Anyone ever taken an Oryx?

5

5RWill

New member
3820_file_Oryx_Thomson.jpg


oryx-gazella--oryx-gazella.jpg


Love these animals they're absolutely gorgeous IMO. Supposedly hard to kill and elusive to track also.

Thinking of trying to plan a trip around the spring of either this or a Elk. Mainly i just want to go on a Big Game hunt outside of freaking MS. Man i get tired of hills and delta land.
 
Last edited:
I have taken a scimitar hormed oryx here in Texas. You can find those gemsbock here in Texas on private ranches or in New Mexico on public lands, however you have to be drawn to get a tag to hunt those in NM. Here in Texas, you will pay 6,000 and up for a qualtiy gemsbock. Can take them anytime of the year. Good Luck!
 
The only two game animals not found normally in the US I would want are the red stag and the kudu. I can't see shooting elephants, buffalo, rhinos, hippos and smelly alligators or crocodiles. I'd shoot an American buffalo though. How do you hang an elephant on the wall? :D
 
I believe my father dropped his Oryx, Gemsbuck, and Kudu with a .300 Weatherby. I can't recall the bullet he used in the hand load, though.
His were in Africa (along with 4-5 other "trophies" and a few pests).

I understand the appeal to "hunt" these animals in the U.S., but you won't find me doing it. It's more a point-and-shoot scenario, than an actual hunt.

If I wanted a canned hunt, it would be pretty easy to "hunt a dingo" and just shoot my Australian Cattle Dog while he was sleeping. :(
 
I understand the appeal to "hunt" these animals in the U.S., but you won't find me doing it. It's more a point-and-shoot scenario, than an actual hunt.

If I wanted a canned hunt, it would be pretty easy to "hunt a dingo" and just shoot my Australian Cattle Dog while he was sleeping.
Click to expand...

There are actually wild, free roaming herds of Oryx in the southwest U.S. Don't recall the details of how or why, but I remember seeing a show on the OUtdoor channel a while back where guys were suing spot and stalk to hunt them in N.M. Supposedly they are pretty wary and hard to get close to.
 
Oryx are widespread on the White Sand Missile Range in NM. Unfortunately, the number of tags is very limited, and they are "once in a lifetime" tags in an area with no scouting (I did mention it's on a top secret military base), so you better be prepared to pay a decent guide to make sure you get a shot off. So far I' 0 for forever on the draw.
 
I would want a actual stalk not a go on the range shoot a ranch raised animal. Thats not a hunt. Will have to do some searching likely wont come till i'm out of college.
 
Not me. But Outdoor Column writer for our local paper hunted oryx last year at New Mexico's White Sands Missle Range. He hired a local guide. His rifle was a 30-06 shooting 180 grain Premium bullet. He made a two shot kill at approx 225 yards. His animal was male yet he observed females with very long horns but slightly less mass. No kidding.

Jack
 
There are free-ranging Oryx in southwestern New Mexico, with a restrictive permit system.

The O2 Ranch, south of Alpine, Texas, now has a small herd of Oryx. Maybe twenty or so. They're in the east pasture of the ranch, some 100,000 acres. I don't know of their future plans for any hunting.

I've not heard of any "penned" Oryx, other than possibly some breeding operation with sales to open-range ranches.

The O2 Oryx apparently aren't given to jumping sheep/goat fencing. I've seen them standing in the pasture alongside Hwy 118, counting cars.
 
They're definitely interesting, but as for "elusive" I don't know how much that holds true. During training in N.M. near white sands on Fort Bliss we saw quite a few and very close up. There's a few that hang around so much that they're well known to the staff out there, as they have broken horns from trying to fight M1151 armored Humvees :D
 
i have taken a couple of them. they are simply majestic. they are notoriously unforgiving to the slightest shot misplacement. i know a couple of hunters that will take them with smaller than a 270w, but i believe the 270 to be the minimum. the local Oryx tends to present longer shots- 250yards and beyond.
DSC02510.jpg


it was this elderly gentleman's first Gemsbuck(Oryx) hunt. i "guided" him and he took it at 220yards with my 300H&H.
 
Last edited:
I took one on a 1/lifetime hunt. I found them just as difficult as deer under similar circumstances. It is not like shooting cows in a pasture.
Jerry
 
I killed one in South Africa a couple of years ago with a 300 win mag. They are very tough tough animals and shot placement is the key with the Gemsbok, as with any animal, but even more so with the Gemsbok. They can be very aggressive, especially when wounded. People are killed every year by them in Africa. The females actually have longer horns than the males and can sometimes score higher than the males. The males have more mass to there horns and are constantly sharpening them, that's the reason the females can have longer horns. They are beautiful animals and make excellent mounts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top