New Mexico Unit 17 Elk Hunt

New Mexico’s Unit 17 is well known for being a primitive weapons unit, so only muzzleloader and archery methods can be used, however its also well know for the record class bulls that have been taken over the years. Several Governor’s tags have been filled in this unit.

Elk thrive in this unit with the rugged and thick terrain of the Apache kid, Withington and Chupadera Wilderness areas that oversee the lowland flats. So, if you’re a bowhunter or muzzleloader hunter looking to harvest a trophy class bull and are lucky enough to draw (about 1 in 20 odds depending on season), one would have a real shot to harvest a bull in the 320-inch class and above.

There are two September archery season, early and late. During the early season, September 1-14, rut action could be relatively light so the hunt would consist of calling, spot and stalk, utilization of trail cameras and stand hunting over water in dry weather can be very productive. During the late archery, September 15-24, the rut should be in full swing so calling and spot and stalk would be the primary hunting methods but hunting over water can still be very effective depending on the weather.

During the muzzleloader seasons (October and November) bulls will be less vocal so glassing is the primary method used to locate elk. Once located, a stalk will be planned that may also include calling and or tracking, in order to harvest the bull. With the new change of no high powered scopes and going back to open sights this hunt becomes even more primitive and will make this hunt more challenging and likely be easier to draw for future years due to that change.

With vast amounts of public land, and seasoned outfitters who have everything from wall tents to lodges WTA TAGS can help you through the process of applying and planning this dream hunt. If you have more questions regarding this hunt, have drawn a tag and now wish to locate the right outfitter, or would like assistance applying in the New Mexico elk draw- please contact WTA TAGS at 1-800-755-TAGS (8247) or email us at TAGS@trophyadventures.com