New Mexico- Land of Enchantment- Hunt #30

This Lodge took 3 years to plan, another one and one-half years to build, and consumed $5 million dollars by the time it was done. It is an award winning 16,000 square foot lodge, expressly designed to please. If you like to fish or hunt in comfort, this place has class in abundance and is designed for discriminating sportsmen. While not cheap, we think that the value given to clients exceeds greatly the cost! The Great Hall with its 36 foot high ceiling, antler chandeliers, huge fireplace and warm wooden tones, offers truly deluxe lodging. This lodge is located about 2 hours north of Santa Fe, about 3 1/2 hours from Albuquerque. It consists of a 36,000 acre ranch owned by the Jicarilla Apaches, and it is nestled in the San Juan Mountains of northern New Mexico. It was designed with a single purpose- to keep visiting sportsmen happy! It has beautiful corporate meeting and conference rooms if you want to combine business with pleasure.

THE FISHING
The fishing can be awesome and usually is. They have Orvis tackle for you if you do not want to bring tackle. They have a number of waters to choose from. You can fish miles of the East and West Forks of the Brazos River that runs thru the ranch. It has wild brookies and rainbows in abundance. You can also select from several lakes, and catch cutts, brookies and browns, and rainbows that average 3—4 pounds and can reach 12 pounds. You can wade fish or use float tubes or a boat to explore these waters. You will undoubtedly see elk and deer, as this ranch is famed for its wildlife. It has a huge resident wild elk population and it’s hunting in the fall is also world renowned. And if your spouse or lady friend accompanies you, there are horseback rides, hiking, ranch tours, wildlife tours, sporting clays and of course truly gourmet cuisine. There is a highly trained cuisine chef who prepares spectacular meals (how about quail stuffed with sausage on a bed of wild rice?)-then wash it down with wines from a choice of a half-dozen different countries- and maybe some port or sherry as a finale?! At the end of hard day of fishing or hunting, how about a nice cocktail and then enjoy the hydrotherapy whirlpool and sauna-great for tired muscles. Just remember your swimsuit! NO children under 12 are allowed, except by special dispensation.

As to the angling, here are a few comments from ECSTATIC customers: “Fishing here is better than Alaska!” (C.C.-Dallas); “Fishing wise this Lodge is N.M.’s answer to Argentina and New Zealand” (D.B.-Casper, WY); “Outstanding as usual but the best fishing ever! Our 6th year!” (T.T.- Paradise, AZ); “One of the best kept secrets among elite elk/deer hunters and fly fishermen.” (The Hideaway Report). This place, in our words, is a jewel found only in the Land of Enchantment!

THE HUNTING
In terms of elk hunting, this facility has both free ranging elk, and also they have a fenced private elk herd on a full 6,000 acres (over 9 square miles), so it becomes a hunt with so much area to cover.

FREE RANGE ELK:
If you want to hunt from this famous Lodge but prefer to hunt solely for their free roaming elk, they have 30,000 private, and carefully managed acres for you to hunt. They are very diligent and deploy a great deal of skill and planning in order to not pressure the elk off these lands. Furthermore to keep the bull/cow ratio proper they make sure they cull enough cows every year to keep the bulls moving and available. Proof of that is their 87% re-booking rate! That means lots of very happy hunters!! Plus they have a plentiful supply of water in the form of two forks of the Brazos River plus numerous ponds. This area of northern New Mexico is very scenic and success on good free ranging bulls in the heavy 5X5 and 6X6 class is excellent- with parties often experiencing 100% success. These free range bulls run from around 270 to about 320 tops. Average is around 285. In our opinion, in this day and age, any heavy 5X5 or good 6X6 is a better bull than those your buddies are apt to have on their walls. And of course the experience itself will be world class, with awesome scenery; world class guides, incredible cuisine and wines, and lodging that will delight the most jaded sportsman.

PRIVATE HERD HUNTS:
If you have the budget, and if you would like to hunt their private elk herd, than this outfitter can put a huge bull on your wall out of their private herd. They have what is sometimes called the largest private elk herd in the US, consisting of about 1400 elk on almost 10 sections (6,400 acres) of fenced land. This is no cakewalk, as you are hunting 6,400 acres of land. The bull to cow ratio here is 1 to1, and BULLS WILL AVERERAGE IN THE 320 TO 340 RANGE, and THE BEST BULLS CAN RUN INTO THE 430 RANGE. Many others from 330 to 370 are taken. The “average” bull from the private herd here is a 330 to 340 class, so be selective! This is perhaps the largest fenced area we have heard of for elk, and you should not hesitate to consider this a fully fair chase hunt, given the large area involved. You can be proud of any elk you take here as you will earn it. Also, you can hunt almost anytime in September or October for the private herd.

All guiding is done 1X1 and 4wd Ford F350 crew cabs transport you. You stay in a 13,500 square foot magnificent lodge complete with a 20’ wide fireplace, cathedral ceilings, whirlpools, sauna-and world-class service. The lodge has received the award as the “Best Sporting Retreat”. It was also designated in the Hideaway Report as the “Fishing and Hunting lodge of the Year”. They have a full time chef; complete with white hat that prepares incredible meals for you. Normally you will start out before first light, return for lunch, and then hunt again in the afternoon. At night, jump into the whirlpool or sauna, enjoy your favorite beverage, and eat world-class cuisine, then retire to your luxurious private room. They also have a 6,000’ sod landing strip, or fly to nearby Taos or Santa Fe.

Many elk hunters for those reasons want to bring their lady along. She can hike, look over this working cattle ranch, take fly-fishing lessons, shoot sporting clays, ride, photograph and keep very busy while you hunt. Again, all of these hunts are 5 days long, guiding is done 1X1 and you can be sure normally of seeing plenty of bulls. Opportunity, assuming normal weather, is typically very close to 100%-from there you must make the shot of course! There are also a very limited number of mule deer hunts, with deer in the 26” to 36” class available. Normally no more than 8 deer hunters per year allowed.

If you want to be pampered in true wilderness surroundings; if you want to catch giant trout, hunt giant elk, seek giant mule deer; entertain clients, family or friends in the lap of luxury, this is perhaps the finest facility in the lower 48!! You will absolutely receive much more than your moneys worth.

PRICING: (New Mexico sales tax is extra!)

2025: First two September Hunts/Last three October hunts $14,000 Per Hunter plus a $600 license fee.

2025: Three Peak of Rut Hunts $15,000 Per Hunter plus a $600 license fee* (last 2 hunts in September/1st hunt in October)

*****License fee subject to change yearly

2026: Call for pricing.

Non-hunting guests: $1,920 per person.

Deluxe Suites are available at $200 per day per Suite (4 Suites)

2024 Cow Hunts (antlerless elk) $2900 Per Hunter. Includes two nights lodging/one day guided hunt (license included).

Non-hunting guests: $640 per person. Lodger’s Tax additional.

2025 Cow Hunts: $3200 Per Hunter