My Credit card just recieved a $83 charge...I think i'm going elk hunting in either unit 51 or 16. I cant even contain myself right now,I didnt think I would ever draw again.

I just checked mine. No credit card hit and website still says pending draw. I am out of state so that may make a difference. We find out 12:01 tonght though!

Expect website difficulties from NMF&G tomorrow.

Very par for the course.

If you go to your account and click review it will show if your credit card was charged and approved and what time.

Good for you! Congrats!

I was hit for either my 1st or 2nd choice. Either 16A or 16B!!!!!!!!!

mine still says jan 12th..
so i guess i didn't draw an elk tag....... AGAIN.

16A or 16B congrats, both awesome hunts!!!

Splatter, check your email. Just checked my account and I was charged for Antelope and deer, both successful, on April 22. Was also charged for the unsuccessful hunts on that date, so I'll be expecting a refund!

I'M IN!!!!

Unit 6C archery Sept 16-22. Not a particularly tough unit to draw for an out of stater, but I was still sweating it.

T minus 84 days and counting.

Sheesh, when ya put it in terms of days, really makes a guy realize that it is right around the corner.

Good luck to all!

nope , nothing...

no change in dates from when i submitted them, and no emails...

lookin like another huntless year in new mexico..

It still says my app for deer and elk is pending. Doesn't say one way or the other that anything has been drawn.

No elk draw for me either. Did get deer and antelope (first time ever drawn for antelope). There's always landowner tags! Some archery tags are pretty cheap. We got 2 Tags last year in unit 48 unit wide for $500. Quite a bit cheaper than the $3-5000 some places ask.

ain't no ways i gonna pay no 5 hunert dolla fer no elk tag in my home state.

i'll give it to colorado, they at least make it a decent place to go to because we know we can get am elk tag without paying 9 bucks up front to sit, chew our fingernails, and then get the emotional let down.

hope much does the land of entraptment make off that 9 bucks per person anyhow ?

i will be giving colorado 250 and some odd bucks for a cow tag, and i will be going hunting again in that state.

I drew a cow tag years ago and they did not hit my card for several weeks AFTER the draw. So, Splat, hope is not lost!!!

yeah, i remember chip.

i am just mad as hell about the way this draw crap is run.

It's a complete joke! We need a preference point system NOW! At least we would have an idea of when we would get drawn and then we could plan for more out of state hunts in the interim. Plus, all the landowner tags are what are truly ruining the hunting here in New Mexico.

Elk is the only one you can tell, all the others were pay in full up-front, so your card was charged in April.

And for the life of me, I cannot figure out the logic of hitting the credit cards for tags in April. Mine got hit for the antelope (non resident=$270), so they will have to process refunds for the great number of people who do not draw, and pay the cc company fees on top of that. Just doesn't make good business sense.

welcome to new mexico thinking....

No Sir, but it is New Mexico. They claim too many tags were wasted by people that could not pay for them after they were drawn.

Drew cow tag 16A

Unsuccessful with a big red background for elk this year.

well, 5 out of 5 are unsuccessful again this year...

I'm 1 for 3 this year splatter. I feel for ya though. Sucks not being able to hunt in your resident state.

denied again

Finally...I drew a unit 36 rifle tag.

It is confirmed i drew a unit 51 mature bull rifle tag. I'm still in denial. I didnt think I would ever draw a tag again.

Unsuccessful again this year for me......

I was born and still live here in Colorado. I hunt as many seasons as I can here. But to be honest, I dearly love to hunt in New Mexico. We were UNSUCCESSFUL in both deer and elk again this year. I understand you residents feeling frustrated. Colorado is geared towards the non residents simply because they charge the outrageous fees to hunt here. A lot of the areas here are wishful thinking areas where you stand a 1 chance out of 20 to even see anything. I have to admit, I would prefer to see a point type system in New Mexico as well, at least I could put a flag in the middle of it and hold out for hope (I kind of borrowed that from Robin Williams bit on Golf, hilarious if you've ever seen it). Unit 51 Mature bull, I am so jealous, I wish you the best of luck.

Regards,
M376X6

Just got my notice this AM, from NM- I drew!!!!!

Area is 34, archery- season is Sept. 13-22.

Unit 16B it is. My first successful NM elk draw in 8 years. I'm happy even though they rape non residents on the license fee.

Nothing for me this year.

8 years running now with no deer tag, drew 16e cow elk 3 years ago, tried again this year as my 3rd choice, nadda.

had the wife and i in for 3 different oryx hunts, which means 8 chance to draw, 13 years now and NO oryx.

whatta ya gotta do to get drawn ?

oh, i did call a friend that gave me a cow tag last year, and he said call him back in a few weeks to see if he had to give any to his workers, if they didn't draw anything. so i may stand a chance to get a cow tag in lindrith,nm. unit 5a iirc.
took all of 15 minutes last year to fill the tag with my 280ai and barnes 140 ttsx's.
it's not really a hunt, but i guess if they weren't standing in the field i woulda had to go look for one.

$547 for NR mature bull. If you don't draw, you don't pay.
Other states, Iowa for example, charge you a $250 fee to buy the license BEFORE you can even apply for deer.

$547 for an elk or $560 for a deer. All in all, I don't think that NM fee's are unreasonable. It's just the draw system that sucks

My card was charge on an antelope tag 3 or 4 weeks ago, BUT failed to draw today. Bizarre. I thought NM only charges if you draw to avoid the hassle of having to refund.

conrad, i believe that is only the case for elk. deer are charged up front.

one of the res. can correct me if i'm wrong.

Thank you I'm pretty excted.Its the first year that my dad put in with me and we drew. We only put in for units and hunts that if we drew we new if we put the time in we would could atleast know we were among elk. I'll be looking for pointers before long. I have only been to the lakes (Can Jilon). I will camp there quite a bit this summer and start scouting.

Two seasons ago I was lucky to draw a deer license, a buck, near Tres Piedras, Beautiful country. I walked past unbelievable numbers of elk. 6 point bulls would walk 40 yards from me and just stand there and look at me. I agree, $547 to hunt bull elk in an area as wonderful as this is, is definitely not too much money.

Regards,
M376X6

We drew tags in Unit 45 this year. Looking forward to it. Best of luck to all.

Jay

drew unit 17 archery sept. 11th-18th. any suggestions for this area for outfitters or specific region to concentrate for a 350 or better bull?

And for the life of me, I cannot figure out the logic of hitting the credit cards for tags in April. Mine got hit for the antelope (non resident=$270), so they will have to process refunds for the great number of people who do not draw, and pay the cc company fees on top of that. Just doesn't make good business sense.






next year i believe all big game hunts will be payed up front and reimbursed if you do not draw for yhe same reason



this was implemented because the bunny huggers were applying for tags-drawing and of course would not hunt thinking they saved bambis life. nmdgf thought if they actually had to pay they would not apply


there is not a more inexpensive place to hunt quality animals, you cant complain about these prices even if your out of state. if your from NM....PLEASE hunt out of state..go to colorado,you should appreciate what you have here and stop your whining

The very south end of unit 17. There is a peak call Baldie or South Baldie I dont remember exactly,I'll look at some maps today. Buts its in the SW end of the unit where it borders the edge of 16. They like to hang out in the south side of this peak.

I never even thought about the PETA freaks drawing just to burn tags.

It was nice!!! this year i got 2 little emails. one for elk and one for deer.

rem7,
it would be nice to stop whining if i, like so many others could actually hunt in our home state.

That has to be one of the most hilarious things I have seen written on the campfire in a LONG time! What a TOOL! I am supposed to "appreciate what I have here and stop whining"?? What do I have? I have drawn 1 deer tag and 1 cow elk tag in 9 years. Please regale me with tales of how fortunate I am to be able to hunt in the state I live in and pay taxes in 2 times in 9 years?

knowledge of how the draw works and how to apply to increase your odds could be an issue for you guys i quess??

nah numpty,
it has to do with where we live and where we want to hunt what..

i am not about to waste a draw in a unit i know nothing about nor have time to drive to, to scout.

the system sucks we all know that and want changes made to it.

so you can take your high and mighty attitude and stick it.

and i do go and hunt in colorado and have had wayyy better hunts than the 2 i have drawn for in new mexico.

cool.....good luck in colorado


numpty

Does anybody think that the Quality/HD every other year that they went to is going to help?

it should. the same people that drew ths year cant even apply next year.

So, rem_7, you just pick your hunts and get tags every year? I am sure not putting in for the Valle Vidal, I am putting in units that have reasonable odds. So, again, waiting on your fabulous tales on how you hunt all you want to every year? Out of 14 avid hunters here in New Mex. that I have talked to this year, there were 2 tags drawn. Gotta love a third world state that gives us those odds!

this is the first year i did not draw deer and i put in unit 31 as a last choice!i drew 34 elk 2 out of the last six years and have friends that drew 34 three or four years in a row. you are obviousely applying for extremely high demand hunts on every choice or just have really schitty luck.

17 years no Antelope, 17 (or more) years no OIL Oryx, been puting in for 17 Deer since it went to draw and have not drawn it, Ibex also a big never. Drew elk 17 second ML. My son a big goose egg on everything again.

No doubt I have horrible luck here, and, I try and avoid the super high demand hunts.... Still is a pathetic system. And, yes, I will enjoy my hunt(s) in Colorado this year. Having the ability to hunt the same units year after year make for a much more enjoyable hunt. I did draw a great 4th season muley tag in Colorado this year as well. So, yes, I am truly looking forward to Colorado.

some of these guys from michigan,kansas you name it,are happy as hell to have drawn and have never been here.change your strategy on the draw and to hell with it if you dont know the area, you will after the first time. not being schitty and dont know what you apply for.

rem 7, i'm not sure what you're driving at. are you suggesting that an out of stater shouldn't put in for a marginal unit in hopes of a shot?

look, i'm willing to drive across the country for an archery hunt with an elk tag in my pocket. i'm happy just to be in the mountains with the prospect that i might get a shot at an elk. i'm also putting nearly $600 into your state's coufers.

there are elk in mi, but it is a once in a life time tag, and a .001 percent chance of drawing.

i'm fully prepared to spend a couple years making the trip and learning the lay of the land. i don't expect to show up in sept. and kill a cranker.

what i do expect is to show up, burn some boot leather, camp, work, hike the backcountry, hear a bull bugle in the darkness, and see the sun set over the rockies.

i'm also confident that the residents in NM will be just like the one's in BC and CO and share our love of elk, elk country and the hunt.

no, what i was saying was there is out of staters that cannot scout and have no idea of the layout of the land and still are happy as hell to have drawn. in that-its called hunting, i would prefer to scout as well but not always an option. just saying some of the guys from nm may need to change there stategy in order to draw and may have to take an area they are not familiar with

you actually responded better to what i was getting at than i could of

I sort of lied its actually the west end, not the SW end of the unit. It is actually called Baldie Mountain I believe.

Santa Fe Baldy

I'm stationed in New Mexico and have found the hunting to be the one redeeming characteristic of living here. It certainly is frustrating not being about to go out and buy a deer license (or five) over the counter like back in MN but by applying for everything that moves I've been able to do a lot of hunting. Last year i was able to get a pronghorn tag (Military only hunt), archery mule deer in zone 34, depredation oryx hunt on McGregor range, and javelina. This year I drew barbary sheep, pronghorn (military only again) and javelina and my friend who has never applied drew archery elk in 34, rifle deer in 34, and javelina and my dad drew a muzzleloader elk tag in 34. I think the key is to look at the odds and choose wisely. I also pick two hunts I really want and then pick a high probability hunt for the third. Another good strategy is to pick up bow or muzzleloader hunting to give yourself better odds. But I'd rather hunt just about anything then nothing at all.

schmidty
those antelope hunts on mcgregor?

Yep.

16B is an Q/HD hunt. Those are $760, not $547, and speaking as a man of average means, that is a lot to pay for an elk tag! Don't get me wrong, I think it's worth it, but it sure isn't easy to justify to my wife!

It's an addiction! you gotta pay to support your habit.

hell i'm sittin here twitchin and chewin my nails waiting for fall!

Yep, it is a Quality hunt. Complaining about the price is akin to ordering Filet Mingnon and complaining about that it's too expensive. A quality hunt costing more? Whodda thunk it?

As a matter of fact, I have ordered Filet Mignon that I thought was too expensive (more often than not)! Last year, when gas was $4+ per gallon, I'll bet you still bought gallons and gallons of it, and I'll bet you thought it was too expensive, just like 99.9% of all Americans did. If you want gas, you pay the price, but that doesn't mean you have to agree that the price is reasonable.

Same deal with western big game tags. As a law-abiding citizen, if I want to hunt, I have to pay the price, or I don't get to hunt. For many people, $760 or even $547 is out of reach (especially in this recession), and that has profound effects on hunting in America.

The current prices for tags are hurting hunting in the long run. Our sport needs the next generation in order to keep it strong. Many 20-somethings simply cannot afford these prices. There is safety in numbers. As the hunting population ages, the number of hunters drops, and gradually, the anti-hunting crowd gets its way. Incidentally, many of those 20-somethings that would have gone hunting go to the other side because our media and our higher-education system is full of anti-hunting "mentors" to "show them the way". We simply miss the opportunity to convert them into ethical hunters when their minds are still open.

And that is my issue with high tag prices. But, I digress...

Regards,
Scott

I agree with just about everything you wrote, but my point still remains. There is a difference in any quality product. As for the gas analogy, it's a product we all want, not need. But thats more of a philosophical issue.

As for the elk hunt, as a nonresident you had a choice to pay $550 or $750. You choose to pay $750. You have no basis for complaining on that note because you CHOOSE to pay more. Gas can be argued to be a necessity of life but hunting in a state other than your own that you don't pay taxes in is a luxury.

Iowa is a good example. NR is deer tag (license included) is $550, residents are OTC for, I think, $16. I didn't apply for a tag in Iowa this year because I have other hunts planned and just couldn't fork out another $550. Do I think thats wrong? Not really. The residents pay the taxes, work the land and put up with the deer eating their crops. They are just guarding their natural resource. The only issue I think is wrong is, like a few western states, charging you for a $250 hunting license before you can even apply.

Teaching a young person to hunt is very important to continue with our way of life, but that doesn't mean we have to take them on the most expensive hunt! We also need to teach kids to drive, but I'm not going to buy them a Ferrari for their first car.

I'm just arguing the justification for the fees. NM fees are pretty close to what most other state charge for NON residents. You yourself wrote that you thought it was worth it.
A resident pays state taxes that support the habitat which in the long run most likely add up to more than a NR tag, a non resident doesn't, hence the difference in prices.

Just my opinion,

Dion

P.S. If you need a note for your wife (or some pictures of the unit to convince her it realli IS worth it) let me know!

I respectfully disagree. I certainly do have every right to complain about the cost. I chose to pay more, but I don't have to like it! We're still a democratic republic, aren't we? I know our president is trying his best to change that, but I don't think we're quite there...



Thirty years ago, elk hunting was not an expensive hunt. It's only recently become expensive. I'm also not talking about children - I'm talking about young adults. I have young co-workers that would love to try elk hunting, but they flat out can't afford it. Thirty years ago, that was not the case. Why do we accept it now?



NM GMU 16B is nearly 100% federal land, as is a good portion of elk habitat in the west. What about the (excessive) taxes I pay to Uncle Sam? Don't they count, too? I'm all for the federal government staying out of the states' business, but when the land is owned by the feds, the state residents are not the only ones footing the bills...



And I respect your opinion. I just happen to disagree with it.



LOL - Somehow, I don't think a note or pictures will help. She just doesn't "get it" when it comes to my obsession with hunting. She puts up with it, but she'll complain that it's too much money!

Regards,
Scott

I do not complain when I pay for NM tags. Just got the hit last week on my card for one. I filled out the application and knew what it was gonna cost if I got drawn, so I ain't gonna gripe about it. Would I like it to be less? You bet! But then there'd be more applicant's, and odds would be longer to get the tag.

In our group this year there is a 20 something young man, my cousin. Myself, 38 years old. My B.I.L. 47 yrs old. And my Uncle, 56 yrs old. My cousin grew up hunting (like so many of us), but he hasn't gotten to Elk hunting until now because my uncle wouldn't pay for his tag. He felt that is something you need to earn. I agree. I never got to go until five years ago, when I made the decision that I WAS GOING TO AFFORD IT.

Paying $550 for a tag sure stretches my hunting budget to the limit. I already hunt whitetail and pigs religiously. And spend plenty doing that. Not to mention the money I spend fishing. Then there's shooting. And to top it off, my hotrod. I personally manage all this on a tradesman's salary. I also have a wife and 1.5 yr old little girl. So if anyone is gonna complain, it could be me. But I ain't gonna, cause if I couldn't afford it I wouldn't apply.

As for what it cost 30 yrs ago? I bet a lot of things were cheaper 30 yrs ago. As was the avg income. My father financed a house 35 years ago for $13,000.00, and sold it last year for over $100,000. In 1965 a new Mustang (optioned up) probably cost about $2500. Now you spend closer to $20k, if not more. But the bottom line is, technology has made Elk hunting more accesible to the regular joe now. GPS, online applications for tags, internet forums (like this one) for gaining knowledge, sattelite phones for emergencies, all the little do-dads and thingy-majigs that provide more comfort in the field, and the list could go on. All these things contribute to more and more people taking to the woods in search of Elk. So there's a higher demand. And I won't even pretend to know the stats on Elk numbers compared to thirty years ago. But I bet there was more of them then simply based on available habitat.

The unit we drew in this year is Santa Fe Forrest, Carson Forrest, and Pecos Wilderness. I think all of these are National Lands. But I bet the Fed's don't kick in squat for habitat maintenance, herd counts, harvest data, etc.. We're lucky to even see a park ranger most times. So we foot the bill, and I'm glad to so I can have the opportunity to kill an Elk.

I have plenty of grown friends who are jealous of me every time I draw a tag. They don't apply because they either can't afford it, or more commonly because they won't sacrifice other activities to go Elk hunting. That's their decision. The avg person could take their lunch to work enough in one year to afford a DIY Elk Hunt in NM. Cut back on sodas. Buy coffee at 7-11 instead of Starbucks. Refill bottles of water instead of buying new ones. The opportunity is there more than some know. It's really just a matter of them wanting to go bad enough. Where there's a will, there's a way.


Sure, anyone has the right to complain, just don't be surprised if it falls on deaf ears. After all, we all filled out the application.

Jay