Sometimes, you do get a second chance.
I figured that I had blown my one chance to get an oryx in New Mexico when I drew a once-in-a-lifetime tag to hunt White Sands Missile Range five years ago and failed to score. On that hunt, something was not right with me. I shook. I had lost weight so rapidly that I couldn’t keep my pants up, and my vision didn’t seem right. On top of that, I had a rifle with a broken stock. I couldn’t have hit the ocean from the beach as was made clear by my failure to harvest an animal despite several opportunities.
One week later, I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, a hyperthyroid condition. Just after that Christmas, I had a thyroid oblation that rendered me radioactive for a week, and I now take thyroid hormone replacement pills everyday. I still have double vision, another symptom of Graves’ disease, but have learned to live with it.
I figured I wouldn’t get another chance to bag an oryx. But this year I drew an oryx tag to hunt the animals off of the Missile Range. I went over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The hunting off the range isn’t nearly as good as that on the range because you are basically hunting animals that wander off their designated area. Oryx are a large African antelope with striking black-and-white markings and rapier-like horns. They were originally introduced onto the range and have adapted well here in New Mexico. They have spread to areas off the range, much to the dismay of nearby ranchers, and the off-range hunts were begun to help control their spread.
Looking at maps and asking questions of those familiar with the area, I decided to hunt on the Jornada del Muerto east of Elephant Butte. It borders the Missile Range on the east and Ted Turner’s Armendariz Ranch on the west. It seemed like a likely spot to spot a wandering oryx.
My niece’s husband, Ben Rodriguez, offered to go with me and take his camper if I paid for gas. That made me feel better. Oryx are big animals and there was no way I could handle it by myself. The company would be welcome and Ben seemed to have good luck hunting oryx. He had taken one with a once-in-a-lifetime tag and also scored on an off-range hunt.
After a very nice Thanksgiving spent at the homes of my sister and another of my nieces, we left the next day. We camped at Elephant Butte State Park and that evening drove out to the area we wanted to hunt to check it out. The night sky was filled with stars that appeared to touch the ground, although you could see the dull glow of Las Cruces and El Paso to the south.
The following morning we left before sunrise and drove onto the plains. This country is very open. It’s full of thorny mesquite bushes, ocotillo, enormous prickly pear cactus and giant yuccas. It seems most of the plants around here have something sharp to poke you with, but there is also a decent amount of native gramma grass for forage.
We saw deer, coyotes, rabbits, hawks, quail and pronghorn antelope as we traversed the Jornada. As the sun dropped lower in the horizon. Just minutes before sunset, we made one final swing through some promising territory before heading back.
“George, there’s one,” Rodriguez said as he stopped the truck.
I grabbed my rifle, loaded a round and headed off the road, where I saw the animal about 300 yards away in the mesquite. I probably should have waited for Ben to bring the shooting sticks, but I was concerned the animal would take off and be lost in the brush. Despite a less than steady hold off hand, I fired and was happy to hear the sound of a “thwack” as the bullet hits its target.
A second shot at the now running animal kicked up dirt (it later turned out it had also hit the animal and gone through). After being lost in the mesquite for a moment, the oryx emerged at the base of a hill. The third shot, broadside at long range, was from a steady rest and hit through the front leg and into the vitals. We then lost sight of him.
Ben being younger, stronger and faster, headed to where we had last seen the oryx. Trailing behind, I heard a shout and then Ben said, “George, he’s down.”
Some hunters like to holler and dance after they’ve downed an animal. However, a feeling of satisfaction that’s oddly calming overcomes me. It’s a hard to describe the combination of humility and exhilaration.
I guess you do get second chances, but you have to get up, get out and stick with it. It helps that I love just to be out there hunting and being outdoors. I was fortunate and grateful for the opportunity and the company of Ben, as well as the satisfaction of having been successful.