get up on top and look for the small water holes, especially if the weather is warm and the rut is going good when you're there.

jackflap

If I understand your post correctly, you applied on a group application with a NM resident. If this is the case, they will regard the entire application as a NR, therefore not helping you but hurting him. 99% sure what I just stated is correct.

Topgun 3006

That is what he did and you are partially correct in that the NR is in the 6% pool and not in the 84% resident pool even though he partied with a resident friend. They get one number in the draw and when their number gets picked there has to be a tag left in the 6% NR pool, as well as a tag in the 84% resident pool or neither one draws. Seeing as there are not many tags in that 6% NR pool, they need to pray they are issued a very low number in the draw so there are still some tags left in that 6% pool because doing what they did really cuts the chances of the resident unless they get a very low draw number compared to if he went in by himself. Here is the sentence right out of the NM draw section explaining it:

Residents who apply with one or more nonresidents will be issued a license only if there are licenses available for both the resident and nonresident pools.

HatchieLuvr

You wanna kill a BULL or just "cut something with hide" to say you did?

I hunted unit 15 back in 1998, 2nd muzzleloader & I hunted with the EXCELLENT operation owned & run by Mick Chapel. http://www.nmtrophyhunts.com
Three of us went out there. 2 Drew & I didn't so I had to pay Mick to get me a landowner tag (wanna say it was about an extra $2k back then, they've appx doubled since I believe). BUT I took the biggest bull in camp that week with my 368" 6x6, last morning "answered prayer"! I got my bull in the vicinity of Freeman & Dillon Mtns.

Right or wrong (ESPECIALLY in the best areas like those we are talking about) big game hunting is big biz & the laws are written to give the locals the best chance at not only game but the most money for the professionals in that biz & area. Big Bulls are a game of odds & increased odds for increased size comes with an increased price tag. (If you think NM bulls are high, take a look at 400"+ bulls in AZ at the two greatest places they exist, White Mtn. Apache & San Carlos! )

You can spend a lot of years, sweat, boot leather & $$$ stomping around CO with OTC tags "hoping" for a 300"+ bulls. But the odds are against you! That's why I chose to bite the bullet, spend the money & even in unit 15 there's NO SUCH THING AS A SURE DEAL! But I'd take my odds there over anywhere else outside of nearby AZ.

HuntingFit

Did you get drawn? If so, the southern portion of the unit will contain more elk than the northern part.