Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Looking for a little info on the New Mexico Oryx hunts

I'm looking for a little info on the New Mexico Oryx hunts. I've got all the stuff off the NMGF website. I'm just wondering if any of the White Sands areas are better than others. Also, how strenuous are the hunts? Is it wise to use an outfitter?

Thanks,

Reed LeCheminant

I will try and help, it is alot like antelope hunting. In the morning they have a briefing and then everyone is out of the chute! If you are lucky you are in front and spot a good herd. I have been a passenger on 2 and we were lucky and shot both right away. I have heard others who had it harder and went hiking. It is mostly rolling hills. Great meat and pretty animal. Drawing is hard or atleast for me I am 0-7. Hoping this is my year. I hear Rhodes Canyon is best, I was on the small range both times and it produced 37"+ cows, but I saw some bigger. Good luck!

The hunts are not what they used to be. Animals are pretty skittish, but it is still a great hunt just expect to work for a great one! Rhodes and Stallion are both pretty good and all produce monsters after that it just comes down to dates . As far as an outfitter, all the anti-guide diy guys will tell you that you will not need one and it is a rip-off. If A guy can and will glass and hunt hard he will kill an oryx. Guides are useful at judging trophy animals. I've seen alot of guys go home with sub-adults that got misjudged. Oryx are pretty tough to judge. and their horns are relative to body size. Put a small mature animal in with subadults and he will look huge.Another benefit of guides is that they have been there before and know where to start looking. It's a mad dash out of the orientation so knowing where to start is useful. Hope this helps if you have any other questions please feel free to PM.

I hunted the Tularosa Gate unit going on 9 years ago now so my info wouldn't be too up to date. One respondent was correct in that it's most similar to antelope hunting.

After the orientation everyone scatters pretty quickly.
It shouldn't be a problem to tag out in any of the units--unless it's windy. They really hunker down in the wind and are difficult to spot/evaluate.

oh, and don't pick up any unexploded ordinance !

hunting1 and NMpistolero have given good advice. Judging trophy size is the toughest part. Good glass and excellent shooting skills are a must. Am going to Rhodes Canyon with a friend this Sat. Will let you know. Hunted Stallion Range with another friend last January. He killed his oryx at about 2:30 the first afternoon. We had seen about 70-75 animals by that time. After judging size, getting close enough for a shot can be tough. Some of the country is very open and flat with no cover. These animals are hunted several times a year and are very skittish.Will just stand out there and look till you get within 600yds then take off.
John

I'm on range all the time hunting quail and always see a ton of oryx. I've never hunted them on WSMR proper but did shoot one last year on nearby McGregor range. As hunting1 said its pretty much like an antelope hunt only the quarry is the size of small elk and has twice the will to live. They can be difficult to field judge, I see them all the time and still have trouble telling a decent one from a huge one but that being said any adult makes a very impressive trophy.

I did the hunt last year. To answer your questions:

1. Rhodes Canyon is known to be the best hunt.
2. How strenous the hunt is will be up to you. A lot of guys will kill one off the hood of their truck. Some guys will shoot one so far in it takes the day to get them out. Take your pick.
3. I think an outfitter is a complete waste of money. Why hire one when you will likely see 50+ animals or more in two days?

The odds have been 2% to 10% on the various hunts. The odds next year will drop dramatically as the number of tags per hunt have been cut from 110 to 70, a drop of over 36%.

Well, I got lucky and drew the OIL hunt on Rhodes Canyon about four years ago on my first application. I don't recall exactly but seems like we had 100 hunters plus their friends/outfitters. It was quite the cluster at the AM orientation but everyone spread out very quickly once we got into out vehicles. My directions may not be correct but many headed out west, I think, to the mountain basin area and then took a left going south? Most oryx were taken in this quadrant during our hunt. If you can find an elevation right off that has not been claimed already by an outfitter that is a good bet to glass from. If you are diy which we were it may take you some time so don't be concerned about doing a lot of driving as the hunters will get them stirred up fairly quickly.

I got my 35" male with less than twenty minutes to go on Sunday at 300 yards off the main road I mentioned above! We had a great time and I do recommend this area especially if the hunt dates are in the middle of the elk hunts at least IMHO you will have less competiton but it will still be booked up with the quota of hunters.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the info. I shot an Oryx in Africa last summer, and I was very sorry I couldn't bring the meat home. Maybe the best meat of any kind I've ever had.

Just returned from Rhodes Canyon hunt this afternoon. My buddy shot a great oryx, 37 inches. Was the biggest bull killed as of the time we checked out today. Robert shot him from 380 lasered yds with his Cooper .280, 150gr Nosler Partotions. The Oryx took a step just as the first shot went off and it was a liver hit. He didn't go down, just looked around unsure of where we were. The second shot went through both shoulders and he flopped over. Both bullets were recovered under the hide on the far side. We spotted the herd from a high spot about 3 1/2 miles away. Were able to drive to 2 miles and stalked them from there. It took about 1 1/2 hours to get within range by working our way through the edge of a "dry" lakebed. The snow from a few days earlier had turned it into a muddy mess. Were able to recover the oryx this morning with the RZR. I'm planning to put in for a hunt there next year.

Thanks for the report and the pics. Congrats for the fine oryx and enjoy that great meat. Are the pics on the Range or outside? They would not allow cameras on my hunt.

Did you get a measurement on the bases?

They have started allowing cameras. The hunt I went on last year did not. Thus year they allow digital cameras and you are restricted to shots of the animal only. No background scenery. They checked the camera when we left (looked at all pics). The pic with vehicles was taken just outside the gate. My buddy made a deal with a taxidermist from Albuquerque who had set up a Booth outside the gate. Right after taking that shot we took him down and caped/boned the meat.
John

Bases measured 7 3/4".
John

Awesome stuff.