Ibex Hunting

Should NMDGF manage for 40" billies? 45" billies" 50" billies?

What say ye'?

Are you asking if we think the department's goal is to have more 40-50 inch Billies out there? If so say no, that would require a reduction in tags. I would like to know if they have ever looked into the possibility of a transplant of a few into another secluded mountain range where they likely won't be competing with other animals for resources. Perhaps there would be more hunting opprotunities for the next generation. We spend so much money on BHS that will never thrive without heavy intervention due to being easy prey and possibly die from a common cold. Ibex, Barbary and oryx are resilient.

Fine, then go to the Dept. and say so..... I ask the question because currently the Florida Mts. are the only mountain range that ibex are "allowed" to be on..... So, what is management goal???? Understanding, "exotics" are not allowed on any other mt. range. I think if the goal is to increase the average horn length on ibex billies harvested, then we need to decrease ES licenses, just my opinion......

They aren't managed for trophy quality, they are managed to meet a population objective. That's why they have the F/IM cluster frank shooting gallery goat rope circuses.

The fact that they are confined to the Floridas only means they cant' really manage for trophy quality in the way you are asking the question.

Is the Department of Game and Fish' purpose to manage the game herds to provide the best opportunity for hunters? Or to use hunting as a tool to manage the game herds so they remain healthy?

New Mexico is very fortunate to have and provide these exotic opportunities, but native species will always win if there is ever any kind of tug of war. The department doesn't care about our trophy rooms.

NMDGF needs to take full advantage of the Ibex resource and manage the population to where there are 50' bullies on the mountain. Anyone who has spent some time on the Floridas can tell you that the mountains can sustain a population of 1500 Ibex pretty easy. With those numbers, you can have good F-IM hunts, and have giant billies for the OIL hunts.

LAST EDITED ON Apr-28-18 AT 10:08PM (MST)[p]>Fine, then go to the Dept.
>and say so..... I
>ask the question because currently
>the Florida Mts. are the
>only mountain range that ibex
>are "allowed" to be on.....
>So, what is management goal????
> Understanding, "exotics" are not
>allowed on any other mt.
>range. I think if
>the goal is to increase
>the average horn length on
>ibex billies harvested, then we
>need to decrease ES licenses,
>just my opinion......


Oh I get it, the Florida Mountains being so isolated is the only reason why they were put there. I'm just saying I think it would be good to visit the idea of seeing if there is another suitable area that can hold them. It would be a few years before they would reach numbers where they can be hunted, but there will be some big ones in there! For example, in 1970 16 ibex were transplanted into the Florida?s. 1980 was the first ibex hunt in Florida?s and someone killed a 60? Billie.
I would just rather see more opportunities for people to hunt them versus reducing opportunities to hunt just to add a few more inches on the horns. Just my opinion.
And all the other exotics in NM have expanded their original ranges. Barbary started at the Canadian River area and expanded. Oryx are now being seen in Mountainair and some claim to have seen them in the foothills of the Manzanos.
So I guess I want to know why ibex can only exist in the Florida?s. That might be a good Monday morning phone call or email for me to make

The game and fish can not manage that way because the BLM will not allow them to hold more than (400 animals , IBEX ) on the range. So with the number way above 400, there is no way Game and fish will ever be able to manage for quality. If You were one of the luck hunters to hunt Ibex in the last 10 years you got to hunt Ibex in the Golden years in NM.