Drew a Valles Caldera last season Rifle Bull

[paulc]

Now being a NM res i bought Valles Caldera lottery tickets for the late season rifle hunt since it had the best odds for a bull hunt.

Well i drew!! I am going elk hunting in the fall. Anyone else ever drew a valles caldera. Will take any input i can get.

 

[DanD]

Congratulations on the tag

Good luck on the hunt!

 

[Coues]

I have never drawn the tag, but you will be assigned a sub-unit at the orientation before the hunt starts. There is a map on the VC webpage of the sub-units. You do not get to hunt the whole preserve.

That should be a great hunt. They should still be bugling like crazy in early October.

 

[gwhunter69]

Congrats!

 

[lostagain]

check your email

 

[XDHUNTER]

CONGRAT'S ON YOUR TAG

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND TRY AGAIN NEX YEAR FOR ME!

 

[wmidbrook]

Wow! What super luck!

I think I read that those sub units are around 6,000 acres each....I read an account of another hunters muzzleloader hunt there last year and he was in awe of the place. You'll no doubt get a good bull. Congrats again and enjoy your hunt of a lifetime! Most of us will never get to experience anything like that....

 

[paulc]

Lost again, I got your email. Thanks. Not sure if i will get up there before. I believe there is a day for scouting after orientation.

I put in for the last bull season because of best odds. I hope i dont regret it.

What I know about the other elk seasons out here is that after they get hunted it really gets tough.

I still have hopes for something in WY, AZ and MT.

 

[Constitutionalist]

Sub-Units of the Caldera (Adobe reader required).

 

[paulc]

Thanks constitutionalist. I had checked it out. I believe you dont get assigned a unit until orientation.



pretty exciting still though.

 

[VMR]

I also drew for that same hunt. I have put in for the last three years. I put in several different lottery chances including the archery and both rifle hunts. Even though this is the second rifle hunt, from what I have heard, it should be fun. I know it cost me enough in lottery chances!!!

 

[paulc]

VMR, pretty cool. My strategy was to pick the hunt with the best odds and buy all my tickets for that.

The past few years i had bought a couple for each hunt.

Looks like we will get a chance to meet at the orientation. Pretty exciting. I may bring my horses so could help you pack out when you shoot that 350 bull!!

I cant wait.

 

[VMR]

paulc,

I look forward to meeting you at the Thursday orientation meeting. I feel very fortunate to draw on the Valle. I have hunted Unit 6C for several years and observed the elk on the Valle with envy. I think that we will have a great hunt.

I will be hunting with Jaret McDonald of JS Outdoors. I have hunted with him in the past and he and I have become good friends. If you have to trailer your horses a long ways, you may want to check with Jaret about using his packing service. I know that he packs out elk for Valle hunters even if they don't want to use his complete outfitter services.

Now to get that .300 Winmag sigthed in.

 

['Ike']

Congrats!

 

[VINIHUNT]

paulc and vmr

u ll do awesome on ur elk hunt here in VC....lots of bulls to choose! BIG CONGRATS! take many pictures!!


vinihunt

 

[paulc]

I am working at my shop in CA tonight and my wife called and told me i got a big old Manila envelope from Valle Caldera.
Oboy cant wait to get home and open it.

 

[lostagain]

Paulc,

Before you bring your horses up to Valles you might want to give Jaret a call and talk to him about any pros/cons there are with trailering horses in and out of the Valles. I know you'll be allowed inside the gates at a certain time and need to be out by a certain time (unless of course you have an animal down) so you will need to account for the time involved in trailering and loading your horses. May shorten your hunt day a bit but of course you can cover lots of ground with the horses.

The Valles does have game carts that you can use and there are alot of roads criss crossing it. You can always move your animal down hill to another road and drive to it if need be. The are a few exceptions to this and I believe Jaret was on it last year and had a field that was not close to any roads (as I remember).

I believe you will be allowed to scout on the Friday before the hunt. Go early and stay late (bring something to eat) so you can see the movement of the Elk.

Good Luck

 

[paulc]

Thanks Lostagain. I got the package from them and I pretty much ruled out horses. The sections are not all that big and there are several restrictions when it comes to horses as well.

Plan on using that scouting day to full advantage.