New Mexico Unit 18 Pronghorn

[nimrod_gn]

Just found out I drew a rifle tag for Unit 18 New Mexico pronghorn for August 2019. Anybody hunted this area and can provide tips on where to find animals on public land in this unit?

 

[RustyTrap]

Hello, are you a New Mexico resident? I am and have harvested a couple of nice bucks out of that unit.

 

[RustyTrap]

Just found out I drew a rifle tag for Unit 18 New Mexico pronghorn for August 2019. Anybody hunted this area and can provide tips on where to find animals on public land in this unit?

 

[RustyTrap]

Congratulations!! Nice unit!

 

[RustyTrap]

Have you hunted in New Mexico before?

 

[RustyTrap]

Just found out I drew a rifle tag for Unit 18 New Mexico pronghorn for August 2019. Anybody hunted this area and can provide tips on where to find animals on public land in this unit?

Are you going to be able to stalk a long distance?

 

[nimrod_gn]

I'm a Utah resident. I hunted oryx on the White Sands middle range 12 years ago as the only other time to hunt NM. Yes I can stalk as needed and shoot long if needed too. Wondering what part of unit to focus on and any other tips. Thx

 

[RustyTrap]

I'm a Utah resident. I hunted oryx on the White Sands middle range 12 years ago as the only other time to hunt NM. Yes I can stalk as needed and shoot long if needed too. Wondering what part of unit to focus on and any other tips. Thx

I had good luck with the first buck in the Southeast corner, close to hey 55 and hwy 54 intersection. Travel northwest from there and park spot and stalk. Took a nice 17 inch with my longbow after a 4 hour stalk.
There used to be a public road off of hwy 60 east of the valley of fire that took you through private land and onto public land about 7 miles traveling southeast. Lots of lava to walk over but there are monsters hanging around in the pockets of lava rock. Took a 16 inch one at 400 yards with my 7mm mag there but spotted at least 15 17 + inch monsters while carrying him out of there. I was on leave and took the first legal buck I saw on that hunt. It is a very good unit! Lots of them travel back and forth from the misleading range so they don't get or didn't get a lot of hunting pressure. It has been 10 years since I hunted that area so I cannot guarantee that dirt road is still open to the public.

Most of the landowners will let you hunt on private property if asked politely. When is your hunt? I may still know some of the landowners. Most of them only care if you have an off range oryx tag. Then they get territorial! LOL

 

[nimrod_gn]

Great information. Thank you! I'm looking at satellite view of the area and can see the lava field. So do they hang out in the big lava field or are there pockets of non-lava mixed in the larger field that the animals hang in that I can't see from satellite images?

 

[RustyTrap]

Great information. Thank you! I'm looking at satellite view of the area and can see the lava field. So do they hang out in the big lava field or are there pockets of non-lava mixed in the larger field that the animals hang in that I can't see from satellite images?

Yes, most people don't realize that they lay up there during the heat of the day, but the big smart ones do. Deer, oryx do as well. Make sure to wear tough boots, that lava will really tear up a cheap pair! I would always carry rope and a grappling hook just in case I fell into a lava bubble. They can be covered with only an inch or two and falling through is a risk. Never done it myself but have found plenty of animal skeletons in them that fell through and couldn't get out.