Chama , New Mexico

[strick9]

I have an elk hunt and muley Hunt booked with Ray Milligan of Milligan Brand outfitters starting on Oct. 27 th.. Any one ever hunted this area or know Ray and his outfit? He said Trad gear at his time of year would be tough and offer only around a ten percent chance of a shot, I believe its will be four weeks into rifle season, ..not good odds but I plan on going for it..any info would be greatly appreciated..Kind Regards...

[Cherokee Scout]

I have not hunted with the person you name, but I have hunted in that area. We were on mule deer hunt (unguided) and had not elk tags. All 4 in our group could have killed an elk, we saw a lot of elk, but only one mulie!

[SOS]

Chama is beautiful country!  Had to drive through there several times to hunt So. colorado when I didn't get drawn for NM when I live in NM for three years.  I hunted 2 years and arrowed a great bull (with compound) just north of the border from Chama in 1999.  Typically good elk numbers and chance for quality bulls and maybe a decent muley.

Always seemed to snow about halloween, so be prepared.  Will be crisp mornings and pleasant afternoons.  

I don't know if this is one of many elk hunts you've been on, or this is your first and maybe only hunt.  You have to ask only yourself if you will be completely satisfied with just the hunt or would like meat and maybe a trophy.  That will be well into gun season with possibly some crunch snow on the ground - a trad bow will be a major challenge.  No water holes and the rut pretty much over.  

No matter what you decide, it is beautiful country, take your camera!  Don't remember if the Cumbres-Toltec steam train out of Chama runs that late in the season, but it is great fun to watch chugging through the fall mountains.

Cheers,

Steve

[Rick McGowan]

I hunted just east of there last year, not a lot of mulies, but I could have taken a decent 4X4 easily with a rifle, a bit to far for a bow. I have done some checking into the later hunts and odds are pretty low.

[jwingman]

I have been out with Milligan Brand Outfitters a couple of times and some of my friends more than that. Ray runs a first class outfit. He hunts leased land and knows where the animals are. I didn't happen to come home with an elk but we had a pretty good success rate in camp and several guys missed some nice elk. I had a great hunt. Ray will give you a referral list if you ask him. He won't pad it with only guys that like him either. You call anyone on that list and see what they thought of their hunt with Ray. I would highly recommend anyone planning a hunt with any outfitter do this.
   The area has elk and lots of them. I also talked to several guys up behind the lease we were hunting on that were hunting BLM land on their own. They hunted hard all week and never saw an elk. I highly recommend hunting this area with someone who has a lease. They know where the animals are and where to put you on that land.
  This area may not have the biggest bulls in the state but there sure are elk there. We all saw good bulls and we also saw a lot of bears. Nice hunt. I would go with Ray again in a heart beat, I just can't get it by the wife every year.
  Good luck with your hunt. September is a better time to be there bow hunting but anytime is a good time to hunt elk if you know what I mean.

[strick9]

Jwing, thankyou for the input on Ray,,what better referral could I ask for than that of a tradganger...I have the option to purchase the Black Bear tag but Ray said that he would not recomend it, as he hadn't seen alot recently, I will ask again before the hunt apparently you have to wait 48 hours after the tag purchase to hunt Bears. Until then I will keep slinging 600 grns down range...Thanks again and kind regards..

[Pat B]

On my one and only elk hunting trip last year I drove from Albuquerque to Durango by way of Chama. I did this to unwind and acclimatize to the altitude and dry conditions. It was a day well spent in some incredible country.    Pat

[Steertalker]

strick9,

You might increase your odds a bit by hunting around water holes or wallows.  I don't care if it is late in the season and it's cold.  Elk are incredibly hot natured and like to cool off and splash around....even when it's cold, to you, even when there is snow on the ground.

Also..the Chama area is a great area.  Don't pay much attention to the odds.  Believe me...your guide is just telling you that so you won't get your hopes up too much.  Go with a positive attitude and I'll bet you do fine.

Brett

[San Juan Slim]

strick9,

I live about an hour from Chama.  There are definitely elk in the area, and mule deer too.  Ray is a very well respected outfitter.  I don't know him personally, but he has a good reputation.  I'm cutious why you scheduled a hunt during the rifle season if you wanted to hunt with your bow.  The rut is a great time to hunt with a bow.  If you do hunt with your bow at the end of October, I would reccomend setting up a blind of some type along a well used game trail and try to ambush the elk as they move to and from feeding/bedding areas.  At that time of year the elk should be forming large herds and stalking within bow range of a bull may be quite difficult.

Mike

[Dave2old]

I'm curious why you would book such a late bowhunt? The very best thing we bowhunters have going for us with elk is the Sept. season, when the animals are rutting and bugling, the vegetation is still thick, the weather pleasant and often perfect, the game not spooked (unless there are ATVs and too many fool-buglers around) and the woods relatively uncrowded. Why throw all of this away to hunt late, when elk are spooked, aspen and other deciduous leaves have dropped so it's hard to get close to elk, hunters are everywhere, and elk are hyper-spooked? And if NM is like CO, you'll be required to wear orange in any gun season, not matter that you're hunting with a bow. Sure, you can make the most of it, win or lose, but for the money and effort involved, I'd wait a year and go in Sept. I've tried hunting elk here in SW CO -- a hundred GPS miles or so from Chama -- in Oct. rifle seasons, and it absolutely doesn't work and is not much fun.

[strick9]

Steer Talker great info there and good insight just what I am looking for..San Juan and Dave,,You guys are right on the Money ,, I tried really hard to get the buddies of mine who are paying my way to listen to me about September , the rut and less wary animals, however as it usually goes with these two you could scratch a diamond with their forheads and they are strictly gun hunters, but I can not really complain...they usually book waterfowl hunts before the birds are there as well I love those guys any way. I am insistent on trying with my Morrison recurve but am also, and weakly so, carrying my 300wsm..So it is not really a bow hunt except for me.. Ray said it was ok, bring it and we will see what happens.. All told I expect tough hunting conditions, wary and worn out bulls staying beeded down for the most part, but maybe just maybe Mr. Murphy will get lost on the flight...Kind Regards...

[Dave2old]

s9 -- a free hunt with good friends is ALWAYS a good hunt!

[San Juan Slim]

Strick9,

I agree with Dave on the free hunt.  I am guessing that Ray will have you hunting some private land.  Is that right?  Either way, NM limits their elk tags, unlike Colorado.  So, even if you're on public land, the hunters will be fewer and farther between than we have during Colorado rifle seasons.  As I mentioned, try to get Ray to set you up with a stand or blind where the elk are traveling back and forth between feeding and bedding.  That would be your best bet with a bow at that time of year.

Mike