[idavis]

My wife and I are currently living in NC. We are planning on moving sometime this spring/summer. New Mexico interests us the most. On paper it looks very appealing for hunting and trout fishing. My questions are concerning the opportunity to hunt each year. I know NM uses a draw system, will I be able to bowhunt something each year even if I don't draw an elk tag?

We would like to be in an area that has a "mild" winter, lows in the 20's would be ideal. I would still like to be close to trout streams and decent public hunting. Is this possible to have? If it is possible what areas or towns would you suggest?

And finally, if this perfect area exists in NM, how is the job situation. I have my own plumbing company here and will be closing its doors. I am open to doing anything, something not construction related would be great.

Thanks for any help any of you NM guys can give.

Isaac

 

[Bob_Looney]

Alamogordo

If you make a few friends you can hunt and/or go along on hunts all year long. A friend of mine in Weed is out pretty much all year.
Deer, Elk, Turkey, Pigs, Oryx, Barbary Sheep, and Bear.

 

[wapiti16b]

Not much Trout fishing in the Southern half of the State and the best would be the San Juan . The Chama is'nt bad but it's seasonal . If you move into the Alburquerque area you'll find more jobs and be about 3 hours or so from S.Colorado and some great Fly Fishing . Everything here is a draw except some of the exotics depending on the weapon and season chosen . No season on feral hogs or coyotes and most Turkey is OTC along with Bear . Unless you're rich I'd stay away from Santa Fe , most working class conservative folks stay away from there for many reasons . Drawing a tag is'nt a given thing for Elk , Deer and Antelope and you may draw one species a year depending on the unit chosen . Years I don't draw I go to Colorado , Utah or Idaho . Montana sometimes too , it's usually a days drive more or less . I moved to Tijeras NM 17 years ago and live at 7600 feet and drive to Alburquerque to work The weather can't be beat IMHO and after growing up in So Cal I really appreciate the four seasons here . I work outdoors and weather is pleasant nine of the twelve months IMHO !

 

[idavis]

Thanks guys. We were looking at Santa Fe or Albuquerque. Of course I was leaning towards Santa Fe since it appears to be closer to fish. Since I'm not wealthy I may have to consider further south.

Any places to stay away from?

Thanks again.

 

[wapiti16b]

Talk to a reputable Realestate agent and make a choice based on wether or not you prefer city living or a more rural setting and the schools if you have kids . I lived in tract housing most of my life so I chose the East Mountain area SE of Albuerquerque . Lots of one acre or more parcels . If you decide on town stay away from The International area A.K.A. The Warzone .

 

[trophyhill]

Talk to a reputable Realestate agent and make a choice based on wether or not you prefer city living or a more rural setting and the schools if you have kids . I lived in tract housing most of my life so I chose the East Mountain area SE of Albuerquerque . Lots of one acre or more parcels . If you decide on town stay away from The International area A.K.A. The Warzone .

you couldn't pay me to live on the west side of ABQ. construction is dog eat dog right now. very cut throat state wide. alot of out of state contractors doing business here right now til the economy picks up in their own states. as far as commercial construction goes any way. there is no such thing as residential construction anymore. there is however a lot of remodeling going on in the residential side of things. commercially speaking, in the past we (or should i say the company i work for) used to bid against 3-5 competitors. now we are bidding against 15-20. companies are bidding jobs at cost and then praying for Change Orders to make a little profit. Obamenomics aren't working here. there are talks of base closures and or cutbacks as well. i don't want to sound like a pesimist but i am not going to sugar coat either. it has to get better.......eventually. have you thought about keeping your plumbing license and doing business here? if not you someone will be doing it so it may as well be you. i think its just a matter of a little paper work and a little cash to start up since you already have a license. do you have a commercial license or residential?

 

[JPZ34]

I have been in Abq my whole life and it is a perfect location to go in any direction to fish or hunt although most places are a couple hours drive. Like wapiti16b says there are lots of great areas to live in and around the Abq area, as far as work is concerned Abq is like the rest of the country, maybe a little better in some fields.

 

[mike_parson]

look up artchill. he is a realator and i bet he can help you. he is the President of United Bowhunters of New Mexico and i am sure he wont stear you wrong. Plus he is a really nice guy.

 

[fordhuntr]

I live in the northwest corner, Farmington, I am a 30 min drive from by far the best trout fishing in the state, world class (San Juan) I am an hour drive from Purgatory Ski resort, I bowhunted one of the best deer areas in the state and did it from home...unit 2a, there is pretty decent elk hunting in the same units. If you cant find a job here you have a real problem, we have a huge oil and gas industry here. If you want more specific info PM me.

 

[trophyhill]

I live in the northwest corner, Farmington, I am a 30 min drive from by far the best trout fishing in the state, world class (San Juan) I am an hour drive from Purgatory Ski resort, I bowhunted one of the best deer areas in the state and did it from home...unit 2a, there is pretty decent elk hunting in the same units. If you cant find a job here you have a real problem, we have a huge oil and gas industry here. If you want more specific info PM me.

whats the commecial construction like up there right now? are they building? and residential?

 

[fordhuntr]

whats the commecial construction like up there right now? are they building? and residential?

There isn't a lot of commercial construction, residental is ok... have several family members in HVAC and electrician work, they are staying busy with either residental construction or commercial maintenance. The biggest employer is the oil and gas industry as well as power plants, but there is a huge amount of contract work that applies to oil and gas, new well construction, enviornmental reclamation, almost all the businesses in one way or another work with or contract with oil and gas as well as the power plants. The oil and gas business isn't what most people think, the work really isn't that hard, it pays well and almost all of the companies have great insurance.

 

[jamaro]

Wasn't Chama one of Outdoor Magazines top 10 Sportsman Towns about 10 years ago???

 

[fordhuntr]

Wasn't Chama one of Outdoor Magazines top 10 Sportsman Towns about 10 years ago???

Chama is great, I go there a few times a year since its only about 90 miles away and the hunting & fishing is good, but its almost all private now and there aren't many jobs to be had unless you want to work for an outfitter, summer construction or work at one of the few grocery stores in town. There is really no industry to speak of other than the hunting industry, and you know where you need to be in that industry to make a living.

 

[trophyhill]

There isn't a lot of commercial construction, residental is ok... have several family members in HVAC and electrician work, they are staying busy with either residental construction or commercial maintenance. The biggest employer is the oil and gas industry as well as power plants, but there is a huge amount of contract work that applies to oil and gas, new well construction, enviornmental reclamation, almost all the businesses in one way or another work with or contract with oil and gas as well as the power plants. The oil and gas business isn't what most people think, the work really isn't that hard, it pays well and almost all of the companies have great insurance.

10-4. i know some folks here in ABQ that retired from PNM that worked at the power plant up there. they have more money than you can shake a stick at. i've worked in the pipeline side back in the 90's as an operator and laid some pipe. we contracted from PNM (now the Gas Company of New Mexico) i sure did like that work. lots of hours and great paychecks. my wife (at the time) didn't like it so much though. we had this 1 operator that when the swamper (shovel hand for those that don't know what a swamper is) had a gas line or phone line or electric line or sewer or water partially exposed would give his famous last words (step back, just one more bite) lol and more than 50% of the time that backhoe would rip right thru it and it never failed. it was always on Friday at the end of the day lol. i guess i should have thanked him. worked lots of OT because of him lol. he was the owners nephew. sometimes i wish i still ran a backhoe or excavator. shut the cab and don't have to listen to anybodies whining lol.

 

[idavis]

Thanks for the info.
I have a commercial plumbing license. I do mostly residential new construction, seems you can't make any money anymore. There's too many subs doing exactly what you said, bidding jobs just to have work. I can sit at home and break even.
I haven't really considered trying to transfer my license to New Mexico. Truthfully, I'm pretty burnt out on constuction. I may look into it just to have it.
Please excuse the possible dumb question but where is the Badland of NM?

 

[fordhuntr]

Thanks for the info.
I have a commercial plumbing license. I do mostly residential new construction, seems you can't make any money anymore. There's too many subs doing exactly what you said, bidding jobs just to have work. I can sit at home and break even.
I haven't really considered trying to transfer my license to New Mexico. Truthfully, I'm pretty burnt out on constuction. I may look into it just to have it.
Please excuse the possible dumb question but where is the Badland of NM?

It may not be a bad idea to get the license to have as a back up, you can do plumbing on the side, a good friend of mine is a general up here and is always looking for plumbers, not many good ones around here.

As far as badlands, I don't know of a specific place in NM called the badlands but there are badlands all over the state.

 

[trophyhill]

Thanks for the info.
but where is the Badlands of NM?

lol a good friend of mine (God rest his soul) used to have a cb base station and at certain times you could talk to people in other states (talkin skip) and he always told people he was in "the badlands of new mexico" i'll never forget my friend Fred Maldonado.

 

[trophyhill]

It may not be a bad idea to get the license to have as a back up, you can do plumbing on the side, a good friend of mine is a general up here and is always looking for plumbers, not many good ones around here.

As far as badlands, I don't know of a specific place in NM called the badlands but there are badlands all over the state.

i agree. no sense in putting limitations on ones self. i have a full time job and i use my license to make a little extra so i can hunt elk in sept. i absolutely will not schedule any work in sept and i'm careful about august too.

 

[trophyhill]

Chama is great, I go there a few times a year since its only about 90 miles away and the hunting & fishing is good, but its almost all private now and there aren't many jobs to be had unless you want to work for an outfitter, summer construction or work at one of the few grocery stores in town. There is really no industry to speak of other than the hunting industry, and you know where you need to be in that industry to make a living.

i couldn't beleive all the elk i saw up there a couple days before Christmas. they all came down from the high country. i'm sure some were down from CO too.

 

[hunting1]

I live on the mean west side or actually northwest and love it! NM takes a while to grow on you, but once here you will love it! APS sucks, but your kids will make the best of it. Good luck!