Well this year will be the third year in a row that I'll be putting in for the Gila.
All 3 choices are going to be bow hunts in the Gila, 2 of them 9/15-9/24, the other 9/1-9/14.

Has anybody actually drawn a bow tag in the Gila, if so, how many years did it take?

My first try, and first elk hunt, I drew a cow tag in unit 15. Keep putting in. It’s worth it. I had an incredible hunt. Even knowing nothing about elk, I killed a cow. I was in the middle of big, rutting bulls every day. One of these days, I’ll start putting in again for bull tags.

I also hunted deer there one year, and took my dad there with his muzzleloader tag. Those hunts were slower, but I missed an opportunity at a monster mulie in velvet, and a lightning storm ran my dad off the hill while putting a stalk on a 6 point well over 300”. I’d guess he was more like 350, but I didn’t look at him that close. As soon as I saw how big he was, we started moving around him. The lightning set in, and I couldn’t convince my dad that he was worth getting struck for.

I've been applying for a rifle bull tag for 15A for 16 years. No Luck

I have hunted the Gila 7 times, all rifle. First 6 were in 16c and the last one was 16a and have only been drawn twice using an outfitter each time, the other 5 I bought a landowner tag when not drawn. The quality of 16c has gone down quite a bit over the past few years. Being a non-resident the draws odds are a little better through an outfitter.

16A?

I drew a (once in a lifetime) bull rifle tag on the Valle Vidal on my first try!

Get out of here.

I've avoided putting in for NM tags to this point bc of proximity (I was stationed in KY and GA) but now that I'm settled in TX I think I will start. I've been building points in AZ, CO, NV, UT, WY

Correct me if I'm wrong- NM you must pay full tag price up front to enter the draw and there are no pref or bonus points. It is a straight draw each year.

What is the resident vs non-resident tag allocation or quota?

I just applied for New Mexico Unit 34 and 36 Archery. Yes you have to pay the 867 dollars up front. No points. Non residents get only around 10 % of tags I believe, not good odds. Good luck

Yea 16A, I was trying to add up the years in my head and got stuck at 15. Here is why I keep applying....

I think the percentages are 11% for nonresidents with a guide and 9% for nonresidents without a guide. Something like that.

1 of my friends drew last year on his 2nd year 15ML, another 2 guys i know drew 23 rifle their 1st year last year, all with oufitters the same Outiftter Gila and Apache Outitters

Ive put in 3 or 4years never drawn

I think its alot higher with an outfitter, they say it increases your chances 10-15%, but maybe lower without an outitter say like 2% without 12% with

I believe you are right Steve it is a lot higher odds of success if you apply with an outfitter but I'm too hard headed to apply with one after the bigger outfitters in NM lobbyed for years to get control of all of the NR tags. As is true with most things involving the (fed,state or local) government I'm sure some crooked sb got paid off.

11% to 9% would be about 10-15 % higher.

Each year that I don't draw NM, I try and just go and do 3rd rifle in Colorado and with an OTC tag.
First year I went and didn't see any elk and fought 28" of snow.
Second year I went I found cows, but all the bulls I saw where on private land.
Didn't go last year as both of my youth football teams I coach made the playoffs.
THE tag I'm after is a 2nd bow season in unit 16C or 16D.

To answer somebodies question from earlier, in NM, you pay the entire amount up front and if you don't draw, they pay you back minute $13.

Somebody had also asked about the draw percentages.
*84% of draw is NM Residents
*10% is residents and non residents with an outfitter
*6% is nonresidents with no outfitter
I'll have to pull our my Eastmans MRS book to look at how few people put in for hunts with a guide, but for some hunters, it just isn't in the budget.

I looked it up. It’s 10 and 6 percent.

Go with a landowner tag, or one day you will wake up and realize that you are too old to make the hunt.

Yep, done that and have gotten there.

How much are these landowner tags you've gotten run $ wise? Also, what part of the state? Do you feel that it took away part of the experience of the hunt vs hunting elk DIY?

I bought a landowner tag back in ‘04. $5000 back then

There are no elk in New Mexico best go to Colorado or Wyoming.

When it hits it hits Barneywho drew twice....back to back. Kicker he only put in three years. So 2/3

Real truth is there are big bulls all over the state, but stay focused on those Gila units

All the bulls I've seen were on private land.

It’s crazy how lucky or unlucky some people are in the drawings. I know a guy that lives in New Mexico that takes years to draw what he wants. And when he does draw a nice tag, it’s never what he expected. His wife, on the other hand, just draws whatever she puts in for and proceeds to kill book animals.

I love the Gila, but hate the draws odds. If you had some insight on some easier to draw units that can compete, my inbox has room for another pm. Hint.....