Just back from Namib with Jamy Traut Safaris-WOW what a great time

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

Tap I don't know how long its been sence you've been to White Sands but the Oryx are protected there now they do drawing permits for hunts and I was told the herd now exceed 3000 running all the way down to Fort Bliss Tx. and to think it all started with a few that got away from hunting ranches.

Bob, Maybe I am wrong but NM introduced oryx on purpose? I don't think they escaped. The herd started about 100. I am not sure on the process they used because releasing non native animals wasn't allowed. But they used a second generation animal and released them on purpose. Your are right about the huntable numbers. You can get permits to hunt them.

Originally Posted by Cliffy

Saw kudu right behind the lapa at Panorama. Just coming into rut right now so the big boys would be out now. We saw many cows and a few bulls to @ 51". ALL of the area with hills around Panorama is Kudu country. Jamy has so much area to hunt he hasn't even been to some of it yet because it hasn't been necessary. We're talking 15 -20 miles away on the property he hunts. If I go again I'm going to set it up to go explore some of the unknown areas. That would be fun!! We jumped a large group of eland twice at Panorama down on the flat area. We weren't hunting for them. It seems that the eland have learned how to go to the top of the "mountains" around Panorama to get away as there are no roads up there. It's strictly a boot leather hunt for them in that area. Getting them out is an exercise in quartering and carrying. Kalahari Camp is a much better venue for eland.

One day I am going to go for a hunt after eland, oryx or kudu on foot, sleeping out around a campfire. Quartering and carrying out the meat. Use a whole week to try to take a big kudu and just enjoy the wilderness. The target country for such a hunt, has to be Namibia. One day....

Originally Posted by Wolverine67

One day I am going to go for a hunt after eland, oryx or kudu on foot, sleeping out around a campfire. Quartering and carrying out the meat. Use a whole week to try to take a big kudu and just enjoy the wilderness. The target country for such a hunt, has to be Namibia. One day....

That is the way to go, I love that idea!

Originally Posted by RickB

Bob, Maybe I am wrong but NM introduced oryx on purpose? I don't think they escaped. The herd started about 100. I am not sure on the process they used because releasing non native animals wasn't allowed. But they used a second generation animal and released them on purpose. Your are right about the huntable numbers. You can get permits to hunt them.

You are right rickb, they held them at the Albuquerque Zoo and released almost 100 offspring during 1969-1970. The game department also brought Kudu to NM at the same time but decided against releasing them. Oryx herd in NM has been reduced significantly but still opportunities to hunt them if you are lucky enough to get drawn for a license. Some of the hunts are once in a lifetime and others are not. If you get drawn for a once in a lifetime tag you can still put in for tags that are not once in a lifetime in the future.

You guys may be right I didn't even know that there was Oryx out there until I was stationed at Fort Bliss in 98. A guy at the Rod & Gun club told me the story about the Oryx we seen on Fort Bliss he may not have known and just felt he needed to tell me something.

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

Tap I don't know how long its been sence you've been to White Sands but the Oryx are protected there now they do drawing permits for hunts and I was told the herd now exceed 3000 running all the way down to Fort Bliss Tx. and to think it all started with a few that got away from hunting ranches.

bob,
I live about an hour and a half from whitesands. the hunt had always been a draw. up until the mid 2000's the herd was huge. what happened was that the commanders of the base missions started having frequent collisions with the oryx. when the mission commander doesnt make a missile launch the entire mission is canceled. this cost the us government hundreds of millions of dollars each time. they finally gave our game department an ultimatium to reduce the herd or else. well they have done just that. fort bliss may have 100 oryx. mcgregor range has about the same. the small missile range has an estimated herd of about 80. stallion range has about 600 and rhoads has about 700. in 2001 stallion range alone had more than 1500 and i would dare say that count was only half. i was lucky enough to help a handicap friend take a 43" bull in there 3 years ago and have seen numerous 40" bulls. that place just has what it takes to make gigantic gensbok. ive recently been doing the badge hunts and was blessed enough to take one oryx a mere couple hundred yards from the site of the first atomic bomb test. then a few years back we took my father and visited pat garrets old homestead on the range. he shot his oryx just off pat garrets porch. that place is definitely a neat place. now this year they are opening up the first ever bighorn sheep hunt on the range. im in the drawing on that hunt but my odds if drawing are about 1 in 5000.

Originally Posted by tap

bob,
I live about an hour and a half from whitesands. the hunt had always been a draw. up until the mid 2000's the herd was huge. what happened was that the commanders of the base missions started having frequent collisions with the oryx. when the mission commander doesnt make a missile launch the entire mission is canceled. this cost the us government hundreds of millions of dollars each time. they finally gave our game department an ultimatium to reduce the herd or else. well they have done just that. fort bliss may have 100 oryx. mcgregor range has about the same. the small missile range has an estimated herd of about 80. stallion range has about 600 and rhoads has about 700. in 2001 stallion range alone had more than 1500 and i would dare say that count was only half. i was lucky enough to help a handicap friend take a 43" bull in there 3 years ago and have seen numerous 40" bulls. that place just has what it takes to make gigantic gensbok. ive recently been doing the badge hunts and was blessed enough to take one oryx a mere couple hundred yards from the site of the first atomic bomb test. then a few years back we took my father and visited pat garrets old homestead on the range. he shot his oryx just off pat garrets porch. that place is definitely a neat place. now this year they are opening up the first ever bighorn sheep hunt on the range. im in the drawing on that hunt but my odds if drawing are about 1 in 5000.

Thanks Tap thats what I was trying to find out I was there in 98/99 and they were everywhere. Its a shame though seeing those Oryx on Fort Bliss is one of the factors in me wanting to go to Africa to hunt so bad to hunt them where they Originated. Damn Shame.

I have never been to Africa but your story makes me feel like I have already been there! 26 days for me for my first time waaaaay south.

Cliffy, I relived Africa through your eyes. Been to RSA Northwest Province, Limpopo and East Cape and can't get enough. This Aug. is KwaZulu Natal then onto Namibia for Leopard. My first trip I flew into Cape Town then onto Port Elizabeth. Had a bomb threat in Cape Town so they cleared out the terminal and we stood on the tarmac for 45 min. Never checked in or out rifle in Cape Town or Port Elizabeth and never had a problem. Been many changes since then.

The Afton House is a great place to stay as you know. Be prepared to spend alittle or alot on the jewelry they will show you.

I will have to correct you though on the 4457 form about being good forever. It is if you never change what is listed on the form. If you take a different rifle or different binos etc. you will need a new one or if you do not take something that is listed on the form you can just cross it off per my customs agent.

Rodger Thanks for the comments.
The 4457 is as you said "good forever" IF what you bring is on that form. If you bring a rifle NOT on the form you need a new 4457 for that rifle, As I brought several items I had previously cleared I brought 3 4457s with to cover those items I brought. You do not need to cross off any items on the 4457 that you don't bring along. My last inspector told me to laminate my older 4457s so they don't go bad,
You will like Namibia as well as RSA when you get there. It's a great country also.

Originally Posted by Cliffy

Cliff-hangar---- Oh, puns puns and more puns
carazou---------Can you not see all the pictures? I have no video
Tarawa---------Any significance to the screen name? I had a military school Commander way back when that spent time on Tarawa in WWII, Major Largee. Going back 50 yrs now. If you want and desire the wide open spaces then Namibia is for you. I like every place I've been (Zim, SA & Namib) but Namibia is the wide open spaces compared to them all.
I am overwhelmed by all your kind comments here. I'm writing it because I want to share a great experience with all of you. This forum is the only one I've ever joined that doesn't go off into petty arguments and name calling. What a breath of fresh air from the norm. Let's all work to keep it as good as it is.
More to come on --Namibia, The Wide Open Spaces

Been out of town for a while and just got back to post. I read an old book about Tarawa by Robert Sherrod a long time ago and that sparked my interest in the Pacific War. I think I read every book about Tarawa. Costly battle for the Marines and Japanese.

Originally Posted by Cliffy

Rodger Thanks for the comments.
The 4457 is as you said "good forever" IF what you bring is on that form. If you bring a rifle NOT on the form you need a new 4457 for that rifle, As I brought several items I had previously cleared I brought 3 4457s with to cover those items I brought. You do not need to cross off any items on the 4457 that you don't bring along. My last inspector told me to laminate my older 4457s so they don't go bad,
You will like Namibia as well as RSA when you get there. It's a great country also.

A travel tip for the FORM 4457...:
Reflects only ONE RIFLE per one FORM 4457
Liminate all you the 4457 forms.
You then take only the form for the selected rifle.

ANOTHER TIP:
Make a copy of this 4457 FORM and leave it in your rifle case!
Keep the laminated copy with you at all times.

HAPPY HUNTING and straight shooting...