Elk hunting in New Mexico

New Mexico has a reputation for offering some biggest elk trophies in North America, and has the third largest elk herd (about 80,000 animals). Non-resident hunters can get OTC tags through the landowner preference program or the guaranteed outfitters’ tags program. Chances of drawing a non-resident tag for a DIY hunt are low, given that only 6% of all tags are allowed for non-residents, and for the most popular areas such as the Valles Caldera natural reserve, even residents’ chances are slim. An outfitted hunt is therefore the way to go if you want to hunt elk in New Mexico, but the price for a prime time hunt with tag included may rise above $10,000. The Valles Caldera, National Forests in Northern New Mexico and the highly acclaimed Gila of Southwestern New Mexico offer some good elk habitat for a public land hunter. Unit 34 has a great reputation, yet, even for this unit landowners tags may be available, and units 13, 15, 16a, 16b, 16d, 16e, and 17 are also in high esteem. The best time to hunt is the rut, that usually begins in September, and is mostly covered by the archery season. The first weeks of the rifle season, that begins about October 7, and the muzzleloader season, that falls between the archery and the rifle seasons, are also good, as you may still see some bugling activity.