I've not done Jornada, but I have done WSMR (and Namibia). I did a podcast with Gilbert Villegas, the biologist. It will be an entirely unique experience.
Back in July I was notified that I was selected to participate in a population management Oryx hunt in New Mexico. I have been applying for oryx for years, and I really just hoped that I could draw sometime in my life. This wasn’t how I expected to draw, but I will take whatever I can get. This is more of an opportunity hunt. I was given 2 days to hunt the property along with 3 other hunters. The rules state that you must pursue any adult oryx that you have a chance at.
I was allowed to bring 3 guests. My friend Kyle tagged along and I also decided to bring my 2 oldest sons after talking to the property manager. We also decided to fly down to this hunt. This was my first time flying to a hunt and it was good to learn the process.
Day1: We arrived in NM on Friday. Rented a truck from turo and headed out to some BLM land to check zero on the rifle. All was good so we prepped gear and got ready for an early morning.
Day 2: We arrived at the range by 6 AM for our safety brief. The 4 hunters were from CA, TX, KS, and OR. The briefing was short and sweet. Per the terms of this hunt, hunters are required to have an escort. 2 hunters were assigned to each escort. They do research on this property and there is also a slim chance of encountering unexploded ordinances from the missile range.
Day 2 continued: The morning started fast. After driving into the hunting area the group from CA was sent down a road to the right by our escort and we were sent to the left. 10 minutes later a shot rang out and they had filled their oryx tag. After some quick glassing we were able to locate a herd as well and we began to stalk.