Elk Hunt Of A Lifetime

An adventure bowhunt in the land of enchantment.

- Mike Yancey

New Mexico’s nickname is the Land of enchantment, and the sound of a bull elk bugling through its crisp air is enchanting, indeed. From its high-desert plains to its dark, timbered forests, the state offers all of the western hunting opportunities a bowhunter could ever ask for. Whether you want to hunt speedy pronghorns in the dry plains, the trophy mule deer that the state is famous for or the mighty elk, which inhabits many areas across the state, New Mexico has you covered. Quality animals aren’t hard to come by, but non-resident tags for coveted units are.

I went on a New Mexico elk hunt in 2015 in a unit that, once drawn, can’t be drawn again. Nestled along the famous Vermejo Park Ranch, this unit features some of the prettiest country the state offers. The Valle Vidal unit in northeastern New Mexico offers some of the world’s finest elk hunting—both for resident and non-resident hunters—with several different hunts for different weapon types being offered. Tags are very limited on all of these hunts, so it’s almost like hunting on private land; I never saw another hunter, other than on the road, during my entire hunt.

Many people will wonder why I’d write about and give away such a special place, but I can’t draw this hunt again, and I can only hope that a friend draws it so I can go along to help out and enjoy the experience again; this time as a non-hunter.

Laying the Groundwork