New Elk hunter/NM

[iccyman001]

Hello mentors,

My name is Daniel and I was born and raised as a whitetail hunter. Growing up in Massachusetts, I hunted both there and Maine as a gun hunter.
I joined the Air Force in December 2005
My first duty station was in Florida, so I was able to hunt whitetail and hogs down there
Then I went off to England for a few years and I was just recently stationed in New Mexico.
I moved to NM after last years draw ended, so I spent most of my time hunting public land for whitetail in Oklahoma.

Well being this was my first year in NM that I could apply, I applied for a mule hunt, antelope hunt, and an Elk hunt. Well beginners luck was on my side because I got my number 1 pick for antelope (unit 39, 40) and my number 3 Elk hunt (unit 51)
Both of these hunts are bow hunts and I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am for these hunts.

A member from another forum sent me this way and I am very glad he did.

I believe my goals for Elk hunting are fairly simple and I hope to complete them:

- Grow as a hunter. This is not just my goal for this year, this is something I attempt to do daily, weekly, monthly and annually. I feel like any new bit of information is useful and can help me grow. So while I am on this site, I plan to be a sponge and take in all the info I can. You guys are the experience, so why not listen to the people who have already been through the ups and downs.
- Learn new terrain and how to hunt/work it. Growing up in Mass and hunting Maine, it was nothing, but woods.....
Now I am out here working a whole new terrain. I want to learn how to navigate, spot and stalk, effectively glass, etc
- Fill my tag. I wanted to draw an either sex tag because it really opens up my options. This is my first hunt, it\'s a bow hunt, I am going in as an amateur, so being able to get a cow would give me just as much as excitement as dropping a bull.
- Have fun. I\'ve valued every single second that I have in the woods. When I put my gear on and take that first step into the hunt, my mind is at peace. It\'s a feeling like no other and I never want to lose it.

I plan on this being the first of MANY elk hunts.




So I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. I plan on picking everyone\'s brains and I look forward to all the help.






Thanks for your time,
Daniel

 

[bowhunter]

Welcome to the site. You will find a lot of info here and people willing to help you. Good luck on your hunts. :welcome:

 

[americanbwana]

Daniel,
Welcome to the site.

Those are good goals, it may take a lifetime to fulfill them.

Don\'t hesitate to ask any question. We will try to get them answered.

AB

 

[cohunter14]

Welcome Daniel! I love the enthusiasm you have and look forward to hearing how your hunt goes this year. As Dana said, feel free to start throwing out any and all questions you have. There is an abundance of knowledge here and a lot of guys who are willing to do their best to help you out.

 

[Bob Frapples]

Welcome aboard, which split did u get for elk or is that unit one of the 21 day ones?

 

[iccyman001]

Thanks everyone for the welcoming.

Bob, my hunt is Sept 1st to Sept 15th.

 

[cnelk]

Howdy Dan
Glad you found the Elkmentors.
Get your 5 posts and your PM feature will work.
Ask anything that comes to mind

 

[iccyman001]

Thank you cnelk for the PM tip.
I know I will have questions!
I\'m just exploring the site still to make sure I don\'t ask questions in the wrong section :dk:

 

[Buglemaster]

Welcome Dan & good luck this fall. Pay attention as there is lotsa good stuff shared here on a regular basis that will triple your odds for success.

 

[colorado russ]

Welcome Daniel! I was curious where you\'ve been hunting public land in Oklahoma at. I\'m an OK native and have my lifetime hunting license so if you decide to head back that way, let me know and I might be able to meet up for a weekend hunt. Looks like you\'re going to be busy this fall in a good kinda way!

Russ

 

[iccyman001]

Welcome Daniel! I was curious where you\'ve been hunting public land in Oklahoma at. I\'m an OK native and have my lifetime hunting license so if you decide to head back that way, let me know and I might be able to meet up for a weekend hunt. Looks like you\'re going to be busy this fall in a good kinda way!

Russ

Thanks for the welcoming Russ!
It\'s only a three hour drive from my base, so it\'s easy for me to make day trips or stay out there on the weekends. Last year I put in three solid weeks of hunting there and saw more deer in that time-frame than my 18 years of hunting Mass and Maine. I had a game camera on my honey hole and had over 45 different deer moving through in that one week.(Rut action :mrgreen: ) Lots of nice and healthy bucks out there too. I found it ideal because it\'s 19000 acres of bow hunting only country. The terrain is enough to drive away the lazy hunters as well. When I was out there for those three weeks, I never saw another hunter. The harvest reports show low harvests, but I think that\'s because people are just too lazy to go out there. I plan on tagging out my six tags there this year. I\'ve been talking to the locals and the biologist who works the WMA and taking a 130-150+ buck is not as hard as you think to take from there with a little leg work. So on top of my elk and antelope hunt, I will still be hunting whitetail in Oklahoma.

So if at anytime you would like to put a hunt together, please just let me know! It\'s a great area and I would love to put some deer in front of you.

 

[OldMan]

Hi Daniel,

Like you I was born, and brought up in Mass. It was woods hunting, and I got to loving it so much. I\'m still doing it at 71. Going in after the elk in dark timber is what I love, and the only way I hunt. If you ever feel like you want to do it. Ask any questions you have. It\'s a challenge, and you risk blowing the elk out of the area, but once you get the hang of it. It\'s very rewarding, and very effective.

 

[Bob Frapples]

Icy, I\'ll be hunting south of you at least til sep 9th, if I tag early I plan to stay and learn as much as possible, but if all works out and you need a hand dragging that monster bull out and ur interested pm me and get you my info. I\'ll be at least someone you can call for a hand, if at all possible I\'ll do it.

In OK did you notice or hear how hard they got hit with the EHD deer kills? I\'m holding off on my iowa tag this year as I heard of up to 75% losses in certain areas. I probably will skip Kansas as well, but then again this elk thang has a good dent in my budge as well.

 

[iccyman001]

Hello Still Hunter,

What part of Mass did you grow up in? Woods hunting is my favorite as well and there is nothing like it. I was a bit worried at first when I heard I was being reassigned to New Mexico, but then I caught on quick how beautiful and nice the mountains and forest are in the western part of NM. I also found that where I am stationed, it\'s a perfect hub for Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, etc. So I plan on taking full advantage of it and doing as much exploring, camping, and hunting as I can all over the Midwest. That way when I am 71 and still in the woods like you are, I will have an exciting tale book of all my travels. I just hope I have some animals down to go along with those stories :dance2:
If I have any questions, I will be sure to ask, thank you!

Bob Frapples,

I will be sure to grab your information before I head out on my hunt. I would hate to trouble someone on my account though. Where down south will you be hunting? As for EHD deer kills, there have been no major reports in the county or the WMA that I hunt. I frequently keep up with the man who oversees the WMA I hunt and he has said nothing about it. I will be sure to keep my eye on it.

I was going to attempt to draw Kansas this year as well, but I think I have enough on my plate so far. I like to load myself up with hunting and so far I am doing well this year. I am still waiting on draw results from Oklahoma (Elk and muzzleloader hunt)and Maine (moose hunt).

I might put in for KS next year. I really want to go to Iowa some year, but their NR draw system is a little off-putting. :dk:

 

[Bob Frapples]

If I\'m not tagged out I\'ll be hunting hard so you probably won\'t be getting me out of the woods n the first place, so Don\'t think you\'ll be putting me out at all. But who knows I might be free, at least it\'s a number and an option you can try.

I thought about putting in that unit myself but stuck with unit 34/36 and
an outfitter I\'ve been trying with on the last two years.

If Iowa is even a remote option buy a point this year, it will take at least 2 points banked to draw most anyway.

 

[OldMan]

I was born in Springfield.

I\'m sure you\'ll do fine. You have a great attitude.