Climate

• Archery season for elk begins in the second half of September. Although the Chama Chamber of Commerce calls the Rio Chama mountain weather "surprisingly mild," hunters must be prepared for possible low temperatures and snow. However, with 300 days of sunshine per year, the average temperature in September is 64 F.
  
  

Permits

• Private lands as well as the Rio Grande, Carson and Santa Fe National Forest wilderness areas require government permits. The New Mexico Fish and Game Department has prepared an "Access Courtesy Card" for obtaining written permission from private landowners to hunt on their land. It can be downloaded from the department's website, which also contains information on how to apply for a tribal permit from the Jicarilla Apache Reservation.
  
  

Hunting Units

• The New Mexico Game and Fish Department website allows hunters to download detailed terrain maps of the units they are planning to visit. Unit 4 covers the terrain east of the Rio Chama and is bordered to the east by Units 51 and 52. Units 5A and 5B, west of the Rio Chama, are encircled by Unit 3, which comprises the Jicarillo Apache Reservation.
  
  

License Applications

• The license year runs from April 1 to March 31. To take advantage of draw licenses, hunters need to apply early for a New Mexico Game and Fish Department customer I.D., which is necessary for all business with the department. The annual publication "New Mexico Big Game and Trapper Rules and Information" contains all dates, fees and details regarding resident and nonresident licenses and is downloadable from the department website. Draw license applications may be due as early as April.
  
  

Bow Regulations

• According to the New Mexico Game and Fish Department, "Sights on bows may not magnify targets or projects light. Arrows must be broadheads with steel cutting edges. No drugs may be used on a hunting arrows and arrows cannot be driven by explosives." Crossbows may only be used by certified mobility-impaired hunters.
  
  

Elk Hunting Strategy

• On Mark's Outdoor Sports website, outdoor writer Brad Harris explains his strategy planned for a bow hunting trip to Chama, New Mexico: "I like to plan my archery elk hunts during the dark of the moon, nearest the peak of the rut. If this time frame comes complete with cool temperatures and a steady prevailing wind, it is a gift for hunters like me."