Anyone known anyone that's hunted with these guys on an archery elk hunt?

Many thx

Dober

Dober,

Roughly what town is the ranch located near?


Casey

http://www.fishtailranch.com/

They are out of Chama. Hunt both southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Don't know anyone who has hunted with them.

Dober I hunted a couple of times with the tribe at Chama. I had a guy that worked for me that was a guide. If I can help with nothing but the area PM me.

I know someone who hunted with them and I have visited their Lodge south of Chama but I will wait for the guy who hunted with them to comment, if he wants to.

Just to eliminate any confusion I may have caused. I have not hunted with the outfitter mentioned. Just hunted with the Jicarilla in the same area.

Thats a LOT of $$ for the quality of elk they have there in my opinion, based on their 2012 kills I see on their site.

FWIW, their fees look pretty much like the going rate for those hunts in that part of the state. You can probably do a little better if you do your homework.

Hunted the Chama area several times on private ranches. Never saw any bulls worth what most outfitters and ranches in the area are asking. Very nice area, lots of elk, but nothing of truly trophy quality.

When N.M. bit the bullet (so to speak) and significantly reduced the number of elk licenses in the late 60's, it took about 10 years for the state elk population to rebound and begin producing big bulls. During the 80's Northern NM was about as good as it gets for the average guy to go on a outfitted hunt on private ground. Plus the state had started a voucher system for landowners.

As livestock prices began to decline in the early 80's ranchers found they were often making as much money from sport hunting as beef/wool. The ranchers began lobbying the legislature/wildlife commission for more licenses. And they succeeded.

By the late 80's/early 90's, the age class of bulls began to decline a few years.

The result is you will see a lot of 3-5 year old bulls in the 275-300 range with an occasional 325 bull (at least in the north central/Chama area I've been in). Of course a big bull still shows up sometimes. There are a few ranches that manage for older bulls--and of course they get even more money.

If you're looking for good success on a 6 point bull, it's still a very good area.


Casey

I did a drop-camp bow hunt in their colorado camp last year. Thought they did a good job and the camp was well supplied.--Bill

Mark...I hunted there and will be going back this Fall. One of the Outdoor hunting channels also filmed a hunt there and the Fishtail site has the video on it's front page now. On my edit, I went to my emails and tagged this link from the vid Lee and Valerie Weiss sent me. http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001pbUI...Jq08UKxS45QmganOdqQBcEgyPQMMAhQ7KdUtyr8=

I had a wonderful visit from toltecgriz while I hunted there, as well.

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. I'll give you my contact info should you be interested.

Do not hesitate to hunt there.

The result is you will see a lot of 3-5 year old bulls in the 275-300 range with an occasional 325 bull (at least in the north central/Chama area I've been in). Of course a big bull still shows up sometimes. There are a few ranches that manage for older bulls--and of course they get even more money.

If you're looking for good success on a 6 point bull, it's still a very good area.
===============

Precisely. A 340 was killed by a guy there on his first elk hunt. He got out of the jeep, walked 30 yards,saw the elk and shot. He'll never be the same again.

Mark...bowhunting there would be a real treat, right in the peak of the rut. You can also take a black bear during that time and there are plenty of black bears on their properties.

It's a hot temp hunt though which should make the water hole stalks or set-ups a nice advantage for you.

============

I may have hunted there in addition to having the pleasure of shaking your hand but you still have far more knowledge of that NM area and Co than I ever will.

Thx guys, appreciate the info

Dober

The folks there were very nice and friendly. While I was visiting Bob they told me to make myself at home and basically do anything I wanted to do other than hunt which made sense since I didn't have a license or plan to stay.
The only thing I didn't get clear in my head was how much ground they hunted and how exclusive it was. They definitely had some bulls in the hunting area.
It was great meeting Bob and after Bob left for the afternoon hunt his pal was a treasure trove of information about Bob. PM me for information about Bob.


Just kidding. My lips are sealed.

Is this the same area that Jack Brittingham and Co. do a lot of their elk hunting at in the videos?

I can't answer that as I don't know, but I doubt it unless you mean the Chama area in general.

I believe it was 13,000-18,000 acres at the time I was there but I think he may have added more parcels since then.

I hunted rifle with Lee in 2011. I think he has closer to 100,000 acres leased. The one property he has is next to the Jicarilla reservation. I killed my bull on a parcel just north of Lee's. I think it was the same one in the Savage Outdoors video but not the one where the bulls were killed in the show. I think those bulls were killed on the property next to the Jicarilla reservation. That was my first hunt but I really felt treated like a king.

My bad then. I hunted rifle in 2011, as well. Maybe it was the particular parcel I was on.

Yeah...Valerie makes sure you don't lose any weight, that's for sure. Sweet lady. Beautiful lodge and hunting lands. I will go back there without hesitation.

We got our bull up by the abandoned ski lodge and slopes.

I killed mine at the "Golf Course". I wasn't ready for 4 meals a day! What week did you hunt? I hunted the week of Columbus day. Right after the early snow storm.

1st week. Frikken 80 degrees by 11am...every day.

Fishtail where I visited is a long ways from the Jicarrilla Res.

There was a limited entry public unit on the side of the property and the Jicarilla butted up on the backside of the property. The property was north of Fishtail along Rt. 64. Lee called it the Contintental Divide property.

If that is the property that you have to access from the Colorado side, I've been on it and it is a very nice elk hunting property, but I'm guessing it is south of 64. The limited entry on the south of 64 is a prime piece of ground but not too big.

It borders this:
http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/recreation/gain/documents/maps/BillHumphries.pdf

Conveniently the Humphries is close to the Broken Butt Saloon.

All this talk about Fishtail makes me want to go back. Only if I could afford it.