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Hunter Comments

Myself and a friend booked this hunt at the Harrisburg Outdoor Show last year after a few very positive reccomdations. Of course we had to draw a tag and that was not guarenteed but Vince took care of all of that after going over our hunt expectations. Both of us told him we just wanted to experience an elk hunt where we would see a fair amout of animals and have a reasonable chance at pulling the trigger on a legal bull. Vince picked a unit for us based on that conversation and we were lucky enough to draw tags. Once at camp, which is a very nice house, we were greeted by a few of the guides and the cook. We were very impressed with all of them and were excited for the hunt. Opening morning, our guide (Josiah) had us on a big herd of elk at first light. Probably 60-80 animals with several bulls. We were unable to close the distance since this is public land and there were other hunters already ahead of us but we stayed on them and made plans for the days to come. The second day we decided to glass due to rain and high wind. Again, we were able to spot many animals and make a plan for day 3. We executed our plan on the morning of day 3 and were able to kill a bull at first light. The pack out was very tough, and I decided to take the afternoon off and recover. Day 4 we went to a different area and were able to get into elk right away, but another hunter was ahead of us unknowingly and killed a nice bull. That evening, Vince came into camp and talked to all the guides. At this point, we had 3 tags filled and 1 bull hit and not recovered out of the 9 hunters in camp. I was asked if I would be willing to go with Vince on the last day which I did. We went to an area that Vince had seen alot of sign and had confidence in. It was tough getting there, but was 100% worth it. The area was loaded with elk and I was able to harvest a really nice 6X5 at 370 yards. I could not have asked for more than what NMHA produced. Vince is a great guy and was completely honest about what to expect. All his guides know the areas they hunt and work their tails off for their hunters. The camp cook, Erica (Merica!), was in the kitchen every morning at 4am getting breakfast ready and also had lunches packed for the hunters that were staying out all day. A home cooked meal was served every night. This hunt was exactly what I was hoping it would be and I plan on hunting with Vince again. If you are planning on doing a western elk hunt, you need to be in the best shape you can possible be in. The altitude was brutal for me coming from the east coast but I gave it 110% and was successful. You need to be able to hike, shoot, and listen to your guides. They know what they are doing and want you to be successful. Just do not go there thinking you are going to be able to out hike Vince or his guides. I thought I could keep up with anyone, and I was humbled. Hunting with New Mexico Hunting Adventures was an outstanding experience.

Outfitter's Response

Thank you for your honest review!