White Sands Missile Range Oryx 101

[Bradgrant]

Last weekend... Best part is my boy had a first row seat on his first hunt. We also took a few extra days to check out White Sands National Park and some elk country in the mountains. Great hunt and trip. View attachment 846879View attachment 846880View attachment 846882








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Looks amazing, which range did yall hunt?

 

[Bradgrant]

Congrats Ponyboy. I recognize you, as I was parked right beside you in the white F150. I felt bad, your boy waited on me at the jon as the pre-hunt excitement got to me

Friday was jam packed with action. I encountered 3 different groups, passing on a 30” ish bull, and seeing two absolute giants. Saturday was a different story. Saw two bulls early and made a play on them with no luck. Spent the rest of the day driving and glassing without seeing a single oryx. Around 2 I decided to park and walk some ridges. Climbing the last ridge I look over and see this bull standing there. A long shot off shooting sticks hit him hard. He made it down into the bottom and expired. Incredible experience! He’s not a giant at 34”, but considering how the day was going I didn’t study him too long. I was a little over a mile from the truck. By the time my brother and I got him quartered up and packed out, I knew it was going to be a race to get checked out on time. Made it to check in with 4 minutes to spare! Tank of a bull that’s going to look good on the wall! Had some fresh steaks cut from the back straps Friday, and the meat is just as good as everyone hyped it up to be!

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Great trophy! Looks like a good time, which range did you draw? I have a hunt end of the month on Stallion, would love to pick your brain.

 

[justin davis]

My 11 y/o daughter drew an off range hunt for March. She killed this old cow on the third day. 50 yard shot with the 6.5 prc and she was down. Such an awesome hunt and the meat is fantastic. They are definitely spooky. We spotted a few at over 1000 yards and they saw us and started running. Pretty crazy

 

[CMF]

Does anyone know the odds of a youth drawing this tag? I know there are youth specific tags for them

I'll pm you

Congrats, I hope you left that pick up head where you found it.

In New Mexico pickup heads are illegal to take.

Heads are not illegal to take in NM.
You are required to contact LE, you write the state a check and they give you a receipt for it. I picked up fresh hit muley buck, got some meat and a nice rack for like $10.
It might be a different story on-range...

My 11 y/o daughter drew an off range hunt for March. She killed this old cow on the third day. 50 yard shot with the 6.5 prc and she was down. Such an awesome hunt and the meat is fantastic. They are definitely spooky. We spotted a few at over 1000 yards and they saw us and started running. Pretty crazy

Congrats! That's Awesome!

Looking forward to going back off-range with my daughter next month

 

[butcherboy]

They are spooky because they have been hunted very hard. Off range hunts have increased dramatically and they last a month. They are fun to hunt though.

 

[Bradgrant]

I have a hunt coming up on the Stallion range later this month, anyone with experience willing to give me some advice on where to start on the range?

 

[swavescatter]

I have a hunt coming up on the Stallion range later this month, anyone with experience willing to give me some advice on where to start on the range?

My buddy hunted Rhodes last month. They actually broke people into groups into told them which direction to go to avoid a circus.

On range hunts are fish in a barrel. Just relax and be patient.

 

[Short Track]

How'd you get within 50 yards !!!!! I got 1 at 400 yards, and they were watching us the entire time.

 

[butcherboy]

I have a hunt coming up on the Stallion range later this month, anyone with experience willing to give me some advice on where to start on the range?

Anywhere that’s not restricted. Just drive and glass until you see some.

 

[justin davis]

How'd you get within 50 yards !!!!! I got 1 at 400 yards, and they were watching us the entire time.

It was Just in the perfect spot for a stalk and we ended up that close to it. Prior to that I was wondering how we would ever even get within rifle range of them

 

[Habitat#1]

Chris with Compass West used to post alot of great info on Monster Muleys.com
Don't know if he still does but when my daughter and I drew back to back weekends years ago I used him on her hunt and it was great.

 

[Jeremy Schaad]

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.

Great info! Thanks for posting this!