ixsolracxi
Active Member
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- 596
Well, back in March, my g/f applied for antelope and oil oryx and as luck would have it, drew both in her first attempt...she took a really nice goat back in August on the Kennedy #2 Ranch so now it was time for Oryx...it seemed like forever before February 20 would arrive but it finally did...
...after orientation and check in Friday, we headed out to hunt about 1pm...we saw lots of sign but no Oryx, we did run into a herd of 5 deer with a decent buck at about 70 yards...on our way back to the gate to check out for the day we had two brownies run across the road in front of us, ok, the seal was broken, saw two oryx...
We checked in the next morning at 615 and headed to our hunt spot for the day (we couldn't hunt this area the day before due to military operations)...we started seeing oryx about 30 minutes into the morning but the first two were broken horns...we then had chances at 2 nice animals, one we estimated at about 38" with really heavy bases...unfortunately, the two chances Ape had at shots she couldn't steady herself because of the excitement...the next 3 hours we continued to spot animals but they were either broken or too far away for a shot...finally, a little after 11 we spotted a herd and got into range...she missed her first shot and they took off...we continued up hill after them when they finally stopped and offered a 2nd shot...this time she connected...the herd continued up and over the hill and the oryx she shot headed down hill...Ape and I head downhill and spot the oryx under a juniper but the oryx takes off...we look for it downhill and across the canyon but can't locate it, can't find blood either but we know the shot was a good hit because the oryx bedded less than 100 yards from where it was shot...her dad makes his way to us and we continue to look for any sign of the oryx...I head back up to the area it was bedded while they stay below and look...I find tracks, call for Ape to come to where I am in case we spot it so she can take a shot...more tracks are found and finally some blood...I wait next to a juniper as they are making their way up to my position when her dad says there it is...it was on the other side of the juniper from me...I go around to them, the oryx remains bedded and Ape gets her shot at about 10 yards and the hunt is over...it was an amazing experience, I had never been on a White Sands hunt before...her kill was a cow with 28.5" and 29.5" horns...very proud of her!!!
...after orientation and check in Friday, we headed out to hunt about 1pm...we saw lots of sign but no Oryx, we did run into a herd of 5 deer with a decent buck at about 70 yards...on our way back to the gate to check out for the day we had two brownies run across the road in front of us, ok, the seal was broken, saw two oryx...
We checked in the next morning at 615 and headed to our hunt spot for the day (we couldn't hunt this area the day before due to military operations)...we started seeing oryx about 30 minutes into the morning but the first two were broken horns...we then had chances at 2 nice animals, one we estimated at about 38" with really heavy bases...unfortunately, the two chances Ape had at shots she couldn't steady herself because of the excitement...the next 3 hours we continued to spot animals but they were either broken or too far away for a shot...finally, a little after 11 we spotted a herd and got into range...she missed her first shot and they took off...we continued up hill after them when they finally stopped and offered a 2nd shot...this time she connected...the herd continued up and over the hill and the oryx she shot headed down hill...Ape and I head downhill and spot the oryx under a juniper but the oryx takes off...we look for it downhill and across the canyon but can't locate it, can't find blood either but we know the shot was a good hit because the oryx bedded less than 100 yards from where it was shot...her dad makes his way to us and we continue to look for any sign of the oryx...I head back up to the area it was bedded while they stay below and look...I find tracks, call for Ape to come to where I am in case we spot it so she can take a shot...more tracks are found and finally some blood...I wait next to a juniper as they are making their way up to my position when her dad says there it is...it was on the other side of the juniper from me...I go around to them, the oryx remains bedded and Ape gets her shot at about 10 yards and the hunt is over...it was an amazing experience, I had never been on a White Sands hunt before...her kill was a cow with 28.5" and 29.5" horns...very proud of her!!!
