[killzone]

I have to be in Texas in a month or two for work. By boss tells me that I will have planty of free time for sight seeing. Well I'd rather hunt!:D I said...

What could be hunted between Sep-Nov? What about Aoudad? Where should I go? Do you guys have any hunting stories to share?

[SRMohawk]

KZ,
Get on the net and start comparing trophy fees and/or prices for day hunts on any of the following species: 1) Feral hogs, 2) Blackbuck antelope, 3) Axis deer, 4) Fallow deer, 5) Sika Deer, 6) Corsican sheep, 7) Aoudad, 8) Javelina. Any of these species (or any non-indigenous species) can be hunted any time of year in Texas with rifle, handgun, or bow! Trophy fees for a Gold Medal Aoudad specimen run $3000-$4000; Gold Medal Axis are $1800-$3000; Gold Medal Fallow and Sika are $1500-$2500; and Gold Medal Blackbuck or Corsican sheep can be harvested for as little as $1000. Just remember, Blackbuck antelope aren't in their best color until winter! Of course, you can go and get a 250-lb feral boar for only several hundred dollars!

If you have big money to burn, call the 777 ranch! They'll guide you out to kill a Sable antelope for around $7500, or an Oryx for $5000 :D !

[killzone]

If you have big money to burn, call the 777 ranch! They'll guide you out to kill a Sable antelope for around $7500, or an Oryx for $5000 !

I have to "Justify" my spandings on the Corparate Cradit Card, in whick I can fit a big chunk for food and entertaintment....Here is the trick - I don't enjoy going to the movies or seeing the big show, or the space center.... I enjoy hunting right. It helps to have a cool boss who is a hard core hunter himself. I don't think I can justify $7500 but I should be Ok up to 1500 or so...

[rbernie]

Where in TX will you be? It's a pretty big place.... :)

[killzone]

I'll be in Houston but I will have the weekends and Fridays off. Would that give me enough traveling time (driving) to prime hunting locations?

[SRMohawk]

KZ,
Man, if you can be here anytime between late November and the end of January, you need to go and get you a Blackbuck antelope! They are unbelievable beautiful animals! Depending on the terrain in which they are hunted and/or how herds are managed, they can challenging to hunt as well.
Forget Aoudad when you can hunt Blackbuck antelope! Auodad are costly at over $3000 for a Silver or Gold Medal specimen! And they're ugly as sin!!! Your Mrs. will be demanding you take it off the wall after a couple of months out of taxidermy!

But Blackbuck antelope! That's another story! You can get a Gold Medal specimen with 22" horns or longer for as little as $1000 (usually $1200-$1500), and your wife won't even mind if you hang if over the bed seein' as how pretty they are!

I have 4 on my own walls and they're the only hunting trophies I've got that my wife will allow outside the gun/reloading room upstairs :D !

[killzone]

Blackbuck sounds like a good deal. How do they taste? I would assume it would be close to pronghorn...

[NAK]

If you like wingshooting, there is morning and white winged dove hunting.

[SRMohawk]

KZ,
The taste of them is one of the little fringe benefits of hunting them. In fact, they don't taste like pronghorn :barf: , they're on the opposite end of the spectrum! But you'll want one for the look of them, with their beautiful coats (but only in the late Fall to Winter) and super-exotic looking horns! I'm tellin' ya, when Blackbuck are in their winter coats, the only ruminant on earth that is more beautiful is the Sable antelope. Unfortunately, Sable cost 5 to 8 times as much to kill!

BTW, NAK is right! Dove season is fast approaching and it's super affordable ($100-200/day). So bring a good shotgun, 'cause you're gonna wanna get in on that action ;) !

[Smoke]

Dove season opens Sept 1. It's a religion here.

Smoke

[Nathanael_Greene]

If you're going to be in the Houston area, you might want to check out
this place:

www.huntingtexasexotics.com

He's got a current special on rams:

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/91619/an/0/page/0#Post91619

If you go, tell him I sent ya. I hunted fallow deer this past January; had a blast, and Curtis is a great guy and very hard-working guide.

[MCgunner]

There's also the early teal season and there's lots of hunting/outfitters east of Houston. If you decide to try teal, take plenty of deep woods off and I hope you don't mind duck hunting in 90 degree weather. :D

[one-shot-one]

http://www.cougarrun.com/

http://www.thewildliferanch.com/

http://www.llanospringsranch.com/Exotic%20Hunts.htm

http://www.dosplumasranch.com/specials.html

for other game:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/nonpwdpubs/media/outdoor_annual_2005_2006.pdf

[22-rimfire]

If I were you, I would look at getting a hog hunt set up in South Texas (ie south of San Antonio (SA)) or immediately west of SA. You probably have no way to deal with meat if you are like me when you travel. It is a good place to start and not that expensive. It is hard to get set up in Texas hunting unless you throw a lot of money at the objective; leases are the rule. Look for folks wanting to add people on their lease.

I lived there for 10-years and never hunted. If I lived there now, that would change.

[MCgunner]

There's a 700 acre high fence exotic ranch just south of SA south of 1604 loop I hunted once. Two day hunt was $185, but it was meat hogs, not to exceed 100 lbs. There was a bazillion of 'em, though. Took me a day to get my three hog limit. Don't have any contact info, though, got it out of the Houston Chronicle want ads.

[gotguns?]

+1 on dove hunting - you should be able to find very reasonable day leases.

+1 on hog hunting - very cost beneficial and good eating.

[ezypikns]

It's about the only reasonably priced (mostly) hunting we have left here.