Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Are axis tougher than white tail

Cariboujack,

Here in TX, BIG Axix bucks are all over the place from the DFW area to far South Texas, including LOTS in the hill country south & west of The Alamo City.

I talked to a rancher about an hour ago who has a BIG buck on his ranch that is still "in velvet". = He expects that buck to be about 35+ inches when he's in "hard antler" in March or April.

yours, tex

Thank you sir. I believe I need one of those. Since I'm coming form Idaho, I may have to find one that isn't all the way in San Antonio. I like the white horns too. Don't think I need velvet.

These are 'farmed' deer? High/low fence sort of deal?

Both high fence and free ranging

My observation on Axis deer comes from a somewhat different point of view than some. Where I shoot them they're called Chital, and there aren't any whitetail. The whitetail I do normally shoot are roughly twice the size of the chital/axis deer I've shot and give muledeer a run for their money. Having said that I've also hunted those tiny southern whitetail although not in Texas. Just like a deer, only smaller.

I never found that Axis/chital deer are tougher than whitetail that were about twice the size. Fact is, I never found that any of them were tough. As chance would have it I've killed deer by the truck load and trailer load with a .257 as well as .300. There is no doubt that it is very effective on deer from mulies on down, and is one of the truly great open country deer cartridges. I still don't think its a match for a .300 though.

Bullets make more difference than calibers.

This.

My brother hunts a place in McCulloch County, Texas where he’s not the lease holder, but he’s part of an “elimination team” I guess you could call it. Anyway, the landowner farms sheep and he hates axis deer because they eat what 7 sheep can eat.(I think it was 7 if I remember right). Every year my brother gets to go there and they kill a couple of pickup loads of axis. These are free range axis. And yes, we process and eat them all. Very good eating! I’m hoping one day I get invited to go there.

Just a few I've seen here in Tx. Both pics are of free range axis.



Taken during Turkey season (April). This buck was taken a month later and measured 38" and 40". The just barely seen to the right measured 36"



This one measured out at 37".

Cariboujack,

IF you would like my help in finding you a suitable place to hunt in South TX, PM me with your wants/needs & I'll try to help.

The "BIG BOYS" are mostly in the dense brush in South TX & are NOT easy or cheap to hunt. - A free range hunt for a BIG Axis buck won't be quick, as the brush is very thick & the old/biggest bucks "run & hide" in the "thick stuff". = They didn't live to be that big by being stupid.
(I heard that last year that a hunter from CT paid a trophy fee of over 7,000.oo for a near 40-incher that weighed 265 pounds field-dressed. He reportedly hunted for his trophy for about 15 days from dawn to dusk & all of some nights, too. = There are a FEW "real monsters" down here. ====> South TX has the BIGGEST Axis bucks, though there are "decent size trophies" all over TX, starting about 1,000.oo & up. Doe Axis are "the best eating deer" & usually 300-500.00 each.)

yours, tex

ironbender,

It depends. = The REAL hunters (in my OPINION) here do NOT "do" the "HIGH-fenced, farmed" animals but rather seek out the free ranging Axis on the huge South TX ranches. = The rancher that I mentioned earlier & that has seen the (probably in "hard antler") 35" buck is "out & about" on his well over 1,000 acre ranch.

IF all that a person wants is MEAT, it can be bought in some butcher shops, here. - Similarly there are "hunters" who want to shoot a deer at feeding time & that (imo) is no different than shooting a farmer's cow.

yours, tex

I will be hunting around the Rocksprings area.

Interesting and quite different-looking country.

In my experience, it's not any tougher to kill an Axis than it is a Whitetail. As with anything, shot placement is key. I've found the typical Axis Buck to be larger than the average Whitetail Buck.

I've found the 257 Weatherby to be a sure killer of Axis deer. I use the 115 gr NBT.

Here's a free range Axis from last October taken with my 257 Wby at 175 Yards.

In what areas do you see them free range in South Texas? I don't doubt there are pockets of them. I've just never seen any in the areas I've hunted. If you don't mind, pm me any ranches or Outfitters you recommend.

ECHunter80,

While I won't give you specific ranches (absent the owner's consent) there are LOTS of free range Axis near KERRVILLE, BOERNE, GRUENE a goodly number in JIM WELLS COUNTY Texas.

I've also seen any number grazing after dark near I-37 South between San Antonio & Corpus Christi

yours, tex

Jim Wells - I haven't hunted any around Jim Wells but it would make sense that they could grow big down there with all that high protein browse. Ive seen some on a high fenced ranch in willacy county and they looked like they hadn't missed a meal. I've heard a few ranches around the King have free ranching scimitar, waterbuck, and auodad now too. I'm very familiar with the axis numbers out in the hill country. I can't pass a creek without looking for them West of San Antonio.

The only one I killed fell to a 100gn TSX from my 243AI. About 150 yards. It made it about 10 yards and dropped.

TxHunter80,

Be NOT deceived the "OLD BOYS" (who are carrying nearly too much antler to haul around) got that way by being wary, do NOT come to the feeders EVER & hang out in the thickest of brush except late at night.
(An old boarding school chum of mine, whose family owns a truly HUGE ranch, has seen a buck that he stoutly claims was at least 45 inches last Summer. = I've known Bud since 1963 & he's not a liar.)



yours, tex

Tex,
I don't doubt it. Those old axis can just vanish. One of the two I shot was in s tx on a good sized high fenced ranch that have a self sustaining herd. The guides were on the ranch frequently running cameras and guiding whitetail/Nilgai hunters. Neither of them recognized the one hunt I got. They said they probably saw him when he was young but hadn't seen him in years and didn't even know he existed. He never went to corn or protein feeders so was never caught on game cams. As you mentioned, he probably lived those last few years well off the roads in the thick stuff and moved around at night a good bit. He was an old fellow with just a few teeth left that were worn almost all the way down. Horn wise he was only about 30-31" but I couldn't be happier with him.

you sure about Jim Wells county, I grew up there and still hunt there and Duval county as well. I've seen them in high fences and have buddy's who-have them but i have not seen any free range.