White Sands Missile Range Oryx 101

[Mojave]

Congrats on drawing an Oryx tag on WSMR.

There are some things you need to know about the base.

1. They will only let you hunt, where they will let you hunt. Missile or weapons testing will change the locations that are open on a day to day basis.

2. The installation wants you to be successful. Oryx are the biggest reason there are so many vehicle mishaps on WSMR.

3. You can't scout, see item 1.

4. You can't go where you want to see item 1.

5. Oryx are actually very well camouflaged. A lot of hunters have a hard time finding them, even people who are experienced.

6. Yes a 40 inch bull is a super trophy. There are 40 inch bulls all over the base. But 36-38 is a nice trophy, and not many folks will know the difference. Oryx bulls wear their horns down by polishing them through their lives. The older the bull the shorter his horns.

7. You can not take photos of infrastructure, test items, equipment or buildings.

8. Treat every item found on the range as unexploded ordnance. Submunitions do not look like bullets, rifle rounds, bombs, or grenades. There are many types and only a very limited number of them are recovered every year. No hunter has ever been killed by a submunition, but plenty of WSMR workers have. If you didn't put if there don't pick it up.

9. Everyone ask about where they can go to be successful. You can shoot oryx on the road, and you can shoot oryx 5 miles from the road. There are over 6000 oryx on the range. Lots of people who draw the tag don't get one. It can be a very tough hunt, or a very easy hunt because of all the factors above.

10. Speeding tickets on WSMR are federal speeding tickets. Even on dirt roads all NM and Federal traffic regulations are in effect. No you can not hunt out of your side by side, ATV, ORV, horse or anything but a regular car, truck, SUV.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

Had an on range tag last year. Super fun hunt, tasty critter. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[Seth]

It’s a blast! I haven’t drawn, but was on Red and Rhodes two years ago and Stallion this season. Lots of folks with more experience than I, but happy to answer PM’s.

 

[406life]

I sat down with Gilbert Villegas, biologist on WSMR, in my podcast to help first time hunters cover a lot of questions. Everything went perfectly for me and I killed a 36" cow in less than a hour, but that was just good fortune. Incredibly cool experience.

Elevate the Hunt | Elevate the Hunt

www.elevatethehunt.com

 

[PONYBOY]

Drew the Rhodes Canyon hunt, pretty pumped! Would have loved an elk tag but I'll take this any day.

In most cases, are you glassing from the truck and then moving in? Are guys usually shooting off tripod or sticks? Would love to read about some 1st hand experiences.

Thx!

 

[PONYBOY]

I sat down with Gilbert Villegas, biologist on WSMR, in my podcast to help first time hunters cover a lot of questions. Everything went perfectly for me and I killed a 36" cow in less than a hour, but that was just good fortune. Incredibly cool experience.

Elevate the Hunt | Elevate the Hunt

www.elevatethehunt.com

I'll check this out during commute this week.

 

[Djacker]

Thank you for the post, my wife is really excited for this hunt.

 

[Mojave]

Drew the Rhodes Canyon hunt, pretty pumped! Would have loved an elk tag but I'll take this any day.

In most cases, are you glassing from the truck and then moving in? Are guys usually shooting off tripod or sticks? Would love to read about some 1st hand experiences.

Thx!

Yes shooting sticks you can stand behind and bring a ladder to glass from. WSMR is mostly covered in chapparral brush 5-12 feet tall. Maybe not so much Rhodes, but it depends on where they let you go.

I worked on WSMR for 5 years on the range, left last year. I have never drawn a tag, but killed a mountain of them in Namibia. Hunted with friends on and off WSMR for oryx.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

Congrats on drawing an Oryx tag on WSMR.

There are some things you need to know about the base.

1. They will only let you hunt, where they will let you hunt. Missile or weapons testing will change the locations that are open on a day to day basis.

2. The installation wants you to be successful. Oryx are the biggest reason there are so many vehicle mishaps on WSMR.

3. You can't scout, see item 1.

4. You can't go where you want to see item 1.

5. Oryx are actually very well camouflaged. A lot of hunters have a hard time finding them, even people who are experienced.

6. Yes a 40 inch bull is a super trophy. There are 40 inch bulls all over the base. But 36-38 is a nice trophy, and not many folks will know the difference. Oryx bulls wear their horns down by polishing them through their lives. The older the bull the shorter his horns.

7. You can not take photos of infrastructure, test items, equipment or buildings.

8. Treat every item found on the range as unexploded ordnance. Submunitions do not look like bullets, rifle rounds, bombs, or grenades. There are many types and only a very limited number of them are recovered every year. No hunter has ever been killed by a submunition, but plenty of WSMR workers have. If you didn't put if there don't pick it up.

9. Everyone ask about where they can go to be successful. You can shoot oryx on the road, and you can shoot oryx 5 miles from the road. There are over 6000 oryx on the range. Lots of people who draw the tag don't get one. It can be a very tough hunt, or a very easy hunt because of all the factors above.

10. Speeding tickets on WSMR are federal speeding tickets. Even on dirt roads all NM and Federal traffic regulations are in effect. No you can not hunt out of your side by side, ATV, ORV, horse or anything but a regular car, truck, SUV.

Wow. Great info!

 

[Paul B]

Such a fun hunt. I had the stallion range a couple years ago. Enjoy your hunts guys!

 

[roadrunner]

I sat down with Gilbert Villegas, biologist on WSMR, in my podcast to help first time hunters cover a lot of questions. Everything went perfectly for me and I killed a 36" cow in less than a hour, but that was just good fortune. Incredibly cool experience.

Elevate the Hunt | Elevate the Hunt

www.elevatethehunt.com

Pretty good podcast. I have discovered the best way to "field dress" an oryx is to wear disposable painter's coveralls.

 

[Rook7]

Any recommendations on cooler size or number needed to store a quartered oryx? Thanks

 

[406life]

2 80qts worked great. Prepack with ice before you go.

 

[Rook7]

@406life sounds good, thanks!

 

[roadrunner]

Any recommendations on cooler size or number needed to store a quartered oryx? Thanks

If you have the room, take two 120 qt. Fill one with ice and place on top a cut to fit piece of Styrofoam insulation and never open until it's time.

Put 1/2 in one cooler with 1/2 the ice and the other 1/2 in the other cooler with the remaining 1/2 the ice.

Better to have too much ice rather than not enough. Also, freeze 1 gallon to 1/2 gallon jugs of water instead of loose bagged ice. Large blocks stay froze longer. And as they melt, the water inside the jug is just above freezing.

If it's a "colder" month (Dec - Feb) no need for the larger coolers with ice.

 

[tak]

Thanks for the post!
I drew Stallion this year, pretty pumped for it!!

I sat down with Gilbert Villegas, biologist on WSMR, in my podcast to help first time hunters cover a lot of questions. Everything went perfectly for me and I killed a 36" cow in less than a hour, but that was just good fortune. Incredibly cool experience.

Elevate the Hunt | Elevate the Hunt

www.elevatethehunt.com

Definitely going to give that a listen, thanks!!

 

[Mojave]

Stallion is great. It is flat, has low sage brush unlike Small Missile Range and Rhodes Canyon. SMR has some sage on the pass near Las Cruces. You should see quite a few pronghorns as well.

It is the easiest place to "see oryx". I have never hunted up there, I would imagine it is the easiest place to kill one if you can shoot 300-400 yards.

It doesn't really matter where they tell you to go there are oryx there. SMR gets pretty thin on the ground as you get farther east out onto the White Sands.

When you get to San Antonio do a proper green chili cheese burger New Mexico taste test and let us know if you think the Owl is better than the Buckhorn. I personally do not like the Owl, but the Owl is a hell of a lot better than anything in Hatch.

The fries suck at both of them.

 

[Pooner]

Stallion is great. It is flat, has low sage brush unlike Small Missile Range and Rhodes Canyon. SMR has some sage on the pass near Las Cruces. You should see quite a few pronghorns as well.

It is the easiest place to "see oryx". I have never hunted up there, I would imagine it is the easiest place to kill one if you can shoot 300-400 yards.

It doesn't really matter where they tell you to go there are oryx there. SMR gets pretty thin on the ground as you get farther east out onto the White Sands.

When you get to San Antonio do a proper green chili cheese burger New Mexico taste test and let us know if you think the Owl is better than the Buckhorn. I personally do not like the Owl, but the Owl is a hell of a lot better than anything in Hatch.

The fries suck at both of them.

You know I was not that impressed with the burger in Hatch at all. I drew the stallion this year in November, never thought I would draw an on range tag but here we are. I have been watching all the videos I can to be better at judging them but I am still struggling between them.

 

[tak]

Stallion is great. It is flat, has low sage brush unlike Small Missile Range and Rhodes Canyon. SMR has some sage on the pass near Las Cruces. You should see quite a few pronghorns as well.

It is the easiest place to "see oryx". I have never hunted up there, I would imagine it is the easiest place to kill one if you can shoot 300-400 yards.

It doesn't really matter where they tell you to go there are oryx there. SMR gets pretty thin on the ground as you get farther east out onto the White Sands.

When you get to San Antonio do a proper green chili cheese burger New Mexico taste test and let us know if you think the Owl is better than the Buckhorn. I personally do not like the Owl, but the Owl is a hell of a lot better than anything in Hatch.

The fries suck at both of them.

Good stuff, I shoot off a tripod a good bit for practice and NRL Hunter matches, and it sounds like that may come in handy here with difficulty finding good spots to get prone.

Will do on the burgers!

 

[woodbird]

I drew Rhodes Canyon after Thanksgiving. Where would be the typical entrance into WSMR for RC? Trying to plan logistics and where to stay, etc. What would be the closest town? Alamogordo?