New Mexico Unit 2B, January 2014
Mule Deer
I was just informed I drew a deer tag for New Mexico Unit 2B next January. Anyone have any info on the area they would be willing to pass along?
I hunted it twice Bob. PM me and I'll get you the maps and everything I know... Ed F
I bowhunted it several times over the years......in fact Ed probably has my maps. :) PM me if you want some areas to check out.
There was A LOT of road hunting from my experience... last time I drew was about 10 years ago though, so things may have changed some since then.
Good luck!
I hunted it three years ago. Happy to give you some info. Definitely a unique situation requiring some research.
I'd be glad to help pm me.
Hey Bob, my son and I hunted it 3 years ago, he missed an absolute giant at 44 yards. The unit has small to average bucks year round until the snow causes the winter migration. The big boys are migrating from the Indian reservation and from southern Colorado. We had a foot of snow so stalking was impossible but if you got some fresh snow it could work. A friend told me the most productive way to hunt 2b is set up a ground blind near a funnel. There is an area the deer are migrating too that the game warden said they call it the wintering grounds. I'll try to PM you after I check my maps with the nearest cross roads. It's probly gonna be an ambush style hunt without fresh snow. Goodluck, Mike
Great tag! I used to hunt it all the time when it was over the counter and havn't drawn a tag there since 2000. I have a picture of a 185" buck killed a few years ago during a rifle hunt a friend of mine was the guide. There are huge bucks in there year round but they are smart and secretive. You will see a lot more deer and big bucks if it snows a lot in the high country and snows earlier than late december. Be prepared for our crazy NM weather. Can be in the low 50's one day then 20 below zero really quick. Good luck! Stop by shop to show me some pics and shoot the bull if you shoot one.
The hunting in unit 2B has really changed compared to how it was three years ago. Road access is very limited now, with lots of roads closed in September. And with the late snows in Colorado, the deer just dont migrate in through. I used to outfit on the Espinosa and Smith Ranch, and we killed some big bucks out of unit 2B. Contact the BLM office in Farmington to get a closed road update. And the maps everyone is sending you might not be usefully due to access ability, and its not just the side roads, but most of Cracus Mesa and America Mesa is closed making access almost impossible to a lot of great hot areas, and the main road, Rosa Road, has closed areas also, making it impossible to drive straight through to Cracus Mesa...and with the roads no longer being maintained, the roads are very rough and if you get snow, will remain unplowed.
Are most of those roads accessible with a quad or on foot or are they completely closed off to all forms of travel?
Completely closed off, except for the gas and oil field traffic. You can walk in on foot. Just pray for early deep snow in SW Colorado to get the deer to migrate in there. Expect to see hundreds of does, and learn to hunt the edge of the sage flats as the deer move into bedding areas in the mornings and evenings as they come out to feed. Hunt the big sage flats towards Navajo Lake off Rosa Road. Weve hunted out there since the late 80's, and we've seen some true monsters out there. Areas like Crebresto Canyon, La Guna Seco Mesa, Cat Draw, will hold big bucks, if you can reach them.
I was able to draw the early 2b tag (Oct. 19-23rd).
Sounds like it's not that great of a unit that early. Is that correct?
2B is very average until the migration starts. Settle for a 140 class buck unless its January with deep snow then don't settle for anything less than 200+. If I told you what my son missed 3 years ago you wouldn't believe me,(an absolute giant)! I'm not a mule deer expert by any stretch but 2B is a tough place to kill a bigboy. You need lots of snow up high to trigger the migration but then it makes stalking very difficult so finding funnels an travel routes is critical.
If I had the early tag I'd focus my efforts up high along the Colorado border or over next to the Reservation. Buglmin gave great advice. Goodluck, Mike
I'd help if I could, but you took my tag :)
Bake
Unit 2 dont hold a lot of resident deer. Early in the season, look for deer above Navajo lake. They water and feed along the lake shore then bed on the second self on the rimrock mesas. Hunt hard, very hard, and your efforts might be rewarded by a big buck. Sad to say, but a lot of bucks killed in the January hunt are young, small bucks. The big bucks dont migrate in, or stay on the private ranches behind locked gates. Like I stated, hunt the egde of the sage flats. Mule deer head to the flats to feed, and early in the morning and late evening, thats where you'll find them. Treestands in saddles are great choices, along with stands in feeding areas or staging areas. If you want to spot and stalk, spend time getting high and glassing the flats and getting in front of them and ambushing them. If weather hits, dont expect to see a lot of deer till the storm breaks, then watch for them in protected lil canyons. Its a great hunt, just dont expect to see a lot of big, gaint bucks. Take my advice, and stay away from the Jicarilla fence line. The jic F&G guys are jerks, and will harass you all they can. Expectb to see planes and helicopters flying around a lot as the idians push deer backs towards thev rez...
wow - never would have guessed that about the Jicarilla.
Hi guys...just noticed this thread and was excited because I also drew this hunt. It will be my first time hunting this famed unit. If anyone would be willing to help with info/tips and so on...I would greatly appreciate it. I know a lot about units 10 and 15 and could swap info if anyone needed it. I am really excited! Thanks ahead of time to anyone willing to help. Good luck this year to everyone!
Bob i hope u like a extreme cold hunt opening day a few years ago was minus 18 without the wind next day minus 25 lots of snow but this makes stalking near impossible ,, most guys hunt this unit from the warmth of there rigs ,
There have been some giants killed in years past but also lots of oil guys working this area and it seems poaching is a big problem in this unit. One day i saw about 150 deer all does and young bucks . louis
Any one else iching to go on this hunt? I will be up there this weekend in hopes of learning some new country.
Well, it's snowing pretty good with another storm forecast for Saturday, so you guys should have a good year and big bucks. Good luck to those who have this tag. Be sure and post some horn porn.
Any results from the Jan 2014 hunt?
CD
Talked to several guys throughout the hunt, and after the hunt. Not a lot of big bucks were seen, small bucks in the 140" range but nothing of good size taken. A lot of the bucks were still up in Colorado, no snow to push these bucks down, or off the reservation. Even on the private ranches, the bucks were small and very few seen. Typical unit 2B. Some good bucks were seen in Middle Mesa, but on the Colorado side...
Any results from the Jan 2014 hunt?
CD
I don't know how that posted twice. ???
Sorry,
CD
I hunted it with a good friend in January . Buglmin is right on: we hunted 2 weeks and saw lots of does and young 2 and 3 point bucks. The best deer we saw maybe went 140. Just across the border in CO there where great bucks down low ,just none where his tag was valid. And setting an ambush would have been difficult since the deer moved very little. Many times bedding and feeding in the same spot for days at a time out on the sage flats.
Son and I hunted 2C in January, it has some bug bucks. We finally tagged out in the last day. My boy connected on a nice mulley @ 41 yards. The buck was scored in the upper 150's.. He missed a few nice ones due to string jumping..
Been there in November two of the last three years and you should listen closely on the road closures and need for good snow in CO. Unless you do a lot of walking in towards the lake to go well behind the locked gates where all the traffic is you will not see much of anything but does and forkies. We camped right next to the last gate on Rosa Road and walked in west as far as we could and still get back to camp at a reasonble hour. My buddy killed a small buck that might go 135" because the good ones just weren't there yet and he ate tag soup on the first hunt when we didn't even see one that good. The archery hunt in January could be good with perfect conditions, but I'd never do it because of all the obstacles that people are talking about. My buddy put in for 2C this year, as there are supposed to be a lot more good redient bucks in that unit.
this unit has gone to the toilet !!!!!
Tried to tell you guys...unit 2C is a tough unit to hunt, because it depends on the deer migrating in to make it really good. There isn't that many resident deer, too dry and too hot in the summer and fall. Most of the deer in 2C come off the Jicarilla, if the snow comes in to push them off.
If I was to hunt 2B, it would be the Middle Mountain area right above Navajo Lake. Not a lot of deer, because they stay in the fields on the Colorado side, but you can catch them on San Brito Creek area when they come to the lake to drink.
There has been a lot of poaching going on in 2B, with the latest being the guys from Utah that were caught with several big buck racks in their campers. These guys were working the patch and killing the bucks at night. When I had the Espinosa Property, we'd have trucks come by the ranch house at 2:00 in the morning headed up America Mesa. These weren't oil field workers either...Once we started locking gates, we had a lot of pissed off people, but lots of good, big bucks that stayed on the sage flats...
It's a travesty that NM with its genetics can't produce a world class deer unit it two (or 10). The rules are open and they will be taking comments. Get off your butts and make comments, go to game commission meetings and speak up. Go to the game and fish website. It spells out the process and how to get involved.
I'm talking about you residents. If the commission and department hear the same story from enough resident hunters they do what we ask sometimes. My perception is that the deer policy seems to be to get as much resident (and by extension nonresident) hunting quantity as possible with no regard for quality. If we speak up and tell them we want to trade quantity for quality maybe we can get things turned around. Northern NM could be the trophy factory it once was with our input.
ABQBW /Buglmin very sad what has happened ....
If NM becomes a trophy factory, you can forget about going hunting in NM very many times. The problem is numbers, not genetics. The genetics are there, most just don't get the chance to grow up. If you want numbers and quality, you have to greatly reduce hunting opportunities or flat out close it for a few years. You also need to balance it out with taking a few does. I know some think this is great taboo and the sky will commence to fall from above, but it is the truth. Again, it's about numbers management to get quality. 2C is a quality unit and it has very few tags...development in 2B, drought conditions, high predation are a few factors that do not help. The problem with making everything quality, not quantity, is that a lot of people are in the phase of being a trophy hunter in their hunting life development - they have taken several smaller animals and do not have a problem going for years as long as they get a 200" + buck, and that's fine. When objectives are limited to this, it kills opportunities for people ecstatic to shoot a fork horn.
Unit 2B and 2C relies on the deer migrating into the areas from Colorado. Unit 2C relies on the deer coming out of the Jic. Both units have very low resident deer herds. Without the snow and weather in sw Colorado, these deer do not move in. Also, you need to put in the factor of the Southern Utes hunting these bucks in sw Colorado starting in November through January, with many guys killing five or more of these big bucks every year. With good roads thru out the area, these guys cover lots of ground, and kill some very big bucks.
Unit 2C is a very small unit, that requires the bucks from the Jic moving in to make the hunting good. But with the Jic Fame and Fish using planes and helicoptors to keep game away from the fence lines, the deer are pushed out and away from the area. Add to the fact that the gates closed to keep hunters out, allow the Indians access to their land, so they are killing bucks that are out of reach of the tag holder hunters. Poaching is a huge problem in 2A, @B, and 2C. With the oil field hands running around with guns or bows in their rigs, going in behind locked gates, late in the evening into the night, and lack of G&F in the area, especially on Sundays, lots of big deer hit the ground. A few years ago, several guys from Utah was finally caught with several huge bucks in their camp trailers. Unit 2B will never be the big buck meca it once was. The years on the monster bucks in unit 2B are over.
I wouldn't say that unit 2 relies entirely on deer migrating in from CO and the Jic. Does it help? Sure it does. It helps with numbers but not quality. I grew up in this unit and have seen many big bucks, even in dry years with no snow. I've hunted unit 2 many times during the elk archery season and have always seen some monster bucks in velvet. Unit 2 has a decent resident deer herd despite what you might think. Is it like it was years ago? Absolutely not. The problem lies with too many predators and too many does. There really needs to be some doe hunts. People have no problem killing cow elk but for some reason they turn their nose up to shooting a doe. I believe having a 3 point or better restriction in place would help in seeing more bigger bucks. It would take some time but it would work. Maybe the archery hunts should be either sex like the elk hunts and have special rifle seasons for does only. I remember going on a youth doe hunt many years ago and had a blast. My two brothers and I all killed a doe and they ate great! I also think that adding more water sources and maintaining them would help. I have found a lot of water guzzlers that have broken and silted in. They have been this way for years.
Do oil/gas workers carry a gun in their vehicle? Some do but a lot of companies don't allow that. If they get caught they lose their job. Losing a job is a lot worse than a slap on the wrist so why would they risk it? I don't deny that it does happen though.
Buglmin
Just where are you getting your info, cause some of it just ain't that way. Jic game and fish has not used planes or helicopters as you describe for many years, especially since the one helicopter mysteriously crashed.
Unit 2C does not rely on a migration from the Jic as it is all the same type of terrain and weather. 2C has its own resident heard that you hunt.
Migration from CO has always happened, it is nothing new and does not determine if there are or are not big bucks to hunt. Trophy hunting popularity has not done big buck populations any good.
"Oil field hands" don't carry bows and rifles like you think. Even the small mom and pop E&P companies know better than to do that behind a locked gate. The problem here is that they give out the combo to a brother in law or cousin and he is the one doing the shooting. Still ain't right and the pumper (some still think they are switchers) loose their job just the same if word gets out they gave someone the gate combo.
Poor management is what has hurt 2B, that's it and that's all.
Just got the email from NM 2B archery on the horizon!
Bugle man i think your info might be a tad misguided .. @b in fact does have lots and lots of resident deer and many big bucks.. just have to know the spots and since i drew unit 2 for elk and deer i wont be telling you those spots this year. but there is tons of deer throught out sept where i hunt .
Hey Guys,
Just found out I got drawn for this archery hunt. From the comments I've read, it seems like this area can be hit or miss, mostly depending on the weather. If you have any info or suggestions on how or where to hunt, I would be very appreciative.
Thanks guys,
JD
I just had an email sent to me about drawing this tag as well. I'm reading a lot of the same thing and it sounds like it really depends on the weather...crunchy snow and not enough snow make your odds for a bruiser go down. I appreciate any advice you are willing to share! Lots of bow kills under my belt but am still working on a Mulie.
I've hunted 2B since the early 80's, and spend a lot of time out there during the archery season on two of the biggest ranches out there. We've go several friends that are switchers and water truck drivers, and know a lot of guys out there that do carry guns. In fact, one outfitter out there uses his company truck while running around with hunters.
Its funny that guys talk bout big bucks they see, but when they show you pictures, its on lil 145" bucks. The big bucks that you see in 2B are not resident deer, they do migrate in from sw Colorado. The resident deer herd is very very small, and are in limited areas. You'll see more deer along Navajo lake then you will on Rosa Road or in La Frague or Crebresto
The Jics do use helicopters a lot during the hunting seasons. Three years ago, a friend that is a F&G warden for the Jics was involved in a crash on Craccus Mesa. In Sept, you'll see small planes flying all over Cracuss Mesa every since that big 398" bull was killed there a few years ago that had escaped from the Jics high fence. The Jics fly their boundaries a lot in 2B, as well as in 2C. They fly it even more during the deer rifle seasons. My information comes from lots of experiences and lots of time spent out there. Poor management didn't hurt the deer herds. When they went to limited draws, the deer herd should of increased, but it didn't. The winters with early snow and deep snow in sw Colorado, you'll see more deer, and more bigger bucks. With all the closed roads, the deer herd should be high, but its not. Poor management has nothing t do with it. Just be glad there is still a January bowhunt, cause if F&G had their way, there wouldn't be.
"Just be glad there is still a January bowhunt, cause if F&G had their way, there wouldn't be." Really? Horrible odds of drawing, low success rate and money for G and F. It's a favorite for many...myself included.
I'm sorry but poor management has a lot to do with it. I've been hunting there since the 80's myself. Did the Jic's fly around and chase animals back over the fence? They did but not anymore that I know of. I've had them fly over me when I have been close to the fence but they weren't chasing animals. They were making a circle and coming back to fly their fence line. The Jic holds enough of their own big deer and elk that they have no need to "chase" animals over the fence. The animals close to the fence come and go on their own.
Many years ago people were shooting big bucks with no snow, no migration out of CO. They were shooting a ton of 2 points and spikes as well. Of course you will see more deer and more big bucks with a migration, no one is doubting that fact but to say that 2B and 2C rely on that is false. The problem is that too many small bucks were killed, too many does for the buck to doe ratio to work, too many predators, and the drought hasn't helped either. The big bucks are there, you just have to know where to look. I see them when I drive out that way. Of course, it's at night right off the highway but they are there. I talked to a friend last night about this same issue and he has trail cam pics of quite a few nice bucks in Sept. they are not 200" deer but they are solid 160-170. The deer heard is suffering all over the state. Just not in 2B only. So, I guess the migration from CO is affecting deer in the Sandias? The Gila? I saw a lot of big bucks being taken on the muzzleloader hunt and now not so many. Does that have anything to do with a migration from CO? Not during that time of year. The deer heard is not what it once was on the Navajo reservation as well and they certainly don't rely on any migration.
That 398" bull that was killed was not an escapee from the Jic's high fence. That high fence is a long ways from where that bull was killed. I believe it was actually killed closer to the Ute.
"It is better to be silent and thought a fool then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
Better do some fact checking there Bugl. People might start to refer to you as BuglBowMaster...
I had the jan 2b tag 2014 and will share my info I learned while in the area.pm if interested hate dealing with the debating.
