New Mexico MRS-Looking for your imput guys and gals!

[Breshears]

Tis' the season for MRS across the west! New Mexico is up to bat and I am always looking to improve my write up! We get boots on the groung all over the west but its impossible to keep up with it all, so please share your thoughts, take a look at last years MRS and combine that with your experience from this season and share your updates. This write up is going to the press soon, so time is critical. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely, Jordan Breshears

Eastmans Field Editor

 

[Doe Nob]

I have read some conflicting reports about the mexican gray wolf population in the Gila starting to put a hurt on the animals there. Could be inaccurrate, but if the 16's are going to fall off because of wolf problems, it would be good to be ahead of the curve on that issue.

 

[Breshears]

Anything you can add about the landowner permits, and how many are available. For the public land, land owner tags, as I think New Mexico is kind of a hard draw anyway.

And anything you can add about sheep, ibex and oryx would be good.

Edelweiss, I will look into adding info about landowner permits, we typically stay away from landowner permits and special permits, mainly because they separate the average hunter from the guys who can afford to hunt the more "elite" permits. Therefore, I am conflicted with this option. In regards to more Sheep info, that I can do, I will add as much info as I can grab for the writeup, ibex and oryx is another deviation from our focus here at Eastmans' therefore, I am not sure if I will head in that direction, however, if you and a substantial amount of readers show interest in that area (possibly by posting a comment or sending me a message) that would help my cause for adding these species! I hope this makes sense, thank you for your thoughts!

Jordan B.

 

[Fink]

Edelweiss, I will look into adding info about landowner permits, we typically stay away from landowner permits and special permits, mainly because they separate the average hunter from the guys who can afford to hunt the more "elite" permits. Jordan B.

I'd prefer to see you guys continue to focus on the DIY guy as well, and not so much the super expensive LO tags.. It doesn't take much to find a contact and buy the tag. I just got a subscription to 'the other guys', and will be canceling it, as the only thing they talk about are $10k+ guided hunts...

While Oryx and Ibex are out of the normal Eastmans realm, they are both cetainly hunts that a guy can do DIY, and I would think they warrant a small amount of coverage.

Thanks for all your hard work putting this together!

 

[buckbull]

I'd like to see info on Oryx and Ibex please.

 

[NDHunter]

Having the correct license fee for nonresident bighorn sheep would be a good thing to fix.

 

[Breshears]

Having the correct license fee for nonresident bighorn sheep would be a good thing to fix.

NDHunter, This is my first year writing New Mexico, however, I have already taken notice of the error and fixed the fee chart! It looks like the numbers were transposed! Thanks for the heads up!

Jordan B.

 

[Breshears]

I have read some conflicting reports about the mexican gray wolf population in the Gila starting to put a hurt on the animals there. Could be inaccurrate, but if the 16's are going to fall off because of wolf problems, it would be good to be ahead of the curve on that issue.

Doe Nob,
I appriciate the heads up, hopefully some locals can chime in on this issue, and I will work on making a contact for that region. If I hear anything of substance I will be sure to keep you guys in the loop!

Jordan B.

 

[dying to kill]

i would sure like to see an article on why nm refuses to input a point system,this is the closest elk state to me and i can never seem to draw it not only that but i can only swing 1 elk hunt per year and by the time nm s results are posted i need to already have concrete plans. id appriciate that article!!

 

[Fink]

i would sure like to see an article on why nm refuses to input a point system,this is the closest elk state to me and i can never seem to draw it not only that but i can only swing 1 elk hunt per year and by the time nm s results are posted i need to already have concrete plans. id appriciate that article!!

I'd be careful what you wish for.. At least with a random draw, you'll have just as much a chance to draw a tag in the most coveted units as the next guy. If you're just getting in the points game in states like CO, AZ and UT, you are about 20 years behind schedule, and will statistically never draw the best CO units, and stand a very small chance of drawing top units in UT or AZ. Even in WY, with a points system only 7 years old, your chances of drawing a top end unit are slim, and are going to require a very long wait.

 

[dying to kill]

thats a good thought fink i see your angle its just aggervating to drive 5 hours from my door and see elk but not get a tag year after year

I'd be careful what you wish for.. At least with a random draw, you'll have just as much a chance to draw a tag in the most coveted units as the next guy. If you're just getting in the points game in states like CO, AZ and UT, you are about 20 years behind schedule, and will statistically never draw the best CO units, and stand a very small chance of drawing top units in UT or AZ. Even in WY, with a points system only 7 years old, your chances of drawing a top end unit are slim, and are going to require a very long wait.

 

[Eberle]

I'd like to see info on Oryx and Ibex please.

I second that! I'm also interested in Oryx & Ibex.

 

[Doe Nob]

thats a good thought fink i see your angle its just aggervating to drive 5 hours from my door and see elk but not get a tag year after year

At least you can find landowner tags to buy there still.

 

[dhershberger]

I'm really glad that NM doesn't have a point system because it allows the DIY public land hunter like me to have the possibility to draw a great unit every year whereas the retarted point system just makes everyone wait ten to fifteen years to hunt which is ridiculous!

 

[ehuntelk]

Hunted 2nd Rifle Valle Vidal in 2012 - Unbelievable area. Scouted during 1st Bow season, what a treat. It looks like Rocky Mtn National Park or Yellowstone but you are there with a tag and your weapon of choice. I know we all want a 350+ bull, but on a daily basis seeing herds of elk and 5 - 10 branch antlered bulls is what 80%-90% of elk hunters would die for.

 

[NDHunter]

This isn't for New Mexico but in the Wyoming elk MRS, there are two "5" point columns in the chart showing pref point and such. I assume that was a mistake and it should have been a 5 and 6 point column? Also, in the 2013 projected application chart, you might want to check the spelling of February under the "results posted" column for Wyoming.

 

[chsdaddy]

I would discuss the fact that "if" you happen to draw an antelope tag, for the most part, you will be assigned to a ranch. Depending on your assignment and what other plans the rancher may have in the works (like other hunters paying top dollar on guided hunts), or the number of animals on his place your outcome may be different than you expect. I know NM is one of "the" places for truly big antelope, just something to be aware of.

One of my employees drew a tag in the southern part of the state and when he showed up for the hunt the rancher told him if he sees a legal antelope he'd better shoot it. Due to the drought he had no water on his place and hadn't seen any antelope for a while. He got lucky on the last day, and shot a small buck just over is ears that was with another doe and those were the only 2 antelop he saw on 20,000+ acres in 3 days.

On the + side it truly is a state where luck of the draw comes into play. When looking at draw odds last year I notice a NR drew a Big Horn Sheep on his 2nd choice! Maybe it was a typo, but with the system we have in place, it is possible. Another plus is the opportunity for youth hunts and mobility impaired hunts. We really give the kids and mobility impaired a decent chance with a lot of the hunts going 100% draw.

 

[Trifecta Outdoors]

I am an outfitter in northern NM and could help with some input. For unit wide landowner tags a good place to contact is huntinfool.com out of Utah. They buy up and then resale alot of those tags for resonable prices. The draw is going completely paperless and results will be out in april this year. Maybe NM should look into a point system but I think the draw is always worth a try. At least you know if you do draw you will have great hunting and not have to battle crowds of hunters. The main concern for myself and most other hunters is the continuing draught. If we don't get some good snow and rain it could get really tough.

 

[Fink]

I am an outfitter in northern NM and could help with some input. For unit wide landowner tags a good place to contact is huntinfool.com out of Utah. They buy up and then resale alot of those tags for resonable prices.

Somehow, I doubt Eastmans will want to support one of their direct competitors in the MRS section.

 

[Trifecta Outdoors]

Sorry about that I'm new to the forum and didn't know Eastmans was in the business of selling NM landowner permits. Someone had posted they would like more info on how to buy landowner tags. I am not affilliated with huntinfool and not trying to promote them just know thats what some nonresident hunter have been using to get tags in my area.