Quick Tips
- Fishing at Eagle Nest Lake is often good
- Many roads are extraordinarily bad
- Carry a GPS with land ownership data
- Hike away from roads to get away from hunters
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 160"+ |
| Elk | 260"-300" | 300"+ |
On The Ground
Northwest of Wagon Mound, this smaller unit has good populations of deer and elk. Most of the eastern half of the unit is comprised of private lands while the western half has a decent distribution of public pieces.
This unit generally produces good representation bucks and bulls but occasionally some great trophies are taken. Hunters who stay flexible and mobile on the few pieces of public land can usually find success. Private lands offer the best opportunity for success.
Terrain
The eastern half of the unit is primarily flat with a large mesa on the southern end providing some break in the terrain. The western half of the unit sees a greater exaggeration of terrain features and offers plenty of hiding spots for animals on public lands. Physcially covering ground will be fairly straight forward for most hunters but cliffs and rocky spots are common and hunters will want to watch for these.
Roughly 348 square miles
29.1% public land
Elevation ranges from 5,900 to 9,600 feet
Vegetation
Lowlands and mesa tops in the east are mostly grassy pastures with pinyon pines and junipers on rises and along the edges of the mesas. Pinyon-juniper woodland along with ponderosa pine forests cover most of the land in the western half of the unit. Many ponds pockmark the land, some of them dry up during most summers, leaving grassy meadows.
Access
The public land in this unit is almost all owned by the state of New Mexico. Most of the dirt roads in this unit are almost impassable even in good weather. ATVs or side-by-sides are recommended. Hunters may not cross private land to reach state property except on public roads. Private ranches comprise most of the unit.
Camping and Lodging
Hunters may not camp on state land without written permission of the ranchers who lease grazing rights. Camping is allowed at Charette Lakes until Oct. 31. Hunters can find lodging in Angel Fire or Springer.
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