After years of apply for the oryx I see now you have to pay up front to apply for the oryx in new mexico this year..I will be passing on this hunt now cuz of that,the quality of the oryx herds and the mad rush to the hunting grounds and there are no bonus points , I guess I will have to wait again take one in Africa for 5/8 of the price . Good luck to all that are appling, your chances are getting better now...

african-montana-taxidermy.com

Oakman,

I was lucky enough to get drawn several years ago. The hunt was a lot of fun.
You are right in your assessment of the quality of Oryx. I hunted what's called the small missile range and unfortunately I didn't see the quality of what had been taken in years past. And I saw most of what was taken from there b/c a taxidermist had taken up shop just outside of the gates and most of the guys had dropped of their animals to be done up for the mounts with him.

That being said, it's a really fun two days of hunting in what's usually terrific weather. But they just don't have the quality there anymore. Too bad really.

Oakman, NM did change all their draw hunts to pay in advance with refund if NOT successful. Probably just another attempt to make it harder on nonresident hunters.

I too was successful three years ago to draw the OIL permit on WSMR. Hunt was much fun and was successful in the last twenty minutes of my hunt with a 35" male. Great to eat and beautiful when mounted.

Your "quality" argument holds weight on the Small Missile Range, but not elsewhere in my opinion and experience. There are still excellent specimens coming out of Rhodes Canyon and Stallion Range. I saw pictures of a 40+ inch bull from Rhodes just a couple weeks ago. Of course, hunting has gotten quite a bit harder over the past several years as the Game and Fish and the Army has really ratcheted up the pressure on the oryx to reduce herd numbers. Don't ask, I think that's stupid. But then again, I'd scatter them all over the southern half of the state if I was in charge. Based on my experience on a few hunts the past couple years you need to be willing to get out and hoof it to see good animals. They're still there, you just have to work a lot harder than 5 years ago when you could kill a good animal from the road.

I for one am glad to see all hunts go to prepaid status. In my opinion, that eliminates the "tire kickers" of the hunting world and helps ensure that those applying for tags will actually use them. It reduces competition for a finite resource to those with the desire to actually capitalize on it, not just hope for the best. I pay up front fees for hunting in Wyoming (not sure about Montana, though I hope to try this fall), and don't mind. It's part of the game. As far as limiting non-residents, that may be true because of the cost. But keep in mind that the number of non-resident oryx tags is not restricted to 22% like other species. Half or better of the available tags go to non-residents, while thousands of NM residents go without. I know residents who have applied for over 20 years without success. It's unlikely that you'll get sympathy from residents.

All that said, I encourage you to apply anyway. You only have to let the Game and Fish earn interest on your $1600 for a couple months. You'll probably have a better chance because of others with your current take on the situation. It's only money right? The FedGov will print more, don't worry.

Better yet, go to Namibia and hunt them in the Kalahari Desert. Costs about three times your permit for White Sands and you will have more fun and get shoot a lot more game.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Better yet, go to Namibia and hunt them in the Kalahari Desert. Costs about three times your permit for White Sands and you will have more fun and get shoot a lot more game.

'Tis true, 'tis true! I've done both, and enjoyed both. NM can be fun, but it won't be Africa. You get to bring the meat home though. My wife's big bull yielded well over 150 pounds of steaks and burgers. Try putting that in your TuffPak!

THE REASON THE ORYX NUMBERS ARE DOWN IS BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE RAISED HELL WITH THE NM DEPT OF GAME AND FISH ABOUT THE NON-NATIVE SPECIES. THE DEPT OF GAME AND FISH HAS BEEN ORDERED TO REDUCE THE ORYX NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY ON THE BLM AND STATE LANDS SURROUNDING THE MISSLE RANGE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE ABOUT 2004. THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM A GAME WARDEN WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ORYX POPULATION REDUCTION AT THAT TIME. I VISITED WITH THAT GAME WARDEN QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE ORYX ISSUE WHILE HUNTING IN THE SACRAMENTO MTS A FEW YEARS AGO. THE GAME DEPT WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT THE ISSUE, JUST DOING WHAT THEY WERE TOLD TO DO BY THE HIGHER-UPS.

My local G&F supervisor told me yesterday the commanding general and G&F compromised at 1500 animals, down from the current 3500. Apparently, collisions keep damaging multimillion dollar equipment and the general has a job to do.

If I get to talk to the warden in charge next month, I'll ask him and see what Gilbert says.

The pressure is from the airforce relative to the mission, not from envirnmentalists according to my local supervisor.

I believe you're right. In fact, a previous commanding general offered to "manage them from a gunship" instead of letting the G&F and we hunters do it. That was about the time the Army fee went up...

Face it, between the Army and a xenophobic G&F, a large oryx population is probably a thing of the past. Get in on it while you can, 'cuz who knows where it's headed. It's kink of a bummer. As I said previously, I'd like to see them all over the southern half of the state. In five years there'd be enough you could buy a tag over the counter.

It is a terrible shame. they are wonderful to hunt. The range does look very much like Namibia, and its obvious the animals do well. I shot an off-base animal last year, and this is my once-in-a-lifetime hunt in February.

my brother in law got drawn for a tag this year in NM where he lives. He entered the range through the Trinity gate and on the first day fired at one and missed clean. day two he shot one, marked its location by tying a shirt to a yucca tree and then promptly lost it because the wind tore the shirt off the tree.

sad but true and makes the case for gps, eh? never found the animal although i'm sure the coyotes did.

Ouch! Good point. I'd intended on carrying my GPS, but I'll make doubly sure to have it with me.

Good luck Chuck! Which part of the range are you hunting? I'm tagging along to Rhodes Canyon with a non-resident in February.

I'm in the Stallion Range. Really looking forward to it! Thanks for the luck; I'll need it!

And best of luck to your out-of-stater!

Just sent in for the 2 hunts on the McGregor Range & for my 3rd choice a broken horn on the Stallion. I took a nice 39" bull on the Stallion back in 2004 for my once in a lifetime tag. Good luck to all who applied. CB

Go gettem', CB

Best of luck in the draw!

Maybe since everyone wants to keep complaining, you'll quit applying and quit coming over here and hunting! Then maybe I can draw a tag in my own state!

People dont know that 83% of the Oryx and our sheep hunts go to NoN residents. These are not part of the 22% pool save for non residents. Thats basically for elk.
I have never drawn an oryx tag hope this resident will March 10th.
Oh by the way all other states make you pay up front no cheap draw entry deal like we had before.
Larry

Wapiti7,

what state would that be; mr anonymous off on a hunt somewhere? Before you badmouth non-residents too much, make sure you don't go out of state to hunt. Secondly, ask your F&G folks what percentage of their funding comes from non-resident VS resident. I did in Idaho a couple years ago and was stunned.

Rich

Rich,
I am in no way against non resident hunting here. I just don't want to them complain about anything! NM gives non residents more tags than any other western state. That's all I'm saying.

Gino
Farmington,NM