lifetime hunt-Oryx on White Sands missile range

[wildcat westerner]

Hello, Apparently I have gotten an incredibly lucky draw and after 11 years I will be hunting the White Sands missile Range for Oryx. I have not seen the area and have the second hunt September 25-27.
I am reaching out to other hunters who have hunted Oryx on the WSMR and would greatly appreciate any knowledge you wish to share with me. I already know that I should be prepared to make long shots and have access to a 800 yard range for practice.

I would appreciate any experienced guidance in all aspects of this hunt since I have never been to this part of New Mexico. Since this is a once in a lifetime hunt, I want to return with a minimum of ideas under the category of "I wish I had known about this etc."

Thank you in advance,

Gene So

 

[Riverguy]

Sorry, i have no info for you but huge congrats on the tag. I got lucky myself and drew an October Rhodes canyon oryx. I'm going with an outfitter so had a slightly better odds. Good luck

 

[dxlbaile]

Which part of the range are you hunting?? Stallion? Rhodes Canyon? Red Canyon?
Your question is a little ambiguous.. Give us the fine details and you will get some better info.

 

[nkyshooter]

I didn't hunt there but I did spend some time on WSMB while in uniform ... not a place associated with fond memories for me - but - I wasn't hunting oryx either ...

It's for real desert so be prepare for freezing overnights and scorching days ... there's no shade ... anywhere ... zero, zilch, nada ... but there are LOTS of rattlesnakes and scorpions. You're also very likely to hear the sound of wing mounted vulcans pretty regularly ... an eerie sound that you'll never forget if you've not heard it before.

Not intending to rain on your parade and I hope you don't interpret this a negative feedback on the place ... I wish the time I'd spent there had been hunting ... or anything other than what it was for me for that matter .

Prep for extremes in temp, sun, critters and shooting distance to your target.

Good luck and I hope you have a blast!

 

[wildcat westerner]

Hello and thank you all. AS I learn more I shall share it with you. DX baile I would not mind knowing where you hunt Barbary Sheep. Congratulations.

 

[Plinker147]

September will be hot, you don't need to worry about cool weather that time of year. Get up on a high place and glass Oryx are plentiful and easy to find. It's the earlier hunt so they won't be that spooky but they won't stand around at 300 yds and let you look them over.

Be able to shoot standing, most is flat and trying to get prone or sitting to shoot are rare. Invest in a good tripod and saddle or Arca Swiss rail type shooting system. Be proficient shooting in that system out to 500 yards. Most shot opportunities will be 300-500. A good range finder that will range animals in flat country with nothing else to bounce off of. The cheaper ones like SIG kilos don't cut it (trust me I know). The hunt coordinator is going to email you a lot of good info that will help with what to expect and field judging. Any Oryx 35-36" is a shooter, there are plenty of those. 38" and up are exceptional and not a lot of them but they are there.

You will have a great time and should see 100 plus Oryx a day if you glass

 

[wildcat westerner]

Plinker 147,

You saved me a lot of wasted practice from the prone position. Thanks so much! A Jim Shockey shooting stick recently came my way in a trade and over the next months I will be working almost exclusively with it. Although thanks to Leupold I have a target adjustment vertical that allows accurate shooting to a little over 1300 yards. I realize from todays inputs. I shall be using the reticle "as is" with no adjustments made in the field. Set that way its good to 460, so a little holdover will be practiced for 500 yards.
In a single day the very paradigm of how this hunt may evolve, has been established. Thanks

WW

 

[dxlbaile]

All good advice.. I would definitely get some sticks with a saddle.. I've used shocky sticks but, Hog saddle is much better and more sturdy for long shots. Once the Oryx get hunted they will start running early when they see you coming... Practice long and you might get lucky and shoot within 200 yrds but, not likely..
Take a gps to mark the spot you shoot a oryx.. it can get confusing to find your way back to your truck when you get tracking animals..
Shot placement is straight up the leg, center mass of the body... I have hunted them here in the US and In Africa, their vitals sit a little more forward than elk and deer.. Straight up the leg center mass.
Be ready for a follow up shot.. Hardy animals..
You will be given maps of the area when you get there.. Some areas will be closed depending on time of year and hunt you have drawn.
Look at google maps of your area and main roads .. Be familiar so you aren't just wandering..
Any Oryx is a tropy here.. !! Don't mess around waiting for a big boy .. You will go home empty handed.. 34 Inch is a average bull nowadays.. a few bigger but, not many..
You have drawn the Holy Grail of Oryx tags.. Enjoy it ! It is a short hunt so savor the time you have on the range.. Most folks will never get to go out and see the range.. There are some nice deer and elk out there so just soak it in..
Sept is still Hot..... Hunt early because the Oryx will shade up.. then they get back up in the afternoon and move again until dark... Good luck Amigo!

 

[the blur]

Isn't a guide necessary ??

 

[CDFrom]

My son AF active duty just drew a tag as well, off range, his is December hunt, and as he just transferred to another base he will be a long way from scouting. I will do what I can for him there and keep him informed. Congratulations on your draw, as a former combat marine veteran I don't get easily excited, but this isn't any old tag. Total loss of bearing. Good luck on your hunt! I'll be tracking the thread.

 

[SteveLM]

No offense intended to anyone here, but I had to laugh when I read the title of this thread. I spent time working at WSMR in the '80s / '90s, typically on late night shifts. Groups of us would barrel down the unlit roads on the way back to our motels and I'll admit that we didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the speed limits when there were no APs in sight. Therefore, it was no surprise that there was the occasional accident and it wasn't uncommon to mow down an oryx when someone's driving got ahead of their headlights at 3am. Over the years people in our group probably got the equivalent of 2 or 3 "lifetime tags." All taken from a sitting position, of course, but I'm not sure what caliber a Chevy SUV would be....

 

[rsbhunter]

Hunted that hunt about 10 years ago, the things I took away (other than an Oryx) is 2 major things....be ready for a possible long shot, 300 yds plus and you can't sneak up on them faster than they can walk.....and DON'T aim high on the shoulder....a 338 mag only put a big hole in it....aim lower in the body...the class given by range and NMDGF people will show where to aim.....but it is easy to revert back to shooting it like a deer...but the spine actually runs low in the body area...rsbhunter

 

[sgrueny]

Hello, Apparently I have gotten an incredibly lucky draw and after 11 years I will be hunting the White Sands missile Range for Oryx. I have not seen the area and have the second hunt September 25-27.
I am reaching out to other hunters who have hunted Oryx on the WSMR and would greatly appreciate any knowledge you wish to share with me. I already know that I should be prepared to make long shots and have access to a 800 yard range for practice.

I would appreciate any experienced guidance in all aspects of this hunt since I have never been to this part of New Mexico. Since this is a once in a lifetime hunt, I want to return with a minimum of ideas under the category of "I wish I had known about this etc."

Thank you in advance,

Gene So

Been there on two successful hunts. PM me with phone #, will be happy to tell what I know. Congrats, great hunt.

 

[Charles Keethler]

Steve , That's a great story, I wonder if you guys took any for steaks? Hope you have a great hunt but let us know how the guy taste.