UNITS:  

 

6a: This is a good elk unit with lots of land to hunt. It is a poor unit for deer. This is also a very good unit for bear hunting. Knowing where to hunt in this unit is very important, it encompasses a lot of the Jemez Mountains. Some areas are very productive and some are downright poor. Lots of good sizes bulls if you know where to hunt. The elk, deer and bears are very road smart so will have to get off the roads and in the woods for success.

 

6c: Poor for elk and deer. However, there are a few big, smart bulls outwitting even the best hunters...  Groose was great this year and turkey was fair to good. This unit is also a good bear unit.

 

7: Big unit. This unit has elk, deer, bear and loads of small game. This unit takes a lot of pre-scout time that will pay off... It consists of flat mesa with wooded tops and rolling hills  We have seen some very big bulls and some monster bucks. However, this area has a lot of roads throughout it so the game tends to be off the beaten path…..You must get maps and pre-scout this unit but the pay offs can be huge to the hunters who are willing to put the time and effort into their hunt.  Ranchers also can be very helpful as long as you don’t trespass; remember ask first……..   

 

8: This unit is city hunting at its best.  No camping unless with backpacks and it is bow only. There are lots of deer, lions and bear in this unit located in the Sandia Mountains. Most of the hunting is hard hiking; it's hard going uphill and downhill but the bucks, when found, are huge…if your running around in a red jogging suit, the deer pay no attention to you.  When you put on camos and sneak around,they see you, they bump hard……. Best spots are at the tram towers and top of Montgomery on the east side. West side 10k trail and the telephone line cut have lots of deer along with hikers and tons of antihunters, so watch your trucks….

 

9:  This unit is mostly Mount Taylor. I have done very well in this unit; as a matter of fact, I have seen a 400 bull in this unit.  Fair for elk, bear and deer, knowing where to hunt is real important in this unit and it has some pockets that hold lots of elk and other areas nothing… 9 is a tough unit if you don’t pre-scout.  Just driving up, unloading camp and hunting, your odds are very low. Last year hunters say it was very bad. I don’t know for sure since I have heard that before and filled my tag.

 

10: This is a great unit for elk and deer.  It is located in the Zuni Mountains although it is not an easy hunting area.  There are lots of plateaus to spot game. Some of the roads are tough but well worth the time.  The elk tend to move around so scouting is very important.  These elk do come to calls mainly cow calling, however, I personally experienced very quiet bulls so keep your eyes open and looking down wind.  These bulls are hunter smart and will blow out once something doesn’t feel right to them.  Don’t over call for best results.

 

13: This unit is one of those sleeper units, good for deer, elk and antelope with lots of mesas and rolling hills.  You will need spotting scopes and lots of time to hunt it right. Spot and stock is your best bet. Roads are good and hunters seem to do well;  however, getting information is hard on this unit so we will be scouting this unit intensely.

 

15: This unit has it all deer, elk, bear, and javelina.  The deer from reports are in the decline, although I have seen a few nice ones pulled out of here.  You will be hunting tall pines. Most hunters in this area hunt over and over again.  This means there are some hot spots that produce animals.

 

16: What can you say about these units other than great! If you are lucky to draw a tag in these units you better spend some time pre-scouting. This is the Gila Wilderness and it is loaded with deer, elk, bear, and lions. We will be scouting this area and giving in the field reports. You should do well if you have no time to pre-scout.  We will be scouting this unit starting in July.  Join our members section for the best reports on roads and locations of where we will be seeing the elk, deer and bear……..

 

17:  Great antelope unit! You will see plenty of goats here. However, they will see you also….. lot of this land is huntable but there is a lot of private ranches here. Deer is good in this area but they stick to the hills and are very hunter smart especially from the road. This is sometimes an indication of heavy road hunting, possible poaching. Elk in this area are good to great if you know where to go. There are some good guides in this area. I suggest using them or a lot of pre-scouting starting in July.  Know your roads and where you can access without roads, maps are a must in this unit…….

 

20: This unit always surprises me for deer and antelope.  This unit consists of desert conditions with rolling hills. Rifle and muzzleloader condition are poor. However, late season rut for bow hunters do very well. Spotting scopes and binoculars are a must. Spot and stock is your best option in this unit. Deer are heavy around the lake but 90% is not legal to hunt. Check your maps and scouting this unit for success is very important…

 

21: This unit is a great deer unit period! You will be hunting rolling hills and open country. I have seen some huge bucks here.  Not much more to say other than fantastic deer country!

 

23: What a great coues deer hunting spot; best in the State. Burros Mountain area, lots of deer here.  You can hunt both coues deer and mulies.. This unit has produced some big boys in both species. There is a lot of land to hunt here and it is mostly open country and desert so bring those spotting scopes and water bottles because you walk a lot here. This unit has plenty of deer, if you can draw a tag. Unless requested we will not scout this area….

 

24: This unit is turning out to be a good unit for deer and fair for elk.  We will be scouting this area and doing more reports on this unit both in the free section and members section.

 

30: This is mainly the Guadalupe mountain range. I have hunted this unit for deer and I have seen some really big Bucks here… however ,in the last two years I have been getting reports of poor deer hunting here. These are big mountains with rock shelves. Great for horseback.  Gun Site Canyon has always produced for us.  We will be scouting this area this year so I can get an accurate report back to you both in free section and members section.

 

34: Deer and elk are good in this unit and getting better... you can always count on the rut bow hunt in this unit for deer. This unit is well hunted and the deer are hunter wise. The muzzleloader hunts, both deer and elk are prime hunts. Rifle opening day is good, however, after the first shots the buck hang up hard on private and travel mainly at night, catching them to and fro bedding in hard brush is your best bet.   

 

36: Deer abundant; however, most of them are in the front yards of the cabins and houses.  There are some great areas to hunt but you must know what is private, BLM and forest. Don't forget the deer and elk also know this. Elk population in this unit is good to great if you know where to hunt. Again watch the private lands and the antihunters in this area. Get a map and use your GPS.

 

37: I scouted this unit this year in December and January and saw a lot of deer around Hondo, White Oaks and Capitan. I also saw some nice herds of elk, in here to my surprise. We will be scouting this area this year so check back on this sleeper unit.

 

38: This unit has always produced big deer.  However, this year I received some real poor reports from early season bow, muzzleloader and rifle.  Late season bow hunters did fair to good. This unit is always hunted hard and crowded on public land, yet some ranchers do hold deer tags.. lots of poaching and road hunting in this unit so be careful if you hunt it…..

 

48: This unit has a good population of elk and a few deer.  The biggest problem with this unit is most of the huntable land is land locked by private property, however, there is lots of good state land to hunt.  Knowing that, lots of the land owners sell tags through the e system at NM Game and Fish. They must allow hunters on the land if they sell tags not marked ranch only. This being said there are ways to access. Big problem, where to camp…. Also this is a great bear unit, you will see bears so be alert.