oryx in NM

[mixedbag]

Is it possible to hunt these without a guide and have decent luck?I'd like to give it a try, but don't want to eat an expensive tag.Looking at draw odds on huntingfool and some seem fairly easy to get
If you've hunted them before, I'd like to hear about the hunt.I hear they are great eatting and would definitely look cool on the wall

 

[enorm]

With an on range hunt you really don't need a guide to have a succesful hunt. I have been on 1 hunt for myself and 5 others with friends, and we have never had a hunt we did not get an Oryx. I have hunted off range also and they are much harder to locate the animals. If you put in the time and effort while you are there you should have a great hunt. The meat is some of the best you will ever have.

 

[Khunter]

easy on-range rifle hunt without a guide, very challenging as a bow hunt. I alloted 3 hours of my 2-day hunt to using a rifle if I could not get one with a bow and killed one an hour after picking up a rifle...

 

[diynmbohntr]

enorm is completely right on this. The on range is only 3 days but it should be fairly easy to locate a decent trophy. the off-range is a whole month long but like stated before they are pretty tough to find these days. If your hunting off range, cover alot of miles with your binos and a spotting scope.

 

[jeffpg]

I drew the Stallion Range for the Feb. 12 & 13 hunt dates for 2011, and have done a ton of research.

It is a 2 day hunt. A small amount of the first morning will be spent in pre-hunt orientation.

By all accounts, the hunt has become a bit more challenging than in the past due to the fact that the number of animals on the range is much lower now.

An experienced and well prepared hunter should be able to fill his tag, although not all will.

Your greatest challenge may be in your ability to judge the quality of the animal. For me, this is always an issue that deserves a lot of research and study, especially on once-in-a-lifetime hunts for critters I am not totally familiar with. The short time period of the hunt compounds this factor.

BTW, if anyone needs a truly good guide for Oryx or any other hunt in New Mexico, I believe I can put you in touch with the best people available.

 

[WapitiBob]

If you're seeing an easy to draw Oryx hunt it's off range or a Vet hunt.

 

[MNHunter]

On range Oryx draw is, at best, 7% odds. The hunt itself is only difficult because of the time frame and even then it isnt hard to shot AN oryx. Difficulty is in field judging IMO. Personally I went with a guide and don't regret it one bit. However, it is a very very doable OYO hunt and it is easy to find free help. Seemd everyone wants to chase oryx any time they can. And yes, they do taste great!

 

[mixedbag]

I'll have to double check what I was looking over for draw odds.I found some that were much better then 7% on range

 

[174in]

I heard they are hard to put down.

 

[MNHunter]

I'll have to double check what I was looking over for draw odds.I found some that were much better then 7% on range

The odds report from NM is chopped up in a way that, at first glance, could look like the odds are very good. Instead, use the draw odds tool here: http://oyoa.hunterstrailhead.com/huntsearch.php?ST=NM

You can simply select oryx and NR and leave the rest blank. All the oryx hunts will come up. The OIL on range hunts will all be under 7% or so. The Red Canyon hunts had closer to 10% draw odds but they aren’t hunting that section of the range this year.

 

[MNHunter]

I heard they are hard to put down.

They can be. As with other animals, shot placement is key. Their anatomy is different than the animals here in America which, IMO, leads to people shooting them like they would a deer. I have a nice graphic of their internal organs at home if anyone is interested.

Mine dropped like a sack of potatoes with 1 round from my 300WSM but I hear that is the exception

 

[nbell]

Field judging is the most difficult part of this hunt. I would recomend never shooting an animal that is by its self. I have first had expierence with a friend who shot one by its self. It looked like a very good animal, but turned out to be a yearling. Finding the animals isn't hard, but the country we hunted was very open and hard to sneek. All in all a fun hunt, and I am still applying, and hope I don't make the same mistake and shoot a little one.

 

[Moosie]

Field judging is the hardest (for me) As far as finding one or putting one down, If you can shoot a deer or find your Butt with both hands you can hunt an Oryx. Drawing is the hard part. Killing one's not that hard.

We saw guys with guides and without guides that drove 500 yards down the road and Bailnig out of their vehicles to line up on Oryx right off the road. The Range hunts are a Friggin CIRCUS !!!!

 

[WapitiBob]

Success rates are continuing to drop as they shoot the animals off and the ones left get smarter.
They dropped some hunts and added Friday to the mix to help get the success back up.

 

[Moosie]

WOW !!! Things must have changed in the last 2 years. We saw hundreds of them. Although, I've talked to guys fishing for Bass in a 1 acre pond before that didnt have much luck because they didn't have a boat to get to the middle. It happens.

My suggestion is if you are worried, hire a guide. Purdy simple ?

 

[MNHunter]

The overall success rate on my hunt was right around 70%, that was in March 2009. I remember everyone was so surprised the success rate was so low. Since then I think they’ve had a couple hunts where it was lower yet. In fact, if you factor out the non trophy and/or sub adults, the “success” rate is much lower than people believe. You need to be able to identify an adult trophy oryx if your criteria for success is a trophy. If you can do it, you will be fine. If you don’t think you can do it, hire a guide.

 

[174in]

They can be. As with other animals, shot placement is key. Their anatomy is different than the animals here in America which, IMO, leads to people shooting them like they would a deer. I have a nice graphic of their internal organs at home if anyone is interested.

Mine dropped like a sack of potatoes with 1 round from my 300WSM but I hear that is the exception

I would be interested in seeing the pics.Are these free range or fenced in? Also why are the numbers dropping on them are they getting over hunted?

 

[MNHunter]

I don't know if I would say over hunted but there certainly is/was an effort to reduce their numbers. They are free ranging animals that really only have humans to control their population. I believe their numbers are now down to about what the NMGFD would like.

 

[enorm]

They are all free range animals. There is a fence around White sands monument but only to keep the oryx out and not in. For the past few years they have been trying to control the numbers by increased hunts. The military wants to keep the numbers to about 2000 on the range. Oryx can become pregnant shortly after dropping a calf. And from what I understand they can have 2 to 4 calves per year. The numbers were growing to fast and causing problems with the jobs on the base.

 

[mixedbag]

wow, never knew I met you.That was me at the bass pond.Funny thing,after spending 10,000on the boat I can only throw to the shore,lol
I got your point;be a hunter or have one handed to me.Not sure its a hunt for me now after hearing about it.Not really into the circus anymore;cool animal though