What is the quality of Antelope and Mule Deer just to the west of Clayton?

Antelope = very good.
Mule deer = So-so.

I hunted Antelope there years ago and it was very good. Never saw any MD but plenty of Rattlesnakes.

Plenty of antelope, can't remember ever seeing any mule deer.

hunted antelope there for years - very good hunting -

Hunted antelope there for several years also. There are scattered mule deer around the couple or three isolated mountains and foothills as one moves west towards Raton. I have not hunted them - but have seen them in the meat lockers. My information on them comes from the hunters, locker guys, and a couple visits with local GWs. The deer I saw were nothing to write home about as far as size goes. Saw a few bears - all small also.

Thanks guys, looks like I may have a chance to get my hands on 6 Antelope landowner tags and 4 Mule Deer tags for 2018 on a 21,000 acre ranch. I don't really care about the Antelope tags, will probably sell those. I really care about the 4 MD tags. I know there's Antelope and Mule Deer on the ranch, was just curious about the quality.

Can be Very very Good, with also some big 350plus bulls north of there

This year probably good with early spring rains. Ranches are just like Texas. Managed well you will have good deer and goats. Those desert mulies are a little different breed, little harder to find but they are there.

Further north you get, better the deer seem to get but also bigger the ranches.

Also some really big bulls not to far north of there.

I personally think the state record Big Horn will eventually come out of 58 also.

My ranch isn't to far from there

I might be interested in one of those landowner antelope tags if you do sell them.

is there a black bear hunt season in N.M.?

Yes around Clayton it's a tri unit management zone with 35 bear quota. Aug-Nov roughly

This

Except the net 225 killed not to far from Clayton last year. Northeast NM isn't Rio Arriba but lots of good management is making a difference.

Lots of big North Eastern NM deer posted on this forum actually....

BOBO said it right, the right ranches can produce big deer, elk, bear and sheep. Its all about management. Not tons of deer in that part of the state so if you shoot lots of bucks year after year you won't have the age class needed to grow big deer. 4 mule deer off 21000 acres is a lot to me, but kind of depends on your goals. My goal would be 180+ and you can't shoot that many off 21000 and expect that.

Tried to call you today Jeremy to pick your brain. I was thinking serious about buying the 4 MD tags (because I have to,,I think) but possibly only using 3 of them. Does that seem more in line? Also, does Antelope season always begin the weekend before Labor Day weekend?

Sorry I missed your call. Feel free to call me back. I don't have the best service so leave me a message and I will call you back.