How the NM System Works
Elk hunting in New Mexico can only be accomplished
in one of two ways. You either draw a tag, or buy a landowner permit. A
landowner permit is
essentially a voucher to allow you to purchase a guaranteed elk tag. Residents
and nonresidents are both at the mercy of the same system. But, the quota on all
elk tags for all hunters is what makes New Mexico one of the best locations to
hunt elk.
Elk-Hunting Options Via the Draw
There are two separate draws you can apply to hunt elk each year in New Mexico. The first is the NM Draw System regulated by the NM Dept. of Game & Fish. The second draw option is a lottery conducted by the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The NM Draw System is your best chance at obtaining a tag. The Valles Caldera Lottery is extremely limited in the number of nonresident tags and is merely a second drawing you can enter to give yourself another chance to draw a quality elk tag.
NM Draw-System Hunting
Approximately 55% of the nonresident elk tags issued through the New Mexico Draw System are placed into an "Outfitters' Pool". These tags are reserved for outfitters to apply clients who are interested in guided elk hunts. The draw odds are usually much better in the "Outfitters' Pool" than in the "Unguided Pool". Sometimes as much as three times better.
The NM Draw-System Hunts are the working-class hunter's option for an affordable, quality elk hunt. These hunts are very capable of producing 300 to 370-class bulls. Elite conducts their draw hunts in the Sacramento Mountains of central New Mexico.
Valles Caldera Elk Hunting
A unique elk-hunting opportunity has been created on the Valles Caldera National Preserve in north-central New Mexico. Elk licenses will be issued through a national lottery conducted by the Valles Caldera Trust. Lottery chances are sold for $25 each with an April 7 deadline. Applicants can also apply concurrently for the regular state draw hunts such as the Sacramento Mountains elk hunt. The Valles Caldera Hunts will provide phenomenal opportunities at 300 to 350-class bulls.
Elk Hunting Options Via Landowner Permits
There are two separate types of landowner permits you can purchase to guarantee yourself an elk tag in the fall. One is a Ranch-Only Permit, which is used to hunt on private land. The other is a Unit-Wide Permit, which Elite uses to hunt the draw areas in the Sacramento Mountains.
Private-Land Elk Hunting
The most common type of landowner permit is a Ranch-Only Permit. These permits are issued to specific ranches and must be used to hunt only on the private lands of the ranch. Usually, Ranch-Only Permits are issued to larger ranches with sufficient property to conduct a quality elk hunt solely on the private land.
Elite conducts private-land elk hunts on several ranches in the central New Mexico area. The ranches offer the finest elk-hunting experience imaginable. Elite consistently takes 320+ bulls on these ranches. The Private-Land Elk Hunts produce the highest success rates on good bulls.
Unit-Wide Permit Elk Hunting
Many smaller properties can also qualify for landowner permits, but do not have enough acreage to conduct a quality hunt solely on the private property. As a result, these properties have the option to designate their permits as Unit-Wide Permits. This designation makes the resulting tag valid anywhere in the hunting unit the ranch is located. Elite purchases these Unit-Wide Permits to offer guaranteed-tag hunts. Elite then hunts the exact same areas as the draw hunts.
Unit-Wide Landowner Permits are available to hunters who are unsuccessful in the draw but still wish to hunt. These permits also appeal to hunters who are not interested in the draw but still prefer the early-season, high-country hunts. The Unit-Wide Permit Hunts are conducted in the same areas of the Sacramento Mountains as the NM Draw-System hunts.
Click on the Links below for Specific Hunt Information
| Draw-System Hunting | Private-Land Hunting | |
| Valles Caldera Hunting | Unit-Wide Permit Hunting |