delmag1942
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Anyone out there getting ready to chase Oryx this weekend?
Oryx 2011
- Thread starter delmag1942
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delmag1942
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Rhodes Canyon?
S
seedsman
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I am leaving tomorrow for the Rhodes hunt this weekend.
D
diamondj
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I will be on the Stallion in a couple weeks. Black 1/2 ton crew dodge.
delmag1942
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Drove straight through from Iowa last night after work! Lounging around the Super 8 in Alamogordo as I type!
D
dazed
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yahoo I'll be on the stalion 12 and 13 anyone heard reports from the last hunt good luck to you all
I was just on the Jan 15th stallion hunt with my little brother. Lots of broken horn and quality is down. We did see lots of Oryx the oryx were very skittish and you had to hunt to get within range. My brother was looking for a monster and passed a lot of oryx only to kill a broken cow last minute. I know we didn't see every oryx on the place but the best one we could find in 2 days of hard hunting was a 36 inch bull. (he missed) kinda dissapointing as I killed a 38 inch bull a few years back and we hoped to top that. All I can say is get high and glass, watch the wind and shoot the first decent one you see, oh and broken horns can be fixed very easly.
Jeffpg
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Hey fellows, I have a question for ya.
I'm currently offshore working and will get off just in time to drive out from Mississippi to New Mexico for my hunt. I'll be staying in Socorro and driving to the Stallion Range on WSMR to hunt Feb. 12 & 13.
My guns are sighted in, but I'm hoping to have time to fire a couple of confidence shots after getting there, just for the warm fuzzy.
Do you know of a range nearby where I can shoot? I'd like to shoot out to the 300 yard mark, where I'm zeroed, but I'll take what I can get.
Thanks,
Jeff
I'm currently offshore working and will get off just in time to drive out from Mississippi to New Mexico for my hunt. I'll be staying in Socorro and driving to the Stallion Range on WSMR to hunt Feb. 12 & 13.
My guns are sighted in, but I'm hoping to have time to fire a couple of confidence shots after getting there, just for the warm fuzzy.
Do you know of a range nearby where I can shoot? I'd like to shoot out to the 300 yard mark, where I'm zeroed, but I'll take what I can get.
Thanks,
Jeff
Cuacopollo
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Jeff:
If you have a box or board, you can shoot on BLM land just north of the missile range.
If you have a box or board, you can shoot on BLM land just north of the missile range.
delmag1942
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Sorry guys. Had a hard time posting pictures (first time).
Anyway, as can be seen I was successful in taking a 40.5" cow LATE Sunday up in the "mountains" of Rhodes Canyon. I figured going in that going "deep" would be better than multiple short stalks. That would limit me to 2-3 stalks per day. Got up close enough to a couple of 37"ish on Saturday morning and passed. Saturday afternoon got wind of some Oryx up in the mountains. Once again got up on some 38"ish "passers". Sunday morning made a LONG play on what looked to be maybe 40", wind was bad and in the tall greasewood it got the slip on me. By the time I got back it was afternoon. Went to glassing the mountains spotted a single Oryx. Decided this was my final chance. The wind was bad, but figured it would change. After 2 miles (800 yards to go), the wind changed 180 degrees...GAME ON! Got to the ridgetop and there was a big boulder in just the right place! Looked over the top and there were 15-20 Oryx with 3 potential shooters! Extensive glassing pointed out there were 3 in the 40" range. I picked the one on the sidehill as the largest body and most likely to provide a followup shot. Ranged at 275 looked through the scope....TOO MUCH SUN! Sat down for 20 minutes to let the sun settle behind the mountains. Reranged at 375. Rested the HS Precision on the rock, locked the VX-3 4.5-14xLR above the leg and let 'er fly! Dumped her right there! Along packout (8 PM) and my once-lifetime was complete. Guess it makes up for not punching my NR MT Moose tag this year.
Jeffpg
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Now, that's what I'm talkin' bout! Congratulations on a real trophy Oryx.
I have had my mind set on a big bull for my Stallion Range hunt this coming weekend, but a cow like that would turn my head around. I just hope I find what I'm looking for on the Stallion, as the reports that I have gotten are less promising that I'd like them to be.
Just how valuable do you consider your BogPod to be on this hunt, delmag?
I have had my mind set on a big bull for my Stallion Range hunt this coming weekend, but a cow like that would turn my head around. I just hope I find what I'm looking for on the Stallion, as the reports that I have gotten are less promising that I'd like them to be.
Just how valuable do you consider your BogPod to be on this hunt, delmag?
NMBOWHUNTR
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Delmag pm sent
delmag1942
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Some sort of shooting sticks is mandatory! The "flats" which most of Rhodes is, has greasewood bushes about bellybutton to nipple high so sitting/prone are out.
delmag1942
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Yes...I have both the Camo and Red one's. The camo one's are noisier when stalking, I need to get them "moleskinned".
A
AntlerAddictionOutfitters
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Awesome oryx David! Had an awesome time having you hunt with us! Post the pic of your buddy mikes 40 inch bull that was killed on the same hunt! Can't wait until our next adventure!
Jeffpg
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We dropped by Sportsmans Whse in Alburquerque on the way in to Socorro yesterday and picked up their next to last Red Legged Devil BogPod (among too many other things, had to pry myself outta there). I'd like to have BogGear's new Super Steady Combo but no one has it in stock yet. I can already tell their's is a fine shooting platform. Rock solid. It could make the difference...
Even after leaving home at midnight and driving straight through the 18 hour trip with only a short nap made possible by the help of my co-pilot Cristal, I am up at 3 am on Friday eager to get out and see the countryside. We will meet up with our new friend Larry soon for a day of getting aquainted with the area before beginning out hunt on Saturday morning.
It has been a very long wait since drawing the tag. I've gone through the initial excitement and planning stage, to actually planning other upcoming hunts to the extent of almost looking past this one, back to getting focused on Oryx and making the most of this one time opportunity. I am excited yet calm and confident about the hunt.
Thanks to all of you who have so generously and willingly offered help, even when not asked to do so. So far, due to your kindness and hospitality, my first hunting experience in New Mexico has been a delightful one. You guys make a non-resident neighbor feel right at home, and that is greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to a very unique experience on the WSMR, and I have big hopes and plans for future hunting with you fellows here in the land of enchantment.
Thanks,
Jeff
Even after leaving home at midnight and driving straight through the 18 hour trip with only a short nap made possible by the help of my co-pilot Cristal, I am up at 3 am on Friday eager to get out and see the countryside. We will meet up with our new friend Larry soon for a day of getting aquainted with the area before beginning out hunt on Saturday morning.
It has been a very long wait since drawing the tag. I've gone through the initial excitement and planning stage, to actually planning other upcoming hunts to the extent of almost looking past this one, back to getting focused on Oryx and making the most of this one time opportunity. I am excited yet calm and confident about the hunt.
Thanks to all of you who have so generously and willingly offered help, even when not asked to do so. So far, due to your kindness and hospitality, my first hunting experience in New Mexico has been a delightful one. You guys make a non-resident neighbor feel right at home, and that is greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to a very unique experience on the WSMR, and I have big hopes and plans for future hunting with you fellows here in the land of enchantment.
Thanks,
Jeff
J
JustDale
Guest
Let us know how the scouting trip goes. Will be following along until you head back to the house.
Dale
Dale
Jeffpg
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We left out this windy, cool morning and rode to a nearby shooting range where I checked my Remington 300RUM and it proved to be dead on at it's 300 yard zero. I'm slinging a 200 grain Nosler Accubond and hope to stand a big Oryx on his head with it.
We then rode and stopped and glassed all day, mostly just outside of the range boundary. Saw a lot of ruggedly beautiful country, but no Oryx or many critters of any kind. Did see some quail and a bald eagle, along with some Oryx tracks as they meandered along just outside the boundary. We ran into an excited off-range hunter who had just seen about 7 Oryx and got busted from only poking his head up above a ridgeline a few hundred yards from the animals. They had appeared to be heading off of the range, but he ended up turning them back onto it. He was surprised at the wariness of them.
As the day wore on and it warmed up, Cristal and I kept nodding off in Larrys' toasty pickup truck. Even after the long drive, I couldn't sleep a whole lot last night from simply being wired, I guess. I think I'll sleep tonight...
Larry know his business in this area and with these critters, and I remain confident that we will find a shooter during the next couple of days. This hunt is obviously not the cakewalk that it used to be, and that's just fine with me. I like a challenge anyway and sucess is always made sweeter by it.
Well, tomorrow is the first day of the hunt. Stay tuned...
We then rode and stopped and glassed all day, mostly just outside of the range boundary. Saw a lot of ruggedly beautiful country, but no Oryx or many critters of any kind. Did see some quail and a bald eagle, along with some Oryx tracks as they meandered along just outside the boundary. We ran into an excited off-range hunter who had just seen about 7 Oryx and got busted from only poking his head up above a ridgeline a few hundred yards from the animals. They had appeared to be heading off of the range, but he ended up turning them back onto it. He was surprised at the wariness of them.
As the day wore on and it warmed up, Cristal and I kept nodding off in Larrys' toasty pickup truck. Even after the long drive, I couldn't sleep a whole lot last night from simply being wired, I guess. I think I'll sleep tonight...
Larry know his business in this area and with these critters, and I remain confident that we will find a shooter during the next couple of days. This hunt is obviously not the cakewalk that it used to be, and that's just fine with me. I like a challenge anyway and sucess is always made sweeter by it.
Well, tomorrow is the first day of the hunt. Stay tuned...
Hunt lasted all of 10 minutes. Drove 2 miles from gate and stopped to glass. Turns out there was one 150 yards from where we parked. It walked away and we started the stalk. Couple of minutes later and she was down.
Ok, it was a broken horn tag, but it still ended a little sooner than we expected. Good luck to all the hunters still out there.
Ok, it was a broken horn tag, but it still ended a little sooner than we expected. Good luck to all the hunters still out there.
Jeffpg
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Had a fun yet tough first day of hunting on the Stallion Range. Hunted hard all day, covering a ton of country driving and made a couple of good short hikes. Only saw a total of 7 Oryx all day, and this is with a guy who is a professional guide and also worked on the WSMR for over 40 years... Larry knows his stuff. He showed us some awesome country and knew exactly where he was at all times. He shared the history of the area with us and did everything humanly possible to put a shooter animal in front of me, but he couldn't pull an Oryx out of his hat.
The quality of this hunt is WAY down from what it is reputed to be. Our best stalk of the day produced 2 Oryx that we spotted from the road. After closing in to view them for awhile, we found that the biggest one was a pretty cow with horns that were 33ish, and a much younger animal with future potential. I knew that the Rhodes Canyon area was somewhat better than Stallion, but I think a lot of hunters are disapointed with the lack of numbers and quality on the Stallion... I know I am. It is what it is though, and until the final bell rings on my hunt, I will remain positive and work to make it fun and successful.
The quality of this hunt is WAY down from what it is reputed to be. Our best stalk of the day produced 2 Oryx that we spotted from the road. After closing in to view them for awhile, we found that the biggest one was a pretty cow with horns that were 33ish, and a much younger animal with future potential. I knew that the Rhodes Canyon area was somewhat better than Stallion, but I think a lot of hunters are disapointed with the lack of numbers and quality on the Stallion... I know I am. It is what it is though, and until the final bell rings on my hunt, I will remain positive and work to make it fun and successful.
J
JustDale
Guest
You'll see the big one tomorrow. Good luck.
Dale
Dale
Jeffpg
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I killed a nice 35ish cow today with 2 hours left in the hunt. I was a couple of miles from the truck on my way back out after hiking/stalking for several miles. It was very satisfying after what turned into quite a challenging hunt as Oryx weren't easy to find. We saw one less today than yesterday and took the 6th animal we saw with time running out.
I tried to post a pic, but it was too big.
I'll chat more with ya later as I am worn out now!
Jeff
I tried to post a pic, but it was too big.
I'll chat more with ya later as I am worn out now!
Jeff
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!
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!
A
AntlerAddictionOutfitters
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Well said gilbert.
nmelktrout
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Yes, well stated indeed Gilbert.
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delmag1942
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