New Mexico assistance needed!

[KNPV PSD]

Well my annual freezer cow elk hunt in Utah just fell apart. I have only been hunting for three years and this year will be my first without a mentor...On top of that I am bringing a first time hunter. No pressure!

I've found some landowner tags in NM but they are unguided and so I need to plan from scratch. The tags I am getting are Unit wide so we have access to public as well as private ranches that are in the E-PLUS program.

We are going to hunt Unit 53 second week of November. My guess is the cows will have moved down at that time and should be herded up pretty well. Will they be down feasting on private at that point or will I be better off staying up in the public?

How about optics? I don't plan to bring a spotter since I am only looking for cows, but can choose between 10x Vortex Vipers or 15x Kaibabs or maybe both. Will the glassing be open enough for the 15s to be useful? Or is it thick and heavy in this unit?

Anyone have ideas on where to camp? Any pointers at all would help. Just need a head start on where the cows will be. Most everything I find by searching relates to bulls and their behavior in the post rut.

Thanks for any help. PM's are welcome or post here.

 

[hank4elk]

Howdy.
Never hunted up there but the woods are kinda thick if I remember right with oaks aspens fir & riparian trees broken ponderosa & grasslands.
Cows should be down on the ranches I would suspect.Talk to the rancher or contact person. Local NMG&F guy.
Good luck & good hunting!

 

[KNPV PSD]

Howdy.
Never hunted up there but the woods are kinda thick if I remember right with oaks aspens fir & riparian trees broken ponderosa & grasslands.
Cows should be down on the ranches I would suspect.Talk to the rancher or contact person. Local NMG&F guy.
Good luck & good hunting!

Thanks so much! That will help.

 

[Elkhunter24]

Good luck!

 

[BDH]

Look up midnight canyon, if you are willing to and pack in a long distance, lattir and wheeler peak always have elk. Its a long steep walk to get to them but they are in there. This unit takes a few years to figure out, do some online scouting and get your A to Z plans. Also don't forget to look low the unit runs from the Rio Grande all the way up to wheeler. You can also look at renting a cabin in red river and simply picking a different trial head to go up each day. PM me if you need anymore help.

 

[KNPV PSD]

Look up midnight canyon, if you are willing to and pack in a long distance, lattir and wheeler peak always have elk. Its a long steep walk to get to them but they are in there. This unit takes a few years to figure out, do some online scouting and get your A to Z plans. Also don't forget to look low the unit runs from the Rio Grande all the way up to wheeler. You can also look at renting a cabin in red river and simply picking a different trial head to go up each day. PM me if you need anymore help.

Sorry I didn't get a notification you had relied. I appreciate all the help!