I have a hard time reading the draw report sheet so I'm going to ask yall. I want to start planning now for a potential DIY public hunt in New Mexico next year and I really want to draw a tag. I was wondering what y'all's suggestions for good units to hunt with good (20+\-%) to get a tag that have decent amounts of animals. I'm not looking for trophies, I just want to hunt. I really like being in the mountains, so mountainous units would be nice, I'd like to stay away from flat sandy land. I'm a little bit confused on how to pick the units to try to draw, and I don't want to waiste my applications on units with impossible draw odds. I know this is a lot, but I would like some input from those of yall who have drawn tags in New Mexico.

We have hunted there for years and when the tag allocation was 10% we used to draw rifle tags. Now at 6% we drew a muzzle loader hunt once. It's easier to draw a rifle tag in the southern units, but they have less deer and more crowds. The northern units are extremely hard to draw for a rifle hunt. My advice would be to get a muzzle loader and start looking at the harvest data. Also there are more elk than mule deer in many units. There are a few forums you might research as well. I really wish they would throw all the non-resident tags into one pot, but the outfitters won't let that happen.

do u know anything about drawing in colorado and how the hunting might be? I Know they work on preference points so I've considered drawing there, but I really want to hunt next year. Are the elk draw odds better than deer? Because that's an option too.

What unit are you wanting to draw from? Eastwood is spot on, you would e better looking at the HD and consider an Elk Tag, Cow or Bull. There are also land owner tags for each as well.

I applied for the first time in New Mexico and was drawn for first rifle season in Unit 30. This unit is west of Carlsbad. If you look at the area south of Queen in the Lincoln National Forest you will have elevations to around 7000 feet. Mostly between 6000 to 6500, ridge lines. You will see deer. You will also see other hunters. You will need a four wheel drive vehicle to get back as far as you can to camp then walk the Ridgeline glassing into the drainages.

right now I am thinking about units 34 and 36 around ruidoso. The other one I thought about was 17, and I was considering 31 because it is so big and has high draw odds. i have a 4x4 truck so that's not an issue. What units would you suggest for elk hunting?

Never hunted Colorado, my dad did back in the day when licenses were sold over the counter. Unit 34 and 36 have ok deer populations but lots of pressure too. I heard one guy say that during bow season in 34 he watched three different hunters stalk the same buck! You'll be over run with elk in those two units as well. You can draw 30 almost guaranteed, but they give out an insane amount of permits for it. There are deer there but you have to hunt them up pretty hard. I like the new mexico draw because it is a lottery, they just don't give us much of the pie. For every 100 tags only six go to diy non-residents.

so it sounds like elk hunting maybe be the way to go. Any suggestions for good elk units besides 34 and 36? I was thinking the gila national forest and of course the Santa Fe national forest area.

We only put in for elk once and didn't draw. The odds can be just as tough for elk too. I think there is more good elk country than mule deer country in new mexico, so the odds are better there. If you want to make sure to get a hunt, I would find two hunts you like and make those your first and second choice. Then put unit 30 down for your third choice. When your application is pulled they go down the list and you get a tag for your highest choice depending on whats left.

Alright, sounds good. The other thing I'm considering is just doing a second or third rifle season hunt in colorado where I can just get one of the unlimited over the counter licenses.

You might want to check but I think unit 36 and possibly 34 have a CWD restrictions on transport of deer?

What do CWD restrictions mean