Years of talking to guys that have hunted a lot of these animals has convinced me that they are going to run regardless of what you shoot them with. My plan was to break the shoulder and penetrate. We did that with both rams and they both died with 50 yards of where we shot them. I think shot placement is more important than caliber with these guys.
DIY West Texas Aoudad success with Desert Tech
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Years of talking to guys that have hunted a lot of these animals has convinced me that they are going to run regardless of what you shoot them with. My plan was to break the shoulder and penetrate. We did that with both rams and they both died with 50 yards of where we shot them. I think shot placement is more important than caliber with these guys.
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six pack
Well-Known Member
My ram was hit right behind the shoulder. He didn't run at all but just stood there. I thought at first that I had gut-shot him so I hit him with another one. He didn't fall or run at all. He simply leisurely walked about 20 yards and layed down under a tree.
He rolled for about 15 minutes like he was stung on his side. When he stopped and we got to him, we found that both shots were within a couple of inches of each other right behind the shoulder. Neither of the Accubonds had penetrated more than about half way through his chest but had perfectly mushroomed. He was about 13 years old, weighed over 350lbs, and was one tough old dude.
I have never found a way to prepare them that I would consider edible. I have killed rams, ewes and lambs and not found them edible. On the free range areas they are considered a lot like hogs. Smoke em if you got'em. They breed year round, usually have twins and compete directly with cattle and wildlife. I hunt on a ranch that has huge herds. One herd has over 400 in it. They kill all they can. They can go up a sheer cliff like a four lane highway. You can't get rid of them because you can't put pressure on them. There is nothing fair chase about an Aoudad hunt they have all the advantages. The big rams make a great half body mount where you can show off the mane.
This hunt was self guided on private property. No tag needed for these. Just need a valid hunting license.
six pack
Well-Known Member
SWE knows of what he speaks! Native mountain goats and sheep have NOTHING over on Aoudad. I've seen them go up 90*cliffs like they were glued to the rock and jump from rim to rim spanning 30' or more with no running start. A few years back, the Texas Parks and Wildlife wanted to restock the area with Desert Bighorns so they went in with helicopters and sharp shooters and killed over 10,000 of them...I don't think it hardly made a dent in the overall numbers. Here is a couple of pics of my ram after being mounted.
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Exotics are hard to kill, because we try to shoot them behind the shoulder as we would elk or deer. Their vitals are high between the shoulders, not behind. Put a bullet through the shoulder, or even in front of the shoulder, and they will drop. A centered shot from the front becomes a gut shot because the bullet goes between the lungs, and below the heart. A co-worker tried that on an Oryx, and it went 15 miles.
As for taste, the best stew I've ever eaten in my life was Aoudad. Just like any animal, it depends on what they eat. I've seen them standing on their back legs eating cholla cactus fruit. That one tasted great. I've shot about 15, and never had one that tasted bad. Skinning the animal right away, and cooling the meat helps.
As for taste, the best stew I've ever eaten in my life was Aoudad. Just like any animal, it depends on what they eat. I've seen them standing on their back legs eating cholla cactus fruit. That one tasted great. I've shot about 15, and never had one that tasted bad. Skinning the animal right away, and cooling the meat helps.
Aoudad shooter1975
Well-Known Member
I make jerky and "buck sticks" (dried sausage) out of them..I like it--and my kids--and neighbor kids love it!
I love to hunt them--and now I'm all grown up--and have to work don't have that much time to hunt them anymore. When I was a kid we would see them very seldom--it was a rare occasion to see one--the last 10 years while not common on our place--you can catch a ram loafing on the edge of Cliff or of an evening on the east side of a hill. My father in laws place in Medina is chock full. They are tough and good shot placement is crucial, but a-6.5 is plenty, we regularly shoot them with 6mm and 25 calibers...the most dramatic kill I have ever seen is with a 243 WSSM and a 80 grain Barnes bullet,my father in law spine"ed" a nice ram and we watched him roll down the side of a pretty steep hill into a drainage. It was Hell getting that big rat out of there.
Nice rams you took on your hunt. I love and hate to see all the guys enjoying this type hunt-- the prices have skyrocketed the last 5-6 years...I see a lot of outfitters buying up rams on places--and charging top dollar, I guess it is all supply and demand.
I love to hunt them--and now I'm all grown up--and have to work don't have that much time to hunt them anymore. When I was a kid we would see them very seldom--it was a rare occasion to see one--the last 10 years while not common on our place--you can catch a ram loafing on the edge of Cliff or of an evening on the east side of a hill. My father in laws place in Medina is chock full. They are tough and good shot placement is crucial, but a-6.5 is plenty, we regularly shoot them with 6mm and 25 calibers...the most dramatic kill I have ever seen is with a 243 WSSM and a 80 grain Barnes bullet,my father in law spine"ed" a nice ram and we watched him roll down the side of a pretty steep hill into a drainage. It was Hell getting that big rat out of there.
Nice rams you took on your hunt. I love and hate to see all the guys enjoying this type hunt-- the prices have skyrocketed the last 5-6 years...I see a lot of outfitters buying up rams on places--and charging top dollar, I guess it is all supply and demand.
Aoudad shooter1975
Well-Known Member
That would be old Mexico....I would imagine north and may be a little west...just picking on you...im a native...
Elkeater
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Ok NW then. Not great on my west TX geography since all my relatives are in Austin, Dallas and SA. We are hunting somewhere an hour South of Van Horn.
I know some of that country. You'll probably be hunting in the Sierra Viejas. Beautiful sheep country. Big rims and bluffs.
M T Roberts
Well-Known Member
congrats!
