Not many whitetails in that unit any more, but the NM/AZ border north of Mule Creek is about as good as anywhere. The best time to take advantage of calling bulls in is in the later seasons as this is when the rut is in full swing. Insider Our guided New Mexico mule deer hunts take place on public land and on private land we have leased.We guide in unit 2b and unit 2c, two of the best mule deer units in New Mexico. Journal of Wildlife Management, 71, 11181124. Outbreaks occur during late summer or early autumn, usually in close proximity to wet areas. New Mexico made some changes to their antelope draw a few years ago and most applicants are aware of the changes at this point; however, it's worth noting those once again. Currently, New Mexico offers unlimited antelope private land permits. To conserve, regulate, propagate and protect the wildlife and fish within the state of New Mexico using a flexible management system that ensures sustainable use for public food supply, recreation and safety; and to provide for off-highway motor vehicle recreation (Read more), Phone: (505) 476-8000 | Toll-free (888) 248-6866, Copyright 2016 New Mexico Department of Game & Fish | All Rights Reserved, (505) 476-8000 | Toll-free (888) 248-6866. Advertise With Us. Every year, we see a good number of applicants who apply for hunts that have no nonresident licenses available. We love guiding mule deer hunts in the famed Strip and Kaibab region (units 13A, 13B, 12AE, 12AW, 12B, 12BW) and have over three decades experience hunting this very special place. stay near the river we had luck near alma lots of nice places to camp there also. (Photograph courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club). There are good bucks taken in other parts of the state, but be prepared for a lot of scouting and time to hunt in order to find older age class bucks. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Hunters under the age of 18 must have completed a hunters education course to purchase a hunting license and apply in the draw. There is little actual fighting between bucks because dominance hierarchy has usually been established before peak rutting periods occur. New Mexico is not talked about nearly as much as Arizona for Coues deer, but there are good populations and good trophy potential in the southwest portion of the state. Mule deer may also stot, or bounce stiff-leggedly on all four legs, when fleeing. Desert mule deer prefer shrublands and woodlands in desert mountain ranges and hills, or arroyos in arid desert flats. Clearly focused, close-up photographs of the front, left side, and right side of your trophys antlers or horns or tusks. Units 2B, 2C, 5B and Unit 7 have all offered hunts that occur in early to mid-November. Despite declines, mule deer are still present in all 33 counties in New Mexico. That was his job for the week. The unit at times appears never-ending with great vehicular access to many unfettered wild areas. Also would mind exchanging info with someone that is going to be up there incase they need help with anything. Compared to the two previous years, 2023 is lining up to be a great antler growth year. When applying as a party, one applicant will apply first and, upon completing the process, will receive a party application number. Draw Deadline is March 16 to get your apps in. I hunted the unit years ago and saw a really nice buck down south of Mule Creek against the private land. Licenses can be picked up here. The funny thing is they drove right past about 10 deer without even seeing them. don't go near Glenwood, you will be in the area of units 22,23, and 16B.i have seen some deer in 21A but they are few and far between.i met a guy from Cruces while elk hunting that hunted the blm lands south of NM52 to Winston.also, i hear red mountain north of winston is decent (probably lots of pressure . Only iron sights are allowed on muzzleloader rifle when used during muzzleloader hunts, Never lose track of units you want to further research, Can help decide what unit to apply for or what order to place your units when applying on a state's website, Save the filter settings you used in Filtering 2.0 to find a great hunt, Add notes to your research folder under season level or hunt folder level. Human-Wildlife Interactions, 6, 245260. About Us | Factors influencing survival of desert mule deer in the greater San Andres Mountains, New Mexico. For more information on all aspects of mule and white-tailed deer ecology and management, see Deer of the Southwest (Heffelfinger, 2006). One buck will breed with many does, so it is not necessary to have equal numbers of males and females. hey where in arizona are you all at ? Better luck next year I guess. We offer rifle, archery, and muzzleloader hunts for mule deer with an abundance of trophies on our properties. Glad none of them decided to take on the car. The breeding class is usually the prime-aged mature bucks, plus a few younger bucks who are exceptionally large-bodied or aggressive. Deer of the Southwest. Fawns that are larger at birth, or born earlier, tend to be larger at weaning and therefore are more likely to survive. We have been 100% harvest on youth hunts and bulls over 350 and mule deer over 180 are killed almost every year! how are you and your wife going to both hunt in the two units ? Richie, May 11, 2016 in Mule Deer Hunting, Thought I'd see if anyone drew the same tag. Up to 6% of the licenses for each hunt can be allocated to nonresidents in the draw. The hunting area is situated in Sand Hill country with sagebrush & grass. November: Mule Deer tags for unit 23 took from 4-10 Bonus Points to secure in most cases. thanks for the info. For permission to use publications for other purposes, contact pubs@nmsu.edu or the authors listed on the publication. JavaScript is disabled. The draw odds for these late season hunts are very long, typically 1% or less, but for those who do draw a tag and have the time to hunt, there are good opportunities for 170+ bucks. Mature desert mule deer average about 140 lb field-dressed, with the largest deer approaching 170 lb. Drier and more exposed sloped tend towards either Prickly Pear and grass or Shrub Live Oak and Mazanita biomes. Any information would help. When the female is no longer receptive, the buck will leave her to seek other does. If you spray a cotton ball with elk or deer urine and pin it to your clothes you are legal, take it off and pin it to a tree you are illegal. If all goes according to plan I am going to draw a deer tag for unit 23. hunting license Apr 23, 2022 #10 Lostinthewoods 0. Owned: 2,176 acres, Species: Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Sheep. Work put in a last minute request that I ended up having to fill, so I got stuck working this weekend. For those applicants applying in the draw for permits, New Mexico offers archery, rifle and some muzzleloader licenses in select units. New Mexico Maps Maps for New Mexico Hunting Units Select a hunting unit from the dropdown menu or click a unit on the map below. GOHUNT Maps can be very helpful in finding hidden gem areas that can offer you a chance at a bigger buck. However, that isn't to say there is not potential for something larger to be taken. Consider these factors as you look at the individual units. 702.847.8747 In recent years precipitation has improved, benefitting the mule deer of Central, Arizona. After about age seven the number of fawns will decrease again. We can apply up to four per application. Yes there are deer and Lions and bears and plenty of hunters. Gaining access to hunt private land on your own is not easy due to outfitters leasing access to the quality private land parcels. I worked the brushy mountain area I just saw a doe and a yearling a few times. In all areas, a wide variety of other forbs are important depending upon what exactly is available. New Mexico has had much better fall and winter moisture and temperatures have been relatively mild. New Mexico has areas that meet these criteria and the bulk of the bigger bucks that are coming out of New Mexico that are outside of the well known hunts are coming from those areas areas that have good habitat/feed and provide refuge from other hunters. The deposit required to secure this mule deer hunt is $500. Terms of Use | west of sunflower mesa to the az line is good. Nonresidents and residents can apply together in a party. This is the case for southern states and moisture is much more critical in these areas than it is in states north of their borders. Archery: 27% Rifle: 75% Rifle: 50% Rifle: 100%, Archery: 31% Rifle: 78% Rifle: 67% Rifle: 38%, Archery: 37% Rifle: 86% Rifle: 50% Rifle: 69%, Archery: 43% Rifle: 100% Rifle: 67% Rifle: 93%, Archery: 35% Rifle: 100% Rifle: 78% Rifle: 86%, Archery: 33% Rifle: 100% Rifle: 100% Rifle: 100%, Archery: 40% Rifle: 44% Rifle: 80% Rifle: 73%, Archery: 31% Rifle: 85% Rifle: 100% Rifle: 77%, Archery: 33% Rifle: 76% Rifle: 89% Rifle: 86%, Archery: 7% Rifle: 63% Rifle: 44% Rifle: 61%, Archery: 22% Rifle: 58% Rifle: 56% Rifle: 55%, Archery: 29% Muzzleloader: 38% Rifle: New hunt, Archery: 31% Rifle: 100% Rifle: 86% Rifle: 75%, Archery: 37% Rifle: 71% Rifle: 78% Rifle: 68%, Archery: 34% Rifle: 100% Rifle: 63% Rifle: 73%. *Check out our Deer Hunt Application Picks page for info on our preferred draw choices for the year.*. Unbred mature does are rare in New Mexico. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an invariably fatal degenerative neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose. Pion and juniper may be used during dry seasons and winter months despite plant toxins, the effects of which can be minimized by mixing these with other plant species. Looking for current info on the area around Alma. New Mexico consistently produces great mule deer, as evidenced by over 150 Boone & Crockett mule deer entries from the state. Compared to other more notable mule deer states like Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, the odds of drawing a permit are good and the trophy potential is not far off the units that you can draw in those states. Your application could be one of the first selected in the draw and, as such, you want to receive the best permit/hunt possible. This unit does have some hunting pressure on the public grounds, but those who are able and willing to put in the work have found success here in past years. Deer is one application in New Mexico. Landscape dynamics of aspen and conifer forests. Lots of private or public land? 2022 GOHUNT, LLC. Residents are guaranteed a minimum of 84% of the licenses for each hunt. Short video with information on hunting New Mexico's late archery hunt in unit 20 1997. As indicated in the table above, there are minimum numbers of permits required for nonresidents to have a chance to draw. The best bucks are harvested every year in the Burro Mountains, but outside of that area in Units 23, 24, 26 and 27, there are still good opportunities for a nice buck. Reply R Red Sparky Fort Collins: U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Drew a whitetail tag for that unit, and have never hunted it before. They lose their spots two to three months after they are born. Hike and get away from them and You mite find a good Buck. Mule Deer, Having hunted NM sandhill deer for 20 plus years, I would guess a fairly big deer would go about 250 field dressed there. This means that every applicant is on an equal playing field to draw even if this is the first year they are applying in New Mexico. 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