Axis deer info, please

[Lou (Louis)]

Wasn't sure where to put this thread, but here goes:

Free range populations exist in Hawaii (Lanai and Molokai), Texas and even northern California, supposedly, but not sure if you can hunt them in California.
They are supposed to be absolutely delicious, and good sized ( approximately the same size as blacktail) so I am intrigued.

Has anybody here ever hunted them?
1. Where did you hunt them?
2. Free range?
3. Fun hunt?
4. Rate them as table fare, please.
5. Outfitter suggestions?

Thank you!

 

[CRJR45]

I've got a few of them in Texas , I think they're very good to eat , somewhere under Elk but over Whitetail.

 

[AthensGA]

No personal experience, but also very intrigued by them. John Dudley and Joe Rogan have talked about hunting them in Hawaii on various podcasts. They talk about their sheer speed and the deer’s ability to duck arrows unlike any other animal they’ve ever seen. They are apparently very very abundant on the big island.

 

[Maz7869]

I’ve shot a couple in Texas the meat is better than whitetail and fallow but not as good as elk. All free range added as animal’s of opportunity on whitetail hunts.

 

[Antares]

No personal experience, but also very intrigued by them. John Dudley and Joe Rogan have talked about hunting them in Hawaii on various podcasts. They talk about their sheer speed and the deer’s ability to duck arrows unlike any other animal they’ve ever seen. They are apparently very very abundant on the big island.

Not on the Big Island. Molokai, Lanai, and Maui, yes.

 

[S-3 ranch]

Not on the Big Island. Molokai, Lanai, and Maui, yes.

Yes they do on the big island
“”Axis deer were introduced to the Big Island in December 2009, when four deer were illegally transported from Maui.”

 

[Antares]

Yes they do on the big island
“”Axis deer were introduced to the Big Island in December 2009, when four deer were illegally transported from Maui.”

If you keep reading the article you’re quoting, you’ll come to the part that says…

“Using FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared Radar), helicopter flights, and ground surveys, the team was able successfully eradicate the deer in less than two years. Extensive monitoring continued for over 5 years, to ensure all deer had been controlled. Although many reports have been received and investigated over the years, there have been no further confirmed sightings.”

 

[22Conch]

I live close to the free ranging Texas heard. Ive hunted and killed both w rifle and bow. There are many outfitters here both low and high fence. They are super fun to hunt during the rut which primary is usually around June. I can refer several outfitters depending on what kind of hunt you want. And no one you talk to who’s ever eaten it will tell you its not excellent.

 

[AthensGA]

Not on the Big Island. Molokai, Lanai, and Maui, yes.

Thanks for the correction. I found a YouTube video and they were on Lanai, my mistake.

 

[guylaga]

I have not personally hunted them, but know that you can get a doe meat hunt for a very reasonable fee with many outfits in Texas. A buck hunt is going to be a bit more especially if your after Antlers.

In some parts of TX Axis outnumber whitetail, they are very prevalent on the Western side of San Antonio and Austin pretty much until you get to the Pecos River / Midland-Odessa.

The land I hunt is to far West for them, but on any given trip down I-10 i see a couple road kills on the trip.

 

[Steve from GA]

The price of Texas axis hunts, even doe hunts, sky rocketed after the big freeze. Prices will eventually come down, but I think it will take the population another couple of years to fully recover.

 

[diamond10x]

The price of Texas axis hunts, even doe hunts, sky rocketed after the big freeze. Prices will eventually come down, but I think it will take the population another couple of years to fully recover.

It was rising long before that. Used to you could kill a doe for 75-100$ now places start at 500$. A decent buck could be killed for 750-1000$ now they start at 3000$. Ridiculous and not worth sitting in a deer blind waiting for the herd to come out to the feeder, in my opinion and I’m from tx. I don’t know if the prices will ever come down, people are still lining up to shoot them at the silly prices they charge.

There’s ranches and outfitters all over the state of Texas, I’d guess there’s more in tx than anywhere else on the planet possibly.

As far as table fare, they’re good but they aren’t what they are hyped up to be. If you did a blind taste test with them and several other deer species, you wouldn’t be able to say “yep that one taste best it’s axis”.

 

[mavrick]

The price has increased. They are great eating but like posted above not worth todays price.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

I live close to the free ranging Texas heard. Ive hunted and killed both w rifle and bow. There are many outfitters here both low and high fence. They are super fun to hunt during the rut which primary is usually around June. I can refer several outfitters depending on what kind of hunt you want. And no one you talk to who’s ever eaten it will tell you it’s not excellent.

Thanks! Would prefer free range.

 

[baddoggjosh]

I hunted Lanai last April. Theres a lottery system you can enter, which I did unsuccessfully. So I paid the daily hunt fee. It's 150 per year archery unlimited deer as many times as you want to go. Or 450 a day with a rifle, with a 3 doe one buck bag limit per day. I paid for 2 days rifle and got 3 does on the first day a one buck on day two. I could've easily got another few does, but the local butcher "Bob the Butcher" suggested gutting the deer and carrying them out whole. Mainly because the flies swarm in very fast and by the thousands. After carrying 4 deer out whole I was pretty spent. After shooting the buck the morning of day two we called it quits. I ended up bringing home 85 lbs of meat. As far as table fare, I would agree with a lot of people who have had it. My family and everyone I gave meat to said it ranks #1 as far as taste.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

Nice buck, sir!

 

[NickT406]

Hunted Molokai twice now. One of the most fun hunts a guy can have. Talked my wife into tagging along with me when we were on an anniversary trip to Oahu last month and she said it was the best part of the whole trip and she's not a hunter so I was surprised.
Elk and axis deer top the list for me as far as game meat.
The axis tenderloins I brought back were the best game meat I've had.

 

[NickT406]

My buddy Ani is a Molokai native and to keep the flies off they have one guy break a branch off a tree and fan the deer while the other guy breaks down the animal (usually with reggae music playing in the background).

 

[UnckleBob]

I hunted an Axis Doe on a Texas high fence ranch a few years ago. I would rather try to find a public access place to hunt. Meat was excellent.

BTW - I used a 243, which got the job done from 97 yards, but I would not try it again. If I get the chance again, I'll use my 270 for extra margin of error. Just my take.

Good luck.

 

[Antares]

BTW - I used a 243, which got the job done from 97 yards, but I would not try it again. If I get the chance again, I'll use my 270 for extra margin of error. Just my take

Sounds like there’s a story there.