Drew Ibex

You can definitely use my helicopter!!!! I’ve found shooting open sights is like shooting a shotgun, point and pull the trigger! No fine aiming required. I’ll send you the gps coordinates to the monster billy I’m looking at at this very moment!

All joking aside, if you did draw the ibex hunt, good luck!
 
So look at a map and find Gym peak, to the west there is an old cabin about a mile away. There is a road that leads to the cabin from the bottom of the mountain. Don’t take a truck up the road! I couldn’t get all the way up even on ATV. I killed my Billie just a few hundred yards from the cabin. It turned out that road saved my legs getting to the top and made recovery easier. Those things are kind of nomadic so it’s not a matter of where do they hang out, whereas it’s more of a matter of being able to get up and down the mountain safely. Good luck and tell that pile of rocks I said hello.
 
Just drew Ibex , if someone has a helicopter I can borrow it would be much appreciated. Oh also if anyone knows how to shot a dang muzzle loader open sight that will help. Oh and 1 more thing, where can I find one of these critters, no honey holes please. Lol:D:D

On or off range?
 
Crap... I read the first three words and though WAY TO GENO! so the thumbs up. Then the rest, just like any other FNG where's the honey holes? Can I borrow an ATV? Where do I start...? (But you Geno are welcome to use my chopper too if you need a ride either way. ..
 
I had it about a decade ago. Back when the NR draw odds were 1:20. Wish I had had my long range muzzy back then. Get one and set it up with a peep and globe.
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My son had the youth tag back in 2011. It is a fun hunt and a very unique experience.

For his hunt I scouted for about 5 days. Then the day before the season, mom put him on a plane after school and I picked him up at airport in Albuquerque. We got back to the base of the mountain opening morning just in time to start hiking up.
We blew a stalk opening morning (our fault because we spent too much time trying to decide which of the 8 billies to shoot). However, that afternoon we got into a small group of billies and he made a perfect 305 yard shot.

You can drive around the base of the mountain and glass up a LOT of animals but getting to them can be difficult and other hunters will likely be on them or spook them before you can get to them. We decided to get up on the mountain and then glass for them.
I think if you are looking for the biggest billy then glassing a lot from below is probably the best method, but for us we weren't too concerned about shooting the biggest billy on the mountain but rather shooting a respectable animal and enjoying the hunt together.

RetiredArmy Guy gave you some good advice for a good way to get up the mountain, but there will be lots of people coming up that route so expect company. It is a rough road. We watched two ATV's drive up that road. One was an overloaded 4-seater that ended up breaking an axle. The other was a side x side that had difficulty in a couple areas. So even with an ATV it is a nasty route.

Good luck and enjoy the hunt!!!

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BTW - my wife and I allowed our son to take a week off from school for his hunt. I had a CO mountain goat tag with concurrent season dates as his hunt. So since he harvested opening day he was able to go with me on my mountain goat hunt the rest of the week. He ended up glassing up what appeared to be a nice billy on the last day before he had to fly back home. The goat was too far away and we didn't have enough time remaining that day to put a stalk on that day, but I drove him back to Colorado Springs that afternoon to fly home and I returned and hiked back in in the dark and ended up shooting the goat he had glassed up the next morning.
 
Very nice and congrats to all that have had success at a harvest. Their are only 15 tags so it shouldn't be too crowded. I'm gonna give it hell but I'm not gonna kill myself either looking for the state record. The 1st good one that I can get into range I'm making smoke. ? ?
 
Any advice from a handful of years ago is nearly moot. The population, especially mature billies, is WAY down. Best of luck, be ready to work hard.

Kind of like when a guy says he hunted oryx once on Stallion 15 years ago but can fill the guy in this year that drew on what to expect :LOL:
 
Yes the population is way down from 10 years ago. But access, strategies, suggestions, advice from those that have been there can still be useful. Especially on a hunt that VERY FEW people have had a chance to experience. I know when my son drew I was getting advice and reading about those that hunted it 10 years before his hunt.
 
Just drew Ibex , if someone has a helicopter I can borrow it would be much appreciated. Oh also if anyone knows how to shot a dang muzzle loader open sight that will help. Oh and 1 more thing, where can I find one of these critters, no honey holes please. Lol:D:D
If you find someone with a helo let me know, I have the OIL rifle in Nov!
 
Just drew Ibex , if someone has a helicopter I can borrow it would be much appreciated. Oh also if anyone knows how to shot a dang muzzle loader open sight that will help. Oh and 1 more thing, where can I find one of these critters, no honey holes please. Lol:D:D
Congratulations!! I drew for ibex this year for F/IM but I am still pumped to get up there and experience the hunt!! I will be up there in December I will send you some pings if I get on some mature males.
 
I’ve backpacked and camped up top on the January bow hunt. I wouldn’t do that again.

By the time you carry up gear, food, water for days, etc, you have a very heavy pack. Even in good shape, that is hard to do. It took us 5 hours up with 85 lb packs and we were good and sore the next day while hunting. You can make it up in less than two hours if you go light and fast. Also had a problem with ringtail cats stealing our food at night. Lastly, moving a bit in the mountain often requires losing a bunch of elevation and then regaining it, negating a lot of the value of camping up high.

I’ve experienced better hunting using a base camp at rock hound and making daily trips up (with some off days to recoup and shoot quail).
 
I’ve backpacked and camped up top on the January bow hunt. I wouldn’t do that again.

By the time you carry up gear, food, water for days, etc, you have a very heavy pack. Even in good shape, that is hard to do. It took us 5 hours up with 85 lb packs and we were good and sore the next day while hunting. You can make it up in less than two hours if you go light and fast. Also had a problem with ringtail cats stealing our food at night. Lastly, moving a bit in the mountain often requires losing a bunch of elevation and then regaining it, negating a lot of the value of camping up high.

I’ve experienced better hunting using a base camp at rock hound and making daily trips up (with some off days to recoup and shoot quail
Yea after doing that hike up the mountain I can see why you wouldn’t do that again. That hunt was the hardest pack out I have ever done. I’d rather haul an elk than to pack out another ibex
 
I’ve backpacked and camped up top on the January bow hunt. I wouldn’t do that again.

By the time you carry up gear, food, water for days, etc, you have a very heavy pack. Even in good shape, that is hard to do. It took us 5 hours up with 85 lb packs and we were good and sore the next day while hunting. You can make it up in less than two hours if you go light and fast. Also had a problem with ringtail cats stealing our food at night. Lastly, moving a bit in the mountain often requires losing a bunch of elevation and then regaining it, negating a lot of the value of camping up high.

I’ve experienced better hunting using a base camp at rock hound and making daily trips up (with some off days to recoup and shoot quail).
Did that one hunt as well. You never end up on the right peak. You are always making an unnecessary hike back to a camp that is not where you need to be.
 
Geno - I know you buddy and thinking your old bald ass is gonna pack in a camp and stay up there in Feb you're not thinking right or you're hitting the Old Crow again!! :LOL: USMC days are 30yrs behind you partner, us old vets stay in hotels, eat breakfast at the cafe, hunt from 10-2, then drink beer and lie to each other about hunts like this!!
 
Oh buddy, the boot camp training has begun. But instead of 13 weeks like 30 years ago, now my old ass is doing 8 months. I've seen a few videos of caves up there, all I need is a sleeping bag and I'll hide in there until one dumb Ibex comes wandering in . Then I'll blow his ass off the mountain. ? ?
 
Well let Tega and I know, we can glass from the bottom while sitting on a cooler full of cold beer and a bottle or 2!! But you arent getting my ol ass wandering up them hills to carry no stinking goat down!!
 
Just bring long ropes and good climbing gear. Oh I forgot you Flyboys don't know how to repell. Lol . Heck no you and Tega will be drunk pointing me in the wrong direction just to laugh at me chasing ghosts up there while the goats are on the other peak.
 
If anyone is heading down to the Florida's, please give updates on the roads. I've never been there I'd like to know if I can get a camper trailer near the base and if there are designated camping spots available. Thanks for any info.
 
State park probably best bet for camper. You will be driving round and round and stopping to glass up, use the biggest spotter you can. Then up and up some more once you find them and back down to find another group. As mentioned, numbers are way down, a mid 40's billy is not one to pass up. Had one of the 2 NR rifle tags 2 years ago and used KIOWA. They had a team of 5 spotters covering the whole range and it was still hard to find animals to go after. I missed a 44ish one on the south end at 450 yards on a high angle on day 2. Killed mine day 3. Of the archery tags that year, they had 17 hunters, 1 drew blood. Of the 3 rifle hunters, one shot a small one out of the group I missed on the back of the ridge, other guy was military and ate his tag after 5 days, mine was largest taken that year. Hopefully animals are starting to recover. Have a lion tag in your pocket, they are everywhere but still hard to see. Snakes abundant too, be careful if its warm at all.

2nd pic was steep rock chute we went up and down. Have good leather gloves, sticky boots, kneepads not worst idea either.

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If anyone is heading down to the Florida's, please give updates on the roads. I've never been there I'd like to know if I can get a camper trailer near the base and if there are designated camping spots available. Thanks for any info.
Hey buddy, don't leave, twist, smash or trash another camper axle!! Take a spare and tools this time!! Good luck
 
Last year was my last year to apply. Age and heath issues have become a reality. started applying in the mid to late 70's and never could draw that tag. same with the oryx but that is flat ground and I will continue to apply for that one. lots of my friends have hunted them and taken them including one taking a nice Billie out of the Canadian river in northern New Mexico when they were there (different species).
 
If anyone is heading down to the Florida's, please give updates on the roads. I've never been there I'd like to know if I can get a camper trailer near the base and if there are designated camping spots available. Thanks for any info.
I was there opening morning / day for my OIL rifle. Rockhound was full up for RVs all week but I live in southern NM so I drive in and out everyday. Gap Road on the east side is flat but rocky as a MF I wouldn’t trust trailer tires on it. I have a lifted F250 with some pretty rugged tires and was expecting a TPMS light and I thought she would shake apart. I saw a horse trailer below Florida peak off to the side of the road. There’s also two pretty steep washouts that my trailer would bottom out on, a 35 ft bumper pull but a 5th wheel might clear it. No rain in the forecast so I don’t see road conditions changing. I could only get out there the first day and had to come back for work so I’ll be heading back out either Friday or Saturday. I have until the 29th but everyday I’m not out on an OIL rifle tag it eats me up.

I will say I glassed from sun up to sun down from a major peak to a major peak and saw 2 birds 3 cows and a million yuccas that caught my eye. Definitely a challenging hunt.

Av
 
The numbers are WAY down since game & fish hammered the nannies. I heard they went from something like 800 animals to 200...
 
The numbers are WAY down since game & fish hammered the nannies. I heard they went from something like 800 animals to 200...
The Game and Fish motto…. “We hate hunters and love wolves, cause **** you” except for you Rio you’re alright…
 
I swear the management plan often seems like "kill them off, so we can work to help them recover" sort of job security type of thing. Doesn't matter if we're talking about deer, ibex, elk, pronghorn...

Maybe I'm just too simple minded and don't understand?
 
I swear the management plan often seems like "kill them off, so we can work to help them recover" sort of job security type of thing. Doesn't matter if we're talking about deer, ibex, elk, pronghorn...

Maybe I'm just too simple minded and don't understand?
I think you’re on to something.
 
I’ll do a little write up but short answer is no. Ended up testing Rough Country’s lifetime warranty on a suspension part though.

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I’m been a fan of RC since they opened their doors and have great luck with them and plan on using it on my new truck I got last year. I guess as long as they take care off it sometimes things just fail. What broke?
 
Tough hunt with lower densities to be sure and it requires a lot of luck to get one solo any more. Sorry it didnt work out!
 

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