Got lucky and drew the first rifle Valles Caldera MB tag. Looks like few roads with some access through and bike/hiking trails. Any tips on the area? Thanks!

You will have a great time. I have been on 3 hunts there but none since the change. I will try to mark up a map where I would concentrate since they no longer assign sub units.

Yeah theres a few roads through there, theres some small mountain type things in there too with old logging roads around them.

Just driving through the Jemez, theres a pull out overlooking the caldera, usually you can see hundreds of elk from there with binos.

As far as I remember, theres pretty much 2 access roads, one is right there after you pass the caldera, the other is down the road a few miles and if you're on that road, you drive over a small pass before dropping down into the caldera.

For reference, as you drive past the thing, youll see a mountain on the far side with a tower, thats the back side of the Pajarito ski area you're looking at.

Gosh I remember years back, theres a dirt road on the opposite side of the main road that the caldera is on, I must have been 20-21 years old and was up there with a girl, I got out of the truck and walked into the woods to take a leak and there was like 2 dozen massive elk just right there not 30 feet from where we'd been in the car for the past hour.

Also...if you drive past the caldera at night...DRIVE SLOW, those elk go up onto the roads at night, I gaurantee it.

Not exactly the caldera, but the biggest bull I ever saw was up in the Jemez. I was driving from Los Alamos and was jsut before the XC ski area (which would have been on my left), there was a clear cut or a burn to the right and that elk was just walking through it like 50 feet from the road.

I stopped and just watched it, it was the biggest one Ive ever seen and its not even close, that thing was absolutely massive. I really dont think this is a fish story either, that thing was unbelievably big.

You are a lucky man.

If you can, bring enough truck. There are roads in the Caldera, but some of them are badly eroded after the fires. The main roads are fine. Enough clearance to cross ditches and deal with rocky roads can make access easier.

Much of what you can see from the pullout is not huntable, but don't worry there is plenty of room and critters.

Main access is through the front gate on the south side. There is also an access gate on the east side. There are several places where you can get to the edge of the Caldera from Forest Service. They seem to change the rules slightly each year, but that might be another access point to think about when scouting.

My son drew that tag 2 years ago at 14. Was a fabulous hunt and he took a beautiful 6pt bull opening morning. The really big Bulls will have already moved on or will be broken up from the rut by then but still plenty of mature 6 pts to choose from. You can't drive any of the roads aside from the T ( main road that goes north and the road that goes east west at the top). All other roads are closed to vehicles. You can only travel by foot, horse, or mountain bike off those roads. Made the pack out a lot of work but it was well worth it.

I was stationed at Jemez with my fire engine for 28 days back in 2006 in preparation for lightning storms. Man, we patrolled the Valles Caldera every day, and in my 9 years of firefighting, there has been no other place I want to go back to as much as that area! What AKPENDUDE says about the elk in the roads is no joke! We used our sirens at times to get them out of the way. I'll see what I can did up for any info from my notes. I've got some great shots of elk, and some dead heads we found. I've never been to an area before where you can spot sheds from your vehicle while driving the roads!

We need pics, Twitch.

For those in the know, are there good chances for really big bulls there and if so, is an early season better than a later one?

Pretty sure 390 is the largest bull killed on the VC. 350 is probably realistic on the top end.

Most bulls I've seen killed are in the 320-340 range.

The muzzle loader hunt is about as much fun as you can have with your clothe on.

This is my sons bull from 2015 season first week of October. There were bigger bulls out there but this one was very pretty and symmetrical and for a first bull at 13 we couldn't pass him up.

I can't imagine passing that up unless a guide restrained me physically- too many years hunting public land shooting the first legal bull I see or going home without antlers or meat. What a terrific way to start elk hunting- he will never top that one for thrill.