First off, congratulations, great pics gentlemen...
And yes Stallion is a tough hunt, but rewarding if you put the work into it as you can see. Stallion and Rhodes are both challenging hunts. However, it doesn't help when hunters consistently believe everything they read and hear from previous hunters that hunted just several years ago. Hunter expectations are blown out of the water and Saturday afternoon they find themselves not prepared for the hunt. Oryx hunting in the last several years requires preparation and dedication in order to kill out on any of the two ranges. You must glass and glass hard before you put your boots on the ground. For example, the night before the hunt I ran into a non-resident hunter at the hotel. He started to give me a detailed plan that was sure to be successful based on several conversations he had with other hunters. It was clear he was under the impression he was going to drive to the "spot" and kill a monster. I am all for being positive and confident but you have to be realistic. I did my best to constructively let him know that he needed to glass and glass hard before walking out into the desert to his spot. I told him not to be afraid to glass a mile or more out. His mood quickly became very defensive before I got the "LOOK". The "Look" like I was trying to discourage him and I didn't know what I was talking about. I tried my best, but he didn't want to hear anything I had to say so our encounter was very short. The sad thing was he was by himself which led me to try to give him some extra help but he was relying on information that no longer holds true for Oryx hunts in NM. These are no longer "Road Hunts". You can't just drive around and pick out the one you want. You have to have some basic hunting skills and some good hunting buddies. Of course, you will have small percentage that catch animals near the road as they get pushed around, but overall these hunts are exactly that, a true hunting experience that very rarely does not provide at least several opportunities. Which leads me to my next item....Opportunities? When you get one it may be your last so you have to have an intimate relationship with your rifle in order to put on a kill shot, less then 10% of hunters kill an Oryx with one shot. Too many hunters wound too many animals because they don't put in the time at the range and in the field off a bench. I could go on and on, but ultimately hunting is about the experience! It's about your family, friends, it's about the stalk, and it's about the preparation. For me, harvesting an animal regardless of the species just makes that experience that much more special, but it doesn't define the hunt. These aren't cull road hunts that everyone was use too and looks forward too. These are now genuine hunts!
In regards to the non-resident hunter I ran into at the hotel, I was able to follow up with him on Sunday and he didn't see ONE Oryx on Saturday. On Sunday he had enough and left by noon, BUT not after missing the one opportunity he got at a nice looking bull at 150 yards. Preparation, Dedication and Opportunities!