Ibex

LAST EDITED ON Apr-22-18 AT 07:59PM (MST)[p]I drew my oil tag this year ibex 2018. I am on cloud nine been putting in for about 8 years now. The lord above was looking out for me with the draw this year. Iv never been to the Florida?s so not sure what to expect. I hear the rock is vicious. Iv been watching YouTube vids of hunts nonstop since the draw lol. I'll be making a couple trips down this summer to scout and learn what's a good billy and what's a great billy. Any advice is appreciated as I have no experience with ibex. Iv always been a archery elk and deer hunter. Got some nice elk out of the Gila . But ibex is a whole different ball game. I'll be shooting a savage 110 hs persision in 300 win mag topped with a nightforce 5x22.5 .
 
I drew the late archery ibex tag this year on my second try. Anyone have any stories and advise they can give.
 
I know two of my friends kids that drew the youth Billy hunts.

Advice for that mountain.
1) get good leather gloves, you are going to fall
2) a pack that you can put your rifle in, you need your hands because you are going to fall
3) A walking stick helps because you are going to fall.
4)Good optics, find a Billy you want to harvest before you start to climb.
5) Glass in places you never dream an animal would be, they ain't like hunting deer, they will walk straight up cliffs you cant imagine an animal would go on.
6) Good range finder with angle compensation and be able to shoot 400-500 yards. Shots with 30-40-50% grades are not uncommon. you can get closer but being able to shoot at distance will help a lot.
7) Don't pull the trigger unless you can get to the spot the Ibex is at. Really think about this, Ibex are lost every year because they get shot in places they cant be recovered.
8) Be in the best shape you can be in. Its easy to kill an Ibex the first day but to be picky you will probably have to climb that mountain multiple times. Most hunters settle for a 35in because they won't/can't climb the mountain again.
9) A 45 Ibex is a shooter on that mountain right now and there aren't many of them. most have been harvesting around the 40 in area lately. You will see a bunch of 35ish Ibex, pass on those.

It is one of the most unique fun hunts you will ever go on, Enjoy!!
 
>I know two of my friends
>kids that drew the youth
>Billy hunts.
>
>Advice for that mountain.
>1) get good leather gloves, you
>are going to fall
>2) a pack that you can
>put your rifle in, you
>need your hands because you
>are going to fall
>3) A walking stick helps because
>you are going to fall.
>
>4)Good optics, find a Billy you
>want to harvest before you
>start to climb.
>5) Glass in places you never
>dream an animal would be,
>they ain't like hunting deer,
>they will walk straight up
>cliffs you cant imagine an
>animal would go on.
>6) Good range finder with angle
>compensation and be able to
>shoot 400-500 yards. Shots with
>30-40-50% grades are not
>uncommon. you can get
>closer but being able to
>shoot at distance will help
>a lot.
>7) Don't pull the trigger unless
>you can get to the
>spot the Ibex is at.
> Really think about this,
>Ibex are lost every year
>because they get shot in
>places they cant be recovered.
>
>8) Be in the best shape
>you can be in.
>Its easy to kill an
>Ibex the first day but
>to be picky you will
>probably have to climb that
>mountain multiple times. Most hunters
>settle for a 35in because
>they won't/can't climb the mountain
>again.
>9) A 45 Ibex is a
>shooter on that mountain right
>now and there aren't many
>of them. most have
>been harvesting around the 40
>in area lately. You
>will see a bunch of
>35ish Ibex, pass on those.
>
>
>It is one of the most
>unique fun hunts you will
>ever go on, Enjoy!!

That is some very good info.
 
I drew my OIL in 2013. I was fortunate and filled my tag on a 39? billy on the first day. I stayed at the Rockhound state park, it was reasonable rates and accommodations. Keep in mind if you have a UTV you cannot drive it in and out of the park, it has to be trailered. That was an issue for a gentleman I met that used had a toy hauler. Take snake gators too, you may seem them in December
 
>I drew my OIL in 2013.
>I was fortunate and filled
>my tag on a 39?
>billy on the first day.
>I stayed at the Rockhound
>state park, it was reasonable
>rates and accommodations. Keep in
>mind if you have a
>UTV you cannot drive it
>in and out of the
>park, it has to be
>trailered. That was an issue
>for a gentleman I met
>that used had a toy
>hauler. Take snake gators too,
>you may seem them in
>December

That's good info to know. My family might want to go with me on my muzzleloader hunt and I hoped to be able to drive my atv from there.

I've hunted it twice...once bivy hunted for a week on the bow hunt and the second time when you could tag 2 on the depredation hunt. Of course I stayed on the rock both those times.
 
I drew the muzzy tag, and my buddy drew late archery. 1st time in the draw for both of us, both NR.
I still think it's a joke the NMDGF is playing on me, and they aren't going to send me my carcass tag. I haven't had the money to apply for this until this year, but I've been looking at it and wishing for a decade.
Anybody else out there with the muzzy tag?
 
LAST EDITED ON May-15-18 AT 10:35AM (MST)[p]So how does ibex taste??? I hear meat is pretty bad when they are rutting in nov... has anybody tried it???
 
Bluff, did you get your e-mail from G and F sent to ALL successful applicants that the carcass tags are being sent out within the next two weeks? Good luck.
 
I did, and I'm due 2 carcass tags, and I hope they show up before I move!

Already trying to figure out best access, and deciding whether I need to cut my AZ elk hunt a few days short to get in a good billy for opening day?

Anybody have any thoughts?
 
Being there opening day isn't that important. The rifle hunt and gov tags ( maybe) will have already hunted before the muzzleloader so it's not like you the first hunt on the mountain. It's a long hunt and there is a lot of billies in the 40in range. If your AZ tag is a good one I would take full advantage then hunt ibex.
 
>LAST EDITED ON May-15-18
>AT 10:35?AM (MST)
>
>So how does ibex taste???
>I hear meat is pretty
>bad when they are rutting
>in nov... has anybody tried
>it???

Have you ever smelled one ?
 
I had Muzzleloader billy ibex tags in both 2015 and 2018. About 2 in 1000 draw odds for each draw - and I drew twice in 3 years. I had reasonable opportunities but came home empty both times.

PM me if you draw and I will be happy to share a few pointers to get you started. The ibex are everywhere on the floridas, little floridas and even the "baby" floridas.

Ibex NR archery at $1600 is insane. But the locals with exact knowledge of where the ibex will run through a given crack when "driven" can produce reasonable shot opportunities.
 
I just got back from the archery hunt and Ibex are not everywhere like in the old days. The G&F has really knocked their numbers down. They are still there don't get me wrong, but not everywhere. Becareful on the Little's....Kiowa outfitters has "leased" the ranch lands surrounding it and has basically tried to claim that all to themselves and their hunters. You used to be able to access them from the east side by the deli, but now they have a little watch dog running everyone off from that side. The road going up the middle to the radio towers also has a private land sign that says it shut it down. Don't let them fool you, this is a public access road easement. You can drive through it all the way to the north tower. You of course can't hunt the private land but you CAN drive through it. Don't let Kiowa tell you otherwise. This is a blatant attempt to claim the little's for themselves. Don't allow it! PM me and I'll give you some pointers on where we saw them. We saw them everyday, just couldn't get closer than 142 yds for a bow shot. good luck, this is the best hunt in North America
 
This is Kiowa Hunting Service and before everyone goes and listens to Mr. Parecido you need to be aware of a few items. First there is no public access to the towers. It was abandoned several years ago. If you do not believe contact the local Game and Fish Officer, the Las Cruces office or the Bureau of Land Management office in Las Cruces and lastly the local County Assessor. The road is a private road.

Secondly, yes we did lease the Spier ranch and we did it because the ranch was tired of picking up trash, having their gates torn up and people going up their private road to the towers and then hunting on the property saying they were going to BLM land. They have even been threatened on their own property by individuals posing as hunters, when asked to leave. The ranch was tired of misinformation being spread, as in Mr. Parecido is doing. When we were OFFERED the lease I contacted Game and Fish and BLM and told them what was being planned. They researched it and found that it was private and the Spier ranch has the power to lease it, post it, and their is no public access on that portion of the mountain

No, we do not have some guy patrolling the road and no you cannot drive across private property, on a private road, when permission has been denied. The defense of Mr. Parecido said I could, will not stand up in court. The majority of hunters understand the law and abide by the wishes of the private landowner and that is what we are doing. We have only had one instance to call in law enforcement so far.

Do what you would like, but research it, call the agencies that oversee it and make sure what you do. You can still hunt the public land on the Little's, just not the private and the road. You can access on foot but for those of you that have to have a ride up to the top that is over. Next year there will be a gate on the road blocking the access totally. There will be a sign placed below on private property advising that the road is blocked and that there is no turn around areas and that you need to do it lower. Again this has all been cleared with Game and Fish and the BLM.

You have the whole Florida Mountains to hunt and you are now concerned about private land on the Little Florida's.
 
One question I have is now that Kiowa has access to drive up, are they allowed to drive on the BLM beyond the private?

Honestly I have no problem with private gating their property if it's not a public road. But when that occurs it chaps me that private can drive on the public land beyond which is gated from public vehicles.
 
Smarba, Just a thought. If you had landlocked property with public domain access beyond it, would you drive it to access that land beyond it? I believe most would?
 
Oso said:
This is Kiowa Hunting Service and before everyone goes and listens to Mr. Parecido you need to be aware of a few items. First there is no public access to the towers. It was abandoned several years ago. If you do not believe contact the local Game and Fish Officer, the Las Cruces office or the Bureau of Land Management office in Las Cruces and lastly the local County Assessor. The road is a private road.

Secondly, yes we did lease the Spier ranch and we did it because the ranch was tired of picking up trash, having their gates torn up and people going up their private road to the towers and then hunting on the property saying they were going to BLM land. They have even been threatened on their own property by individuals posing as hunters, when asked to leave. The ranch was tired of misinformation being spread, as in Mr. Parecido is doing. When we were OFFERED the lease I contacted Game and Fish and BLM and told them what was being planned. They researched it and found that it was private and the Spier ranch has the power to lease it, post it, and their is no public access on that portion of the mountain

No, we do not have some guy patrolling the road and no you cannot drive across private property, on a private road, when permission has been denied. The defense of Mr. Parecido said I could, will not stand up in court. The majority of hunters understand the law and abide by the wishes of the private landowner and that is what we are doing. We have only had one instance to call in law enforcement so far.

Do what you would like, but research it, call the agencies that oversee it and make sure what you do. You can still hunt the public land on the Little's, just not the private and the road. You can access on foot but for those of you that have to have a ride up to the top that is over. Next year there will be a gate on the road blocking the access totally. There will be a sign placed below on private property advising that the road is blocked and that there is no turn around areas and that you need to do it lower. Again this has all been cleared with Game and Fish and the BLM.

You have the whole Florida Mountains to hunt and you are now concerned about private land on the Little Florida's.
Click to expand...


I spoke with the local Game and Fish officer and he was the one who informed me that the road up the middle was in fact an easement access road. I never said it wasn't private. It is a private road with an easement access which I will dig up at the county assessor. The no hunting on private land is one thing, every sportsman can respect that. But what bother's me is an outfitter leasing a small chunk of land for the benefit of his clients and all but shutting off the public land access that doesn't require miles of hiking around just to get to the base of the cliffs. Are you leasing the land for anything other than hunting? So in essence you know control the Little's as your private ibex hunting area. When I was glassing the area on public land, you in fact had a person stationed there as a look out. I spoke with other hunters who shared the same story of this person running them off.
 
Toklat, yes I would drive through my private to access the public. But I'm saying the road on the other side entirely on public should be closed so nobody, including the private, can drive on it. I realize that probably isn't going to happen.
 
Smarba, totally agree with you and point I was trying to make in conjunction with the rest of the posts. Unfortunate but happens throughout our state.
 
As far as the public access goes I’m from Texas so it is very confusing to me. In Texas you don’t cross private land period doesn’t mater what’s on other side. Lots of public land land locked. So none of it made sense to me. I found several no trespassing signs and people just drove right past them. One while I was standing there. So I talked to the warden about that one and he said yeah you can just drive on by that. Goes against everything I was raised on hunting. In CO it’s the same as Texas. Don’t cross private land to get to public. I also hunted CO this year and found a huge area of BLM and when I got there the road was rebuilt to go through about 100 ft of private land and I couldn’t get to it. Called warden on that one also and he said don’t cross it. So that land owner moved the road a little and land locked thousands of acres. If on x is right about 80 thousand acres. I don’t think it’s right but it happens. I would just suggest find other ibex. There are lots on the Biggs no need to fight over land on the littles.
 
NM state or county maintained roads that cross private allow you to do just that .... Unless a sign posted by county or state saying otherwise.
 
The "big oil" company worked with the land agency as part of the COA to move the public road, likely as a means of reducing road density according to the agency's management plan.

A LO cannot wake up Monday morning and decide to move 75' of public road onto their property for the sole purpose of keeping you from accessing public via that same road.
 
The road up on top to the Little Floridas is easily passable in a 4wd pickup. And always will be due to the several towers up there.

The old mining road to the top of the Floridas at Mahoney park was barely passable in my jeep in 2015. But when I had the tag again in 2018, it was massively washed out. Unpassable by jeep, atv or even motorcycle. You now have to hike that road up to the old abandoned minor's cabin.
 
Apologies as just now read the entire trail. I cannot speak to current status of the access road on the Little Florida's after the Kiowa rights acquisition discussed above.

That must have happened after I last freely used that road in Dec, 2018. Several towers up there. A technician was up there servicing one tower all day one day I was up there.

You can often glass the billies up from the bottom and hike up. But shuttling up on top via that road was often great for logistics. So, congratulations to Kiowa and their competitive advantage due to this acquisition.
 

Similar threads

Country
Changing your application
Replies
4
Views
391
Kooper1021
K
N
The Gun Law
Replies
1
Views
548
Slick8
Slick8
andygrand
Mexico 2023 Video
Replies
9
Views
793
ridgerunner
ridgerunner

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

Screenshot_20221226_200010_Chrome.jpg
DB272DCB-10FB-4BA6-8252-5C041785D592.jpeg
Dark-Antlered Trophy Muley for The_Coloradoboy
6C622794-0D35-486C-AFD7-1409B81D518E.jpeg
MD217.jpg
IMG_3189.jpeg
IMG_20211027_183932_424.jpg
IMG_20211029_104914_107.jpg
82A00EF3-334A-4285-B70B-986034FFACE8.jpeg
IMG_0828.jpeg
IMG_0439.PNG
IMG_0288.jpeg

New Mexico Guides & Outfitters

H & A Outfitters

Private and public land hunts since 1992 for elk, mule deer, sheep, pronghorn, black Bear & lion hunts.

505 Outfitters

Public and private land big game hunts. Rifle, muzzleloader and archery hunts available. Free Draw Application Service!

Sierra Blanca Outfitters

Offering a wide array of hunt opportunities and putting clients in prime position to bag a trophy.

Urge 2 Hunt

Hunts in New Mexico on private ranches and remote public land in the top units. Elk vouchers available.

Mangas Outfitters

Landowner tags available! Hunt big bulls and bucks. Any season and multiple hunt units to choose from.

Back
Top Bottom