Polar Vortex Impact on Aoudad

[Spiral Horn]

Hi Folks,

Aoudad are one of my absolute favorite species to hunt. Been reading all the stories of Texas Exotics = Nilgai, Blackbuck, Axis, Ibex, etc all having high-volume die offs due to the sustained sub-freezing and heavy icing conditions in Texas. But I haven’t heard anything about free-ranging Aoudad. I know that in general Wild Sheep are OK in the cold, but Aoudad are native to areas near the equator, so it makes me wonder about their survivability. Does anyone know? Or is it that folks cannot get out to look at the herds?

 

[FLAK]

Was just wondering the same the other day when i saw the post
of all the dead Axis deer.

 

[MuleyFever]

Interesting that after so many generations they would not be as adaptable as the whitetail to cold. Or are the deer dying too?

 

[Kotaman]

I shot this one in the snow in New Mexico on public land last week. The sheep there seemed to be doing fine...Thats an interesting hunt in snow in sub zero temps...

 

[bretm]

Cool picture of that ram in the snow!

 

[Spiral Horn]

Congrats Cory! Now that’s one for the ages - Arctic Aoudad.

 

[easttex]

No need to worry about Aoudads. They tolerate extreme temperatures extremely well. In fact they seem almost oblivious to weather conditions. They are tough in more ways than one!

Nilgai, axis and blackbuck are more of a tropical animal and they do not tolerate cold weather.

 

[JLMUELZ]

I had the same worry, but it seems that they are doing just fine. At least that is the consensus from the few people I follow and have talked to.

 

[wyosteve]

I just got back from a West Texas aoudad hunt and the weather didn't seem to impact the sheep in that area. Saw lots of young ram and ewes with lambs which I would think would be impacted if weather was a problem. Although they only got 3 in. of snow out of the system.

 

[Raj patel]

My wife and I were down in Texas too aoudad hunting the polar vortex, sheep faired just fine, but the dead axis and blackbuck we saw was depressing. Wife killed a nice ram although I struggled with the bow in the snow and failed to get a shot on a ram.

 

[Short Track]

I saw plenty of sheep, mule deer & oryx last month. Not sure about the other exotic species.
I'm curious too, as I want to do another exotic.

 

[cbeard64]

They are fine. If memory serves, they are native to Northern Africa which is far away from the tropical zone.

 

[bdubb78]

I shot this one in the snow in New Mexico on public land last week. The sheep there seemed to be doing fine...Thats an interesting hunt in snow in sub zero temps...

Timely finding of your post. I am out in Roswell right now with my Barbary hunt starting tomorrow, and I just had an oh $hit moment wondering how the snow we got last night and today might impact where to find the animals. They certainly would pop on the landscape in terms of glassing, by any findings you can report on change in movement or location based on snow or business as usual in their normal areas?

 

[Kotaman]

Timely finding of your post. I am out in Roswell right now with my Barbary hunt starting tomorrow, and I just had an oh $hit moment wondering how the snow we got last night and today might impact where to find the animals. They certainly would pop on the landscape in terms of glassing, by any findings you can report on change in movement or location based on snow or business as usual in their normal areas?

Seemed normal to me, but it was my first and only Aoudad hunt!

 

[easttex]

Aoudad can take extremes in temperature better than any exotics and most native species. This is based on totally unscientific observation, LOL.

 

[S-3 ranch]

They are surviving in 110* heat down to zero, they’re here to stay

 

[diamond10x]

Shame it didn't kill 'em all. Pesky invasives that destroy the exact habitat that bighorns and mulies need.

 

[cbeard64]

Shame it didn't kill 'em all. Pesky invasives that destroy the exact habitat that bighorns and mulies need.

I’m a native Texan. I don’t feel quite that strongly about them but I sure understand the sentiment. It’s been interesting (to say the least) to watch the status of aoudads go from pest to huntable exotic to prized mountain game over the past 10-15 years.

Almost the same with feral hogs - which I do feel that strongly about. I wish they would all disappear from the state. Nothing but pasture rats. But when I go out west and up north it seems all the toughest guides and outfitters I know want to do is come to Texas and shoot aoudads and hogs. I guess the grass is always greener.

BTW, if the weather gets bad enough down here to hurt the aoudad and hog population-we are all in trouble.

 

[flathead#2]

Aoudad are definitely a hardier sheep than native bighorns.
Millions are spent just keeping bighorns alive and Aoudad just keep
ticking along no matter what.
Prolly my favorite big game animal.
And hunting them is actually realistic.

 

[yfarm]

Thats a wild picture of I10, did TxDOT shut it down?