The single most confusing part of hunting New Mexico is the tag. Here is how it actually works, and why a landowner authorization means you can book a hunt this season instead of applying and hoping.
New Mexico issues a portion of its elk licenses directly to qualifying landowners through the state’s Elk Private Land Use System, known as E-PLUS. Landowners may sell or transfer those authorizations, and hunters use them to purchase a private-land elk license.
The practical effect is simple: a hunter holding a landowner authorization does not enter the public draw. There is no application deadline to miss, no draw odds to beat, and no point system to build. You book your hunt, we provide the authorization, and you convert it into your license before you arrive.
A private landowner tag is included in every Straight Shooter Outfitters package — elk, mule deer and Barbary sheep alike. It is not an add-on and it is not an upcharge.
Program details are set by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish and can change season to season. We walk every hunter through the current process when you book. Source: NMDGF — Elk Private Lands (E-PLUS).
There is no club application, no lottery, and no membership vote. This is the whole process.
Tell us the species you want, roughly when you want to come, and whether you are hunting bow, muzzleloader or rifle. We will tell you honestly what is available.
A deposit holds your dates. Deposits are non-refundable but transferable to another available date at the outfitter’s discretion.
We provide the landowner authorization number and hunt code. You purchase your private-land license through NMDGF — online submissions need to be in at least 14 days before the hunt starts.
We handle lodging, meals, scouting and guiding from the moment you arrive. Elk hunters can be picked up at the airport.
Archery packages run seven days; rifle packages run five. Muzzleloader is available on mule deer and Barbary sheep depending on season and availability.
The longest window we offer, and the one that gives you the most chances at a close shot. Available on all three species.
Five days of hunting with a 1-on-1 guide. Available on all three species and the most commonly booked package.
Offered on mule deer and Barbary sheep, subject to season and availability. Ask when you call and we will tell you what is open.
One to four hunters per package. The house sleeps 12 across four bedrooms, and four is the most we put on the ground at one time.
Archery, muzzleloader and rifle seasons in New Mexico are set annually by the Department of Game & Fish and shift by species and unit. Rather than publish dates here that go stale, we confirm the current window with you when you book and match it to the package you want.
Call us with the species and weapon you have in mind and we will tell you what is open this season, what is already spoken for, and what has historically hunted best in that window.
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