Suggestions for Axis deer outfitter in Texas

[Badseed]

I have been considering taking my dad on an axis deer hunt and although Hawaii would be amazing to hunt, Texas is more realistic. My dad has been out of the hunting game for a few years due to cancer which has drastically limited his physical abilities but he is an avid shooter and loves a shooting challenge. I am interested to hear about any outfitters that people have used. Neither one of us are really interested in shooting a high fence deer but at the same time we would want at least one opportunity to shoot a respectable axis. What are your experiences?


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[Shane]

There are lots of places in the Hill Country where you can hunt free range axis. Genetics for big antlers are better in Texas than Hawaii, but I still want to hunt them in Hawaii too. Last week's extreme cold killed a lot of axis in Texas though. We think we lost about half of the axis on the ranch I hunt (low fence). Found 20 dead within 50 yards of the cabin. Bad deal. We still have good numbers, but nowhere near as many as 2 weeks ago. The cold was brutal on them. They don't handle cold well.

 

[kravguy]

That stinks for the Axis. Beautiful animal and some really good eating meat.

Badseed, sending pm.

 

[kgk_kcc]

^ To go off Shane, numbers are down in a lot of places throughout the Hill Country due to the bad freeze from earlier this year. Axis and Blackbuck (the two most prolific exotic species in central Texas) got absolutely wiped out in some places. That being said, there are still plenty of opportunities to find a good hunt, you just might end up paying more than in years past depending on where you are. Some exotic transporters I know are seeing big price surges due to the increased demand from people trying to "restock" some of the axis they've lost.

They can be a lot of fun to hunt in the summer when they rut, and their meat is top notch (I've cooked fresh Elk and Axis tenders side by side). Look for areas north/northwest of San Antonio and south of San Angelo and you should be able to find some good, low fence ranches with free ranging herds. Axis are all over the hill country and hardly considered an "exotic" anymore as they are so abundant. If you ever want any specific outfitter recommendations feel free to hit me up.

 

[def90]

Yeah, the freeze this spring took out a lot of exotics in Texas. I would expect hunts to become harder to book and prices to be up for the next few years.

 

[100percent]

Drew Ross, Premier Ranch at Mason, TX.