Trophy buck photo

[Jack O'Conner]

30-30 carbine firing plain Winchester Power Point 170 grain ammo toppled this trophy axis buck. The shot was fired at approximately 75 yards. A very good choice for deer hunting.

Axis deer originate from Ceylon and Nepal but were introduced to North America many years ago. They are thriving in Texas and Florida on game ranches. Texas population is estimated at 30,000 animals. Suprisngly, axis do not compete with native whitetails for food. Axis are not browsers of forest plants. Their diets consist largely of grasses and forbs.

Brady Ranch of Florida has largest population of axis deer outside of Nepal. Affordable hunts for trophy axis deer about half the cost of a mule deer hunt. If considering a trophy hunt for exotic game, always check the size of the ranch. Bigger the better! Ask whether the animals are born in the wild or in a barn.

Good hunting to you.
Jack

 

[FirstFreedom]

Very nice. That would be fun if it is a 'semi-free-range' herd (i.e. within a large geograhic-area ranch), with fawns born in the wild.

As far as them not competing with whitetails for food, I doubt that is 100% accurate. They may not compete entirely, but if they eat "grasses & forbs", then they are competing, since whitetails eat those things too, in addition to browse.

 

[Jack O'Conner]

Actually the comment about no compete was taken from an exhaustive study in Texas and California by wildlife biologists. Their conclusions, not mine. But I know what you mean.

Axis deer, like American elk have a more complex digestive system than whitetail deer; their bodies can extract far more nutrients from grasses. Axis deer will fatten on a diet of grasses that would leave a whitetail malnourished.
Jack

 

[FirstFreedom]

Axis deer, like American elk have a more complex digestive system than whitetail deer; their bodies can extract far more nutrients from grasses. Axis deer will fatten on a diet of grasses that would leave a whitetail malnourished.

Ahhh, thank you. Quite interesting.

 

[Art Eatman]

Axis deer have been escaping from game ranches in central Texas for a long time. The state doesn't bother to assert ownership or have seasons/limits.

A buddy of mine once allowed as how it was nice to be able to shoot from his window, any hour of day or night, any time of year, for the Axis. "Of course," he said, "it wouldn't feel right unless I lay down alongside to gut him out."