New Mexico Elk, Coues Deer, Mule Deer Hunts

These full service guided hunts for a wide variety of North American big game animals.  With over 20 years experience as a professional guide, Mike has targeted trophy class elk and deer in most western states throughout the Rocky and Cascade Mountains. This eventually led him to Southwest New Mexico and Arizona, home to some of the largest North American big game animals in the world. With the bulls here being well above average in size this guide has been hunting these areas for over 14 years focusing on world class public land hunting. We are permitted in the Gila and Cibola National forests in New Mexico and statewide in Arizona. If you are looking for a trophy of a lifetime then apply to these states. 

The units that we hunt in New Mexico and Arizona consistently produce bulls in the 300"- 350" class with opportunity on bigger bulls in all units for hunters that will work for it. Each year during the archery season we will see and chase bulls in the 370"- 390" class and occasionally the 400"+ bull. Rifle tags are the hardest tags to draw, but they also produce some exceptional opportunities on monster animals. New Mexico hunters have the option of purchasing a guaranteed land owner tag sold on a first come first serve basis. The tags are quite expensive but you are guaranteed to hunt without waiting to draw a tag. If you do draw a tag in the public draw you can then re-sale the land owner tag to a third party. The land owner tags are valid for the entire public land draw unit in which they are assigned to. The most available tags are muzzleloader and archery but on occasion there are a few rifle tags available for the two best trophy units in the state.

 With Washington being our home state, we offer great hunts for Roosevelt elk and Blacktail deer on the west side and on the east side of the state we hunt for Mule deer and Whitetails. Even though tags can be purchased over the counter there are some great opportunities for trophy animals. Each year we will have opportunity on four or more blacktails scoring 135" or better and seeing monster bucks in the high 140" class and bigger on occasion. If big mule deer are your thing then Washington just might surprise you. With several record bucks in the state scoring over 230" + the opportunity is there. We have taken one buck gross scoring 206-5/8" multiple bucks 180"+ and each year we have opportunity on a couple bucks 170" or bigger occasionally seeing some monsters. 

The secret is having knowledge in the animals that you hunt and in the scouting!

These guides, average 220 days in the field per year. Approximately 90 of those days are spent guiding and the other 130 days are spent scouting for the clients success. That equals over a year’s worth of scouting for the average hunter. With a handful of carefully picked guides and months of scouting in three states, Upfront Outfitters produces some of the highest opportunity rates among public land outfitters.  For the past five years we have been between 85 and 90% on good opportunity for mature animals with success depending on the shooting capabilities of individual hunters. Many of our New Mexico rifle elk hunts and our Washington mule deer and blacktail deer hunts have 100% opportunity on mature animals with several record class animals being seen each year. 

Because of our commitment to quality and success all of our camps are limited to four people unless you have more in a private party. The only exception is if we can hunt a very large area from our camp and it's not cost effective to put in a second camp. In that event we limit our camp to six clients. Our goal is to take limited numbers of clients so that we can focus on better quality and success.

All of our hunts are 100% fair chase, mostly on public land. Although we cannot guarantee your success we can guarantee that when you hunt with us your money is well spent. From our deluxe tent camps and great food to our professional guides and months of scouting our goal is to provide you with 100% quality along with the best opportunity for success possible on a trophy animal.

If you want a big bull, first you need to apply for the Draw.  

New Mexico and Arizona are home to the some of the largest big game animals in the world. With the strict draw regulations combined with the genetics, the areas that we are permitted to hunt in produce record book animals year after year.

NEW MEXICO 

In New Mexico there are two ways to obtain tags. Either through the public draw or by land owner purchase. The odds of drawing a public draw elk tag is around 7-10% if you are applying on your own. If you sign a contract to hunt with an outfitter you are put into a separate draw pool with higher odds of drawing a tag. The odds of drawing in the outfitter pool increases to 20-30% and sometimes higher depending on your weapon choice, unit, and species. You can apply up to four people in a party in New Mexico. If one draws then everyone draws.

We hunt the South West portion of New Mexico in the Gila and Cibola National Forests and BLM land.

Our hunts are conducted in units 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E as well as the surrounding primitive weapons units 13, 15, 17 and Rifle unit 21A. We also hunt unit 10 for deer only.

There is a wide variety of terrain in these units ranging from steep rocky canyons and pine forests to miles of flat land with thick cedars and pinion trees and elevations ranging from 7,500 ft.-10,000ft. 

Hunting for a real trophy can be very demanding. It is best to be in the best physical condition you can at the time of your hunt.

METHODS of hunting for archery elk include spot and stalk, calling, setting up stands over water or wallows, and still hunting through timber. Rifle hunting methods include spot and stalk, still hunting, and stand over water.

New Mexico Draw Deadline is April 7th 5:00 p.m.  

New Mexico Trophy Archery

Sept. 1-6

Sept. 11-16

Sept. 19-24

New Mexico Muzzleloader Elk

Oct. 16 - 20

Oct. 23 – 27

New Mexico Rifle Elk

Oct. 16 - 20

Oct. 23 – 27

Two Hunters one guide $4,250 per person

One Hunter one guide $5,250 per person  

If you are unsuccessful in harvesting your animal and wish to keep hunting you may extend your hunt for an additional fee, as long as the season permits it.

(New Mexico Hunters are subject to a 5.2% Sales tax) you must also purchase a $6 habitat stamp and a $6 access stamp upon arrival.

There is a High chance for opportunity on mature public land bulls.

In Arizona we are permitted state wide and hunt many of the elk and deer units but we do have our favorites. We hunt the central and eastern portion of the state for elk, southern units for Coues deer, and northern and central units for Mule deer. Obtaining a tag in Arizona is extremely difficult for most species. The tags are available by drawing only. Arizona is a preference point state so the more points you builds up the better your chances of drawing a tag. 

Arizona has a wide variety of terrain ranging from flat pine forests with no underbrush to steep rugged canyons filled with brush and cactus. During the rifle seasons expect to hunt the rough canyons looking for big Bulls. Elevations will range from 6,800 ft. - 8,500 ft.

Arizona Trophy Archery Elk

 Sept 12 - 17

 Sept 20 – 28

Arizona muzzleloader Elk

Sept. 26 - Oct. 2 (bugle season)

Nov. 14 - Nov. 20

General Rifle

Oct. 22 - Oct. 25

Nov. 26 - Dec. 2

Dec. 3 - Dec. 9

Prices

Two hunter’s one guide

$4,250 per person

One hunter one guide

$5,250 per person

Prices for hunts do not include tax or license and tag fees. 

The hunt price does include all lodging, meals, transportation, trophy care, and personalized guide service once arriving at our camp. Hunters are responsible for transportation from the airport to camp. Other arrangements can be made in advance for airport shuttle for an additional charge.

NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA DEER HUNTING    

New Mexico and Arizona offer some great hunting opportunities for Trophy Mule and Coues deer.  The average Mule deer bucks will be in the mid 20" inch range with exceptional bucks being 30" plus and scoring in the 150 - 190 class with 200"+ bucks in the all units that we hunt. 

Tags for these hunts are by drawing only. Drawing odds are very good if you apply through an outfitter in New Mexico. Arizona is based on preference points and if you wish to apply for Mule Deer units like the Kaibab or Arizona strip you should start applying now.

We hunt our Coues Deer in Southern Arizona units as far south as the Mexico Border. Coues Deer live in the high desert mountains and can be extremely challenging to hunt. 

The trophy bucks live in very steep and remote areas so being in good physical condition will definitely play a huge part in your success. We harvest several bucks in the "90 - 100" range each year with some buck scoring over 100" most of our Coues deer hunters are drawing tags with 4 preference points or less and many of them drawing tags with  1 - 2 points.

Please contact us if you need help applying for any of these units or would like information on our application service.

New Mexico Deer Seasons

Archery       Jan    1 - 15 2010

                    Sep   1 - 24

Rifle            Oct 31 - Nov. 4

                    Nov  7 - 11

                    Nov  14 - 18

 Arizona Deer season dates will be posted when the regulations come out. Archery only hunts will be from Jan 6 - 31 2010

Cost for Arizona and New Mexico Firearm deer hunts, 5 full days of hunting

     2x1                            1x1

$3,950                      $4,650

New Mexico hunters are subject to a 5.2% sales tax and must also purchase a $6 habitat stamp and a $6 access stamp upon arrival for the hunt.

 ARIZONA DESERT MULE DEER or COUES DEER

 ARCHERY ONLY/ OVER THE COUNTER TAGS 

If you are looking for an excitement filled archery deer hunt then this it.

These hunts take place in Southern Arizona as far south as the Mexico Border. These tags are available over the counter. 

On these hunts you can expect to see desert mule deer in the "130 - 160" class with exceptional bucks being "160+ we have seen bucks on this hunt that will score 200" but they are rare. We do take some great Coues bucks on this hunt if you are patient enough to sit water. We have taken Coues deer over 100"+ during the January archery season.

Our archery hunts take place from Jan 6 - Jan. 31 and usually encounters the entire rut. The weather is usually very mild temperatures around 65 - 75 for a high and night time lows dipping below freezing, perfect weather for a mid-winter hunt.

Arizona Archery only hunts

6 day hunt (Desert Mulies or Coues Deer) 

   2x1                    1x1

$3,250              $4,250

Our Antelope hunts take place in South Western New Mexico. This area is home to some of the largest antelope in the world. With the number of world class Antelope in this region why not hunt here for your next trophy.

Rifle tags are available by drawing or landowner purchase. If you apply for the public rifle draw and are successful the state will assign you to a ranch in the unit in which you applied.  Rifle and muzzle loader seasons are two days in New Mexico but even with a short season we are near 100% success.

Archery tags are available by drawing or landowner purchase. If you apply for the draw and are successful you can hunt any public land within that unit.

Land owner tags are available for designated ranches within a unit. The cost of the tag is expensive but if you want to hunt World Class Antelope without the hassle of the draw it is well worth it. The cost of a land owner tag for a world class ranch will run between, $2,500 - $3,500. These ranches continue to produce bucks in the "85 - 92" class with bigger bucks being taken occasionally.

License and application fees

Public Draw    $282 +$12 application 

Private Land    $291

(If you purchase a private landowner tag you must also purchase an antelope license from the state of New Mexico.) 

Hunt dates and pricing

Trophy rifle hunts

October 3-4           $2,500

Trophy Archery hunts

August 15-20         $2,850

Prices do not include license or tag fees, transportation to camp, meat processing, taxidermy, or gratuities to your guide.

Price does include meals, lodging, and all transportation while in camp

(Hunters are subject to a 5.1 to 6.4% N.M. state sales)  

Washington State Hunting

 Our Washington State Elk and Blacktail deer hunts take place in the rain forests of South West Washington, while our Mule deer and whitetail hunts take place in the eastern foot hills of the cascades and into the agricultural farm lands. 

The areas that we hunt on the west side of the state consist of large old growth and second growth timber, old logging clear cuts, and dense brush filled forests. On the east side of the Cascade Mountains where our Mule deer and whitetail hunts take place the terrain is more of a variety from steep rugged canyons to open forests, grass filled valleys and agriculture land. Our methods used for hunting all species and areas is combined with spot and stalk, still hunting, and stand hunting over feeding areas and game trails. 

Although we can accommodate all hunters, arriving for your hunt in the best physical condition you can be will greatly increase your odds for success.

Roosevelt Elk Hunts 

PRICES HAVE BEEN REDUCED FOR THE SEASON 

Prices below are accurate!

Archery

September 7 - 12

September 14 - 19

Price for bugle season archery elk 6 day hunt

Two hunters one guide $3,250 per person

One hunter one guide $4,250 per person  

Late Archery

This is a high opportunity spot and stalk cow elk hunt. 100% in 2009

$300 per day per person 4 day minimum

Nov. 27 - Dec. 1

Dec. 3 - Dec. 7

You can combo deer with any archery elk hunt at no additional charge.

Muzzleloader

October 2 - 6

Nov. 27 - Dec. 1

December 3-7

Rifle

November 6 - 10

November 12 - 16

Prices for all 5 days of Rifle/Muzzleloader Elk Hunt’s

$2,845 per person - two person one guide

$3,845 one person one guide

All hunts include food, lodging, trophy preparation, guide service and transportation while in camp. Airport pick-up can be arranged for an additional charge.

Price does not include tags or license, taxidermy, processing, transportation to camp or gratuities toward your guide.

2010 Blacktail Deer

Archery

Sept. 1 - 6

Sept. 7 - 12 elk/deer combo

Sept. 14 - 19 elk/deer combo

Nov. 27 - Dec. 15 any 6 days

Late Archery season

Combo with cow elk until Dec. 7

Muzzleloader

Sept 25 - Oct. 3

Rifle

October 16 - 20

October 27 - 31

$2,345 per person - two person one guide

$3,545 one person one guide

Late Rifle Rut Hunt

November 18 - 21

Price for 4 day late buck hunt

$2,345 per person two person minimum one guide

$3,545 one person one guide

Eastern Washington Mule deer or Whitetail

Very successful hunts for Mule deer in Washington state. Expect to see lots of deer on this hunt. 2009 we were 100% on mature bucks.

October 16 - 20

October 20 - 24

Black Bear

Any weapon

August 1 - August 15

Any 5 days

Cost for 5 day spot and stalk hunt 

$2,645 per person 2 person minimum

$3,845 one person

All hunts include food, lodging, trophy care, guide service and transportation while in camp. Airport pick-up can be arranged for an additional charge.

Accommodations

Our typical hunting camp is an organized, clean and cozy wall tent camp. While in camp our cooks will prepare plenty of great food in our large cook-house tent. You will be provided 3 meals a day with plenty of snacks and water for your backpacks. Hot showers will also be available in our main camps. Wall tents or Alaknak style outfitter tents will provide the sleeping quarters. The tents will hold 2 - 4 people depending on the size and style of the tent. We will have heat in all of the tents, either propane or wood stoves depending on the weather. If tent camps are not your thing, on some hunts hotel arrangements can be made.  Call Upfront Outfitters for more information on that.

Hunt ID: NM-AZ-WA-RMElkRElkMDeerBDeerCDeerAntelope-All-Mike

{BreezingForms:Hunt_Special_Information_Request_Form}