July 12, 2011 by Andy Salgado
Over the years New Mexico landowner permits have sky rocketed in price. I can remember the days when Unit 15 was divided into A and B and you could pick up a landowner tag from $800 - $1,200. Today they're anywhere from $4,000 - $5,000 and seem to be going up every year. Back in the day when you could pick up a permit for around $1,000, I was selling a fully guided 2 x 1 hunt for $2,800 and a guy could go on a bad ass hunt for under $4,000, license included. Now that same exact hunt is a little over $9,000 including license. It's unbelievable! Keep in mind, it's not the outfitter that's gone up dramatically with his prices. It's the landowners and the state of New Mexico. Even though elk hunting prices have gone through the roof, people are still purchasing landowner permits for these outrageous prices. I just saw a couple days ago on Craigslist a Unit 16-A landowner permit for $9,000. That's just the landowner permit. State license would be around $780 and an outfitter just trying to make a living would be about $3,500. Total is $13,280 if a guy would want this hunt. That's effing crazy to pay that much to hunt elk on public land!
Even with these prices landowner permits are very hard to find. I've purchased several this year for clients that didn't get drawn but still wanted to go hunting. There are some landowner permits out there in certain units with good bull elk quality and trophy potential for around $2,500. So it's still somewhat affordable to go on a good hunt for around $6,500.
With this being said, that's why it's so important to keep trying to draw these hunts in the outfitters pool. I have a few hunters that drew Units 16-A and Unit 15 permits this year. They will be going on an awesome New Mexico elk hunt for $3,800 plus their state license and they will definitely have opportunity on some quality elk. Live right and let us keep applying you!
Till next time,
Andy
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