Pick of the Region One of the state's best deer areas, and a draw hunt, the Jicarilla Division of the Carson National Forest can be accessed by boat far up the San Juan Arm of Navajo Lake. Set up camp, hike inland or hunt near Navajo Lake. If time permits, troll at midday for trout or northern pike. Even though deer numbers have been down in the Guadalupe Mountains, this is still considered by many to be the best area in the state for numbers of deer. Recent bull elk hunts here ran about 95 percent successful, and cow elk and turkey hunts about 65 percent.
Waterfowl hunting is normally good in the Pecos River Valley, near Roswell and Carlsbad.
The Clovis area has one of the top pheasant hunts in the state's four-day pheasant season in December. For a modest fee, access to private land can be obtained. Bring good boots and binoculars, plus a BLM Land Status map to identify public land. Persian ibex are on the Florida Mountains southeast of Deming and oryx on White Sands Missile Range.