01/01/2026
2025’s top adventure
Last October, I was lucky enough to get a New Mexico Barbary sheep tag. Since permits are handed out by lottery with odds of less than 1%, I couldn't believe I drew one on my first try. The hunt takes place during the rut, making the tags highly sought after and hard to draw. As it turns out, I landed the best tag for the best dates possible for a Barbary sheep hunt.
Barbary sheep, also known as Audad, are native to the Barbary coast of northern Africa. They were introduced in New Mexico and Texas in the 1950’s to 1970’s and have thrived in a habitat that is very similar to their native home range. Technically, they are neither a sheep nor a goat but have characteristics of both.
My hunt area was comprised of over 100 square miles of high desert mountains in some of the most remote parts of SE New Mexico. My camp site was a two-hour drive on two track roads to the nearest gas station, so being prepared to leave the grid for a few days was essential. This included 20 gallons of extra gas, a lot of water, ice blocks, and two spare tires. My plan was to stay mobile and camp in the hunt unit as I worked to turn up a trophy. The vast expanses of open terrain and mountains easily hide these sheep as they blend in perfectly with their habitat. Spotting sheep requires quality optics and long glassing sessions looking over miles of rugged country.
I was fortunate to harvest my ram on the third morning of the hunt. I knew it was a solid ram when I took the shot and there was no ground shrinkage when I walked up on him after the kill. He was an old ram that measured just a bit over 30 inches, apparently, a true trophy in New Mexico.
The scenery, the solitude, and the mountains exceeded every expectation I had going into the hunt. Hiking remote canyons, finding fossils, glassing vast expanses of desert flats and mountains, cooking steaks at night under the bright starlight was epic, and I hope to return one day. Even the difficult solo pack out of the mountains left me with a sense of hard-earned achievement. It was a bucket list adventure; one I will never forget.
