NM 16C Scouting

ND_Hooligan

Member
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
36
Location
North Dakota
Plan on going on a scouting mission to unit 16c in a few weeks hopefully to get a better feel for the terrain and a little better idea of what to expect come October. Due to limited time and distance to travel I plan on flying into Phoenix and renting a vehicle to drive to NM and scout. My question for you guys is where would be the best place to look for lodging nearest to 16c? Are there any camping cabins for rent in the area? I would prefer to rent a motel room or cabin due to the fact that I can't bring much camping gear along on the plane with me. Thank you for any help that can be provided.
 
Winston is closest town but I do not know about place to stay. Datil & Reserve do but long ways away. I do know there are some ranches that rent places. Gas would still be a problem.
 
TorC or elephant butte for lots of options.

However, Your post jogged my memory of a picture I took of a cabin rental sign right in the middle of the unit (by Beaverhead). I thought it might come in handy someday - maybe it will:

F610AEFA-FDBD-441D-8C2F-58CEF01C5F54.jpg


PHX is a long damn ways, just so you know :)
 
Be careful driving. We blew out two tires on a rental out there on what they called a “State Highway” which was an impaved road.
 
Be careful driving. We blew out two tires on a rental out there on what they called a “State Highway” which was an impaved road.

Uh Did I forget to mention you will get flats in most rentals....on most roads & then there is the possible mud...
 
Why can't you bring much camping gear on the plane? You can have a carry on and a 50lb checked bag. Pack a tent and your backpacking gear and buy water and food at a store once you land. Pretty simple.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I am renting a full sized pickup in Phoenix but appreciate the advice about tire problems. Hopefully I don't get more than one flat anyways :). I will have to try to call that number for the cabins, Thanks Cedahm. Also was thinking about trying to pack the camping equipment but with the rest of the gear i need to bring on the trip space might be difficult with a tent and bag and such. That might be an option though but was hoping to avoid that option if possible. Does anyone know about how long it takes to drive there from Truth or Consequences, Elephant Butte, or Datil? I was able to figure out the mileage but that doesn't necessarily equate well to driving time.
 
About 45min from TorC to Winston if you go fast. Then 45 min from Winston to beaverhead (more or less the middle of the unit and where the pavement ends on 59)

When I brought the family down on my scouting trip we stayed @ Elephant Butte on the way out and TorC on the way in. EB Lodge: https://www.elephantbutteinn.com/en-us is a Nice motel. TorC is on my wife’s blacklist now :) it’s a little weird.

If you can get to ABQ instead of PHX you will save yourself many hours of driving.
 
Truth or Consequences will have just about anything you need. Decent lodging, food, fuel, and a Walmart...
 
TorC is at least 1.5 hrs from 16C. And Phoenix is a long drive compared to Albuquerque or even El Paso. You’re talking 7 hrs vs 2-3. And if you drive to and from TorC, that’s 3 hours a day in the car.

Really, consider bringing a small light tent and a sleeping bag if you can. You will enjoy the time and spend it more effectively.

Good luck scouting.

Ps

On second thought, if you truly can’t pack gear, buy it at Walmart. You can get a tarp or tent and a cheap summer bag for less than a night in a sleezy motel. You’ll save a ton in gas too.
 
Last edited:
Thanks again to everyone for the advice. As suggested I will bring what I can and will probably just buy some cheap gear at Walmart and discard of it after use. Sounds like a great idea. I wasn't sure how far of a commute it would be and thanks to this board and helpful members my question has been answered. As far as driving from Phoenix, being from ND I am used to driving distances to get anywhere and the drive won't bother me a bit. I was able to save lots of dollars in airfare which I plan on using to buy more "necessities" to help me with the actual hunt.
 
I recently went to CO. Put all my camping gear in my check bag and had clothes in my EXO as a carry on. Worked great for all the gear I needed.
 
Thanks again to everyone for the advice. As suggested I will bring what I can and will probably just buy some cheap gear at Walmart and discard of it after use. Sounds like a great idea. I wasn't sure how far of a commute it would be and thanks to this board and helpful members my question has been answered. As far as driving from Phoenix, being from ND I am used to driving distances to get anywhere and the drive won't bother me a bit. I was able to save lots of dollars in airfare which I plan on using to buy more "necessities" to help me with the actual hunt.

Let us know how the trip goes! Good luck!
 
Just got back from my scouting trip. It was very exciting and the country in the area didn't disappoint. No issues at all with the rental truck (f150 4x4) or tires except the paint may need a little buffing to get out some of the marks left by trees along side some of the trails. Drive from Phoenix wasn't too bad either and all in all the trip was a huge success.

We did manage to see quite a few elk while down there. Pretty much all cows and calves but it definitely got the adrenalin running and now will probably make the calendar move even slower between now an October. What I probably took away the most is that it seems elk could be anywhere in that unit. It all looked like great habitat to me. I also learned that having an ATV/UTV is probably the way to go if a person wants to cover lots of ground getting from point A to point B in a vehicle. We were able to get anywhere we wanted to go in a truck, granted that the roads were mostly dry, but it was slow going at best at times. We did also find a handful of areas that we will be able to hike into and do some glassing and such to hopefully locate some bulls during season. More roads in that unit than I am used to so it will be a little more difficult to get away from traffic but I am sure if I am lucky enough to get one down those roads will be greatly appreciated when it comes time to pack him out.

I really do appreciate all of the advice that you guys are giving me on here and know that when a newbie comes on and asks for advice it can be a lot of here we go again. I am super excited to be out there in October and if any of you see a camp with some ND license plates on the vehicles feel free to stop in and shoot the breeze. I'm sure there will be a beverage or two that will be offered up as well. I plan on camping somewhere near the Beayerhead Station as it seems like a central location.

Good luck to all of you this season and seasons to come,

Deon
 
Thanks again to everyone for the advice. As suggested I will bring what I can and will probably just buy some cheap gear at Walmart and discard of it after use. Sounds like a great idea. I wasn't sure how far of a commute it would be and thanks to this board and helpful members my question has been answered. As far as driving from Phoenix, being from ND I am used to driving distances to get anywhere and the drive won't bother me a bit. I was able to save lots of dollars in airfare which I plan on using to buy more "necessities" to help me with the actual hunt.
How was your hunt???
 
Had a great 2 weeks out there but came home empty. Did manage to see a few elk but nothing real decent as far as bulls go. During season I did see 2 raghorns and a spike but chose to not fill my tag on those. I'm curious to talk with the biologist about numbers but it seems that the general consensus from talking to several locals which regularly hunt the unit is that the numbers are really down due to the drought. I have nothing to compare my experience to so can only take their word. Overall I am not sure what else I could have done different as many hours, miles on the boots, and miles on the truck were spent which resulted in being able to come away with 2 weeks of knowledge of a great unit which should help me out considerably if I am ever fortunate enough to draw it again. Big picture is there is no way I can complain about being able to spend 14 days in the Gila National Forest looking for elk. It was amazing.
 
They are really scattered this year, even in 16a & 15.
Mostly due to drought & late monsoon season.
Wolves have made a dent in numbers.
Funny I have seen more bulls than usual in 12 & less cows overall.
 
Yeti GOBOX Collection

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
110,807
Messages
1,935,175
Members
34,887
Latest member
Uncle_Danno
Back
Top