Texas Republic
Well-Known Member
Am I missing the techniques page somewhere? Also..do none of yall hunt free range aoudad? Oh man. That my friends is a challenge. Anyhow. Just amazed I didnt see anything on them here.
Aoudad/Barbary Sheep???
- Thread starter Texas Republic
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
zuba
Well-Known Member
You dont see many here in Wisconsin 
Are there a lot of free range aoudad in Texas? Any public land to hunt them on?
Are there a lot of free range aoudad in Texas? Any public land to hunt them on?Texas Republic
Well-Known Member
There are a lot of places to hunt them in the western part of Texas. They are by far the most difficult Texas trophy to get IMO. They only have to drink water a couple times a year! They get most of their moisture through vegetation.
I dont know if there are any to hunt on public lands in Texas. I dont think hunting on public land happens much down here. Ive never heard of it anyway.
I have seen one really good post that talks about hunting aoudad. It could be helpful for Big Horn as well. Let me know if any of you are interested and I will go find it.
I dont know if there are any to hunt on public lands in Texas. I dont think hunting on public land happens much down here. Ive never heard of it anyway.
I have seen one really good post that talks about hunting aoudad. It could be helpful for Big Horn as well. Let me know if any of you are interested and I will go find it.
Buffalobob
Well-Known Member
So where have you hunted them that it is such a challenge?
Broz
Well-Known Member
Took this one out of a non fenced ranch near San Antonio. There was a small heard grazing in an opening right before dark. This was the largest one there and he sure had some attitude toward the other rams. But a 210 Berger from a 30-378 tamed him down
Jeff
Jeff
Texas Republic
Well-Known Member
Hey Broz. You say you shot a "free range" aoudad near San Antonio??? As in.. a wild aoudad?
I hunt free range aoudad on a large ranch in West Texas. Pastures are low fence and 2,000 acres each with mountains and bluffs throughout. It has more cedar than you can shake a stick at. We usually have to shoot across a canyon or from hillside to hillside. The wind in these mountain ranges is crazy. Constantly changing. I have to leave the house and drive 3 hours on a ATV to get close to where they are at. Then walk for at least another hour. Once you shoot, the real work begins. Good luck packing a 350 lb aoudad up the cliff on your back.
I dont use guides or hunt high fenced wildlife. Just learned a lot from others and on my own. I am still learning. That never changes.
32" Aoudad
315 lbs.
I hunt free range aoudad on a large ranch in West Texas. Pastures are low fence and 2,000 acres each with mountains and bluffs throughout. It has more cedar than you can shake a stick at. We usually have to shoot across a canyon or from hillside to hillside. The wind in these mountain ranges is crazy. Constantly changing. I have to leave the house and drive 3 hours on a ATV to get close to where they are at. Then walk for at least another hour. Once you shoot, the real work begins. Good luck packing a 350 lb aoudad up the cliff on your back.
I dont use guides or hunt high fenced wildlife. Just learned a lot from others and on my own. I am still learning. That never changes.
32" Aoudad
315 lbs.
kiwi3006
Well-Known Member
Wow! That is an impressive looking ram. What are the specs of your rifle? Any other info on the hunt? Distance etc.
Stu.
Stu.
Broz
Well-Known Member
Yes. It was a friends ranch south west of San Antonio about an hour. No guide, no tall fences, no fees...
I took a couple nice Axis and a great Black Buck too. Those axis are darn tastey.
Jeff gun)gun)
Texas Republic
Well-Known Member
No problem.
Shot two of them. The other is somewhat smaller and is in the bottom right corner of pic. I think he was 28 inches.
Stalked them from on top of another mountain with the wind in my favor. I spotted from the upper edges of one mountain to another mountain across the canyon. They will smell you a LONG ways off. They graze along bluffs usually with the wind coming from their back that way they can smell what comes from behind and see ahead.
They were on the side of the mountain grazing with a small herd. The one in the picture ranged 500 yards from shot setup. Dropped him with one shot to the shoulder. The other one in the bottom right of the pic then began to run up the mountain to higher ground. Missed on my first shot at about 520. I dropped him at around 540 with a shot in the lungs.
The rifle is a DPMS LR-308 with a 24" fluted barrel.
-Magpul butt-stock with mono-pod attachment
- Custom trigger- 14 ounce pull
- Burris Fullfield II 14x scope with ballistic plex reticle+ Tac turrets installed
-Shooting custom load Berger .308 175gr. Match Hunting VLD
The pics below aren't where I hunt aoudad at, but I thought they were pretty cool. The first one is kind of like the bluffs I am talking about. The second one is just an awesome place to shoot from. Its like a driving range. gun)
Shot two of them. The other is somewhat smaller and is in the bottom right corner of pic. I think he was 28 inches.
Stalked them from on top of another mountain with the wind in my favor. I spotted from the upper edges of one mountain to another mountain across the canyon. They will smell you a LONG ways off. They graze along bluffs usually with the wind coming from their back that way they can smell what comes from behind and see ahead.
They were on the side of the mountain grazing with a small herd. The one in the picture ranged 500 yards from shot setup. Dropped him with one shot to the shoulder. The other one in the bottom right of the pic then began to run up the mountain to higher ground. Missed on my first shot at about 520. I dropped him at around 540 with a shot in the lungs.
The rifle is a DPMS LR-308 with a 24" fluted barrel.
-Magpul butt-stock with mono-pod attachment
- Custom trigger- 14 ounce pull
- Burris Fullfield II 14x scope with ballistic plex reticle+ Tac turrets installed
-Shooting custom load Berger .308 175gr. Match Hunting VLD
The pics below aren't where I hunt aoudad at, but I thought they were pretty cool. The first one is kind of like the bluffs I am talking about. The second one is just an awesome place to shoot from. Its like a driving range. gun)
Texas Republic
Well-Known Member
Yes. It was a friends ranch south west of San Antonio about an hour. No guide, no tall fences, no fees...
I took a couple nice Axis and a great Black Buck too. Those axis are darn tastey.
Jeff gun)gun)
Yeah. Axis is great to eat. Well you didn't do a single thing wrong IMO, but those aoudad were definitely transported down there from somewhere. I am sure they escaped or something. They can jump six feet up from a stand still. No joke. Im from that region of Texas, and I dont think there are a lot of mountains in that part of Texas. I could be wrong though. People buy and sell them for exotic ranches all the time though. Good kill though.
kiwi3006
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the details. Awesome looking country.
Stu
Stu
Texas Republic
Well-Known Member
Thanks. Like big horns probably, one of the hardest thing about hunting free range aoudad is the terrain. They def have the upper hand
midwesthunter
Well-Known Member
Nice rams. I have always wanted to hunt those but not in a fence. Some day
captacademy
Well-Known Member
Great ram and great shot! Very nice looking rifle also. Did you use the 175 SMK? I have taken 4 rams, most about 27"-28", nothing as big as what you shot! Thay guy is a hog!
