Is a deer....right?

Just got back from Texas where a couple members turned me on to an excellent operation for Axis. 19K acres, free range, spot and stalk or stand hunting, no shooting over feeders. As good a hunting experience as Ive had anywhere, for any game.

Spots on a "full-grown " fawn





My pard's deer...





My deer....



In addition we both shot does for the meat. He used a .260 with 140 accubombs and on the recommendation of many members I used my .243 TC Icon and 95 gr. NBTs....

You SUCK.

I will do that one day.

Big Mike's place?

Axis is good eats.

Good work, Chui.

Awesome! More pictures please. Axis are such a cool beast.

Congrats. GRF

Yep. And Im cutting and wrapping a bunch-o-meat today.

Sorry but I really don't have many more pics...and the ones I have all look basically the same.....I wasn't very creative

Completely forgot to take pics of the does...

Been waiting, so a hardy 2 thumbs up I take it?

Ingwe,
Would be interested in details of where, outfitter name, etc. if you would be so kind- if not posted here, PM would be welcome!

Yeah...big time Scott. As mentioned it was 19K acres, free range and no sitting over feeders, thank God. Spot and stalk was very productive. I could not recommend it more highly. Price includes a doe, so there is enough good meat to help defray the cost, which by the way is VERY competitive to start with...

Canyon Ranch just out of Sonora Texas, you can get infer from SOEhunts.com...Everyone is prompt and easy to work with.

No worries about the photos. Are you planning on any taxidermy? I as well would e interested on the who and where.

Thanks GRF

Good question. I simply don't have the room for a shoulder or wall pedestal mount( which an Axis begs for...) so Im getting a European mount and getting the hides tanned as per my wives request. Ranch manager there is delivering them to a Taxi in Uvalde as part of the service...dont know what the taxi charges yet....

Congrats Poobah, most excellent! I never get tired of looking at those gorgeous deer, and they are gorgeous. Sounds like something I need to check out, as I've never killed one, and I don't like hunting over feeders, in blinds, etc. Nice work!

By all means check it out JGR. You and I are both die hard Mule Deer hunters, but I swear that Axis is the prettiest deer Iver ever shot....

I have found that unless one has a true abundance of space a couple of shoulder mounts go along way. European mounts seem to still look good when compressed space wise. A buddy of mine gave me very good advice before my first trip to Africa, euro mounts, lots and lots of pictures, what you save on shoulder mounts put into more trophy fees.

The axis rug is a great idea. My wife thinks it looks great draped over our creme colored leather couch.

All the best. GRF

Let's go, Jeff...

Wayyyy cool!


Stunt shooter.

I'm gonna invite myself if you two decide to go......

done!

Did we/they do you right?

Nice bucks.. Been years since I shot one.. They were mostly killed in the hill country... They did not have a meat processor that could handle that job??? We had ours cut an wrapped and the job was reasonable and very well done.

I killed a buck and doe a couple years ago there and it's a superb operation. The butcher in town was great (http://www.uvaldemeatprocessing.com/) but maybe the Pooba had to run away home to Montana and couldn't wait to get them done.

I will certainly go back there.

Pugs, Did you hunt the Canyon Ranch also.. Just looked them up, no prices I could find.. That usually tells me$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Thanks..

Ingwe:

Congrats on a beautiful deer.

KC

I did. It's been five years http://www.soehunts.net/exotics.html

When I did it was a buck and a doe and all the pigs you could kill for the price. Three day hunt. I considered it a good deal. My brother and I with our bucks.

For some of the best hunts in The Hill Country look up The Johnson 805 Ranch. I took a very big Axis (just over 200 pounds and thick 32" main beams) and two pigs there. All the accommodations are nearly brand new and the owner, Dennis, is a great guy.

Very well done ingwe! As a punishment for not inviting me you have to sit through 3 episodes of the TV show that runs that place...

Do not throw me into that briar patch Brer Fox!

Check SOEhunts.com for prices.....

Yep! They did fine. I shot both deer through the shoulders rather than behind them, and on the buck, which was big, there was no exit. Wouldnt really expect one. Both deer expired within 25 yards.

Pugs,

Your brother sure is ugly !

That's a good looking buck, Ingwe. Axis is fine eating too. Congrats!

Nice bud. Still have a few beasts running around our place. If I weren't heading north on Sunday I would be up in a tree with bow.
Site is:

soehunts.net

EdM is right for anybody looking...site is soehunts.net

It seems to go back and forth from .com.....but right now its .net.

Ha, i had you figured as a Mormon all along. Wives, huh.

Pillows from axis is the way to go!!!

ingwe and pugs thanks for the info.. good hunting..

Gonna get hides tanned, as per Ingwewifes orders...Dont tell her pillows even exist!

Surely not. Here on the fire everyone knows only women and first timers little kids can kill stuff with a 243.

Wellll....this was only my second time.....

Tom,

good stuff. What happend to the McFlame? .223 not enough?

On the taxi - Payton L., you now, the ADL kid, and some of the guides are working at a taxi in Uvalde. Might be the same bunch, in which case, it might be good to give them a heads up.

Carl, Thanks. I got home, cut up meat and found that Uncle Randy had mistakenly stuck my hides in my cooler. If the condition is OK on them, I'll have my local taxi do them. My horns are going to Uvalde for a European mount.
The .223AI didn't get used. I took it out, checked it at the target range down there in 92 degree heat and fired one shot. Blew the primer.......H335. Don't let anyone tell you its not temperature sensitive. It will do the same here in a hot barrel or on a hot day....most of my hunting isn't on hot days...
So I put it away and used the Icon .243 loaded with 4064...no problem of course.

Hope the hides are OK. I hear you on the powder...
Primers I want to stay in the pocket.

Axis are worth it. I hear told, they are just about palatable..

Yeah, they're probably the best deer venison....
Hide wise, if they didn't make it, I found I can order a couple from the net at just about the price it costs to get them tanned. Just hoping mine made it cause they were both well marked, black striped down the back etc.

If they don't make it, maybe I'll have an excuse to go back!!

Congrats - those are both really fine trophies!! Might need to try that one day, and since I already have a .243 to take along what could be more fun than to chase axis this time of year.

Thanks for posting!!

Yeah, they are starting to do a little marketing towards that end. Early June is the rut for Axis, thats when you'll find a lot of activity and more hard-horned specimens. You can't hunt anything else in june, you can't beat the meat for table fare,and anyone who says axis aren't good game, hasn't hunted them.
We lucked out big time on this trip, temps were in the 80s with a nice breeze. The instant we quit hunting it went to its normal no wind and 100 degrees!

ingwe, do they hunt earlier than June?? I used to squeeze in hunts for them in late March and early April.. That was during the years I had to work, and had a week long break in that time period.. Temps were great, but lots of bucks were in velvet..

Went once in early June, than the heat about did me in..

My exact finding back in 1996 when I built mine and used some of Steve Timm's data from VH. At the time I was living in Midland and it was hot. Bing...

Congrats and it's good to see you are enjoying retirement.

Yeah, you can do an earlier hunt for them, but as you said, a lot will be in velvet. Im glad it didn't get to 100 while we were hunting...I can't stand that.were I to go again, it would be earlier in May....

Thanks that is more my time...

I have hunted axis in July and August and the heat was tolerable, because unlike mad dogs and Englishmen, we didn't go out in the noonday sun.

I didn't go out in the midday sun either....but Im a big wimp. If Im doing anything in that kind of heat, its standing in a cool trout stream



What time of year was it when you killed your big one?

I found this Link for the Ranch. http://canyonranchtx.com/index.html

Looks like a nice place to hunt!

Tom nice pics thanks for sharing. Shocked you left the Ingwe special home but 'spose yer mistresses need love & attention too!

All these axis threads sure got me pining for Tx time...

Got that one in late August, about an hour north of where you hunted.

Congratulations on a fine hunt.

Congrats Tom not sure how I missed this until now. Glad to see your luck changed since the Hog Hunt at 7ADL.

Congrats! I should look into that hunt, myself.

I couldn't recommend it more highly.


More highlier?

Tom, Looks like you had a great time. Nice deer and I might have to check the place out myself.

OK, I just contacted them,
I've bene looking at Argentina but there's an issue traveling with firearms, and when I add the flight costs, it's about the same as Texas.
Hoping to combine Axis and Blackbuck.

Hancock

They should be able to accommodate that combo no problem. Hope you have a good time!
Plus...you can bring home the meat!

Congrats Ingwe,

Great looking deer and I think anyone who goes to TX and doesn't have fun, isn't trying very hard. Like many others, Axis and Blackbuck is on my bucket list.

Congrats on a fine looking buck for sure and as you have shared with the group they are the finest eating venison you can get IMHO.. I started hunting Axis in Texas about 15 years ago to have something to do during the "offseason". I fell in love with these deer and I guess you might say I've become obsessed with them over the years. I've got hundreds of Axis photos and I'll share some if the OP is ok with me adding to his post. Again sir congrats on a fine buck. Elk

Varget.....

335 is as nasty as 748... won't find either around my table due to heat issues....

Been gone on a PD shooting trip,just got back but please, by all means, post some pics! Im already pondering my next Axis hunt! They are crafty devils and at least as far as outfitted deer hunts go, they are a screaming deal!

Yes sir I agree, I love hunting them. I'll post some photos this evening after work!!

Ok guys as promised I'll share some Axis photos of live and some not so alive Axis deer. First let me say I've never been one to set still around the house watching TV or staring at the computer. Up until last year when I was transfered out here to Louisiana to hopefully finish my career in the oil field, I lived in a small hill country town west of San Antoino named Uvalde, Texas. I was working 14 on and 14 off so on my days off I used to explore the backroads of the hill country. I took a lot of photos of all sorts of native and exotic game. Some behind high fences and many that were not. Some of my photos were taken during hunting trips. My camera has cost me a few shots a big deer but I can never seem to leave it at home.
I believe the Axis deer is about as pretty as they come. They out compete Whitetailed deer in Texas and eat many plants that WT simply will not eat. No matter the conditions I've never killed one that wasn't fat and slick!! Oh well I'll also post a few of a monster Axis that I photographed in September 2013. If a bigger buck has ever been photographed alive or dead I've certainly not seen it. I hope you guys enjoy the photos but please be kind . I'm an oil field worker not a photographer and some of these photos were taken at great distances. Take Care Folks, Elk is out!





[
[URL=http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/elkhunter49/media/2-18-2014032_zps4e731720.jpg.html]

a few more,





[img]http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l529/elkhunter49/IMG_4158_zps0b33eac1.jpg[/img]

Keep 'em coming!

Ive been amazed while running around the hill country the number of exotics running wild and free. Especially axis, but a number of others. Seen a couple monster bucks in the headlights!

a few more,

My Cajun buds would be skinning those...

DF

Wow! Those are some good pics!

DF: The hell of it is that its legal to spotlight exotics in Texas....

How about a few of the monster, I never could obtain permission to hunt him. The landowner said the pasture he was in is 1100 acres of thick river bottoms and he had only seen him twice previously and didn't think I could ever find him again even if he let me hunt him. Damn I sure wanted to try. He said he never put an Axis on his place but has had some for over 20 years. Beautiful animal, old and almost solid white on his muzzle. I guess he was at least 12 years old.

I'll post some other exotic photos on a different thread sometime this week if anyone's interested. Later Tater's

Holy Schitt!


You're right, Ive never seen a bigger one anytime, anywhere!

The one pic of the one you killed is a whopper too, nice mass, brows and caudals .


Im gonna have to go do this again, only hunted them twice...this year and last year. Gotta go again!

I'll post one more photo with a quick explanation, As I mentioned I was living near Uvalde and was sitting on my back porch late one evening with the light off drinking a beer and looking at some of the days photos on my tiny camera screen. Well I kept thinking I could hear something in the dark but my hearing is so poor (too many years in a refinery) that I didn't give it much thought. My wife came out to see if I was coming to bed and she flipped on the porch light and this is what was looking at me. He froze long enough for me to snap one photo before he hauled it with a couple girls in tow!

Heres a few I've got mounted. This years deer I already posted but I didn't mount him!

Shot this one at last light, beautiful buck.

OK.

You Officially SUCK!



But you've given me a goal to shoot for! That one in the last pic is phenomenal!

What are you using to shoot them with?

Yea he's a good one, the first pic of him right I took while he was still in the grass shows his mass as well as length on both beams. I've never had him scored but probably should. He's got it all, length,width and mass.

I'm not big on scoring things.
I thought he was big enough to shoot when I pulled the trigger, and thats really all that counts

I've been using my old 300WM for years but it's not needed. I use it for 2 reasons, first I've got so much confidence in it from all my years of hunting elk with it. The other reason is the old "if you draw blood you pay" speech you get from most outfitters. I always wanted to anchor them on the spot and so far thats what I've been able to do. I always carry a 22-250 with me for popping a doe in the head.
I recently bought a 6.5 Creedmore from one of the guys here on the forum that I'm going to start using this fall. The old 300WM is just not as much fun to shoot as it used to be. I'm getting tired of getting the taste slapped out of my mouth everytime I pull the trigger. I'm just getting a little long in the tooth I guess.

I hear ya talking. Ive only shot 3 Axis so far, one with a 7x57 and the other 2 with a .243
Because of the " if you draw blood..." speech I shoot them on the point of the shoulder, break a bunch of stuff, and they go down right quick. The .243 with a 95 NBT did a great job.....

If they would let me, Id use my 223AI...but every place Ive been has a 243 min.


BTW: You'll like the Creedmoor!

Yes sir it's a beautiful left handed custom that I can't wait to get bloody.

Dad got this one yesterday in his back yard. 9mm FN-x. Kid you not...as he would say. Not bad for a 78 y.o. smoker huh? This one is bigger than the pic makes out. We have shot bigger ones but he needed the meat and couldn't let it pass. Plus....you know....it was right there.

Cool!!!

Great photos there elk.. Those axis are beautiful animals.. Some of those photos of bucks were just awesome. Thanks for sharing.. This makes me want to go for axis again.. Shot my first one in 85 in of all places, Hawaii.. Shot my 10 th in Texas in 2003.. Can't believe it has been that long since I hunted axis.. At that time I could hunt as early as March.. Now it seems they want you to hunt in May - Aug.. Pretty hot for me.. I think the most we paid for the bigger bucks was $750. My Best was only about 30" long not quite, but fractions short.. I never scored anything.. We had some great hunts in the Hill Country in the late 80's and 90's. Must consider going down there again. Great show you folks put on.. Best of luck in the future..

btw- congrats Ingwe. That was a nice one you got. You will love the meat. My folks won't even eat whitetail any more - but they go straight to processor and don't salt and drain for a few days like I do.

Any idea how much yours weighed? I tried to guess some of my bigger ones. Wild stab I was putting them at around 175 +lbs but I know they can get a good bit bigger. Have seen a few and a game ranch nearby had a monster always posing by the road with perfect broadside stance- the tease!

We will see them herding up or walking single file just before night. Some great big bruiser in the mix. Seen upwards of a hundred at once.

Trouble with axis is no matter how many you shoot you simply cannot keep yourself from having the hides done. I have given some as gifts and still have a few laying around the house.

Talking about axis posing.. On one of the later hunts, near Rock Springs, Texas we were going to my friends Uncle's place for a hunt..
On the way we spotted an axis with palms and lots of points.. It almost looked like fallow horns, but with many points.. On the way out, my pal from Texas said he was going to stop and ask the rancher what he would take for the buck..
While he was inside my bud and I guess what the price would be.. I guessed $5000.. I not sure what my bud guess.. When our Tx. friend returned, we told him our guess.. I think my guess was the high one, turned out the rancher had just turned down $40,000 for the buck.. He was hoping to develop a unique strain..
Next year we ask about the big fellow, our Tx pal said he had visited with the rancher, and the big guy had just disappeared.. Maybe poached..

Great story WCH, I think anyone turning down 40K for a wild deer needs to get some help!!

Depends... if the genetics had passed along...40K would have been a drop in the bucket possibly.

Best I ever saw was roughly a bit over 40 inches, close to 42 on the lenght, supposedly off a YO pasutre and dropped at the processing plant out of Kerrville.

Truly we were in awe, when we were told what the rancher turned down.. The buck, when we spotted it, was quite near the guys house.. My Tx. pal had seen it there numerous times before our trip.. I guess one never knows.. But the genetics thing is what he seemed to have in mind..

How about a few more pics. No real monsters!!

I've got some good exotic photos but I don't really see a catagory they fit in!

They can fit right here! What the hell

We had a Campfire Hog Hunt down there in March and those purple flowers in your pic were everywhere!

Post some more pics!

What ingwe said!!!!

I've only shot 2 and both with the .257 and 100 gr Accubond. the first one dropped right there at a 175 yard shot. The second was only 80-ish yards and turned away. I hit him a little far back and he went about 100 yards and left no blood trail until the end. (Hatari told me to quit my complaining since I got it )

The second was this one.

can't wait to see the flamin' creedmoor whacking axis deer

Ok boys lets play name that exotic!!!!

A few more.....

And a few more before supper!






This sum bitch looked at me like I owed him money!

A the last for now!!

well guess what? My Dad admitted that axis died in his yard last night. Some small wound in his side but he did not shoot it. He tried about two months ago- same deer- wit ha crossbow that self destructed. I told hime he is going to hell for lying but no- I wont tell my nephews he didn't get it with a 9mm.

HE was having a good time on this one. Never trust that man again

Ive heard those Pere Davids deer don't taste so good...


I know the Oryx do....

That is correct sir, The Pere David deer are a little gamey. My favorite is Eland followed by Axis,Oryx then Nilgai. I've herd that Gemsbok is very good but I've never tried it. I'm not crazy about Blackbuck either.Baker

I love me some nilgai, and Gemsbok is excellent!

Shot a mouflon on this last trip, but gave it to the help so I don't know how it tastes...

[quote=ingwe]I love me some nilgai, and Gemsbok is excellent!

Shot a mouflon on this last trip, but gave it to the help so I don't know how it tastes...



Nice Ram, and I think you made the right choice with the meat!!

Dats what I heard....

Nice mouflon ingwe... I really enjoyed hunting them.. Never shot an nilgai, but my pal got and eland as you say, excellent.. Did you enjoy the mouflon hunt?? I had a great time with it..

Elk, was one of those animals a bongo??? Sure looked like it..
The buffalo weren't capes were they?? Most of the stuff I recognize, but wasn't sure about a couple..

ingwe, when is the earliest hunt for axis on the outfit you hunted?? Went in June one year, some of the last hunts I made down there, the heat about did me in..

Great photos, thanks again.

I did kinda enjoy the Mouflon...they were spooky as hell, which was good. I just can't do the 'hunt' where critters stand around waiting to be shot. The day before we had seen a whopper mouflon, but of course he didn't show when we were serious.

I wonder if they eat those things in Europe. they make a big deal out of them for sure.

Im not sure how early Axis hunts are offered but a couple guys here went in april and found lots of hard horned bucks, so Im going to do a little prospecting about that month...

If you don't mind, would you let me know what you find.. That would be about perfect, I think for weather.. I hunted quite a bit on spring break, that was in March.. Just a tad too early.. April would be great weather..

10-4

Yes sir that one looking backwards is a Bongo!!! The Buffalo are Asian Water Buffalo.

The majority of the Axis bucks get hard horned in late spring and early summer (Summer Bucks) but it all depends on when they were born. They are some that get hard horned in the fall and winter and a second less intense rut happens around the first of December (Winter bucks) much like WT. There are some big winter Axis killed each year but I quit hunting them then because I was seeing too many big bodied deer that had dropped their racks. I love to eat Axis and normally take a couple does every year but I'm a trophy hunter at heart.

So tell me. I haven't dug into this Axis to eat it yet. the buck i killed last year was fine, but younger. I noticed when cutting up the meat that my buck seems a bit tougher to get through than the doe I shot. Is the meat on the bigger ones a bit chewy or am I overthinking it?

ingwe, thanks for the 10-4.. We have eaten Axis deer that were older bucks, and some younger cull bucks.. It was all excellent,BUT when I was hunting them a lot, we were in the Kerrville area.. I could have a buck cut, wrapped and frozen for $60.. For $5. additional they would run the steaks though a meat tenderizer.. I had that done each time so, it made quite a diff.

Elk, thanks for the info.. I didn't realize they had bongo in Tx.. I never saw that or the water buffalo.. Any idea of the price of a water buffalo??

Elk, thanks for the info.. I didn't realize they had bongo in Tx.. I never saw that or the water buffalo.. Any idea of the price of a water buffalo?? [/quote]

The Buffalo in the photo are on the Ox ranch and I've seen them everytime I hunted the place. I don't think the buffalo would be much of a hunt as the ones I've seen on theOx were always in or near the river and never ran where we saw them. They have several big old nasty looking bulls but they are pricey. I think about 5K or so.

Ingwe, the Axis is no different than any other deer in that the old bucks will be tougher than a doe or young deer. I'll still take them over anything else I've eaten other than Eland!!!

Nice job on the axis deer, Tom!

Not sure how I missed this.

Hope you are doing well and getting in some creek fishing.

Chris, doing OK here and getting in some Pd shooting and creek fishing. Starting to get ready to go to Alberta for pike next month.....otherwise hiding in the basement with the air conditioner!

Ingwe, Just finished reading this thread, I am happy to see that you and others have discovered Axis and other exotics here in Texas, are not all in little pastures surrounded by high fence.
There is some great hunting here, but like every where else you have to look for it. hunting Axis is like drinking good whiskey and looking at good looking lady's it never gets old.Rio7

I hope so, cause Im cooking up my next hunt for them! Don't know why its not more popular....it is THE bargain in deer hunting,and I know I'll ruffle some feathers but why would you shoot a little Hill Country whitetail when you could shoot an Axis? They're bigger, prettier and taste better. YMMV

You are right about the Axis, but the hill country is not the place to hunt big whitetail, S.Texas brush country is where the big whitetail hang out. rio7

Yep...it sure seems so. But I have that " familiarity breeds contempt" thing going on. Living and hunting here in Montana for 40+ years I have killed a few whitetails. Cant figure out why anyone would pay money to do it.
Now give a big beautiful Axis, a 'guide' to dress, skin and quarter it ( Im allergic to deer and get sick when I handle them) and somebody besides me cooking breakfast, now THAT, I'll pay for!

Makes sense to me. Rio7

I concure, Love me some Axis