30 More Days Until The Draw
New Mexico
What Units did everyone put in for deer/elk?
I can't remember...LOL.
Although it might be weird, I only disclose my draw choices to a very close group. I'll readily advertise my political votes, but my hunting draw choices I keep pretty private.
Some years I do very well in the draw and other years I have much less luck. Last year I applied for 8 draw tags [as I do most years] and only drew javelina. In other years I've made out like a bandit.
I have high hopes for all NM applicants and hope that those who draw make the absolute most of their incredible opportunity to pursue NM's incredible wildlife. I hope our tag holders will respect the land and the laws that govern it. I hope ATV's will be used appropriately and responsibly. I hope ethics will drive the decisions made in the field. I hope the experience will be held in higher priority than the outcome. I hope the memories made will outlast the tag-holder's last tag.
Until the draw results are posted I hope we all dream of great tags and spectacular hunts! May our thoughts be occupied by massive antlers and close encounters. When the draw results are posted some of us will be exhilarated by the results while others might feel defeated.
I hope that all of us...those from both the camps who draw tags and those who don't, will remember the greater good. We are hunters. We applied. We paid fees. We bought stamps. We'll buy gear. Tag or no tag, we will venture outdoors. We will seek to experience wild places and we will be on the lookout for wild animals.
Hunters are conservationists. If I do not draw a single tag, I may not be hunting, but I am still a hunter. As a hunter, conservation must be priority #1. The Federal Public Lands Transfer Bill is a huge threat to our future. I struggle to imagine a future wherein I am not anticipating the big game draw result.
"I struggle to imagine a future wherein I am not anticipating the big game draw result."
What an understatement! Good luck to everyone! I may not be the hunter, but I hope to go hunting.
I don't always tell people what units I apply for, but when I do, it's a lie!
my first choice elk was 36 That's all I'm tellin!
As long as they do youth encouragement hunts, I will always get to go hunting. At least for a few more years anyway...
The waiting game is torment. I've occupied my down time with stewing over odds and harvest reports for several other people, now what do I do? Nothing too exciting or controversial on the main page. I might just go brag about a new awesome fool proof mechanical and how it outperforms all fixed bhs.... even VPAs! That should twist some panties.
^^^especially if you throw in a little KE and Momentum in there...
Better yet friction and surface area
Before moving to NM I lived in SD where you only had to wait a week after the app deadline to find out I had struck out again! Think most states like to see us suffer...
I have 7 apps in and pretty sure I will at least draw a deer tag so anything past that will be a surprise, whatever happens I will make it a point to have a great year killing things.
Edit, now that I have a minute I wanted to expand on my thought
I use to really get bothered by not drawing a coveted elk tag, don't get me wrong I do want a tag!! but during the last couple years I have rekindled my love for fishing (muskies, back country trout, bass and pike) and bird hunting ( turkey, dove, quail, grouse and pheasant) I remembered that my love for hunting was so much more than if I "drew a tag" I love to hunt anything and I plan to do just that!
Only if I could achieve MRELITE's level of contentment...
Learn the ways of the Force one must.
I got super lucky earlier in the year, drawing an elk tag in WY and AZ. And I will almost certainly draw a deer tag in CO. So after some thought I only put in for long shots in NM. Now that's its done I'm thinking it will be weird not to hunt any big game in my home state, so I hope I draw something.
I've shared this picture before. I snapped this last spring when my son and I were hunting "Bigfoot". To Mrelite's point, draw tags are great but they are literally just the icing on the cake. If I don't draw the tags I dream about today then I'll just have to dream up different ways to hunt the spectacular wild lands we have access to in New Mexico....I might just have to make another attempt to find Bigfoot? As it turns out, I've punched fewer than 50% of the big game archery tags I've ever been lucky enough to draw. So, I can backpack into the wilderness with my boy in search of Sasquatch, have a spectacular time witnessing an unharnessed imagination and return knowing that my game bags are just as unused as they statistically would have been had I been carrying a draw tag. Lol
Wise words mrelite. Turkey will fill the void until the draw. Then worst case is I get to have fun planning otc elk, and predator hunts here.
Heck with that!! I gotta kill an elk...:)
It's literally on my mind a dozen times every single day, is that normal? Should I see a Psych? ??.... what day will we all know fellas? Come on elk woods!
Who's taking bets? April 21st
^^^ I don't dare mess up what good luck I may have left by using it up on a bet I'd loose anyway.
^^^I'm not betting either but I do love to see everyone get the forum lit up talking about the backdoor!!
Just got an email from game and fish that says I have a nonrefundable game hunting license available - this must mean I drew!!!
;^)
Haha! HDE that one always makes my heart jump. I always think it'll be a rejection notice for harvest report, or something. Time to find a printer.
YES!!!! My Wife and I drew Fishing... with a 2nd rod validation. Anyone have any good pointers on where to go?
--Bill
YES!!!! My Wife and I drew Fishing... with a 2nd rod validation. Anyone have any good pointers on where to go?
--Bill
So Happy I had to post twice!
A river or a lake is a good bet.
I got 8 NM points this year so I should draw....
8pts! Shoooooooot.. you're gonna draw the coveted Trout Tag!
and with 3 rods, I should be able to get one of those "golden trouts"
Draw results are posted early. Good luck to you all!
I started this thread and I will end it! lol. I was blessed and drew Elk 1st Archery hunt 9/1-9/14 and second rifle hunt unit 13. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
