Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: storch on October 01, 2007, 08:45:42 AM
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a friend stopped by earlier and gave me some freshly jerked venison and some backstrap steaks. he just came back from texas where he has aquired a hunting lease on a small parcel of land in east texas. he has photos of lots of nice looking but smallish white-tails rio grande turkeys and axis deer. lots of axis deer where my jerky and backstraps came from. apparently there are a good number of non indigenous deer running around the countryside and one is free to shoot them all year round.
is that so?
I hope so because if it is I might partner up on the lease.
anyways off to take this fresh venison home before it thaws out. looks like it's venison tonight.
:D
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Non-resident hunting license is $300.
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Yes....
There are many leases that offer exotics for hunting year round here in Texas.
Click here for a few around Junction (http://www.junctiontexas.net/hunting.htm)
There are alot in the Texas Hill Country. North of Kerrville is the area we hunt.
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thanks for the responses
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Yes there are a TON of non indigenous species running loose in the Hill Country of Texas. We spent 2 months at lake Medina and saw axis deer all over the place. There was also a ranch that is raising Oryx and some other kind of African antelope. On the other hand there are 3 American Bison in with a small herd of cattle in the Pipe Creek area.
I'm totally unfamiliar with the hunting lease situation. How does that work?
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The Ranches have guided hunts where you pay a fee and they take you out on the hunt and gurantee a kill. Most of the time the fee includes processing your kill and the mounting of your trophy.
A lease is where you pay a fee, usually a group of 3 to 4 hunters get together, for the right to hunt a certain property. You can hunt any time in season and on certain occassions bring a guest. There is an area set aside for your group to bring trailers or a small camp house on skids. The one up north of Kerrville has a small camp house that sleeps 4 and has a kitchen. Also added covered parking for the jeeps that stay up there all season. Also there is a small seperate building on skid that has the toilet, shower and sink for shaving.
Note... when you have a lease... if you see the owner toiling over some small project.... offer to give him a hand during off hunt times and you'll usually get the better sites for your feeders and stands. He's your best buddy...... lol
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Originally posted by Shuffler
The Ranches have guided hunts where you pay a fee and they take you out on the hunt and gurantee a kill. Most of the time the fee includes processing your kill and the mounting of your trophy.
A lease is where you pay a fee, usually a group of 3 to 4 hunters get together, for the right to hunt a certain property. You can hunt any time in season and on certain occassions bring a guest. There is an area set aside for your group to bring trailers or a small camp house on skids. The one up north of Kerrville has a small camp house that sleeps 4 and has a kitchen. Also added covered parking for the jeeps that stay up there all season. Also there is a small seperate building on skid that has the toilet, shower and sink for shaving.
Note... when you have a lease... if you see the owner toiling over some small project.... offer to give him a hand during off hunt times and you'll usually get the better sites for your feeders and stands. He's your best buddy...... lol
that sounds like the place my friend was describing including the kerrville area. is that near to houston? anyhow he's looking for three more participants on the lease I was happy to participate. the steaks he brought me were in vacuum sealed plastic the trophy looking buck was still in velvet and is being mounted. I'm pretty excited about this opportunity. my only concern is that I hope they don't have some deer tethered to a tree like in some of them canned hunting places. I'd rather do an elmer fudd hunt, sssssssh be vewy vewy quiet.
we prepared the steaks in a pepper steak recipe which is one of my preferred methods for eating venison and I'm sorry I did. the steaks are so tender and taste so good I should have just salted them a bit and cooked them. this axis deer is some of the best eating game I have ever had.
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Sheesh, if I lived anywhere near, I'd pony up for part of a decent lease. Here in the UK, the majority of hunting is done with shotguns or air rifles..........with a power limit of 12ft/lbs........so you have to get close to shoot....(no more than 30 yards for me......cos I cant hit the backside of a cow most times).......if your air rifle is over 12ft/lbs....you need a firearms certificate...or its big jail time............you need a shotgun certificate for a shottie............there is real rifle hunting in the highlands of Scotland, but thats way more than I'm prepared to pay (and travel).....so, to say I'm jealous......massive understatement!..
Wurzel
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if you bounce across the pond anytime soon (or later) and happen to visit the miami area shoot me a PM.
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Arkansas deer season (black-powder) starts in about 2 weeks...after that, bow, then rifle & shotgun.
Critters like wild boar (plentiful) and coyote (plentiful)...bobcat (plentiful) kill all ya want..they'll make more.
Some cattle ranchers will actually PAY YOU to come onto their land to kill coyotes.
Black bear by permit.
Welcome to the "deer-woods".
68ROX
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Storch, Sir, you have a deal.....ditto if you ever visit the UK.....
oh, and Thank you......
:aok
Wurzel
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Originally posted by storch
. my only concern is that I hope they don't have some deer tethered to a tree like in some of them canned hunting places. I'd rather do an elmer fudd hunt, sssssssh be vewy vewy quiet.
There are some shady characters out there for sure. Some will furnish you a deer already processed, etc.
I`m sure your friend has checked things out on this lease.
Most however, here in Texas, that do leases are straight up and depend on their lease income as a big part of their annual income from the land. They take the deer crop seriously.
You can get lease setups in just about any form. Annual, 3 day, 1 week, or day hunts.
For the most part, in Texas , a guided hunted is uneeded unless you are hunting the arid regions, etc.
East Texas and the Hill country are full of deer and you have any experience you will do just fine on your own.
Had venison hash for breakfast this morning. Mmmmmmm....Mmmmmmm.....Mmmmmm m! :)
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Originally posted by Jackal1
Had venison hash for breakfast this morning. Mmmmmmm....Mmmmmmm.....Mmmmmm m! :)
Dude, your making me hungry......stop it. :)
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When I was a teenager........... Back when sand dunes were bolders. My father's company had a deer lease bordering the Y.O. Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. They had a lot of exotics, including Axis Deer. I had one approach my stand early one morning, very impressive rack on this thing.
We were instructed not to shoot any of the exotic stuff. So not really wanting to spend the rest of the hunting trip with my fathers foot in my a** I watched it stroll by. I did get a 8 point white tail later that morning.:aok
My last deer hunt was 1977, I don't reallly enjoy venison so I figure why kill em? I do love to eat quail though, and would love to hunt them, but they no longer habitat East Texas. I don't know if it's true or not, but everyone says the fire ants did in the quail.
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Originally posted by Wolf14
Dude, your making me hungry......stop it. :)
:rofl :aok
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ive never had deer how does it taste?
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Originally posted by evenhaim
ive never had deer how does it taste?
It's great. Lean....very tasty. You can make Sausage , Jerky , butterfly steaks. It's great fried , grilled , or broiled.
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Originally posted by evenhaim
ive never had deer how does it taste?
Like Chicken.:D
Not really, I don't know how to describe it... Near beef, but gamey.
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Originally posted by evenhaim
ive never had deer how does it taste?
Not as good as bear or moose :D
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Originally posted by evenhaim
ive never had deer how does it taste?
It depends on the kind of deer... For example, Axis deer taste like Bratwurst
Photo for reference...
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y70/BigTon/axisdeer.jpg)
:D
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lol so does that mean it tastes like beef?
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Originally posted by Shifty
Like Chicken.:D
Not really, I don't know how to describe it... Near beef, but gamey.
this axis deer meat was not in the least bit gamey. what are those critters eating in east texas? this is far better than cornfield deer meat. I'm impressed with axis deer.
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Honestly, I've never eaten venison shot in East Texas. Just deer taken from the Hill Country in Southwest Texas, they were not corn fed I can tell you that. This was years ago in my youth, I just never cared too much for the taste.
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I had some venison about 2 weeks ago that was from the Hill Country area. It was also an area where the land owner actively fed the deer. The meat was very very good, as tender as veal and had a mild taste not gamey at all. It was very close to beef in flavor but milder.
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Be sure to check out http://www.texashuntingforum.com
Lease can be good or a real pain, particularly if you manage the property along with a group of other hunters, get it to a good level, and have it leased out from under you to a higher bidder. That's why I just go for short term action nowadays, day or weekend rates.
My daughter and I went here back below in March. Was a lot of fun. We stalked this New Zealand Mountain Goat together. We plan to go back for a hog hunt.
http://www.dosplumashuntingranch.com/
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/P3140010.jpg)
For any of you 30-30 hunters that new Hordany ammo is great. I started using my old 30-30 again.
I have turkeyhunted on the property below. It is owned by a retired Southwest pilot and former Air Force. Nice deer but expensive like most other places in Texas. Was fun seeing the big deer while turkey hunting. You pay depending on the size of the deer.
http://www.fouraranch.com/main.html
Here is a funny video from Perlitz Ranch. The shooter says, "You mean it wasn't a cull?", the ranch manager says, "I hope you brought your checkbook"
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/th_big_deer_the_musical.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/?action=view¤t=big_deer_the_musical.flv)
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Here's some photos from the last lease I was on...it was 2,500 acres.
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/Ranch/KIF_0034.jpg)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/Ranch/KIF_0053.jpg)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/Ranch/KIF_0056.jpg)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/Ranch/KIF_0284.jpg)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/Ranch/turkeys1.jpg)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/TurkeyHunter65/Hunting/Ranch/turkeys2.jpg)
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what exactly is an axis deer?
a slitty-eyed doe that sneak-attacks, or a swastika wearing buck with blonde fur and blue antlers?
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:lol my first beer through the nose experience (i always thought everyone was joking when they said it):lol
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hehe..I was thinking the same thing!
But clearly (as the pictures above show) these Deer are not wearing Laederhosen or drinking beer out of steins...so I conclude that they are not in fact genuine Axis Deer.
Axis deer btw, I strongly suspect were implicated in the Famous "Eskimo Deer Episode". However, in the intersts of safety, I hope the photographer at least quickly returned the camera to his butt crack after taking the photo's.
RTR
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Originally posted by JB73
what exactly is an axis deer?
From the Comanche Spring Ranch website.
"Q Where do Axis come from and how many are there?
The species "Axis Axis" is a native of India. The axis is also called chital deer or spotted Indian deer. Axis deer were introduced to Texas in the 1930's and are now the most numerous and widespread of the introduced deer and antelope.
Most Axis are behind game proof fences but there are also large free ranging populations. A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department survey in 1988 estimated that there were 39,040 Axis deer in Texas.
To our knowledge, Axis can be found in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Michigan, California, Hawaii, Florida, and in zoos in most states. We guess that Texas, Hawaii and Florida have the largest populations.
Q What does an Axis look like?
The Axis deer is often considered the most beautiful cervid. Both male and female have striking reddish-brown coats marked by white spots arranged in undisciplined rows along their sides. They have a black dorsal stripe and white bib on their neck, white inner legs, stomach, and under-tail.
Heights range from 29 to 39.5 inches. Mature weight is from 145 pounds to 250 pounds. Males have antlers which they shed annually. Males have darker facial markings with a more pronounced "scowling" expression the older they get. Bucks are larger bodied than does with thicker necks and broader chests.
Q What do Axis eat?
Axis deer eat mostly grass. They will eat some weeds and acorns, when available. Like Texas lambs and calves, Axis do well on winter wheat fields and put on harvestable lean meat weight gain.
Q What do they drink?
Axis will drink from troughs and tanks. They need to have a reliable supply of fresh water at all times. Axis are good swimmers and water should not be used for containment.
Q What about Axis Venison?
In a taste test compiled by Dr. Elizabeth Cary Mungall, Axis venison scored as the top tasting meat out of 22 native and exotic wild meats.
Since Axis are a tropical species they do not put on fat and the meat has no marbeling. The meat is uniform throughout all seasons.
Axis is low in fat, calories, and cholesterol. Per ounce, an uncooked Axis steak has .06 grams of fat, 26 calories, and 13.9 mg cholesterol.
In comparison, skinless chicken has .88 grams of fat, 34 calories, and 20.0 mg cholesterol. Lean beef has 1.76 grams of fat, 41 calories, and 16.86 mg cholesterol.
Axis is a red meat like beef and tastes similar to veal. Axis has no "gamey" taste like Whitetail can have, probably because they are grass eaters like cattle.
Ranch Axis have a completely natural diet, free of pesticides and herbicides. They grow out completely naturally without hormones, antibiotics, or steroids. "
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Originally posted by storch
that sounds like the place my friend was describing including the kerrville area. is that near to houston?
I think Kerrville is 3 hours from houston, I stress "think" I never pay attention when heading out that way.
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Kerrville is about 45 minutes from San Antonio
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that has to be the same place my friend described he said it was between houston and san antonio.
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Kerrville is WEST of San Antonio, as such it is not between Houston and SA. Kerrville is on I-10 about 50 to 60 miles West of San Antonio.
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go get that hemmoroid pierced will ya. sheesh
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Storch I wasn't being nasty sarcastic or rude yet you seem to think so. That's your problem not mine.
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ok sorry then.
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Originally posted by gpwurzel
Sheesh, if I lived anywhere near, I'd pony up for part of a decent lease.
Wurzel
I think you could book a transatlantic fare long in advance and come over here on holiday and do an amazing amount of hunting for a lot less than a Scottish stag hunt.
Colorado has over the counter elk tags for <$500. Lots of Southern states have way more deer than they want or need. I think the limit in Alabama is one per day. There's literally millions of acres of public hunting across the US that is open to you for a minimal license fee. Plenty of cabins and campgrounds available at low prices in these areas too.
Guns? LOL, as has often been shown here most of us have more than enough to loan a visiting Brit. You wouldn't have to bring anything but appropriate clothing and boots. :)
Come try it sometime.
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Storch,
One of my coworkers is a big time hunter and he says if you have the dough it's worth the trip. He also says that axis deer meet is some of the best you can get.
What I know about hunting wouldn't fill up a thimble but this guy knows his stuff for what it's worth.
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well my friend is a marketing genious. last night my sons in law both shared in the venison and it looks like we have our five players on this lease. that venison from that axis deer is the best red meat I've ever eaten.
the lease is inexpensive the hunting license is cheap and we get to go to texas a few times a year to fill out freezers with fine quality lean meat.
it has all the makings of a $200.00 snapper supper.
:D
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Quick... do they have Axis Sheep?
If so, where can I get a live one?
*sweating and breathing hard in anticipation to reply*
:O
Mac
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Toad, I'd love to.........am in PA at the moment..lol......AWMac....... ..you git.......first read post of the day and I need to clean my keyboard already......sheesh.......:aok
Storch, keep us up to date on your hunting please fella............I need the ammunition to push for another vacation to the US...lol.......
Wurzel