Ibex in the USA?

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04 January 2008, 03:24

DesertRam

I have never heard of another free ranging herd besides the Persian Ibex in the Florida Mountains of southern New Mexico.

The 15 rifle tags are very hard to draw, and are in fact once-in-a-lifetime. Of those 15, only one or two would go to non-residents. Muzzleloader and bow tags, while still relatively scarce, are not once-in-a-lifetime as of this year's regulation booklet. You probably have a pretty decent chance of drawing a bow tag, but with success rates at about 2%, you're basically just going for the fun of it. I'll be back at it on the 11th for four days...

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04 January 2008, 18:11

DesertRam

Next year there's about 160 tags, with bow tags increasing to 100 from the current 50. Apparently bowhunting has such minimal impact on the population they're going to increase opportunity. All you have to do is take up bowhunting. Of course, since most of their range is BLM land, you could just go hike around and watch them, which is pretty much what you do when bowhunting.

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04 January 2008, 18:13

DesertRam

Oh, and by the way, the NM Dept. of Game and Fish cares nothing about the "take" or the quality of the hunt. As far as I can tell, their only concern is money generation so the game commissioners can stay appointed. The game commission manages money, not game. The poor shmucks in the field (hunters and wardens) are just bent over a barrel in the process...

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04 January 2008, 22:04

Rob H

At 1600 bucks a tag for non-residents NM is pretty proud of them!

I lived in Cruces for 4 years while attending NMSU. Love that part of the country. Shot my first deer up behind Caballo mt.

Should have been putting in for Ibex while I lived there I guess!

I remember in a marketing class at NMSU we had one of the tourism directors for the State come in and talk. I asked them how they marketed NM to tourists from a hunting perspective given all the great land and opportunities there are. She said they did not go after the sportsmen "they just spend money on gas and hotel while they are in the state". Seemed very short sighted to me.

My wife and I opened a Christian Bookstore in Las Cruces while we were there. We always use to say that during lean times, NM seems to just barely squeak by economically, however in times of plenty, NM seems to just barely squeak by...

05 January 2008, 02:39

DesertRam

Ah, a fellow Aggie. I are a graduate of NMSU too!

I love your quote about the "Land of Entrapment" - I'll have to remember that one.

As a non-resident paying $1600 bucks you probably have a better chance of getting a tag than me. Tell you what, if you get a tag, I'll volunteer to help you pack that stinkin' goat off the mountain!

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07 January 2008, 09:19

D99

Bob,

I didn't but Dad probably did.

If you can draw a tag the gemsbok deal on white sands is easy do-it-yourselfer.

An Ibex tag cost $1500, I am sure you could shoot a hybrid ibex that would look similar to the Persian for $1000-2500 in Texas.

Pure Nubians are about $4000-9000, Markhor are around $300 an inch, and Tur and Alpine ibex are around $10,000.