Native to rugged areas of Northern Africa, the Aoudad, also known as Barbary sheep is a tough and intelligent specie. From a hunting standpoint, they are usually considered a sheep. Aoudad are a reddish-tan color, and the insides of their legs are whitish. There is no beard, but they do have a beautiful mane of long, soft hairs on the throat, chest, and upper part of the forelegs. The horns of the male sweep outward, backward, and then inward; they are rather heavy and wrinkled, and measure up to 34 inches in length. Females also have prominent horns although they are not as large as those of the male. They can retain water from sparse vegetation and survive long periods of time without it. This adaptation gives aoudad the ability to live in rugged, dry habitats that are too harsh for other animals. These factors combined with the Aoudad’s sense of smell, hearing and alertness to danger; make aoudad hunting very challenging. Aoudad are native to northern Africa including: Algeria; Tunisia; Chad; Egypt; Libya; Mali; Mauritania; Morocco; Niger; and Sudan. Aoudad are now rare in their native habitat of North Africa, but they have been successfully introduced around the world, where they are known as aoudad, barbary sheep, waddan, arui, and arruis. Barbary sheep have been introduced to southeastern Spain, the southwestern United States (Texas, New Mexico, and California), Mexico, and some parts of Africa. The first recorded Barbary Sheep in Texas were in Llano and Kerr counties, but their popularity quickly made them an in-demand species on game ranches throughout central and southern parts of the state. It has been estimated that the Aoudad population in Texas has grown 1,800% since 1963. Actual numbers across Texas are not known but have been speculated to be 25,000+ animals.
The axis deer is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is considered to be the most beautiful of deer, with a bright reddish coat marked with rows of white spots that persist throughout life. Antlers of males are large but simple, usually with only three points. Adult males weigh up to 200 pounds and females 100-150 pounds. The axis deer was first introduced into Texas in the 1930s and now occurs in at least forty-five counties. Largest numbers occur on the Edwards Plateau, where the semiopen, dry scrub forest vegetation resembles that of its native habitat in India. Essential
habitat components include water, woody vegetation for cover, and open areas for feeding. This deer is primarily a grazer, but its food habits are very general, and it can exist quite easily on forbs and woody browse. In contrast to the white-tailed deer, which typically eats only a few foods, the axis deer eats small quantities of a large variety of plant species. This broad-spectrum diet gives it an advantage in competition with other deer. The reproductive activity of the axis occurs year-round, but most breeding occurs in June and July. Single fawns are born the following spring after a 7½-month gestation period. During the breeding period males bellow loudly and wander in search of receptive females. The basic social unit is a family group that consists of an older female and her offspring. A herd consists of two or more family groups. Other social groupings consist of loosely structured male herds and, between February and April, nursery herds composed of females with fawns. Vocalizations are important in axis deer society and one of the most noticeable characteristics of this animal. Axis deer are more active by day than by night, with greatest activity occurring for two to three hours after dawn and again before dark. With few exceptions, axis deer are not regulated by game laws. They are landowners' property and may be bought, sold, or hunted at any time. Therefore, they are important in sports hunting and offer hunting opportunities at times when native species are not available. Ranchers stock them for this purpose, and this practice explains their wide distribution in the state. As a sporting animal, the axis deer provides a fine trophy. The meat is of excellent quality and lacks the strong game flavor sometimes associated with venison.
A medium-sized antelope with ringed, unbranched, "corkscrew" horns that rise above the head of males in a tall, V-shaped pattern. Measured from base to tip, horns reach up to 32 inches in length, although Texas blackbuck rarely have horns exceeding 23 inches. Normally, females are hornless. Coloration in mature males is black dorsally, while females and young males are tan. All blackbuck have white eye rings, chin patch, chest, belly, and inner legs. In the
nonbreeding season, after the spring molt, adult males may lighten considerably and retain their darkest coloration only on the face and legs. In Texas, adult males average 85 pounds in weight, with a range of 45-125 pounds. Females weigh 45-75 pounds, with an average of 60 pounds. Distribution in Texas. Blackbuck antelope were originally released in Texas in the Edwards Plateau (Kerr County) in 1932. In 1988, only eight Texas counties had free-ranging blackbuck, but these antelope were confined on ranches in 86 counties. Of the total number of exotics confined on Texas ranches in 1988, only the axis deer outnumbered blackbuck antelope. Blackbuck are native to India and Pakistan where they were widespread in plains and open woodlands; wet coastal areas, western deserts, and northern mountains limited their distribution. Today, extensive hunting and habitat destruction have restricted blackbuck to only small, isolated populations in their former native habitat. More than 80% of the blackbuck in Texas inhabit the Edwards Plateau region, where the patchwork of open grassland and brush provides both excellent forage and cover. Their range is restricted to the north and west by cold winters, to the south by coyote predation, and to the east by parasitism. Blackbuck prefer to graze on short to mid-length grasses but also browse on common brush species. Forage selection is primarily determined by availability with sedges, fall witchgrass, mesquite, and live oak commonly eaten. Forb use by blackbuck is low.
The Fallow Deer is considered to be medium in size. They have a light brown coat with white spots. They are one of the few species of deer that don’t lose their spots a few months after birth. There are some sub species out there that are actually all white and they have dark eyes. This isn’t due to Albinism though as some people think.
They are very rare to find. The antlers of these deer are very wide and they can easily measure 20 inches in width. It takes about three years for the males to develop them in this size. Full grown males weigh from 130 sto 200 pounds. Full grown females weight from 60 to 90 pounds. They are extremely fast animals thanks to their powerful legs. Yet their legs are quite short and that makes for very interesting overall body design.
It is easy to see the Fallow Deer as they tend to feed out in the open grassy areas. However, they prefer to have wooded areas around where they can rest and hide from danger. They tend to only live in areas where there is plenty of food in the summer and a decent chance of finding it in the winter months. The Fallow Deer are very social animals, especially with the females. They will form big herds. If food supplies start to become scarce they will split into smaller groups as this will increase their chance of survival. They males are loosely associated with the herds, coming and going. It isn’t until mating season that they really start to keep an eye on the females around them.
Thought to be one of two original ancestors of all modern day sheep. It originated on the islands of Corsica, Sardina, and Cyprus. Like most wild sheep, the mouflon lives in mountainous terrain, usually above the tree line or in mountain meadows. It has a red-brown color with a dark area along its back, and lighter
colored side patches. Its underparts are white as well as the bottom half of their legs. It has a white muzzle and white circles around its eyes. The curved, spiral horns are usually around 25 inches in length and are arch back over its head. The mouflon's horns don't flare out at the end as most wild sheep's do. The size of a male mouflon's horns determine his status in the group. A mouflon is about the size of a medium sheep with a weight range of 55-120 pounds. They are 4-5 feet long, and stand about 2-4 feet tall at the shoulders. They have a rough coat, and during the winter grow a woolly under coat that keeps them warm. The males and females live in separate groups and only come together during mating season. The ewes will usually have the better foraging grounds because their health is more important for reproduction. Mouflon mate, or go through a rut, in late autumn to early winter. The rams' dominance is determined by his age and the size of his horns. The mouflon's diet is tough. Being a herbivore, it grazes on short grasses, heather, and shrubs. It has a multi-chambered stomach with special microbes that break down the cellulose of the plant cell walls. Natural predators like bears and wolves have all but disappeared from the mouflon's range. The mouflon is a shy animal which feeds mostly at night and doesn't stay long in one place.
A species of antelope that is native to the Sahara desert. Sometimes referred to as the screwhorn antelope, the addax is critically endangered in the wild due to unregulated hunting. Addaxes are
around three feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 130 to 260lbs. Their most distinctive identifying features are the long spiraling horns that occur on both sexes. These horns can reach nearly four feet long on males. The coloring of their coat varies by season; grey in the winter and nearly completely white in the summer. Addaxes are ideally suited to living in a harsh desert environment. They are able to satisfy all of their hydration requirements with just the native grasses they eat and do not need to drink water to survive; however they will certainly drink from any water sources that are available. Addaxes live in herds of two to fifty animals, usually led by a dominant older male. They are nomadic animals and will wander wherever food is available.. It is estimated that there are fewer than 200 addaxes left in the wild, with an additional 800 living in captive herds. The addax is one of the rarest wild mammals in the world.
The most abundant of the 3 species of zebra. The zebra looks like a horse, only smaller. It doesn't sound like a horse, and "barks" instead of neighs. Its height is about 4 foot from shoulder to hoof, and weighs in at 500 to 600 pounds. It has
rather short legs and a large head. The zebra has black and white stripes, a black nose, and black hooves. It also has a short, erect mane. The stripes on its side are vertical but bend to become horizontalon its rump. Every zebra's stripe pattern is different. The zebra lives in close-knit groups called families or harems, led by a single male. There can be up to 17 members in each family. Everybody in the family relies on each other to look out for danger and help those who are in trouble. They slow their pace for weak or young members and never leave them. They can live to be 28 years old.
A large, rare Asian deer. The only member of its genus, it is unknown in nature within historical times. Presumably native to northern China. The deer is about 4 foot tall at the shoulder and is
characterized by heavy legs, broad hooves, relatively small ears, and a long, bushy tail. The coat is reddish brown in summer and uniformly grayish brown in winter. The male has long antlers that fork shortly above the base, the front prong branching once and the rear prong extending backward, unbranched.
Often confused with elk because the overall similarity in appearance, red deer have a brown coat, that has a red hue that becomes more prominent in summer months. Rump patch is light brown to rust in color. Males develop neck “ruff” during autumn, persisting into winter. Fawns are born with spots. Faint spots can sometimes be observed on the backs of mature animals. Adult male stags are distinguished by the “crown” or “cup” of points at the tops of both beams,
whereas bull elk generally grow a “row” of single points off of the main beam. Horns grow from the burr up and back in a circular pattern and are shed annually, usually around March each year. Regrowth occurs shortly thereafter and continues in a velvet stage until July to October, when velvet is stripped. Horns can grow at a rate of 1 inch a day. Five to six points per side is common, but can be in excess of 20 per side. Red deer stand between 41 and 48 inches at the shoulder. Male weights range from 230 to 750 pounds, averaging 600 pounds in the U.S. Females will weigh 160 -220 pounds.
Both male and female scimitar-horned oryx have curved horns that grow to be several feet long. Scimitar-horned oryx are mostly white with reddish brown necks and marks on the face and a long, dark, tufted tail. The white coat helps reflect the heat of the desert. These desert antelope stand up to 4 an a half feet tall at the shoulder, and their head and body length is
between 5 to 7 and a half feet, plus a long tail. They weigh between 220 to 460 pounds. Now extinct in the wild, scimitar-horned oryx once lived in northern African countries of Egypt, Senegal, and Chad. They have been reintroduced in Tunisia. These oryx live in arid plains and deserts, and, to a lesser extent, rocky hillsides and thick brush. Scimitar-horned oryx eat grasses, herbs, juicy roots, and buds. A few causes that contributed to the extinction of scimitar-horned oryx in the wild include climate change, human encroachment on their habitat for agriculture, hunting, and excessive domestic livestock grazing on limited vegetation. Scimitar-horned oryx have an interesting way of coping with a shortage of water. They are able to raise their body temperature by several degrees, up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit, to conserve water by avoiding sweating.
We also provide hunters with the opportunities to hunt hogs, Javelinas, dove, quail, and turkey, depending on seasons.
Below you will find a preview of a few of the blinds that we have set up around the ranch.
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