New Mexico Ibex

[Sandbrew]

That's the same season I got called for. You said again assuming you've been there before. I was successful and had a blast. Not sure I have a partner this trip. Do you have help?

 

[bobbydean]

To the lion question. Yes, there are that many. Never hunted. But every hunter I talked to saw mountain lions. And rattlesnakes.

 

[jrabq]

I'll be applying this year for the first time, and according to GoHunt the draw odds for archery were 35% for the October archery season, is this right? Also i see the talk about the numerous lions on "the rock" is there really that many that its worth having a lion tag?

When I was a GoHunt subscriber I thought the ibex odds seemed high. If you look at the NMGF table NR drew the 1st bowhunt at an 18% rate (residents at 21%). While that's actually not terrible odds, it ain't 35%. The January bow hunt is much harder to draw. ~5 years ago the odds were ~100%.

I hunted 5-6 days archery a few years ago and did not see a lion, I did go through the trouble of buying a lion tag (plan ahead if you decide to buy one).

 

[flyfishmadison]

Sandbrew,
PM sent

 

[BangUSMC]

That's kind of what I thought about the 35%, but I'll take 18% though. Do you have any suggestions for prepping for this hunt if I get lucky enough to draw?

When I was a GoHunt subscriber I thought the ibex odds seemed high. If you look at the NMGF table NR drew the 1st bowhunt at an 18% rate (residents at 21%). While that's actually not terrible odds, it ain't 35%. The January bow hunt is much harder to draw. ~5 years ago the odds were ~100%.

I hunted 5-6 days archery a few years ago and did not see a lion, I did go through the trouble of buying a lion tag (plan ahead if you decide to buy one).

 

[kimbersig]

get proficient out to 100+ yards with your bow.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

Start using the stair climber, get good boots, and only practice archery in 30+ mph wind. Be able to hit a pie plate at 100yds before taking this hunt too seriously.

 

[ltho98]

What's the scoop on New Mexico Ibex? If a person is lucky enough to draw the tag...is it a doable OYOA ? Are the Ibex accessible on public land? This is the most important issue whether or not I bother starting the app process yr after yr. Thanks

I did the archery hunt last year. There is an OTC tag and a draw tag.

Apparently the harvest rate is 30% for the OTC tag... though, i'm not sure where one would find them at.

The draw tag they are almost exclusively found on the Floridas and in great numbers, which is BLM land.

Accessible is a different story, legally its accessible but "the rock" is not for the feint of heart. There is no water up there and it is tough to get up there and around. You can glass them from the bottom pretty much all day long but its very hard to get within shooting range... even with a rifle. The archery guys call it the 3% club because only about 3% harvest a billy.

So, yes, its completely doable but do expect to work hard, preparation, and homework.

 

[1_pointer]

My pard from ID has harvested both a ewe and a billy through the draw hunt. He didn't intend to put in for a ewe, but messed up on his application and drew. He flew down, rented a car and was back in ID with the critter in about 4 days total. Both of his were with a rifle.

 

[BangUSMC]

ltho98, what was your take on the hunt? I know that its gonna be a ball buster getting up in there, but I'm just curious was your first hand experience was like there?

I did the archery hunt last year. There is an OTC tag and a draw tag.

Apparently the harvest rate is 30% for the OTC tag... though, i'm not sure where one would find them at.

The draw tag they are almost exclusively found on the Floridas and in great numbers, which is BLM land.

Accessible is a different story, legally its accessible but "the rock" is not for the feint of heart. There is no water up there and it is tough to get up there and around. You can glass them from the bottom pretty much all day long but its very hard to get within shooting range... even with a rifle. The archery guys call it the 3% club because only about 3% harvest a billy.

So, yes, its completely doable but do expect to work hard, preparation, and homework.

 

[jrabq]

Do you have any suggestions for prepping for this hunt if I get lucky enough to draw?

Well obviously being in great shape will help. Some aspects of the difficulty (distance/climb) might be overstated; yes you will likely have to climb 1500-2000 ft, and walk several miles just to get up there in most places. But most sheep hunts, and some elk hunts can be at least that hard, and typically at higher elevations to begin with. What is different about the ibex terrain is the footing is terrible in a lot of places, every piece of vegetation will poke, scratch, or cut you. And there is some really STEEP dangerous terrain that the ibex really like to hang out in. There is almost no water up high. In the October hunt the rattlesnakes will likely still be active.

Besides the terrain, ibex are extremely high strung animals, it is an insanely tough bow hunt. I watched a guy wiff a shot at a billy that was standing in a herd of about 40 ibex. At the shot every ibex in the herd looked like they jumped 4 feet straight up in the air, then took off running in every direction, it was actually sort of funny. As others have mentioned it helps to be a great shot past 60 yards, which I am not. Yet I put the January bow hunt down as my 3rd choice every year.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

If you do not plan on bivy camping ultralight, you should consider the October hunt.

In January daylight hours are from 7:15-5:15. If you camp at the base, you will spend 2-3 hours climbing to the ibex everyday. This will wear you down, fast. And you'll have fewer hours to hunt if you want to travel in daylight. You should avoid trying to come down at night. I did it, and it wasnt fun. There are no real trails except the one from the State Park, and that doesn't go all the way up.

I recommend staying on the mountain. Go ultra light. Plan on resupplying or caching supplies before the hunt. There is no water but sometimes patchy snow in January, just depends on the weather. It sounds ridiculous, but I could imagine needing crampons and an ice axe in spots if there was serious snowpack. I really could have used one in one spot and there wasn't even much snowpack.

There are VERY few places to camp (i.e. pitch a tent) on the ridge. A bivy is your friend! I found a few good flat spots, most were taken by other hunters. One spot even had a few trees to block the terrible wind. My first night on the rock, my ultralight tent was absolutely destroyed by the fierce gale force winds. The only thing keeping my tent from blowing away was me. I found this out when I got out to repair a pole at 3 AM. Talk about a rude awakening!

You need stiff, good quality, comfortable mountain boots. And you need to know how to walk like a mountaineer (which sounds stupid if you've never experienced it).

You need to be comfortable in steep and dangerous terrain. It is prudent to have some high angle technical rock gear and training. You don't have to be able to climb 5.13, but it's a good idea to know how to safely place rock pro, build personal anchors, and rappel. If you get lucky enough to shoot one, it may prove difficult to retrieve.

It's a good idea to have an equally competent partner and work in teams. Cell phones tend to work pretty well up top, but having radios is a good idea too.

Ibex are tiny. It's better to have a flatter, lighter, faster arrow. I took everything off my bow that wasn't necessary. No rangefinders. No stabilizers. No extra weight. No extra things to get caught on rocks and brush. Get a GOOD quality bow harness to protect your cams and strings. Every rock is a razor sharp. My cams and strings and sights were all banged up from rock climbing and scrambling.

Wear good leather gloves. Everything stings and stabs and cuts. Likewise wear eye pro, both day and night.

I am in decent physical condition and I got my a$$ kicked by that hunt. I left humbled. So, do your cardio and squats!

The place is magnificent, a beautiful, and rugged. Don't let it scare you off (unless you're a resident, then don't apply). But you need to be prepared to be safe.

 

[BangUSMC]

AggieOutlaw,
Thanks for all the Kick A** information, I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed that I'll draw.

 

[ltho98]

If you do not plan on bivy camping ultralight, you should consider the October hunt.

In January daylight hours are from 7:15-5:15. If you camp at the base, you will spend 2-3 hours climbing to the ibex everyday. This will wear you down, fast. And you'll have fewer hours to hunt if you want to travel in daylight. You should avoid trying to come down at night. I did it, and it wasnt fun. There are no real trails except the one from the State Park, and that doesn't go all the way up.

I recommend staying on the mountain. Go ultra light. Plan on resupplying or caching supplies before the hunt. There is no water but sometimes patchy snow in January, just depends on the weather. It sounds ridiculous, but I could imagine needing crampons and an ice axe in spots if there was serious snowpack. I really could have used one in one spot and there wasn't even much snowpack.

There are VERY few places to camp (i.e. pitch a tent) on the ridge. A bivy is your friend! I found a few good flat spots, most were taken by other hunters. One spot even had a few trees to block the terrible wind. My first night on the rock, my ultralight tent was absolutely destroyed by the fierce gale force winds. The only thing keeping my tent from blowing away was me. I found this out when I got out to repair a pole at 3 AM. Talk about a rude awakening!

You need stiff, good quality, comfortable mountain boots. And you need to know how to walk like a mountaineer (which sounds stupid if you've never experienced it).

You need to be comfortable in steep and dangerous terrain. It is prudent to have some high angle technical rock gear and training. You don't have to be able to climb 5.13, but it's a good idea to know how to safely place rock pro, build personal anchors, and rappel. If you get lucky enough to shoot one, it may prove difficult to retrieve.

It's a good idea to have an equally competent partner and work in teams. Cell phones tend to work pretty well up top, but having radios is a good idea too.

Ibex are tiny. It's better to have a flatter, lighter, faster arrow. I took everything off my bow that wasn't necessary. No rangefinders. No stabilizers. No extra weight. No extra things to get caught on rocks and brush. Get a GOOD quality bow harness to protect your cams and strings. Every rock is a razor sharp. My cams and strings and sights were all banged up from rock climbing and scrambling.

Wear good leather gloves. Everything stings and stabs and cuts. Likewise wear eye pro, both day and night.

I am in decent physical condition and I got my a$$ kicked by that hunt. I left humbled. So, do your cardio and squats!

The place is magnificent, a beautiful, and rugged. Don't let it scare you off (unless you're a resident, then don't apply). But you need to be prepared to be safe.

Everything this.

The wind is not to be underestimated, I was damn near blown off the rock more than a couple of times. Everything on that rock is trying to poke a hole in you. I learned this the hard way when i set down my pack and sprung a leak in my water bladder making me lose a day. Caching supplies is a necessity with the number one being water. I would head up a few days before the hunt and do nothing but haul water and food up to a hiding place up there.
Its pretty miserable on the top but the important thing is to pattern them. They seem to have preferred "bedding" areas which seem to be rock faces and then they come out to hunt once or twice a day. The only way to do it with a bow is to catch them moving to and from their kitchen. I was never successful in patterning them.

Also, do *not* do this hunt alone for safety reasons alone. It very much helps to have a ground spotting team with good optics.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

Everything this.

The wind is not to be underestimated, I was damn near blown off the rock more than a couple of times. Everything on that rock is trying to poke a hole in you. I learned this the hard way when i set down my pack and sprung a leak in my water bladder making me lose a day. Caching supplies is a necessity with the number one being water. I would head up a few days before the hunt and do nothing but haul water and food up to a hiding place up there.
Its pretty miserable on the top but the important thing is to pattern them. They seem to have preferred "bedding" areas which seem to be rock faces and then they come out to hunt once or twice a day. The only way to do it with a bow is to catch them moving to and from their kitchen. I was never successful in patterning them.

Also, do *not* do this hunt alone for safety reasons alone. It very much helps to have a ground spotting team with good optics.

Yes. I believe most successful archery hunts have spotters. But I could have shot a nanny just solo hunting. I passed her on the first day. By the end of that day I swore I wouldn’t stock a nanny (too much effort) but I wouldn’t pass one either.

It was my most memorable hunt. At the time I was miserable. But I look back with fondness.

Try to get an archery Javelina tag in the same unit in January. They like to hang out in the canyons. But I saw sign up top too, surprisingly.

 

[BangUSMC]

I think for myself if i draw this year I'll be on my own, as no one up here in MN is as adventourous as myself so i think ill have my work cut out for me on the rock doing it on my own.

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

-I had the incredible fortune of getting an email from New Mexico Game and Fish yesterday informing me that I drew the NR once in a lifetime rifle Ibex tag. I am still in shock, as I refreshed the page several time to confirm I indeed drew the tag.
-I have already begun to plan my hunt and plan on arriving a few days early to scout the area. I will be doing this DIY as there is no other way for me. My bother is joining me on the hunt to glass.
-I am looking for any advice/knowledge from you Hunt Talkers have from previous experience or general knowledge of the Ibex and the Florida's. Camping locations, glassing spots. For such a small mountain and a once in a lifetime hunt there can't be too many secret spots.
-It would also be nice to network with anyone else that drew the coveted tag.

 

[dhoshour]

I just called NMDFG today about the hunt. The seasons runs all of Feb & March or until 125 nannies are killed. OTC - $111 for resident, $1630 for non-resident. Too much $$$ for a nanny tag. I'll pay that for a trophy ram tag. I can see maybe $500 for a nanny.

Yeah, that nonresident nanny tag price is completely ridiculous. But if you think that's bad, a bighorn ewe hunt is $3173 for nonresidents.

I wonder sometimes how high a price it takes for the total revenue to start to drop because enough people are unwilling to pay it. If people are willing to pay over $3 grand for a female hunt, what is the total revenue maximum price on rams? It depends on how many tags they need to sell, I guess. The max price for one person is the latest auction winning price, but what is it for say 300 tags, like in Colorado? Probably way higher than you think. I hope these departments keep the average guy in mind. They seem to so far, but the pressure is always on for more money.

 

[kimbersig]

-I had the incredible fortune of getting an email from New Mexico Game and Fish yesterday informing me that I drew the NR once in a lifetime rifle Ibex tag. I am still in shock, as I refreshed the page several time to confirm I indeed drew the tag.
-I have already begun to plan my hunt and plan on arriving a few days early to scout the area. I will be doing this DIY as there is no other way for me. My bother is joining me on the hunt to glass.
-I am looking for any advice/knowledge from you Hunt Talkers have from previous experience or general knowledge of the Ibex and the Florida's. Camping locations, glassing spots. For such a small mountain and a once in a lifetime hunt there can't be too many secret spots.
-It would also be nice to network with anyone else that drew the coveted tag.

Congrats!!! i used to live in Deming and stared at that mountain a lot looking at ibex. there are lots of ibex and finding them from the bottom isn't the problem. I guarantee that that rock pile is unlike anything you have ever seen I know of several guys that shot a billy and were unable to get to it without ropes and climbing gear. if you aren't in great physical shape i would work on getting in very good shape. if you don't have good mountaineering boots i'd recommend getting a pair and getting them broke in along with a good pair of trekking poles. if you can't shoot 5-600 yards i'd start practicing at that range. quality optics will help with your glassing and determining if a certain billy is one you want to go after. I can't stress enough the getting in good shape, good gear, and good shooting ability at longer ranges. Good luck!

 

[1_pointer]

My pard that hunted a nanny there a few years back stayed in a hotel and used a rental sedan. But, he said the climb to get to where they were wasn't easy. He'd often spot them from below and then work up and around them.

PS- The nanny tag was due to a typo he made on his application!