Successful Nanny Ibex - 680 yards

[Ron Milby]

Congrats! Looks like an exciting, challenging, and rewarding hunt!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Good hunting, and congrats too.

 

[Robby20]

Congratulations, I've been on two billy hunts. One with a bow and one with a muzzlerloader. Good luck on getting the Billy tag.

 

[skipglo]

Made a $1,400 mistake on my New Mexico application this last year and drew a Nanny Ibex tag for Feb 13-21, 2021. Everything happens for a reason though and after the fact, couldn't be happier with the experience! Those Florida mountains are rugged and unless you are willing to make the trek to the top, this would have been an impossible hunt. Given what I was told as the lowest population in last 10 years, combined with moderate pressure, the Ibex were holding tight to the tippy top of the various peaks. Not to mention, these females (or immature Billy's under 15" inches) are about 60lbs, soaking wet.......so hitting that target, over 500 yards away (common), with a 10-15 mph cross breeze, across a canyon is VERY challenging. For any LR Hunter, I be this is one of the most challenging hunts in the lower 48. Again, if you can't do 1000 - 1500 vertical feet climb, in nasty, cactus ridden mountains, you have virtually no chance........I did 29,000 steps, or just under 14 miles before finally sealing the deal on my nanny, across a canyon, up on a cliff. This all went down on Thursday. Getting to my Nanny was a challenge and we had to trek down the mountain at dark with a head lamp.

Made 3 different stocks (up and down the mountain) before my successful kill, and unfortunately, required more than a few shots......again, hitting a small target past 600 yards with no way to get prone/comfortable makes for a difficult hunt. This hunt will test the best of em. Turns out, Steve Rinella (meat eater), has a nanny tag and will be hunting the same mountains next week. Look for this episode next year.....can't wait to hear his perspective, especially considering he has hunted all over NA.

Here are a few pics.....Btw, we saw 3x more Billys than Nannys. The first pic ( took after my nanny was down), is where I shot from.....the nanny I shot was on those black cliffs above the snow patch across the canyon, 680 yards away. Second pic is my buddy lowering down the ibex from the cliffs with rope. Wish I knew how to post a video, because I have a great one with a bunch of big Billy's......and a shot at a nanny 770 yards away that was 2-3" inches low, of what would have been an epic kill shot.

View attachment 253992
View attachment 253993
View attachment 253994
View attachment 253995

Checked it in yesterday with NM F&G, and now entered into a Special draw for a Billy tag......found out they are giving away 5 Billy tags in this special draw.....only for those that have successfully checked in a Nanny (or immature Billy).......odds are really solid.

Best of luck drawing the Billy!

 

[Liddy]

BTW.....shot with my 7mm Sherman Max w/ a 180 Berger VLD-H at 3015 ft/sec with 63 gr of RL23.

Congrats Matt,
Great shooting and good luck with that Billy draw!!

Liddy

 

[Jon Bischof]

I would say you used "too much gun" but since you shot 680 yards and got your Nanny--I guess you didn't! You must have supreme confidence in your rifle to make a precise shot like that. By the way, you didn't describe the rifle! Let's hear some about the rifle.

 

[lilharcher]

I would say you used "too much gun" but since you shot 680 yards and got your Nanny--I guess you didn't! You must have supreme confidence in your rifle to make a precise shot like that. By the way, you didn't describe the rifle! Let's hear some about the rifle.

If you search my posts, you will find a post on my 7mm Sherman Max build, including lots of pics......it's my do EVERYTHING in North America rifle.......used to have a few rifles for different species, but no mas! Persian Ibex are tough critters BTW!

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

If you search my posts, you will find a post on my 7mm Sherman Max build, including lots of pics......it's my do EVERYTHING in North America rifle.......used to have a few rifles for different species, but no mas! Persian Ibex are tough critters BTW!

Congrats again and thanks for posting the beautiful pictures.

 

[Dvldad]

Way to go thanks for sharing.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Congratulations on the Ibex. Thanks for the post. Thanks for the pictures. I hope you get that Billy tag.

 

[JCow14]

No mules were getting up in this country......

Not to be rude but I would beg to differ. Chased lions and bears in Arizona, NM, Colorado and elsewhere with mules that would make the Florida Mts look like cupcakes! Congrats on your hunt!

 

[lilharcher]

Not to be rude but I would beg to differ. Chased lions and bears in Arizona, NM, Colorado and elsewhere with mules that would make the Florida Mts look like cupcakes! Congrats on your hunt!

It was part hiking, part rock climbing, and almost everything was 20+% incline/decline with no trails. There were trails on part of the mountain where having a mule would have been awesome, just not the areas we hunted. If I draw a Billy in the special draw, I'll pay your expenses and you can prove me wrong.

 

[JCow14]

If I draw a Billy in the special draw, I'll pay your expenses and you can prove me wrong.

Noted