Can anybody help with Gila National Forest?

[Flyboy718]

This is a wild idea, but I live near Dallas and I noticed that Amtrak goes all the way to Los Angeles from the Dallas station...on the way there, it passes very near the Gila National Forest.  It stops in Deming and Lordsburg New Mexico.  Was thinking of taking the train from Dallas to there to hunt elk or mule deer it's $111.00 one way.  Just gotta figure out transportation from the stop to Gila.  Anybody hunt Gila and can help me with a rundown of the area and how to get tags, are there over the counter tags, ect.?

[DarkTimber]

If you figure out how to get a tag let me know your secret.  I've been applying for about 12 years and my number still hasn't come up.  Then again it's luck of the draw in NM so some guys could draw it every year...I'm just not that lucky

[Flyboy718]

Do they offer any over the counter tags on anything?

[McDave]

I've been there twice hunting with my brother-in-law, who knows New Mexico very well.  Both times, there were many miles of dirt roads to get to the place we wanted to hunt, so it would be essential to have a fairly rugged vehicle available to you, and to have your hunting location mapped out in advance. I took the mule deer in my avatar there. Beautiful area, and I highly recommend it if you can work out the details.

[rmorris]

I am a NM native that has not drawn in my home state for 5 years! There is no over the counter elk or deer in NM. You could get bear, turkey and cougar over the counter and that is about it...

[amicus]

I was blessed to be drawn twice, 2 yrs in a row my first two times I applied. Now the percentage for non-residence tags is 6% it used to be 10%. No otc tags. From Deming your still a couple of hours away. No motorized vehicles allowed, its by foot or horse back. I hunted unit 16b. Parked at the trailhead at the end of 35 (?) near the ranger station. Loaded my horse and went about 5 or 6 miles. Made camp and hunted further in everyday. Its very rugged, being in shape is a must. Its also one of the most beautiful places I've hunted. I have applied for the last couple of years with out any luck. I would go back in a heart beat.

Good luck

Gilbert

[Flyboy718]

I guess I will have to start putting in for it and try my luck then...can you provide a link for the draw?

[amicus]

http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/

[McDave]

Originally posted by amicus:
 From Deming your still a couple of hours away. No motorized vehicles allowed, its by foot or horse back. I hunted unit 16b. Parked at the trailhead at the end of 35 (?) near the ranger station. Loaded my horse and went about 5 or 6 miles. Made camp and hunted further in everyday. Its very rugged, being in shape is a must.

The trips I went on were set up by my brother-in-law, so I don't really have a whole lot of first hand knowledge, but from what I remember, there is Gila National Forest and Gila Wilderness Area, and vehicles are allowed in the NF but not in the Wilderness Area.  Is this correct?  I believe Flyboy referred to the NF in the original post.  We drove in to the area we hunted in, and camped and started our hunts next to my brother-in-law's truck.