New Mexico offers a non-resident draw for three awesome exotic species—oryx, Barbary sheep, and ibex. These animals all live in totally different terrain and are some of the most fun hunts you can go on. If any of these three species have ever been on your bucket list, then be sure to apply for them in New Mexico.
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New Mexico offers some of the best free-range oryx hunting you will find anywhere in the world. They offer hunts almost year-round to fit anyone's schedule. Most everyone who has looked into oryx hunting in New Mexico has heard about the White Sands Missile Range hunts. These hunts are the most well-known, and most of them are three days long. They are very hard to draw but very rewarding if drawn. The success rates on the range are very high considering it is only a three-day hunt. One thing to remember on the on-range hunts is that the three days are not guaranteed. If the military has something going on during your hunt dates, your hunt could be cut short. The trophy oryx hunts on range are once-in-a-lifetime. The state offers broken horn hunts on range as well that you can apply for each year even if you have drawn a once-in-a-lifetime hunt before.
With multiple hunts on range, be sure to check the hunt codes before applying to make sure you’re applying for the three choices that fit you the best.
The McGregor Range has a smaller population of oryx but holds some good bulls. They offer two hunts, with the first in December and the second in January. Each hunt has 25 tags available. This unit typically has lower success as you only have a two-day season. The McGregor Range hunt is not once-in-a-lifetime. They also offer two Military-only hunts in the McGregor Range.
Remember, hunters who successfully draw a WSMR hunt and their guests must complete a security background check to be allowed on WSMR. Security-background registration forms will be sent in advance to all successful license holders prior to the hunt. All hunters and guests must have completed forms approved prior to being allowed access to WSMR. Hunters and guests must also wear 244 square inches of blaze orange clothing while hunting on range.
New Mexico offers off-range hunts as well. These hunts are not once-in-a-lifetime, and you can harvest any oryx you see. Typically, these hunts are harder to find the numbers of oryx like you would see on range, but these hunts have great harvest success and are much easier to draw. One great thing about these hunts is they are a full month long, so you will have plenty of time to cover a lot of country to find them. The off-range hunts start in June and run through December. Be sure to look at your schedule and see what months work best for you to apply for the off-range oryx hunts if hunting oryx is on your bucket list.
If you don’t have the time to spend scouting, give us a call as we work with some great outfitters that spend a ton of time looking for oryx off-range. Most of your outfitted hunts for oryx in New Mexico will be three to four days long. If you think you will be hiring an outfitter, it is best to apply with the outfitter to get the better draw odds like other species in New Mexico.
2025 New Mexico Oryx Season Dates
***Season dates vary by zone.
Hunting Barbary sheep in New Mexico has become very popular over the last few years. People are starting to realize how fun and challenging these animals are to hunt. With other species getting so hard to draw, especially in the sheep world, people are leaning towards applying for New Mexico Barbary sheep tags. With way more tags available and way better draw odds, these sheep are becoming a very hot topic.
One reason is you hunt them basically the same way as you do the bighorns, spending a ton of time behind glassing some beautiful high desert rough country. New Mexico offers both draw tags and OTC tags for Barbary hunts. In the main OTC units, like unit 34, we have seen a decline in the numbers just due to a lot of hunters and higher harvest numbers. However, that’s not to say you can’t go harvest a great sheep; just be prepared to put in the time and effort to find them. It does seem that the pressure on these hunts took a dip in 2024. Not as many hunters were in the field on the OTC hunts. This could be because the numbers are lower than when they first made it an OTC unit or because it's been a few years now and it has lost its hype. Either way, if you are OK hunting hard, hiking hard, and spending time behind glass, this is a great option for anyone looking for a fun sheep hunt in 2025.
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The draw units are still doing very well. 2024 produced some great rams in almost all of the units available. The best unit for big rams is still going to be unit 28 (McGregor Range). The state offers very few tags on range, which allows the rams to get some great age to them, and it shows every year with some of the rams that we see coming off the range hunts. There are some special regulations for the hunts on range, so be sure to read through the regulations for 2025 before applying.
One of the most sought-after hunts in New Mexico for Barbary sheep is units 29 and 30. These two units seem to continually produce great rams every year. The population in these units has taken a small hit, but the trophy quality still seems to be holding strong. The state offers a good number of tags for these hunts with multiple hunt dates to choose from. The rut hunt in October is probably the best hunt to glass up big rams as they will be with the big groups of ewes and easier to find. The later hunts in the year are still awesome and fun, but they tend to be harder to find the small groups of rams. After the rut, the rams tend to get back in small bachelor groups and head to more of the secluded country to be left alone. Harvest success on the late hunts is still great, just be prepared to get back in some rougher country and not be focused on the bigger groups of ewes, you will see closer to the roads.
Another great hunt for Barbary sheep in New Mexico is the unit 32, 36, 37 hunt. This hunt can be a little more frustrating with the amount of private land you will need to navigate around to get into the sheep. OnX is a must for this hunt. Not many roads get you around the private land, so be prepared to hike. Most of the sheep will be in 32 and 37, bouncing back and forth between private ranches and BLM lands. The population is doing well in these units. Typically, the average size of rams is lower in these units than in 29, 30, but this cluster of units produces some great rams as well. These units offer multiple hunts as well, but the October rut hunt can be very productive with the rams bumping the ewes around and bouncing back and forth between private ranches. This hunt has better draw odds typically.
2025 New Mexico Barbary Sheep Season Dates
**Season dates vary by zone. Barbary sheep hunts vary by region. For more information on a legal hunt, visit the New Mexico Game and Fish Department website.
The Florida Mountains (unit 25) in the southwestern part of the state is home to Persian Ibex. New Mexico offers archery, muzzleloader, and rifle hunts all through the draw on the Florida Mountains. They also offer over-the-counter tags that are available off the Florida Mountains. They are not managing for ibex anywhere else in the state, and these tags are helping to keep the population only on the Florida Mountains. It’s very rare for an ibex to be taken on the over-the-counter tags.
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The Florida Mountains are some of the roughest mountains in New Mexico. The ibex run all over these mountains, so you will need to spend a good bit of time glassing to find where they are hanging out. With the numbers being lower than normal, it has gotten a lot harder to find a big billy. With this being a rough hunt, hunters will need to be in good shape to make the most of this tag. There is a road that goes around the entire mountain that you can glass a good bit of country from. You will run into a few pieces of private land with locked gates, but you can still glass the mountain without having to go through the private land. The any-legal-weapon hunt for ibex is a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, but the muzzleloader and bow hunts are not.
The tag totals stayed the same for 2025, with 100 archery tags available in October and 100 archery tags available in January. If you are thinking about applying for the October archery hunt, be prepared to run into rattlesnakes. With the numbers on the decline, expect a tough hunt and to spend a lot of time glassing. This is not the hunt it once was with ibex all over the mountain. If you are one of the lucky ones to draw, plan on glassing from down low and trying to pattern the ibex the best you can before hiking up to hunt them. The days of hiking up after ibex and waiting for the next group to come by if you blew the first group out are over. Be very strategic when going up after them, and make sure they are in a spot you will be able to get to.
2025 New Mexico Ibex Season Dates
*Season dates vary by zone and take method. For more information, visit the New Mexico Department Game & Fish’s website.
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The New Mexico Big Game Application deadline is March 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM MDT.
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Licenses & Permits | Fee |
---|---|
Adult Game Hunting License (non-refundable) | $65 |
Junior Game Hunting License (non-refundable) | $15 |
Oryx License | $1,623 |
Barbary Sheep License | $373 |
Ibex License | $1,623 |
Habitat Management and Access Validation (required) | $4 |
Habitat Stamp (if purchased on or after April 1st) (required by all who hunt BLM or USFS land) | $10 |
License fees include a non-refundable application $13 fee for each species. |
New Mexico Exotic Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine