Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Free range blackbuck/exotics in Texas?

Baker Ranch in Rocksprings, 2 hours from SA, used to offer both axis and bbuck and they are totally free range. Nothing is easy about them at times. Other times you can drive right by one....

I haven't guided there in years so can't comment on the quality of the hunt but the sisters used to run it and Bonnie and Lisa put on a good feed and you had a good chance at an average animal, never did see anything exceptional, IE 21-22 inch bbuck and 34 inch axis were about tops. 19 average on bbuck, 30ish on axis.

I"m sure it would google up.

My best bbuck was something over 23 but it was on a not hunted much ranch and the owners allowed me to do my own thing.... they had seen a large one they said but it never came by the stands.... so of course I set off to just glass and watch areas no where near stands and on the last morning after finally tracking his location down somewhat, I set up close to where I"d seen him from a distance.... 80 yards ain't much of a shot..

Rost, how did it taste?

Another outfitter http://www.magnumguide.com/ExoticHunting.aspx

There are plenty of free roaming black buck but usually they can't cross a standard goat fence, so make sure you aren't getting a small pasture canned hunt. The YO ranch was one of the first to offer exotic hunting. It's a nice place just to visit.

Drilling? What caliber?

It my "go-to gun" an old GDR Merkel in 16/16/7x65r, very accurate and fun to use.

Very cool. Need more pics!

Thanks! Here are some more photos:





With the right handloads it can do this at 100 yards:

wow! Beautiful rifle and accurate... thats a keeper for sure.

I have a Drilling that my dad gave me 9.3x72R/16x16. Its not a deluxe grade by any means - probably was a working gun for a PH, maybe. But man does it handle nicely.

Thanks for sharing pic's

There are a good many free range blackbuck around San Angelo. They are lots of fun to hunt and certainly not dumb. They are not nearly as common to be found free range as Axis deer are and are nowhere near as good to eat. Axis are nearly everywhere in the Hill Country of TX now. I've had leases in Junction, Sonora, Menard, and Lampasas. We had axis on every lease we've ever had in the Hill Country. We even shot several free range axis on our property in Del Rio.
I usually hunt them during turkey season and they breed year round. No set time for the rut. Bucks will be in all stages of antler growth during any given time of the year.
Book a turkey hunt with a landowner that has lots of axis. Turkey numbers will be low in most of that country because of drought, but still should be enough birds to make it fun.
Another option is turkey/nilgai hunt in S. Texas.

I've begun to hunt in Texas some lately instead of just driving through to hunt farther west as I have for years. I have been fortunate to take a good Blackbuck and Aoudad but the Axis has eluded me thus far.

I'm looking for good trophy Axis hunting if anyone has suggestions.

Thanks,
Jeff