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Hi all, not new to the site but first time posting. After seven years as my first choice, I finally drew a 23 December late rifle whitetail tag. I've hunted 23S for years during the archery seasons and have several spots around Boyer Ridge and Tanner Peak that I know hold deer. I'm planning to backpack in if needed to look for 100"+ quality deer (pics of my two that didn't quite make it for attention). After drawing the tag I've had several people tell me I should scout and start in 23N for bigger/better quality coues. Any advice from someone with experience in 23 if it will be worth my time to scout new areas in 23N. I always planned on backpacking into the Tanner Peak area and have seen some nice deer in there earlier in the season. Thanks in advance.

A hunters first lion with his own dogs, Congratulations, great accomplishment!

Listing these for a buddy 16 N jack Mountain Loop. 1.37 acre lot in rose creek ranch. There is a second adjoining lot 15 N Jack Mountain Loop. Lots back up to forest service land with direct access. 55k per lot. Rose creek ranch is located on the young rd south of young right before you drop off the mountain headed to Roosevelt lake. Great location. 2 hours from the valley. No power or utilities. If your interested call or text Dustin @480-298-8983. Will let it run on here for a short time and list it with a realtor!

I went on a Javelina hunt last year with some friends (I did not have a tag, just along for the ride), and it was an absolute HOOT! I'm coming from out of state and will likely not have any time to scout the unit I get drawn for. This is a bit premature, as the draw has not yet taken place, but I'm putting in for units, 20C, 22, 23, 36A, 36B. I'd appreciate any information on good access points, general hunt areas (you can PM me) if you are familiar with any of these units. Also, if you would recommend one of these units over the others. I have a basic understanding of finding sign and how to glass for these little guys. Just looking for a good starting point.

ATTENTION UNIT 23 LOVERS! Many of you know what a great resource Unit 23 is for hunting game such as Elk, Muleys, and Coues. Some of you might even enjoy the fisheries in the unit. In 2007 a local ranch was purchased by a new entity who now seeks to expand the cattle operation by 4 times what was allowed since 1979. Including into an area that the Forest Service had completely closed to grazing back in 1979. Despite what you might have heard about cattle water tanks, any benefit they might provide is outweighed by their direct competition with with deer and elk for the limited forage and browse. Regretfully, this was clearly demonstrated in the Forest Service’s own studies done on this precise Allotment back in the 70s and 80s when their studies showed that the cattle (in smaller numbers than are now proposed for by the current ranch owner) denuded the forest so badly that Elk had left the Naegelin Rim entirely. The deer and elk know where the springs and seeps are. If you want to help preserve Unit 23 from being overgrazed then you can visit our website at Rimneighbors.org. Check out our website and send your comments into the Forest Service. These comments are due by July 23. We do not ask for donations, nor do we get paid to do this in any way. The only payment we get is the possibility of a healthy and diverse ecosystem under the Rim so we can continue to enjoy all the hunting seasons to the fullest. I really hope that you will take the time to look at our website. Not all land is created equal. Cattle ranching is proper in some areas and improper in others. We are not against ranching. We are against overgrazing to the detriment of wildlife resources. The science is on our side. This is not a proper area for the numbers now being sought. Don’t believe us? Read about the Forest Service findings in the 70s and 80s. Their studies are on the “Documents” page of our website. All of the claims made in our synopses and summaries found on our website are cites directly from those studies. This is a serious threat to many game species and all riparian areas in this allotment. I guarantee what you read will shock you. I am a hunter, and I care about wildlife and the health and diversity of this ecosystem. We need all of the voices we can get. Sorry there isn’t much time left to comment but getting all this together has taken time and this is not how any of us involved make our living. Again, our website is Rimneighbors.org

Alright, I'm throwing out a life line here. My nephew was lucky enough to draw a rifle tag for unit 23 her in AZ. I have spent a number of days up scouting for him and did find good sign, just not as fresh as I would like. Here's the kicker. He's a senior in high school and has his mind set on going to either West Point or the Air Force Academy and found out last week he has his an interview on Saturday 12/1. So, what was originally going to be a 4.5 day hunt (1 scout day on the 29th) has now been shrunk to a 2, possibly 1.5 day hunt. He's hoping to get to camp mid day on 12/1, but is unsure if he'll be able to get out of town early enough. Any help would be greatly appreciated! This is his first hunt, our only goal is to find a bull, and I really want to help him be successful. Thanks in advance for any info you're willing to share

Two more trophies going home....these "wall pedestals" are becoming a very popular way to upgrade your mount without the space and cost of a full pedestal. Love the color on this bear....

Anyone have this muzzy mule deer hunt in GMU 23, New Mexico and want to partner-up? PM me. Thanks, Tommy

I leave tomorrow for my muzzleloader coues hunt. I have a full week off! (Thanks Julie!) The hunt doesn't start until Saturday, so I have plenty of time to get set up and do some scouting. This is the first of 3 coues hunts for me this year 😊.

Im feeling a little pumped for my 10/24 tag in unit 23... I've always been a archery hunter for coues and this will be my first coues rifle hunt. Anyone else have the fever! ?!!?

Well, it hasn.t even been 24 hours since results are out and i'm already chomping at he bit. With last year's bull tag in 22 i dumped all my efforts into 22 for deer and turkey as well. All in all we found a feather for turkey, during season that is. On one of my trips up to scout/help on my buddy's late archery bull (also in 22) i had them walk into about 10 ft of the tree i was sitting against. Even had to defend myself with pinecones so they wouldnt bust and ruin Merle's bull stand. I got one of my coworkers hooked on going. He got blanked for hist first turkey hunt and deer last year. It's time for a little redemption in unit 23. lol. Never hunted turkey in there, but camping with the family and deer hunts, i've seen plenty. We always stick to below Young and see alot. My brother was out walking my dog on a camping trip in june and he popped loose two hens and some poults. Anybody have information about the top half of the unit? Anyways, where is everyone else going his year? Every trip is awesome, but anything to make this year stand out?

I'm a first time elk hunter and got drawn for a late season Unit 23 hunt this year. I grew up in Kentucky whitetail hunting but it's a completely different ballgame back home. There we generally have to keep the deer out of our fruit trees and backyard, but here I've barely seen enough to constitute a small herd! Does anyone have any pointers on how to start scouting this huge area and what kind of preparations I need to start looking into well before season. I'm a student so guides are probably a no go because of funding, and I'm a subsistence hunter as well so kind of defeats the purpose if I pay a few thousand to get the meat. I've never done this type of pack in hunting before and it looks like I'll probably be back country camping for the short season since I live in Tucson and commuting is just stupid at that range. Any and all pointers are appreciated!

Received a call yesterday from our local G&F manager, he was helping a hunter try to recover his elk, and was looking for any dogs that could bloodtrail. We told him we had a bloodhound and we have used her before to trail wounded game. We told him he was welcome to come get her and see if she could find the hunters elk. We didn't know if Daisy would work for a stranger so we were on pins and needles all afternoon and evening waiting to hear if she had found it. Finally at 7:12 pm Heather got this text "We just got the elk out, Dasiy found him, she was awesome, thanks a ton." Don't know the hunters name, but, glad we were able to help, congratulations on your bull!

This was a big bodied bull, and a great archery harvest for a father and son hunt. Congrats to the Gibsons! 14yr old girls buck, she passed up bigger ones because she had seen this one, and he was still in full velvet in October. Young Matsons First Deer....... Gotta love the youth hunters, their enthusiasm is contagious!

I'm new to this site and to New Mexico and am looking for some guidance on NM Unit 23, first rifle hunt in November for FAMD. I've been looking at maps and reading through these forums and am hoping someone who hunts unit 23 on a regular basis (for coues or mule deer) can point me in the right direction of where to hunt. I live in Albuquerque and with gas prices the way they are and an upcoming wedding in just a few weeks, it doesn't look like I'll be getting to scout before my hunt. I'm planning on getting down there the day before the hunt opens and I'm ready to spend the day hiking in (no animals or ATVs to help me out) and camping that night to get away from the road hunters (I hear there is a good possibility of seeing quite a few) into the wilderness where the good mule deer are. I have that entire week off of work, so I'm not afraid to really get into the backcountry. From what I've seen with the maps, it looks like the area north of Mule Creek would be promising but probably full of hunters. I'm also pretty interested in the Whiterocks Mountain area and from there up north along the AZ border. I would guess these are my best bets for getting away from the road hunters where the good deer hide. I would love a shot at a big deer, but I recently graduated from college and haven't been hunting in three years, so this year I'll be happy to get what I can get. Anyone have any suggestions? Where are my best bets to get into the deer and any other suggestions would be very much appreciated. Since I'm new, I wasn't sure whether to post this in the Mule Deer forum or the NM forum, so if I would get a better response elsewhere, I would appreciate your help. Thanks much!

My dad and I have been going hunting for as long as I can remember, TX, NM, CO. This is our first time with a bow and the first time in AZ and I keep reading that 22 and 23 are some of the better places. We are thirsting for some deer and as soon as we found out about over the counter archery starting this week we were really excited (remember we're rifle hunters) . Please give me some feedback as I will probably go out this weekend and sight with a return trip the following weekend with my dad.