Posted: 3/29/2012 11:47:32 PM EDT
Hey all... after all the time I've been a member here, this is my first time in the hunting forums. I'm more of a diver (spearfishing), but just got into hunting. Went out for the first time a couple days ago with these results:
Took the first doe as she stood from about 80 yards, then the second on the run, followed by the buck, which required a follow up shot on the move (because I pulled the first one into his rear). Borrowed my friend's Model 70 .270 WSM. I need to get better on working that bolt. Anyway, I can't wait to go again. Question: I don't see a lot of Axis in this forum... but I hear they have a lot in Texas and California. Can anyone with experience hunting both Axis and Whitetail explain the difference? Other than appearances of course... behavior, taste? All we have here are Axis... and they are yummy. |
| Wow,,cool looking species,,I had to look them up, come from India. How do they compare to whitetails I haven't a clue. That area looks great for bowhunting from a ground blind. Is that the big Island?? Are they quite common in HI? Tag limits and season on these guys?? |
| This is on Molokai. Lots of bow hunters here, though I don't think anyone ever uses blinds or tree stands. The deer are everywhere, and are actually considered a nuisance. Most guys here hunt for sustenance, and the majority is done on private lands as eradication. I never saw deer growing up on Oahu. They are fairly common on Maui, and they are EVERYWHERE on Molokai. I know The Big Island(Hawaii) and Lanai has some Axis as well, while Kauai has Blacktail. You are supposed to have tags to hunt, but I don't think I've ever heard of people getting any here. I know Kauai and Lanai issue tags by lottery. We also have a lot of wild boar, feral/muflon sheep, and goat... though I stay away from the goat and sheep. |
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We have quite a bit of free-ranging Axis where I hunt in central Texas. Here, they tend to be very nomadic, and it's not unusual for them to disappear for a few weeks, then show back up unexpectedly. My experience has been that they are far more wary than our whitetails. I think it's primarily because they are hunted year-round, since there is no season on them here. I much prefer Axis to Whitetail, in regard to the quality of meat. Axis is less "gamey", and quite frankly I cannot tell the difference in taste to Elk. We don't pound them too hard, where I hunt. My hunting buddy and I usually take one good mature buck each per year. I like having them around. We are coming out of a severe drought, and we poured the alfalfa hay to them last summer, because there was very little for them to eat. Now they are hooked on it, and will totally consume a square bale in about two days. We are wet and green, so far, so no alfalfa at $18 a bale this year.
I will tell you that our wild hogs give those Axis bucks a wide berth. I saw a mid-sized buck try and hook a pretty decent size boar last year, because he didn't vacate the feeder fast enough. That hog got the message and hauled ass. Congrats on your kills. Your freezer should be well stocked. |
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Quoted:
We have quite a bit of free-ranging Axis where I hunt in central Texas. Here, they tend to be very nomadic, and it's not unusual for them to disappear for a few weeks, then show back up unexpectedly. My experience has been that they are far more wary than our whitetails. I think it's primarily because they are hunted year-round, since there is no season on them here. I much prefer Axis to Whitetail, in regard to the quality of meat. Axis is less "gamey", and quite frankly I cannot tell the difference in taste to Elk. We don't pound them too hard, where I hunt. My hunting buddy and I usually take one good mature buck each per year. I like having them around. We are coming out of a severe drought, and we poured the alfalfa hay to them last summer, because there was very little for them to eat. Now they are hooked on it, and will totally consume a square bale in about two days. We are wet and green, so far, so no alfalfa at $18 a bale this year. I will tell you that our wild hogs give those Axis bucks a wide berth. I saw a mid-sized buck try and hook a pretty decent size boar last year, because he didn't vacate the feeder fast enough. That hog got the message and hauled ass. Congrats on your kills. Your freezer should be well stocked. Thanks! I've been hearing that Axis are really skittish too... and harder to kill than other species. Weird, because sometimes you have to almost push them out of the way with your truck to get by around here. It's good to know that hunting techniques here will get the job done elsewhere. |