did i pick a good guide for NM Unit 13?
Elk
question pulled. sorry if i offended anyone. it was far from my intent.
I think you should pull this thread, go, have an open mind, and make the best of it. You dont know the expectations, mindset or physical abilities of anyone who may have had a bad experience.
When I guided there were always a couple guys who expected someone to walk them to a giant bull, then when they missed the shot or otherwise screwed up or didn't like the bull they looked for someone to blame. Or they were fat and lazy. Or negative when they arrived at camp. But it was always somebody else's fault.
Go hunting, get in killer shape, have a great time, then tell us how it went.
agreed u already paid, do ur part the best u can and dont worry about others. be as positive as you can.
good luck, make it happen
Sad...Questioning an outfitter you hired on a public forum before the hunt...If I was Mick Chapel I would send your deposit back!
Agree with Jaq.
There are good bulls in the unit and I think Mick and his guys will do their best to give you an opportunity to punch your tag.
If you don't feel the same then you probably should have asked more questions before you made your decision.
Be an in-shape killing machine when you get to camp and the outfitter will work hard to point you in the right direction. If you can't keep up the outfitter can only do so much.
Lots of luck, Jeff
Odd that someone would choose an outfitter, send a deposit and only then ask for opinions here.
The time to check references and do your "due diligence" is BEFORE you make your decision.
Pete
hey guys, i was just looking for advice and maybe a little reassurance. I'm new to bowhunting and am only now finding this site. so i was worried that there weren't more reviews about them on the site. that's all. i was in a local archery shop today and when talking about my hunt i was asked a lot of questions about my guide that i simply didn't think to ask. so i got kinda freaked out.
they have been in business for a long time which meant something to me. i actually had a great call with with my guide once i drew the tag and felt good about the conversation. didn't mean to offend anyone, just was looking for a little reassurance.
BTW, i'm already in pretty good shape and intend to train hard and shoot a lot between now and the hunt to maximize my chances of success.
Great guide, we have guide horror stories and they have huntet horror stories!
Great guide, we have guide horror stories and they have huntet horror stories!
thanks tons rocky. as you can see i pulled the original question because it struck a nerve with some folks. my bad. didn't mean to introduce myself to this group that way. i'm not a trouble maker. i'm sure i'll be back for more advice and then with high praises for the guide.
I have no idea about the guide, but tell us about your relationship and we'll tell you if you screwed up... ;-)
I have no idea about the guide, but tell us about your relationship and we'll tell you if you screwed up... ;-)
My relationship? i have zero relationship with the guide service. beyond finding them on the web, having them enter me into the draw, and now having sent them my down payment. i'm not a troll, no nonsense, just was looking for reassurance that i was going to get a good guiding experience. admittedly it was late to ask. no other agenda whatsoever.
My relationship? i have zero relationship with the guide service. beyond finding them on the web, having them enter me into the draw, and now having sent them my down payment. i'm not a troll, no nonsense, just was looking for reassurance that i was going to get a good guiding experience. admittedly it was late to ask. no other agenda whatsoever.
My relationship? i have zero relationship with the guide service. beyond finding them on the web, having them enter me into the draw, and now having sent them my down payment. i'm not a troll, no nonsense, just was looking for reassurance that i was going to get a good guiding experience. admittedly it was late to ask. no other agenda whatsoever.
This must be the double post thread! Dave, since you're new to the Bowsite, know that there is a lot of good-natured joshing that goes on.
We can help with personal relationship issues, family issues, marital problems, financial questions, even erectile dysfunction in addition to advising you that whatever FOC your arrow package carries is wrong, no matter what it is or what you are hunting.
Even if we know nothing about your situation, many will offer expert advice. So feel free to ask about any topic. If we don't know the answer, somebody will make something up and someone else will tell him it's wrong, and before long the thread will morph into a broadhead debate with 250 posts.
Welcome to the Bowsite, and have a great elk hunt. Looking forward to seeing your big bull!
Dave, The tough part is over you drew a tag. then you have a good outfitter all lined up, all good so far, now the real truth. Your hunt could go great,now here is the problem in my opinion . unit 13 is in a hand full of units that are for the Navy Seals Of Bow Hunting. vast areas with no or very ,very few elk. Huge Private ranches with some good numbers of elk that never leave the ranch due to feed and water systems, a ton of hunters on the public ground. and if its a wet summer the elk can be almost any were one day and gone forever the next. closed roads, locked gates, Indian Reservations conducting hunts, elk spooked by people in parasail plains. however a few bulls are taken each year. Its not the mountain country of the Gila that every one sees on TV. Good Luck, Expect a tough,tough hunt and hope for the best.
And if your name is Lou you can even show your junk on here. LOL
I have no experience, personally, with unit 13, but I have a friend that hunted it two years ago. His group was made up of all old farmers from Wisconsin that had never stepped foot in the unit. They hunted all public land and were in elk every day and had a great hunt. I don't think they got an elk, but I believe most, if not all of them, had multiple opportunities with a few misses.
I'd start getting excited about the hunt right now if I were you. You will have a great time. Sometimes looking forward to the hunt is half the fun!
Mick is a solid, hardworking outfitter. I see him in Quemado most years when I'm chasing elk. His hunters have killed some absolute studs over the last few years. You chose well!
Dave, just wait for the manscaping thread.
Years ago I was thinking about hunting with him if I drew a 15 or 16 tag and called about 20 different guys that had hunted with him and every one of them said they would go back. You can tell when a guy had a great hunt when your talking to him on the phone about it and they don't want to hang up because they are so into telling you everything about it and there were a lot of guys I talked to that were that way. I never did draw the tag but his hunters sure talked good about there hunts with his outfit.
Welcome Dave.... It'll be a blast.
Lou just gave the best description of Bowsite ever!! Hilarious......
Welcome to the site! Just don;t ask what broadhead to use! ;-)
first off thanks for the welcome guys. i was pretty bummed to start off with a message that some felt was out of bounds...which i totally get by the way. i know it's super weird to ask about an outfitter after i've already signed up. so excited to be with someone good and i'm taking it very seriously...training started today...off a decent level of fitness.
hah! yes, i was going to ask about what broadhead to use, but realize at this point that its like talking politics with people you don't know. i'm still undecided BTW between fixed and mechanical, but i'm also pretty confident that both will do the job if i put an arrow in the kill zone. so i'm not going to obsess over it too too much.
i've hunting my whole life with a rifle then a pistol. only took up the bow less than a year ago and have found a renewed passion for hunting.
so far i've only taken a wild hog here in CA with the bow on a spot and stalk hunt. worked my ass off for 2 days to get a great hog on a hunt that would have taken 3 hours with a rifle. but so much more satisfying.
my guide has said to carry a pack for rain gear, water etc. Anyone have a reference for a full day pack vs one of the larger fanny packs with shoulder straps? i don't think he is talking about a pack capable of packing out the kill.
glad to know i've found a place to get relationship advice for less than $325 and hour, and as a former fairly serious endurance athlete, i'll be holding a tutorial on manscaping for those he need help.
thanks guys
What part of CA?
Fixed!
Sounds like you only need a daypack. If you have a super fanny pack that holds your daily needs outlined by the guide then I'd say you're good.
Hi Dave....welcome! You'll fit right in.
What kind of endurance sports? There are several, pretty serious athletes on here.
Congrats on the tag....I hope you have a great hunt!
i shot that pig very close to King City. central coastal range area between Monterey and Paso Robles. its pretty wide open country making stalking to within shooting range pretty challenging.
great outfitter, Mick has been there since Moby Dick was a guppy. Your job, stairmaster, shoot, bring a great attitude, trust your guide, and Fixed.
And Pat makes up a majority of those years himself.
i shot that pig very close to King City. central coastal range area between Monterey and Paso Robles. its pretty wide open country making stalking to within shooting range pretty challenging.
Nice hog! If you want to read, you can read about packs and broadheads alone on previous bowsite threads from now up until the date of your elk hunt and still not be done! As indicated by your manscaping reference I'm guessing you've already started digging into the archives...
Don't know the outfitter, but I have hunted 13. Not a high density area but there are some monsters out there. There's some country in 13 that you would think would never hold elk but it does. Going with an outfitter they'll know all that I'm sure though. Last thing I'd say is that the country is not overly rough. I'd say it's more hilly than mountainous -- probably the least strenuous elk country I've ever hunted. Like anywhere there are tougher areas than others in the unit, but on the whole it's pretty manageable in my experience. And for the record, all I came back with was tag soup!
Welcome to bowsite. All I can say is I hope you like pics of yoga pants because it's a big topic here. I will gladly help out on how great the view is if need be. Manscaping is a must and fixed all the way.
Welcome to bow hunting. Welcome to bow hunting elk. I'ts an obsession. It will change your life.
And don't ask who or what TBM is...
Dave, I'm no help because I'm not an elk hunter, but I just want to welcome you to the greatest bowhunting forum ever.
That said, there are many guys on here that ARE elk hunters, and hard core backcountry elk hunters at that. They get it done consistently. I have read enough information, good advice, hunting tactics, equipment choices, and general locations where elk can be found, that if I weren't an old, fat, flatlander, I think I would have a decent chance to have an elk encounter on my first trip. Listen to them, because they know whereof they speak ! And they have the elk on their walls and in their freezers to prove it !
thanks for all of the welcomes guys. i obviously didn't start off on the right foot but you guys have put it behind you...thanks. i'll need all the help i can get on this hunt. expect lots of stupid questions in the coming months.
Welcome to Bowsite. I think you're gonna enjoy sitting about the fire at this hunt site with a bunch of crazies ! We have fun, pick with each other, fight and help each other. We're family !!!
No need to apologize. Better to lose a deposit than lose an entire hunt. There are some bad outfitters out there.
Dave I sent you a private message.
