Question:
discussions with other hunters who have hunted this region suggest that elk distribution depends critically on water.
Answer:
You are right about being fortunate about drawing this area. This is
one of the best "Big Bull" areas in the country. If mother nature
cooperates and it gets cool you will be hunting in the beginning of the
rut and calling will produce good results. I usually hunt NM exactly as
you describe and don't worry that much about finding a watering hole.
If you do find one odds are some twit will be camped on it with his
washrag and soap setting there anyway, then he wonders why the elk
seemed to have dissappeared. I always have good luck in NM by finding
the thickest nastiest cover I can find and hunting deep inside it. You
don't see a lot of elk this way but the ones you do see are real close
and are usually the largest around.
Good luck and have fun in our state. By the way this unit is right in
the middle of Catron county so if you have any liberal tree hugging
tendancies it would be best to keep them to yourself.
