Dylan I’m curious to see how you are making out in Albuquerque? Did you get a chance to get out and do any hunting/fishing? Your recent post “ trip back home” made me think of this

I wasn't a member of this forum yet when this thread was created, but now that it's bumped:

There's quite a bit of outdoors stuff to do around the state if you don't mind driving a bit. But in the vicinity of Albuquerque is Petroglyph National Monument. There are mountains; Sandia Peak is nearby and they even have a ski resort. In the city I do enjoy Old Town. There's plenty of mountainous terrain throughout the state if that's what you're looking for; these are the Rockies, after all. Colorado's not all that far away.

Despite tourists, I do highly recommend making the trip just a bit north to Santa Fe and then on to Taos. The pueblo at Taos is a UNESCO site and Kit Carson's grave is in Taos (a fitting pilgrimage site for trappers, I would think).

If you don't mind a little driving, Chaco Canyon in the northwest of the state is pretty cool. The Gila Cliff Dwellings in the southwest part of the state offers bountiful outdoors activity. In the southeast of the state are Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Parks, well worth a visit. (And if you're on a National Parks road trip, you might as well make the short trip from Carlsbad Caverns across the border into Texas for Guadalupe Mountains National Park.) I have great fondness for Ruidoso but alas it was devastated by that terrible fire this year, but it's a gorgeous part of the state. Lincoln National Forest.

My wife and I just flew out of there only stayed one
Night but couldn’t wait to get out
Wife is oblivious to danger my head was on a swivel

Stayed in a hotel just below the airport
Pulled up since we were taking the rental car back next morning and cleaned out
The car and put it in the trash can
Turned around and a bum was already in the trash
That was my full alert alarm

Saw lots of women sitting around with a pile of kids and all there belongs in bags
By a housing project don’t know why if there was a time they could check in for over night stays or what
But most had no teeth and young

Albuquerque has not been my favorite place. I am not used to being in a state where everything is draw hunts and very expensive. I did a little bit of fishing but not much. Since I didn't draw for any hunts, I've been limited on what I can do. Around Albuquerque is mostly rattlesnakes and cactuses. I've made one trip north of Taos and took a buddy of mine to call in his first coyote. I also took up the sport paragliding. Other than that it's been mostly just hiking and climbing a few mountains in the Gila, Jemez, and southern Colorado.

Have you looked into an oryx hunt, and are you considered a "resident" for the purpose of oryx hunting? Aside from the draw hunt there is also a "private land" oryx license, although I don't know how difficult (or expensive) arranging a private oryx hunt would be.

But if you can enter a draw as a resident for oryx, that is definitely an opportunity you won't have once you leave the state. I know the fees for nonresidents are much higher and yet there are people who pay for the opportunity.

You should be able to apply for badge hunts on WSMR for oryx and maybe aoudads.

I do not qualify as a resident. As a nonresident my cost were upward of a few thousand dollars and I just can't bring myself to spend that kind of money. I've tried to get private land hunts while I'm here from elk, to pronghorn, to oryx and the people i've talked to either weren't interested or wanted $4K-$8K.

I hadn't given Barbary/aoudad much thought though. I do know over counter tags for those are much more reasonable. I'll have to do some more research on that opportunity tonight.