Free Range Aoudad/Barbary Sheep Recs
Wild Sheep
Contributors to this thread:
Looking at possibly doing a free range aoudad/barbary sheep hunt and am looking at a couple options. Doe anyone have any experience with 505 Outfitters in NM or the hunts that the broker Hunt Nation has in TX? Both seem to be reasonably priced and am just looking for any reviews, good or bad, on either outfit.
kscowboy's Link
My father had a great hunt with Hunter Ross of Desert Safaris in Texas. He recommended them to a friend last year and the friend also had a great hunt.
I'm going on one at the end of the month in Oklahoma. 3k
Thanks KScowboy,
Any idea on their cost, their website doesn't say? You can PM if you'd like. Thanks.
Hey Forest can you PM me some more info on that if there's more hunts available? Merry Christmas bud!
Yes free range. I will Chad!
You going to be on the Quartz Mountain herd Forest Bows?
Enjoy man
Quinn I spent time with Mr. Hall off of Hunt Nation last year about the Tx Aoudad hunt.
Good luck, Robb
Quinn, I’m not certain on the pricing, as he went back in 2006. You’ll also be able to get a javelina on the hunt, so take that into consideration.
Who in OK is has a free range hunting, very interesting in that? The free range aoudad in west Texas is some beautiful wild country. Bird hunted out there several times and I am planning a off season bow hunt for Aoudad.
DonV and I drew NM barbary tags this year. The hunt is in Feburary, we are using rifles, and going DIY. Its supposed to be a tough hunt so my expectations are realistic. I let you know how it goes.
I'm going to OK the first week of March
Good luck thunderflight! Please post about your hunt after.
Trial Wichita Mountain Range western OK, but I believe you will need to get on private I am not sure
A buddy and I had a great rifle hunt last February with Pete Vigil of 505 Outfitters. We did the 2 day guide service with the limited draw tags. Saw sheep several different places and tons of hunters everywhere. The first day was enough of a war zone with most of the sheep we saw running for the large private ranches, we opted to pay a trespass fee for the second day and killed two great rams. Mine was 30” and my buddies 29.5”. I would do the hunt again, but I would pay the money to get on the private from the get go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a circus on the public. The rams we saw were extremely skittish as well from all the pressure. West Texas has some great options with the potential for better rams and more sheep that are less disturbed. You will spend a bit more but I would say it would be a better experience if you can swing the extra. They are a very neat and unique animal to hunt. The meat is also very good. It’s a bit tough but very tasty when cooked right.
Thunderflight, I had the NM draw tag in unit 29/30 last year. 2 of our group of 4 were successful with the rifle, I'd be happy to share some additional tips if you shoot me a PM.
Critrgitr,
Thanks for the post. That helps. Nice rams too.
It would be a private land hunt if I went with 505.
Greatthanks for the info. Found a place called no mercy hunting in OK. Supposed to offer a free range hunt on 3000 acres, looks like they have 300 pen killing set up as well. No go for me. I will keep looking.
If baited aoudad that is free range, pm me. A friend and I went last oct and both arrowed. There was no fence.
Auodads are some cool critters. They make my short list of hunts to do.
I have a good friend who has had 100% success DIY on public land the last 3 years (rifle). There are a lot more public land options than guys realize. I just haven't had the time to get down and try it yet. Soon.....Cool critters
Will, was he hunting OTC NM or in TX? This is probably the only sheep I'll ever get lucky enough to hunt in my lifetime and have been applying in NM, hopefully I can get drawn for the 2020 hunt in 2019. Very cool critters!
I understand that this is Bowsite but I’d treat it like “The Poor Man’s Desert” and treat it like a real sheep hunt. I’d personally rather hunt them with a rifle in a mountainous environment than arrowing one over a feeder. To each their own.
Is waterhole hunting considered baiting? Is low fence private considered free range?
I think Aoudad are the only one of the exotics that would be worth the price of admission to me. They just look so good. One of the draw backs is that they nearly demand a half body mount at the very least.
why not hunt with a bow in mountainous terrain and treat it like a bow hunt?
Anybody got any more Rec’s?
I’ll be the first to congratulate a bow killed Aoudad but I think those are the minorirty when considering a free range, no bait hunt. My respect to those that do!
I’ve hunted them behind a fence and free range, they are hard to spot and stalk anywhere! The two I killed ended up being behind a fence over bait. Proud of both and probably could of hunted Dall sheep for what I have invested in Aoudad!
Free range west Texas/NM will be a really tough hunt with a bow with very few opportunities. Honestly if I would do it over, I pay for access and rifle hunt them in West Texas or southern New Mexico (I’d probably still be chasing with a bow out there if I didn’t shoot them over bait/water)
The hill county hunts (where I shot mine) are nothing like the mountain hunts!
Thanks for all the posts and PM's. This site is great for researching a hunt.
Recommendations were used and we booked with 505 Outfitters to do a private land NM Aoudad hunt in late February. Been on the bucket list for 5 or so years and even if we were lucky enough to draw we now realized that the public land hunt could be a circus like critrgitr mentioned.
Pete with 505 Outfitters has been great to deal with so far. Very responsive even though he was on elk hunts in remote areas the whole time we talked. Looking forward to it.
Good for you Quinn.
Enjoy!
Good luck, Robb