Mescalero Elk management hunt

[bskusske21]

Has anybody done the Mescalero management hunt. Looking to get something on the calendar for 2025 if possible. I've read that the management hunts can be a little more affordable? Suggestions on outfitters/guides would be appreciated.

 

[MuzzleBreak]

Old post but I thought I would answer.

Headed back for my 10th cow hunt in November.
Now you have to use a guide. This started a few years ago. My previous groups went 9 for 9 in our hunts. If you can get Cloyce as your guide it would be great. He's a full blooded Apache and has horses to get your elk out if needed. He knows the res.

Put in for at least two of the three hunts and fill the application with all four spots. Anything less than 4 people and your chances drop.

Tons of elk and you will see some bruiser bulls.

It's a beautiful place and a big place. Killed a lot of in Turkey Canyon and Eagles Roost. Last hunt I shot out the first morning hunting the tree line where the flats meet the hills. Can't remember the pasture off hand.

It's a fun hunt. If your drawn early get a AirBnB, it's a lot cheaper. Be prepared to shoot anywhere from 40 yards to 6-700 yards. You never know.

You can call the Inn of the Mountain Gods hunting lodge in early March and ask about the application if it is not online yet. $25 app fee per person. Cow hunt is $740. Used to be $500.

 

[bskusske21]

Old post but I thought I would answer.

Headed back for my 10th cow hunt in November.
Now you have to use a guide. This started a few years ago. My previous groups went 9 for 9 in our hunts. If you can get Cloyce as your guide it would be great. He's a full blooded Apache and has horses to get your elk out if needed. He knows the res.

Put in for at least two of the three hunts and fill the application with all four spots. Anything less than 4 people and your chances drop.

Tons of elk and you will see some bruiser bulls.

It's a beautiful place and a big place. Killed a lot of in Turkey Canyon and Eagles Roost. Last hunt I shot out the first morning hunting the tree line where the flats meet the hills. Can't remember the pasture off hand.

It's a fun hunt. If your drawn early get a AirBnB, it's a lot cheaper. Be prepared to shoot anywhere from 40 yards to 6-700 yards. You never know.

You can call the Inn of the Mountain Gods hunting lodge in early March and ask about the application if it is not online yet. $25 app fee per person. Cow hunt is $740. Used to be $500.

so are you going throuh the Inn of the mountain gods? i've reached out to them via email and never got a response, also called and nobody picked up. thanks for the response

 

[MuzzleBreak]

Yes, Inn of the Mountain Gods. May have to call several times before you get an answer.
Also on their website usually in early March they should have the application. If not call them up and they will email you one.

 

[ICgamer]

Old post but I thought I would answer.

Headed back for my 10th cow hunt in November.
Now you have to use a guide. This started a few years ago. My previous groups went 9 for 9 in our hunts. If you can get Cloyce as your guide it would be great. He's a full blooded Apache and has horses to get your elk out if needed. He knows the res.

Put in for at least two of the three hunts and fill the application with all four spots. Anything less than 4 people and your chances drop.

Tons of elk and you will see some bruiser bulls.

It's a beautiful place and a big place. Killed a lot of in Turkey Canyon and Eagles Roost. Last hunt I shot out the first morning hunting the tree line where the flats meet the hills. Can't remember the pasture off hand.

It's a fun hunt. If your drawn early get a AirBnB, it's a lot cheaper. Be prepared to shoot anywhere from 40 yards to 6-700 yards. You never know.

You can call the Inn of the Mountain Gods hunting lodge in early March and ask about the application if it is not online yet. $25 app fee per person. Cow hunt is $740. Used to be $500.

Curious what you've seen over the years in guide fees on these cow hunts. When I contacted the guys at the lodge (Herman seemed pretty responsive) they seemed to want to manage the guide list and sort of spread the wealth around the tribal guides, which is totally cool, but they didn't want to talk turkey when it came to actual costs. They just sort of said something along the lines of "it's up to the guide".
I'm actually going up with my son on the last cow hunt of the season and still don't have a clue about the guide fee, lol.

 

[MuzzleBreak]

This year we paid $350 each. This was the first time we had to use a guide. Each guide can basically charge why they want as there are no set prices. Guide (which I've known for several years) got right in there and help gut and quarter 3 of the guys elk. I took mine to the res hunting lodge.

Seen probably 60+ cows. Here is where we shot out down service road 45

If you don't have a guide lined up PM me and I'll give you the to number to our guide. Be prepared to go western cause it can get crazy.

 

[ICgamer]

This year we paid $350 each. This was the first time we had to use a guide. Each guide can basically charge why they want as there are no set prices. Guide (which I've known for several years) got right in there and help gut and quarter 3 of the guys elk. I took mine to the res hunting lodge.

Seen probably 60+ cows. Here is where we shot out down service road 45 View attachment 621117
If you don't have a guide lined up PM me and I'll give you the to number to our guide. Be prepared to go western cause it can get crazy.

thanks for the heads up, the folks at the lodge have already assigned us someone and it just so happens to be the same person someone I know that works on the rez says they know so I think we'll be ok,
I'd also heard the lodge has some sort of "facility" but was short on details. led me to believe that they may have folks that work on some sort of gratuity basis to debone or something, but at minimum a cooler to hang while your party finishes the hunt...but either way, super excited to get out with my son...he's my "baby" at 23, and is "so so" on his hunting enthusiasm (unlike his holder brother) so as a senior in college who i expect will move away next season...I see this as him throwing me a bone and going out with me one last time, lol.

 

[MuzzleBreak]

At the side of the hunting lodge is where they cape and quarter (or however you want it).
To cape and quarter it is $185. From start to finish takes about 25 minutes. They are quick and efficient.
They have a price list for all that. They can hold your elk for $40 a day in the cooler.

Have fun and be safe. There is a shooting range free to use. Longest target is a plate at 442 yards. That's where we started

 

[patrickjr]

What time of year are the cow hunts? These sound like fun

 

[MuzzleBreak]

There is usually one hunt in October, November and December. There is a bull management hunt in January.

 

[c-ne-elk]

You originally asked about the management bull hunts.

I have been hunting the Mescalero since 1987 for cows and have done several management bull hunts in the past under the old pricing structure.

Starting in 2024 there were several changes made to the management bull hunts and they are not as affordable as they used to be.

The price for a tag is $2,500 but this is only for a true "freak" bull (not just a non-typical). For a management bull (5 pt or less) there is an additional charge ($2,500 I believe) up to a certain size (280 or 300 B&C not exactly sure) and then there are published trophy fees added to that if the bull is larger than this standard.

This price does not include a guide which you must have. Most guides charge around $2,500 to $3,000.00 for the hunt. So you are at about $8k (plus guide tip) for a <300 B&C 5 pt bull.

Managment bull hunts are first come first served when the tags become available but due to the price, they do not normally sell out. There is a management hunt in August and another in January.

Currently, they are not doing any trophy hunts and in lieu of this they are doing "Package" Managment hunts in September like they did their trophy hunts where it is an all-inclusive package of managment bull tag, guide, lodging at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, all meals, meat processing and you are hunting during the rut.

Cow hunts used to be easy to draw but they have gotten tough. There are 150 tags for each of the 3 cow hunts (450 tags total) and this year there were over 2,500 applicants for each hunt. No preference points so everyone has the same chance to draw. In addition to the cow tag price ($740 this year) there is a $25 per applicant draw fee)

Yes you can have them take care of your elk as you like. You can take it with you, have them skin it, quarter or even process it for you. They have a price list there for all of these services, it is not on a gratuity basis.

You can request a guide if you know of one or they will assign one to you. There are MANY very good guides and they do a great job of managing their guides and suspending the guide if there is any wrong doing or issues. And what Herman told you about the price of the guides is correct. The guides set their own fees, most are "per elk" not "per day" and their fees do not include a tip which they do expect even though you are going direct through the guides.