Ibex Archery

txjp

txjp

Active Member
Messages
212
Drew this tag! I am wondering from others that have been on this hunt what kind of sites are best single of multiple? I have a 5 pin setup now. (20-60) I have been watching videos and reading articles of guys shooting 70-80 yards. I've been thinking about going to a single pin set up for a few years now but not sure that's the best for this hunt. It looks like the shots are coming fast and Ibex almost never stand still. If I set the dial to x yards and the Ibex is still moving I am asking for trouble. Heard one guy say that he talked with a hunter on the mountain that had an 8 yard shot. Everyone that had success on the videos I watched took shots of 65 or more.

So I guess I am wondering what kind of shots if any have you been faced with on the Ibex hunt?

Love tough hunts but this one looks crazy tough can't wait!



? YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
You will NOT have time to mess with a single pin site and if your moving that much on a ibex hunt you will not need to worry about it anyhow. Boss hog 7 deadly pins, start at 40 or 50 and work out to 80-100 for sure. If your not shooting well enough at 60-80 hire a pro and take some lessons and see what you NOT doing right. That hunts tough, changed a lot the last few years between nanny murdering sessions and @%% *&^@# shooting young dink billys on female immature hunts to get a billy its a all new game!! Hunt hard and have 2-3 glassers to help, they are almost impossible to kill solo. ENjoy my tag ;)

Chris Guikema
www.compasswestoutfitters.com
 
Your pin set up will be meaningless without at least one person guiding you in on a radio (2 is better, with a 3rd person driving around to the other side of the range to find more goats to chase).

Be honest with yourself, you aren't going to kill one. But it is a fun hunt, type 2 fun...
 
With a modern set-up, set your first pin for 30yds

I would suggest finding an area where you can practice STEEP down and up shots.
 
When all else fails, Just run wild chasing them, perhaps a big Billy will decide to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. Lol
 
>When all else fails, Just run
>wild chasing them, perhaps a
>big Billy will decide to
>commit suicide by jumping off
>a cliff. Lol

That's funny! I will give it a try if all else fails.

? YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
Based on what I've read so far I could take no sight and have the same odds!

Just in case one comes within range though I'll have my MBG 5 pin slider on my bow. Only hunting antelope and ibex this year so think I'm gonna move my first pin to 30 yards...
 
Drew the January hunt.
Spent some time at the local bow shop yesterday and settled on a 5 pin slider. Going back today to try a couple out and see which one exactly. Leaning towards spot Hogg but the tech helping me said shoot a couple before you make the final call.
I've killed some animals at 50 but that's the farthest. The guy at the bow shop helping me is an avid sheep and goat hunter and said he has killed a Barbary at 80 yards. He was really helping me out with some tips. Being Texas guys we have hogs all over the place and that was one of his tips. Every chance I get go out and shoot hogs at that 70-90 range. He said made a world of difference for him. They are real similar in the fact that they are never 100% still and broadside.
I know it's a tough hunt but I'm excited and expect to get a shot. I will believe that until I'm am in the truck headed home. I think you have to or else why waste the time.

? YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
I Have heard many people say, it's probably the toughest bow hunt in North America. Iv seen that country reduce grown men to tears. Lol.
And make sure your rangefinder is NOT set on line of sight. I screwed up on a nice Barbary sheep leaving mg rangefinder on LOS and overshot due to the steep angle. Good luck and get after it.
 
Focusing on the strategy of shooting animals long range is not bowhunting. How many stories have you heard, seen online or read where guys hit ibex and don't recover them?

I'm not going to dictate what your effective range is, but bowhunters don't tout how far away they killed an animal, but rather how close it was.

A LOT of the stories you hear about guys killing animals approaching 100 yards include a good dose of luck or multiple arrows.

Take Levi Morgan for example. He's arguably one of the best archers in the world. He killed a Dall sheep at something like 100 yards. But only because his arrow was a couple feet off target and the ram moved by the time the arrow got there. Luck.

Leave the posse and radios at home and go hunt them.
 
LAST EDITED ON May-01-19 AT 07:56PM (MST)[p]>Focusing on the strategy of shooting
>animals long range is not
>bowhunting. How many stories
>have you heard, seen online
>or read where guys hit
>ibex and don't recover them?
>
>
>I'm not going to dictate what
>your effective range is, but
>bowhunters don't tout how far
>away they killed an animal,
>but rather how close it
>was.
>

>
>Leave the posse and radios at
>home and go hunt them.
>

Yup. I hear a ton of stories every year from hunters taking longer and longer shots.

Some seem prideful about making a clean shot at 100 yards or more, others regretting a misplaced shot just outside their skillset. The common element is that while flukes really can, AND DO happen, in general the hunter could have done something else to improve the odds of a successful harvest.

No matter how accurate you are at 3d shoots or the backyard, hunting is completely different. Just be responsible and know your limits. As mentioned in the quoted post, the true art of bowhunting is getting as close as possible to the target.


Ibex are a true challenge in the Floridas. The mountain is unforgiving and will test everyones limits when traversing them, but there are tons of opportunities to stalk them and no matter what, this hunt will MAKE you a better bowhunter.
 
Hey on the bright side, you can hunt them all day. They ain't going anywhere but they will run circles around you. What they cover in 10 seconds may take you an hour. Hey at least you are hunting them and having fun while the rest of us are sitting at home wishing we had a tag. Lol
 
>Focusing on the strategy of shooting
>animals long range is not
>bowhunting. How many stories
>have you heard, seen online
>or read where guys hit
>ibex and don't recover them?
>
>
>I'm not going to dictate what
>your effective range is, but
>bowhunters don't tout how far
>away they killed an animal,
>but rather how close it
>was.
>
>A LOT of the stories you
>hear about guys killing animals
>approaching 100 yards include a
>good dose of luck or
>multiple arrows.
>
>Take Levi Morgan for example.
>He's arguably one of the
>best archers in the world.
> He killed a Dall
>sheep at something like 100
>yards. But only because
>his arrow was a couple
>feet off target and the
>ram moved by the time
>the arrow got there.
>Luck.

>
>Leave the posse and radios at
>home and go hunt them.
>
I will let you define bowhunting for yourself and I will for myself.

Just to clarify I'm not focusing on long distance as a strategy. I am however trying to improve my affective range. The hunt definitely calls for it. If you talk to ten guys that have been on the hunt they all say practice on pushing your affective range and practice steep angles. That is exactly what I'm doing.

For every long range story you have I have a short range story. Seen a guy loose an elk at 6 yards. Took a quartering to shot. It's the hunter not the shot. I've bow hunted for 27 years now ( applied for this hunt for 10) and nock on wood have only lost a couple animals. Guys get desperate to succeed and take that marginal shot. IMO they are defining success in the wrong way. But to each his own. I drew on a buck of a lifetime 2 years ago and couldn't hold as steady as needed to make that 58 yard shot. I let down and chased him for another 4 days wound up empty. In my mind that was a success but I don't have a 200 inch mulie on the wall.

Don?t mean to rant but coming on here and telling how I'm screwing up is not helping me! I do pride myself on getting as close as possible but what happens when 65 yards is as close as you can get?

? YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
Bow hunting used to be about how close can I get for a clean shot ? Now days guys want to shoot arrows out past 100 yards and shoot rifles to almost 2000 yards.... not for me. They way my dad and brothers taught me to bow hunt was if an animal was to far out you either stalk in or pass on the shot. Guys will see animals while bow hunting that are just a little to far out and always be thinking.... man if I only had my rifle.. but that's bow hunting. You have to understand that before you ever apply for the hunt. That's just the way I think about the great sport of bow hunting... Good luck on your hunt .
 
"What happens when 65 yards is as close as you can get?"

To that I respond, what happens when 88 yards is as close as you can get? Or 95?

To reiterate I'm NOT dictating what distance is "acceptable" and I agree that things can go haywire even at 6 yards.

Definitely practice and get yourself tuned as far as you can. My own sight is 20-80 7 pin. I don't like taking a shot over about 40 when hunting and most have been less than that, some far less.

The howling wind in the Floridas often makes it impossible to be accurate even at 30 yards. 80? 100? You'll be lucky if your arrow doesn't make it to Las Cruces LOL.

My advice is sure, practice and get your bow dialed in. But get yourself in physical shape. Those mountains are like nothing else and no amount of high tech gear or long-range practice is going to help as much as being in shape.

BTW I've killed 2 ibex: 6 & 12 yards; ambush & spot and stalk. No posse, no spotters.
 
Congratulations that's awesome. Have any pics? Iam hopeful I have the skills to get that close but all I hear is how sharp they are and how well they see. Then there's the just run off on a whim.

I will definitely be in tip top shape. I have a 50k trail run in September and half Ironman race in November. Usually gearing up for cowtown marathon December through January. Just got To stay injury free.


? YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
>Drew the January hunt.
>Spent some time at the local
>bow shop yesterday and settled
>on a 5 pin slider.
>Going back today to try
>a couple out and see
>which one exactly. Leaning towards
>spot Hogg but the tech
>helping me said shoot a
>couple before you make the
>final call.
>I've killed some animals at 50
>but that's the farthest. The
>guy at the bow shop
>helping me is an avid
>sheep and goat hunter and
>said he has killed a
>Barbary at 80 yards. He
>was really helping me out
>with some tips. Being Texas
>guys we have hogs all
>over the place and that
>was one of his tips.
>Every chance I get go
>out and shoot hogs at
>that 70-90 range. He said
>made a world of difference
>for him. They are real
>similar in the fact that
>they are never 100% still
>and broadside.
>I know it's a tough hunt
>but I'm excited and expect
>to get a shot. I
>will believe that until I'm
>am in the truck headed
>home. I think you have
>to or else why waste
>the time.

I drew the same hunt! Going to be tough
>
>? YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU
>FORGE IT?
 
Get in shape... Then get in better shape....

I killed mine at 72 yards, steep uphill. I practiced out to 90 yards almost every day for months before. When you practice at extreme range, it makes 50 and 60 seem pretty easy.

You might shoot one at 25 yards, but from what I saw, and have talked to others about, it's extremely unlikely. It used to be fun before NMGF started slaughtering them. Good luck, it's a great experience, but almost impossible to really prepare for.
 
Yeah doing my best to get there. I run every day and have for years but I'm going to the local stadium and running bleachers also to try and get there.

I also shoot every day.


? YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
Carry some weight up the bleachers. Altitude is everything, starting at 4800 and getting up to 6800 every day sucks when your legs are used to low weight and your lungs are used to low altitude.
 
>
> I did the October
>hunt,I hate snakes! I shot
>over at 44 yards on
>a nanny.


Are the snakes as bad as people think? Mostly at the base or up on the mountain too?

Probably hunting solo in October so debating if I want to spend the $150 on turtleskin gaiters. All the other ones look miserable and I don't see spending half the money if I'm not gonna wear em!

Sounds like I may need cougar gaiters too :D
 
>>
>> I did the October
>>hunt,I hate snakes! I shot
>>over at 44 yards on
>>a nanny.
>
>
>Are the snakes as bad as
>people think? Mostly at
>the base or up on
>the mountain too?
>
>Probably hunting solo in October so
>debating if I want to
>spend the $150 on turtleskin
>gaiters. All the other
>ones look miserable and I
>don't see spending half the
>money if I'm not gonna
>wear em!
>
>Sounds like I may need cougar
>gaiters too :D
I bought some but just cumbersome, never wore them , I still think about that snake , he was probably around 5 foot and coiled up on a flat rock where I was gonna step but I thought it was just part of the rock till my friend told me not to step there.
 
>>
>> I did the October
>>hunt,I hate snakes! I shot
>>over at 44 yards on
>>a nanny.
>
>
>Are the snakes as bad as
>people think? Mostly at
>the base or up on
>the mountain too?
>
>Probably hunting solo in October so
>debating if I want to
>spend the $150 on turtleskin
>gaiters. All the other
>ones look miserable and I
>don't see spending half the
>money if I'm not gonna
>wear em!
>
>Sounds like I may need cougar
>gaiters too :D
They can be just about anywhere.
 
In regard to the GPS, I thought I would need to worry about the private land there, but only 2 roads on the southwest side actually lack access due to private land.
You REALLY need a fat buddy with sharp eyes who can't manage the hills to be watching through a spotter. I've already said it 3 times on this thread, but if you aren't using a friend, you will not kill a goat.
As for snakes, I grew up in a snake infested part of the country, I always watch where I put my hands and feet, and that's just good common sense. Never been bitten, but have been one step away a dozen times.
 
Smarba, you are the only other person that I've heard of that has taken 2 ibex with Archery. The other guy is from Los lunas or Belen. Can't remember his name though.
 
Nope don't live there. Just work my tail off, plus a little luck and a healthy dose of blessings from the Lord.
 
>Nope don't live there. Just
>work my tail off, plus
>a little luck and a
>healthy dose of blessings from
>the Lord. +1
 
What I'm hearing is that there's a one or 2 in a million chance of killing one solo with a bow, and that's what you're recommending to your average person who may never get a chance to hunt this tag ever again. Perfect, leave more goats up there for me next time I draw a tag there.
 
The question is: "Does using spotter(s) increase your odds of killing an ibex with a bow?".

IMO it does not. Feel free to do whatever you want on your own hunt, so long as it's legal.
 
If you don't think it improves your odds to have a spotter than I don't know what to tell you. It 100% improves your odds. Not even a question.
 
9518f3cb774401944cf387d04abc2f078c5a.jpeg





?YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
Hey there and congrats on what is surely the most challenging hunt you may ever go on in N.America. I drew it a few years back and drew it again this year. Shoot me a message if you want to discuss.
 
Good luck, on what used to be a fun tag. I drew and actually killed a billy several years ago, so I know it's possible.

All good advice on here I'd say. The one thing I did, was I practiced my shooting every day out to 90+. My shot was pretty extreme uphill at 72. Get in the best shape of your life.

Post up a pic of a big ol Billy
 
That's probably my biggest worry. Where I live it's pretty flat compared to that hunt. Finding extreme up hill and down hill angles to practice is difficult.
I have taken my bow on a couple scouting trips and got some practice in that way.

?YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
Should go find that YouTube of the rock climbers going up to retrieve a bowshot ibex.

Yes, I said up. The ibex climbed up a cliff face and died.
 
>Should go find that YouTube of
>the rock climbers going up
>to retrieve a bowshot ibex.
>
>
>Yes, I said up. The
>ibex climbed up a cliff
>face and died.


Link? I've watched every video I could find but haven't seen that one.
 

Not sure if that will work
It's badger state adventures that posted it maybe search for them

?YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
Smarba speaks wise words He humbly fails to mention both Billy Killed and not only billies big bad dude Billies.

Once and a legend twice boy you gotta get a new category. Twice...you're playing your own sport!!!!
 
>
>
>Not sure if that will work
>
>It's badger state adventures that posted
>it maybe search for them
>
>
>?YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE
>IT?


Thanks!!!
 
>What I'm hearing is that there's
>a one or 2 in
>a million chance of killing
>one solo with a bow,
>and that's what you're recommending
>to your average person who
>may never get a chance
>to hunt this tag ever
>again. Perfect, leave more goats
>up there for me next
>time I draw a tag
>there.


I killed one Solo, with my bow.... and I would tell you I was damn lucky. I did make a very good shot, that I had practiced like crazy. It's possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.
 
I (along with most) struck out on the October hunt. Heard of 2 taken and 1 wounded but obviously there may be a few more I didn't hear about.

One group of 3 guys I ran into had 1 tag but each guy had a dozen arrows with him as spares for their buddy!

Awesome hunt though and I'll definitely be trying to draw again. Hardest hunt I've ever done but that kinda adds to the appeal I guess. I only ran into one snake even although most people I talked with had multiple encounters, including in camp!

Few miscellaneous pics from my trip. I hunted all over the mountain and went up every day but one when I was trying to help a buddy.

3TzX5POh.jpg


b6zAthjh.jpg


Gp67ldRh.jpg


0ZIXz4ph.jpg


AYx87Hih.jpg


dAa7KbYh.jpg


Zoomed in on the above pic
r4WTNrBh.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-10-19 AT 07:54AM (MST)[p]If true, carrying 36 arrows doesn't seem to be an effective game plan for any hunt. Not to mention ethically lacking.

Curt Wells had a great article in the latest issue of Bowhunter Magazine "Long Bombs" that sumsd up my viewpoint regarding long shots very nicely.

Great pics.

Carl
 
>If true, carrying 36 arrows doesn't
>seem to be an effective
>game plan for any hunt.
> Not to mention ethically
>lacking.
>
>Curt Wells had a great article
>in the latest issue of
>Bowhunter Magazine "The Long Bomb"
>that sumsd up my viewpoint
>regarding long shots very nicely.
>
>
>Great pics.
>
>Carl

I was shaking my head at that one. I assumed they had 3 tags then noticed there was only one bow between em...

I just read that article yesterday actually and thought it was good. Everyone has a comfort level but it's nice when the guys making long shots aren't bragging about it. I ran into a guy on the hunt who'd hit one in the guts on an almost 100 yard shot on my 2nd to last day there... He never recovered it.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-12-19 AT 04:13PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Dec-12-19 AT 04:13?PM (MST)

Sadly ibex are a species where "I hit one in the butt..or guts...or whatever...but couldn't recover it" stories outweigh successful kills.

My point earlier was to rebut advice like "be ready for long shots". Sure it helps to be a better shot, but I disagree that the number one bit of advice for ibex hunting is to shoot longer distances.

Ibex are very, very difficult to hunt and we should accept that. A tag doesn't mean you are guaranteed an animal or even guaranteed a shot. Too many seem to think otherwise, regardless of the species.

A tag doesn't justify flinging arrows (or bullets) farther than one should.
 
Yeah I have the January hunt.

I will post when I get back.

?YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?
 
Those pictures of that cliff face are unbelievable! I've seen deserts in tight places but nothing like that.....?


Bluehair
Splitting my time time between the montane and the mesas......
May you live long enough to cash in those preference points. Amen
 
Awesome hunt! Hard but awesome! Had 2 real opportunities one was 62 hard quartering away and there was just to much wind. The pin was swinging from hind quarter to in front of shoulder. About the time I finally got settled he walked off. The other was a 50 yard shot that I miss judged (no time for rangefinder) I shot over his back. Perfect broadside 49 yards level shot as they crossed the top of a mountain. I will keep trying to draw and get after them again but took 8 years to get that tag so we will see.

A2A53A62-E01F-49F8-B2B8-E6A266DBD827.jpeg


854EAA93-221F-4F4D-99EA-423A3E834FAD.jpeg


A8B59270-953B-405A-AF1C-65AB1E8F57C2.jpeg


746587F9-A9CA-473E-B3B1-A1F04C84F977.jpeg


51E54D3F-C502-49BA-ADCA-94F1D6D7A623.jpeg
 
I was able to get free from work 7 days.

Well there was a huge learning curve for me. This was my first ibex hunt. So I was not the same hunter on day 7 I was on day 1 for sure. So much you have to just see to believe. For example they will be in places you have probably never seen an animal. They have unbelievable eye sight. One picked me out at 280 yards when I picked up my binoculars. I was in some brush in the shade and moved really slow. If I draw again I would work a little on shooting with uneven feet. I shot a lot of different up and down angles. Steep and long angles all kinds of scenarios but always had my feet level. Well that’s almost impossible on that mountain. So I would get some bricks and shoot with one foot on a brick and one foot one the ground and even somethings bigger than a brick. One time I was waiting on a group that never came by and my front foot was almost knee high to my back foot. That I never practiced so I would definitely practice that. I also didn’t have any real help. I helped a guy that in turn helped me and that was so much easier and saves you a lot of time. So I would also probably beg a friend to help next time. You can put the ibex to bed and then take off after them but if they move even a little bit you can loose them in that nasty terrain. So a guy watching them and letting you know if they move or even just run off. They are very easily spooked. In my opinion saves time and effort for more stocks. The more stocks the more you might get that one opportunity you need to make contact. Lots of people told me to be in good shape and I would say that is true but I didn’t have much trouble moving through the mountain but that being said I’m a ultra runner and triathlete and ran every morning before I even went to the mountain. I started at the bottom every morning found ibex and went after them. I know there is some controversy over that as well some say you need to be at the top or stay up in the mountain but I found that the ibex maybe low sometimes so I chose to start from bottom each day. But there again the hike didn’t bother me. It would take about 2 hours to get to the top though in some cases.
That’s probably way more than you asked for but hope that’s helps some.
 

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