My hunting partner and I drew first season (9/1 -9/14) archery tags for elk in New Mexico Unit 6C. The majority of hunters prefer to hunt with high-powered rifles. New Mexico is known throughout North America to hold some of the biggest trophy Elk and Mule Deer in the world. Because the order of an application in the sequence is the determining factor in drawing success, it is possible for an applicant to receive a license for his or her second or third choice before a first choice applicant for the same hunt is even considered. After all deer and elk applications have been examined, a second drawing distributes any remaining deer and elk licenses to those who designate a fourth choice on their application. The earlier in the drawing sequence an application is, the better the chances that a first, second or third choice hunt will still be available. Randy Newberg explains an overview of the New Mexico non-resident draw system that applies for elk, antelope, and deer,. When it comes to planning a New Mexico elk hunt, from the license application and draw process to the trip itself, here are a few things you should know: How and When to Apply for a New Mexico Elk License. New Mexico elk tags are obtained either by draw or purchasing a landowner tag. Because each application can only be drawn for one hunt, the actual number of applicants competing for a particular hunt could be lower than the number indicated because some applicants would have been successful for one of their choices, and therefore their other choices would no longer be included in the draw. Sierra Blanca Outfitters offers a service to assist hunters with the big game draw. If you want to get more detailed, you can use the complete report and compare the number drawn in your drawing pool for each choice with the number who applied for that choice. You could end up hunting an area with scattered populations, or the unit might be very rugged terrain. Species. This is my first year applying in New Mexico and my hopes are probably way too high When the results are out let us all know if you were successfull or not. It will be tougher to harvest an animal with a bow or muzzleloader, but the trade-off is that you’re more likely to get to go hunting if you apply. January 16, 2018-Ryan Nogosek with an Incredible elk shot by one of our mobility impaired hunters in 2016. 2020 Photos & Text Copyright - © Sierra Blanca Outfitters 2 Day Guided Elk Hunts in New Mexico. Luck plays a big part in the drawing, but the following tips may help you increase your chances. The draw then goes through each application by sequence number and examines the application in its entirety before moving on to the next application. View 2019 New Mexico Elk Dates to start planning your next Elk Hunt. When an application is examined, the computer attempts to fulfill the first hunt choice, subject to the quotas described above. The drawing odds are far better for antlerless elk hunts than for bull hunts. Comparing the number of applicants in your drawing pool with the number drawn in your pool will give you a rough idea of your odds. Likewise, there are no guarantees in hunting. There is no harm in submitting a highly desirable unit as your first choice, but if all three of your choices are in prime units, your drawing chances overall won’t be very good. It doesn’t hurt to be willing to travel for your hunt either. A computer program then examines each application in the sequence in its entirety, prior to moving on to the next application. To make it easier, you can also click directly on the blue button below to take you directly to the guided draw odds page. The order your application lies in the sequence ultimately determines whether you’ll be successful or not. Talk to other hunters. New Mexico Big Game Draw Trophy Elk. An elk hunter drawing a fourth choice could receive a license for an antlerless bag limit (if eligible), even if their first three choices were for bull licenses. 85% of tags go to New Mexico residents and non residents are drawn for the remaining 15%. Luck still plays a big part in drawing success. Most of the units that contain prime habitat for any species are very difficult to draw because numerous hunters apply for those areas. The first is to draw a license in the annual draw. Due to the difficulty of getting drawn in New Mexico, it's a good idea to have a back up plan. I picked up forest service map and still looking for a good topo. Successful applicants who did not purchase the Habitat Stamp with their draw application, must purchase the stamp before May 15, 2019 for it to be printed on your draw hunting license(s). Drawing odds vary according to quality and area. Consult the drawing odds report on the New Mexico Game & Fish website. This is because of variations in the number of applicants, particularly the guided pool. Sierra Blanca Outfitters will handle the entire application process for you. Purchasing a landowner tag will increase the price of your hunt, but it guarantees you will be elk hunting this year. Keep in mind that these are the hunts that received fewer applications than others, and there’s probably a reason for that. Thread starter Mooseknuckle22; Start date Apr 13, 2020; Prev. It’s important to understand that New Mexico’s big game drawings are subject to a quota system. 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. I have never seen them be a problem for elk. Residents receive 84% of available licenses per hunt code, non-residents receive 16% of available licenses per hunt code. New Mexico is definitely the most famous elk hunting unit among experienced hunters. www.wildlife.state.nm.us/hunting/applications-and-draw-information New Mexico Draw Odds & Information. Black Bears in New Mexico get hounded to the point that they stay way back. The Outfitters Pool gets 10% of the non-resident tags and individuals have a shot at the other 5%. The big game draw in New Mexico does it's best to ensure all hunters have a fair opportunity to draw a Trophy Elk or Mule Deer tag. The bow seasons for elk generally are just prior to the peak of the rut, and the muzzleloader seasons are shortly thereafter, so there’s a possibility of calling elk into range that doesn’t exist during most of the rifle seasons. Deposit. If you really want to go elk hunting, think about using one or more of your choices for a cow hunt(s). In the current license year, the resident youth hunter must have successfully applied for at least one draw hunt for bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, deer, elk, ibex, oryx or pronghorn but must not have drawn any hunt. New Mexico. If the drawing pool(s) for all applicants for the first hunt choice is already filled, the computer will try to assign the second hunt choice for that application and then the third choice. Success in the draw doesn’t mean you’ll harvest a trophy or even see an animal—even if you draw a prime unit. Only those willing to accept ANY deer or elk license should indicate a fourth choice. APPLICATION STRATEGY 2020: New Mexico Elk and Deer This will tell you approximately how many licenses are available for your pool. Tagged as: Insider, New Mexico, application strategy, hunting license, hunting tags, draw odds. Draw licenses and tags will be mailed to the address provided, unless you chose the e-tag option for deer or elk. That means no-draw is required. In accordance with state law, the draw attempts to distribute a minimum of 84 percent of the licenses for each hunt to New Mexico residents, 10 percent to residents or nonresidents who’ve contracted with an outfitter and 6 percent to nonresidents who have not contracted with an outfitter (this does not prohibit nonresidents in the 6 percent pool from contracting with an outfitter if they are lucky in the draw). All drawing applications are randomly assigned a sequence number. Call the local conservation officer well in advance of applying to check the current status of your preferred unit(s). Compare the number of applicants in your drawing pool with the number successfully drawn to come up with an approximation of your chances to draw a specific hunt. Knowing how to use the reports and how the drawing works, however, are the keys to submitting an application with a reasonable chance of success. Top Notch Outfitters LLC – Capitan, New Mexico Top Notch Outfitters offers New Mexico guided elk hunting on private land ranches as well as public draw elk hunts. A lot of hunters are primarily interested in that elusive Boone & Crockett class bull, so antlerless hunts generally receive significantly fewer applications than bull hunts. Since 1992 we've been helping hunters just like you apply for and draw tags in New Mexico's best hunting areas. All of our premium elk units have earned a reputation over the last decade as some of the best geographic regions in the country to harvest an outstanding trophy elk. Always remember that there are no guarantees in the draw, even if you follow the advice given here. After Elliott killed his bull in the Gila, we set out for Zach to fill his 2019 New Mexico Bull Tag. New Mexico Elk Draw Thread. Scout different areas and consult maps to find out how much public land is accessible within the unit(s) you want to hunt. The reports do not include area descriptions, so be sure you have the hunt codes from the appropriate Hunting Rules and Information booklet. Written by: Dave Barnett. Hi Guys, new to site. Results released early April 22, 2020. At Sierra Blanca Outfitters, we offer guaranteed landowner tags for hunters not fortunate enough to have success in the draw. As a well established New Mexico elk hunting outfitter, Top Notch has been providing customized hunting excursions for rifle, archery, and muzzle loader elk hunters since 1998. The draw application deadline is March 18,2020. Read More. Draw hunt licenses are awarded by random computer drawing. 85% of tags go to New Mexico residents and non residents are drawn for the remaining 15%. A computer program randomly assigns each application a sequence number. To determine your odds, first you’ll need to multiply the total number of licenses available for a particular hunt by the percentage allotted to your drawing pool (for residents-multiply by 0.84, non-residents multiply by 0.06 and guided residents and non-residents multiply by 0.10). Our public land rifle or muzzleloader hunts usually start … For deer and elk, you have the option of submitting a fourth choice. Ridgeline Outfitters can apply any New Mexico elk hunters on the public draw and put you in a separate drawing pool. If you’re willing to put forth the extra effort, some units you might not have thought of can offer rewarding hunts. They will move through the areas starting the middle of September and pick off wounded elk. Same area, different sides. The Department of Game and Fish produces two drawing odds reports for the big game draws. As an outfitter, we have a better chance of getting you drawn for a New Mexico elk tag. In accordance with state law, the drawing attempts to distribute a minimum of 84% of the licenses/permits for each hunt to New Mexico residents, 10% to residents and nonresidents who have contracted with an outfitter and 6% to nonresidents who haven’t contracted with an outfitter. New Mexico Elk Draw Thread. To conserve, regulate, propagate and protect the wildlife and fish within the state of New Mexico using a flexible management system that ensures sustainable use for public food supply, recreation and safety; and to provide for off-highway motor vehicle recreation... (Read more...), Phone: (505) 476-8000 | Toll-free (888) 248-6866, Copyright © 2016 New Mexico Department of Game & Fish | All Rights Reserved, Applying for Big Game Hunts in New Mexico. It’s important to remember that success in the draw ultimately depends on your sequence number, so no matter how good the odds seem according to the report, it’s still possible to be unsuccessful. Some deer hunts for bows only also occur during January on the tail end of the rut. Example of New Mexico guided draw odds for elk on INSIDER. Last-minute info to help out your 2020 application. To make it easier, you can also click directly on the blue button below to take you directly to the guided draw odds page. The drawing is done by a computer system that awards hunters tags at random. The drawing is done by a computer system that awards hunters tags at random. List of all New Mexico tags nonresidents shouldn't apply for based on 2020 changes . Your application will be filed for a one time fee of $25. While New Mexico residents and hunters going with a registered outfitter do have better odds in the draw than the DIY hunter, there are still plenty of tags to be had for someone looking to go it on their own. This will provide a more accurate picture of your odds for each particular choice. 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