The Crossover Week: Elk and Deer Seasons Together

The block running October 31 through November 4 is one of the more interesting weeks on the New Mexico calendar, because it is the point where the elk season and the deer season overlap in a meaningful way.

Elk rifle hunts run these dates in several units. So do the deer muzzleloader hunts for the whole southwestern corner of the state, including Units 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 through 27. Unit 36 runs an elk rifle hunt on these dates as well.

That overlap has practical consequences worth planning around.

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More Hunters, Two Species, One Landscape

When two seasons share a block, the country holds hunters looking for different animals in different places. Deer hunters work different elevations and different terrain than elk hunters, which means pressure is spread more widely than in a pure elk week.

The practical effect is that animals get bumped from directions you would not predict. An elk herd that would normally slide into a particular drainage when pressured may find deer hunters already there.

The lesson is to think about the whole landscape rather than just your species. Ask where the other hunters are, not just where the elk are.

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Where the Animals Are in Early November

By the end of October the elk rut is well finished. Bulls are in bachelor groups or alone, holding security cover, and moving mostly in the dark. They are patternable but quiet, and you find them by glassing rather than calling.

Deer are moving the opposite direction. In much of the state, late October and early November is the run-up to the mule deer rut. Bucks that were nocturnal and invisible in September start moving more during daylight and covering ground looking for does.

So in the same week, in the same country, elk are winding down and deer are winding up. If you have hunted only one of them, the other will not behave the way you expect.

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Hunting This Week Well

• Dress for a real temperature swing. Early November mornings are frequently at or below freezing and afternoons can still reach the 50s or higher. Layers you can shed before you sweat, every single day.
• Hunt the transition, not the extremes. With elk in security cover and deer starting to move, the edges between bedding and feed are the most productive ground.
• Use the full legal window. Days are getting shorter. Shooting light runs to a half hour after sunset, and in November that window closes fast.
• Plan your pack-out for cold and dark. A shot at last light in November means working an animal in the dark at temperature. That is manageable with a plan and unpleasant without one.
• Watch the muzzleloader rules. If you are carrying one in a deer muzzleloader hunt, remember that optical sights are prohibited this season. Details in Open Sights Only.

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Why We Like This Block

For hunters who can only get away once, a week where two species are active is genuinely valuable. It is also a stretch where the weather is usually workable, the country is not yet locked up in winter, and animals are still in accessible terrain.

The trade is that it takes more discipline than an early-season hunt. There is no bugling to lead you in. You earn your animals with optics, patience and a willingness to hunt cold mornings without immediate reward.

If that sounds like your kind of hunting, it is also the stretch where having someone who knows the country pays off most. We guide both elk and mule deer through these dates. See what we offer or contact the team to talk through which fits you.

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Confirm Your Own Dates

As always, the block that applies to you is the one printed on your hunt code, not the one in an article. New Mexico runs dozens of codes per species and they do not all share dates. Check the current Hunting Rules and Information from the New Mexico Department of Wildlife and build your travel around that.

Ready to plan next season while this one is fresh? Call (575) 315-6107 or book your hunt.