Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Auodad Hunt

I had earlier posted on this board asking for winter hunt suggestions and thought you might like to hear of my hunt.

We elected to hunt New Mexico on the Henderson ranch for free ranging Auodad. This ranch is located against the east side of the Mescalero indian reservation. It was an unguided hunt although Hunter, the guide, did spend the first morning driving us around the 18,000 acre ranch showing us where to find the critters.

We located some sheep the first night but were unable to reach them before the light faded. It sure is nasty walking out in the dark of the moon with catus lying in wait.

We were able to find the animals about 11 am the next day and I took a 24 inch ram, total score of 71 inch. (Takes 80 inches to make book.) The 280 with 140 XLCs punched clean through both lungs. He ran almost 200 yards before giving up. I was able to lie down using my pack as a rest for the 100 yard shot so it was too difficult. Call it luck but I was watching a couple of does to see which way they would move when I saw red legs moving in the cajoe(sp?) catus. The sheep, six ewes, and the ram were on the move and made the fatal mistake of stepping into a small clearing.

It was a fun trip and felt good to get out of the cold. I would recommend this type of hunt for all the snow dwellers. Nothing like a week out of the cold to improve your attitude. Rick

Nice one!

I see you went to the Muley Stalker school of field photography <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Mike

Very Nice! Sounds like you had a great time. I know what your talking about getting out of the cold (more like wet cold!). Been thinkin of doing something similar next year. I'm looking for something that I could take my wife along with me, but its a little difficult as she does not hunt. Was the ranch you went to a full meal deal or how did that work out for you? Great pic. Thinking of doing anything with the horns?

That SMILE says it all! Looks like you had a great time. Congrats on the sheep.

-Dan

Sorry about the missing shirt but is was getting pretty warm and the work was just starting. (I'm still looking for the second roll of film with the buffalo hunt pictures. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />) I had my girl friend along on this trip and she had a great time hunting but there wasn't much else to do on the ranch. The wind was blowing so hard the next day we decided to drive towards Roswell and try and fill my alien tag. Frankly speaking, we got lost on the back roads and the guide informed us we were very near the crash site.

Lundboat, this was a non-guided hunt although the guide was at the ranch in order to take his dad, 82 years old, on an elk hunt. We rented a 4x4, did our own meals, caped the trophy, and had our own house to stay at. There were three homes on the 18K acres, each about a mile apart. Have you ever considered warm water fishing the Gulf of Cortez? The people are nice, the weather is hot, and so is the Dorado fishing. I like this website: http://www.bajabigfish.com/ Rick

Went down a few years back during October and caught a life long dream. 120lb Sailfish on a light salmon outfit. VERY fun! Got the revenge for most of the trip and I guess its been long enough now that I can go back. Joanne is very interested in going to Baja, so looks like that could happen soon. I'll check out the website you posted. Thanks for the info and great hunt! To bad you didn't get one of the little green guys <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />!

Congrats on your Aoudad! I hope to get out later this year and take one of our west Texas Aoudads in the Davis Mountains.

Bob

Good luck to you on your hunt Bobcat. Ours was relatively easy given there is public land adjacent to the ranch and the sheep tend to concentrate there. I'm guessing you will be hunting private land in the Davis Mts. Have you identified a good deal? I'm always shopping for more hunting opportunites. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


I visited the Jack O'Connor show in Boise and had to chuckle at his Auodad ram, it was just a baby. But then he did get his in Africa and not in Texas. His Blackbuck was much smaller than mine also but again his is from India and mine from Texas. Oh boy have I set this one up, all you Texan chime in now, "Everything grows bigger in Texas!" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hey Boise, sent you a PM.

For those interested in where the hunt occurred: http://www.mesquiteriveroutfitters.com/

Also, I didn't mention the Mouflon sheep we bumped into during our stalk. There was one dandy full curl ram.