Hit the Lottery!! NM Elk Archery Tag

[TGoody]

After years of unsuccessful draws on the New Mexico Draw Hunts, I finally hit the Jackpot!!! I'm beyond stoked, still in shock, and can't wait to get out there.
A fellow TBH'er member and I put in together for all the same hunts and had a gentlemen's agreement that if either one of us got a tag we would both still go and experience this hunt of a lifetime together.

It was our 3rd choice, Unit 17 Sept 1-14! That's the first day of season so they may not be getting into rut yet but it will still be a great adventure. I've hunted predators in other units of NM, but have never been to 17. We don't know much about that Unit but hear it's a tough hunt if you like to work hard, which we do!!!

We are looking to our fellow TBH'ers for help, tips, guidance, and suggestions. We are taking a week off from work and plan on doing whatever it takes to make this happen. If any of you guys can share some knowledge of the area or just your experiences in general that would be great. We are going to need all the help we can get. I'm sure we will be taking about 4 GoPros and a Sony Handycam to record the adventure.

We are both in our early 30s and are very active so throwing on a pack and humping it all day is the plan for now. I'll prolly make a wknd trip or two over there beforehand to scout the area and just see what exactly we are getting into, terrain wise....

So anything you guys can suggest for us would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Taylor

[ttubudd]

Congrats!

[Jamesl]

take two weeks off from work.

[ostey22]

Congrats!!

[RutnBuk]

take two weeks off from work.

This.

[Hookem84]

Congrats

[TGoody]

Thanks Guys!
We're gonna have 10 days off. So probably 2 travel days with 8 full days of hunting between! Hopefully we can get it done.

This will be our first Elk hunt and we hear the early season archery hunt is the most difficult. Any tips, experiences, or knowledge about what we are about to get into would be greatly appreciated. Or suggestions on packs, gear, supplies, etc...

[Felix40]

Thanks Guys!
We're gonna have 10 days off. So probably 2 travel days with 8 full days of hunting between! Hopefully we can get it done.

This will be our first Elk hunt and we hear the early season archery hunt is the most difficult. Any tips, experiences, or knowledge about what we are about to get into would be greatly appreciated. Or suggestions on packs, gear, supplies, etc...

Get on rokslide and find a used kifaru pack. I'm poor so I held out forever but it's worth every penny. Also don't wear cotton if you can help it. I'm a big fan of prana Zion pants and first lite tops but there are a ton of options out there.

Debone your meat once you get one down. I've carried quarters before and it's just silly. You can drop a ton of weight by just packing meat bags full of meat.

Go to grittybowmen.com and look through their podcasts. A lot of them are purely entertainment value but there is a fair amount of good gear info too.

[lovemylegacy]

Congrats

[ladrones]

I will be deer hunting that unit. We will spend several weekend prior to fall scouting the unit.

[Drycreek3189]

Thanks Guys!
We're gonna have 10 days off. So probably 2 travel days with 8 full days of hunting between! Hopefully we can get it done.

This will be our first Elk hunt and we hear the early season archery hunt is the most difficult. Any tips, experiences, or knowledge about what we are about to get into would be greatly appreciated. Or suggestions on packs, gear, supplies, etc...

Congrats on the tag. My one piece of advice is to register on Bowsite.com even if you just lurk. Lots and lots of hard core elk hunters on there and they talk elk hunting a LOT. These guys get it done year after year and their info would be invaluable to a rookie elk hunter. Good luck !

[ReydonPete]

Congrats on getting tag.
Good luck, and get in good shape before the hunt.

[MIHunter]

Congrats!

[TGoody]

Thanks Everybody!

Get on rokslide and find a used kifaru pack. I'm poor so I held out forever but it's worth every penny. Also don't wear cotton if you can help it. I'm a big fan of prana Zion pants and first lite tops but there are a ton of options out there.



Debone your meat once you get one down. I've carried quarters before and it's just silly. You can drop a ton of weight by just packing meat bags full of meat.



Go to grittybowmen.com and look through their podcasts. A lot of them are purely entertainment value but there is a fair amount of good gear info too.

Great info, thanks! I do a lot of walking/hiking so I learned the cotton problem awhile back. Thick Wool socks are totally worth it AND arch support inserts have helped me tremendously!

I will be deer hunting that unit. We will spend several weekend prior to fall scouting the unit.

If we come across some good trails, water holes, and sign I'll mark them with a GPS and pass them along to you.

Congrats on the tag. My one piece of advice is to register on Bowsite.com even if you just lurk. Lots and lots of hard core elk hunters on there and they talk elk hunting a LOT. These guys get it done year after year and their info would be invaluable to a rookie elk hunter. Good luck !

NICE!! Yea anything helps. I guide when I'm not working for an exotic outfitter, but stalking elk is not on our menu haha

Congrats on getting tag.
Good luck, and get in good shape before the hunt.

Already working on that. Packs are weighted down and I walk everyday, but of course we are in lower elevation here. Thanks

[TGoody]

Congrats on the tag. My one piece of advice is to register on Bowsite.com even if you just lurk. Lots and lots of hard core elk hunters on there and they talk elk hunting a LOT. These guys get it done year after year and their info would be invaluable to a rookie elk hunter. Good luck !

So I spent about an hour "lurking" after creating an account... Haha but you were right, there's a LOT of knowledge on that page! Thanks again for that tip! Much appreciated