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Drew a unit 50 New Mexico tag

I drew a unit 50 New Mexico tag never hunted elk Anyone have some pointers?

1. Apply for better units 2. Start your research a year in advance (will also help you apply for better units). Posting on forums less than two months before the hunt and hoping someone gives you the keys "pointers" to a good hunt in a crappy unit is pretty magical thinking. 3. Get in shape then get in better shape. A unit like 50 will require you to cover a ton of ground to find the few scattered elk. 4. Ignore people like me who are jealous that you have a tag while I'm hunting CO OTC :) (Though to be honest, I would rather hunt CO OTC than NM 50) 5. Regardless, go, hunt hard. Have a blast. Go with low expectations other than being outside and not at work. If you see an elk or hear a bugle, consider it a successful start. Anything more than that for having never hunted elk and not knowing the unit you drew, is icing on the cake.

Really?!? Wow…

for that unit it will likely be very warm. maybe hot if you go early. plan accordingly. I hear there are some really good areas in 50. Good luck!

Sorry my response came off harsh. If I were still a NM resident who could get the tag for $100, and if I had time to scout it a bunch, I might put 50 as a 3rd choice as the odds of drawing the tag would be better than many if not most units. Good luck. Hope you prove me wrong. My knowledge of the unit is dated many years and I've been wrong about many things in life.

So Darrell is a bit salty, yes, but his analysis isnt bad. Its a tough, dry, fairly empty unit. Now if you had a late rifle tag that would be a different story as snow push the elk into 50 to winter. That being said I hear the monsoon is 10/10 in the Taos area so all the feed growing may redistribute some elk. Scout alot, there are roads everywhere. Cerro de la Olla has a burn scar on top that can hold elk. Its elky country but like everywhere else, no water, no elk.

I was going to post pretty much what Darrell said...but decided to just keep my mouth shut LOL

Smarba, you are a wiser man than me. :) Salty is a good word I wish I had used in my apology. I know you got to start somewhere, but I can remember sitting in the bow shop in Roswell in August one year when a guy came in who had drawn a unit 36 tag that I coveted greatly. He came in and said, "I drew an archery tag for 36. Never shot a bow before, what do I need to get ready in three weeks?" I just had to walk out of the shop.

Unit 50 is better than my no New Mexico tag this year. I have thought about applying for the later 50”s hunts next year as a 3rd choice to have a better shot at a tag. I’m certain any NM tag you put effort into will be a good time.

Never hunted elk. Has "elkman" as his handle. Awesome.

I don’t have any info to help you, but good luck! You’ve got to start somewhere.

“ You’ve got to start somewhere.”

Exactly. My first elk hunt was in NM unit 15 and boy do I wish I had drawn that one after learning in 50. I’d like to have that one back. Go cover ground, don’t be afraid to call but don’t be afraid to let them call and you slip In quietly as well. I haven’t been on an elk hunt where I haven’t had fun, even in otc Colorado.

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