Hey guys. Just thought I would introduce myself. I live in sunny and dusty and dry Las Cruces, NM. Originally from the lowcountry of South Carolina. Went from there to College Station, TX(my wife is a prof) and then even further west to where I am now. Big duck hunter. Love any kind of bird hunting. Haven't been able to turkey hunt much at all in the last few years. Only 5 days since the spring of '08, and they were all last year(went over-seas for a year, then to Texas for 2 and the public oportunities are few and far between there, and with the job I had last year, I couldn't hunt much). I'm ready to get after these mountain birds as much as possible this year. Anyways, if any of you guys find yourselves in NM anytime, give me a shout.
Welcome to OldGobbler and New Mexico. There are a few of us from NM on here. You are in the right part of the state for good turkey hunting with the Lincoln to the east and the Gila to the west. I'm still learning the ropes myself, but GobbleNut knows turkey hunting here better than anyone and has helped me get started. The duck hunting in NM is surprisingly good at times. Our last day included redheads, mallards, widgeon, and teal in the bag. Quail hunting ranges from phenomenal to dismal, depending on the rains. The last couple of years have been pretty bad due to the drought. You'll find the abundance of public land a nice change from Texas.
Welcome to the forum and good luck to you this year!
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! There's no ducks in NM :toothy12: This was my second duck season out here, and other than very low water levels, I'm a big fan of duck hunting in the desert. The abundance of public land is nice, but the drive to the mountains(either way) can get boring at times. I hunted in the Lincoln last year, but the 4 wheelers really bummed me out. Found birds, but there were a TON of people where I was and cause the birds to be very call shy. Planning to hit up the Gila a couple of times this year for a change in scenery. I found a few birds back during elk season in the Gila, so I'm hoping I can find them again this spring.
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Welcome aboard. What an awesome place to share and learn new info. As for New Mexico, I have traveled to the Gila National Forest for the past 16 years each spring. Even on years when birds are down a bit there is so much public land available that you can always keep looking. I hunt several states each year and have to say New Mexico is probably my favorite(I'm from Utah). Would be glad to help you out if needs be. The white turkey in my picture is from the Gila in 2011. Good luck this year.
Thanks turkeyman. I'll probably shoot you a PM soon to ask you a question or two.
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