Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game White Sands Gemsbok

Can anyone recommend a guide for gemsbok on the White Sands Missile Range, in New Mexico?

Thanks.

Compass west outfitters. Great guys and they know the ranges. Took my Oryx with them.

Shannon Owen, hands down. He works on the range year round and you will have an absolute blast. A couple of 24HCF members have used him with fantastic results. I'll PM you his number

Hope you have a tag, it's a hard one to draw.

Especially with the caps put on DIY NRs. But, since he's looking to use a guide he as nearly 2X the chance at a tag...

Compass west. Good luck. I had my 37" bull on the ground by 800 am the first day.
W:)

+1.

I hunted with him three times, one ibex and two WS oryx on Drummond's recommendation.

Good guy and works on the range so he knows it and all the personnel like the back of his hand.

I can't comment on guides, as I've never used one but i've hunted, and helped on a lot of NM oryx hunts. I can provide some advice here that you won't hear from a guide:

If you hire a guide, you have a pretty realistic chance of drawing a tag. With that being said, there was a NASTY freeze in Feb of 2011 that lasted over a week. It hammered the oryx herds. The glory days of 35'' bulls being common are no more. In the years after, earless, "ram curled" or broken horned oryx have become common, not the exception.

Were it me, having a realistic chance at drawing a tag (B/c you'll be putting in with the outfitter pool) i would give it another 2 or 3 years to let the heard bounce back for your WSMR OIL tag.

While you're waiting though, don't be afraid to put in for some off range or McGreagor tags!

Thanks for all the help and references. I really appreciate it.

Man! That hunt has gotten messed up. I was fortunate enough to live in NM when the permits were $41. I drew a once-in-a-lifetime permit and two depredation permits. They each cost me $41 and a half tank of gas. I don't think that you could even use a guide back then.

sbhooper:
Damn hot day when you shot that lower one?

Yeah. A bit of a melt-down. Not many non-typical Gemsbok like that one. I was very fortunate.