Drew Ibex

[ortegageno]

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

 

[mossback50cal]

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!

 

[Outdoordan]

Congrats! Take lot's of pictures!

 

[nmtaxi]

Congrats Geno!!! Of course you drew once they took the scopes away...

 

[RetiredArmyGuy]

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.

 

[ortegageno]

Thanks, ya I finally drew that dang tag after 30 years of applying. They gave it to me now that I'm old as hell and out of shape.

 

[roadrunner]

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

On or off range?

 

[Reuben_Soady]

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. ..

 

[yotebuster17]

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.

 

[SDBugler]

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!!!

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.

 

[roadrunner]

Watch out for the Coyotes...

 

[ortegageno]

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.

 

[smarba]

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.

 

[roadrunner]

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

 

[SDBugler]

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.

 

[coryb]

I’ve hunted them with a bow three times. Feel free to call me at 505–304–2363.

 

[TFAvalanche]

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

If you find someone with a helo let me know, I have the OIL rifle in Nov!

 

[odukecity505o]

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

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.

 

[ortegageno]

Has anyone ever stayed up there in a tent during the Feb hunt? Or is it too cold.

 

[coryb]

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).

 

[RetiredArmyGuy]

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

 

[billc]

congrats on the tag hope the hunt is a great one.

 

[NMPaul]

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.

 

[Toro]

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!! 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!!

 

[ortegageno]

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.

 

[Toro]

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!!

 

[ortegageno]

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.