Get Ready With Me: Exotic Hunts Edition!

No, this isn’t your typical “GRWM” you might see on Instagram where you watch (typically) a chick start lathering on her skincare, makeup, and hair products, finishing out with the grand reveal of her “fit” for whatever we’re getting ready for in this video.

Well, unless you count meticulously perusing my camo for the right weight for a weekend in the Texas Hill Country… Then I guess it’s not that different after all!

But anyway, get ready with me for my first exotic hunt EVER on a hunting ranch here in Texas! My husband, Court, has hunted at a few ranches and even taken down some pretty incredible animals, and I’m so excited to share this experience with him as we both chase two species of animals that we’ve wanted to harvest for many years.

I’m on the lookout for the biggest, baddest axis deer buck that I can find; ever since I got into hunting and learned about exotics, this was the particular species that captured my imagination. Maybe it was the gracefully sweeping antlers that mixed unusual elements of elk and antelope antlers and horns, respectively. Maybe it was the profusion of spots and dark stripe of color along its back. These animals have always captured my imagination, and after seeing some up close in India, I knew I had to hunt one someday.

Similarly, Court has talked about harvesting a blackbuck stag ever since he started teaching me about hunting. They’re a smaller species of antelope with a deep brown and white coloring and twisting horns that “v” off the back of its head. We’ve seen them along the high fence ranches in small herds of copper hinds dotted with dark stags, and it makes for a pretty incredible sight!

With the excitement of hunting dreams being realized, we’ve started preparing for a weekend on the hunting ranch, but there’s still plenty to do… so, in the least Instagram-influencer-way possible, get ready with me!

Why hunt at an exotic ranch in Texas?

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room for a second… why would you pay to hunt something in Texas instead of going to it’s native habitat? I’ve seen and heard a lot of criticism of exotic hunting ranches, and here are my quick reasons why this is an opportunity and not a cheat code for hunting.

For some species, this is the only place you can hunt them. Axis deer, or chital, are native to the subcontinent of India, where all hunting is illegal. If there were no axis deer anywhere else on the planet, then there would be no other way to hunt them. It turns out that you can hunt them in Argentina, Hawaii, and Australia, but I don’t mind saving a little on airfare to hunt them closer to home. The same goes for the blackbuck; they’re also native to the subcontinent of India, and you can only hunt them as exotics in other countries (or states, in Hawaii’s case).

There are no seasons, giving you some more flexibility on when you can hunt. For “exotic” species, there are no seasons, which means that you could technically hunt for them any time of year and harvest as many as you wanted (or could afford). For someone who relies on wild game as a food source, like my husband and me, this is a great opportunity to have access to wild game year-round. This deer season, we didn’t make it out hunting at all just due to life and wild schedules. If it weren’t for exotic ranches, our freezer would be empty! Now, we’ve got fallow deer meat at the ready and are about to add quite a bit more to our supply. (I’m not advocating spending a few thousand dollars to harvest a big trophy animal, but there are often some pretty good deals on does/cows/hinds that will taste better anyway!)

The experience is what you make it. This is your chance to turn your dream hunt into a dream experience from start to finish. It’s a chance to chase the animals of your dreams blind to blind, through spot and stalk tactics, or with a little more assistance if that’s what you need. Talk to your guide and outfitter about what you want out of your hunt, and they’ll do their best to deliver exactly what you want!

Step 1: Book your hunt!

I wouldn’t be writing this post if we hadn’t already done that! Court kept in touch with the guide and outfitters that he with for his fallow deer back in December, so we reached out to them to get our hunt set up. Many outfitters will have multiple ranches where they hunt, so they will find the location that best matches the type of animals that you want to hunt. In this case, there were a couple of locations that had both “shooter” axis deer and blackbucks. We paid our deposit, chose a weekend based on the availability of the ranch and our schedules, and we’ll head out to the ranch on a Friday for a full weekend of hunting.

Step 2: Decide what kind of firearm or bow you want to use.

Do you want to hunt with a bow or firearm? If you decide to hunt with a bow, you should let your guide and outfitter know up front, and make sure that you get in some good practice with it before the weekend, just like you would when it’s time to hunt a native animal in season.

If you plan on using a firearm, consider the size of your animal and choose a firearm that (1) has enough power to take it down, (2) can shoot as far as you feel comfortable shooting, and (3) is something you feel comfortable and confident handling. In general, you want to hunt with a rifle that you feel comfortable with, and it’s going to exponentially increase the odds of a well-placed shot!

Axis deer are only a little larger than a whitetail, and we’ll likely be hunting out of blinds very similar to how we hunt during deer season, so I know that my .270 will have enough power and accuracy at a distance to give me the best odds of a successful shot! I also love my .270 and it’s the rifle that I feel the most comfortable using.

Bonus points if you make it out to the range before your hunting trip for a little extra practice!

Step 3: Check the weather and pack accordingly!

Once you know where you’re hunting, check the weather! Think about temperature and precipitation, and be sure to be prepared.

After a quick glance at the weather, it looks like it’s going to be potentially rainy and muggy (Welcome to South Texas!), so I think I’m going to bring a few different options, including my lighter weight camo and some rain gear, just in case.

Step 4: Create your packing list

I love lists, and they’re essential for me when I’m trying to pack! I haven’t finished my packing list yet for this particular trip, but I already know that it’s going to include far more than some camo and my rifle… I also like to make lists and start packing a little early in case I need to go buy something before we head out there (you definitely want to double check your ammo at the very least!).

Here are a few things that I’m also planning on bringing that maybe aren’t as obvious for a hunting trip:

• My Hey Dude’s for around the cabin (especially if it rains!)
• Rain gear for running around less camouflaged
• A change of clothes or two for around the cabin
• My DSLR camera and a charger for “shooting” other animals if I find my axis early
• My kindle, for when I’m too excited to sleep

Step 5: Happy hunting!

Once you’re all packed, it’s time to head out to meet up with your guide and the outfitter at the ranch. Be sure to communicate with your guide, stay positive, and overall, enjoy! This is such a unique experience to see these animals in the United States, animals that many people will never get to see in their lifetime. Stay focused on what you want, enjoy some time away, and do your best!

As I’ve scrolled through pictures of different axis deer online and chatted excitedly with my guide, I can’t help but wonder what it will be like to see an axis deer in the flesh in this context. Seeing them in India during our safari was such an incredible experience; trying to imagine them as the equivalent to our whitetail or mule deer in our North American ecosystems was also a little wild! I enjoyed watching them during their rut, with big bucks fighting and does trotting away from their admirers.

The next time I see an axis deer in-person, it will be for a completely different reason. I will no longer be just an observer to their life, a tourist in their home not unlike a tourist in the streets of strange city taking pictures as fast as their camera will allow. The stakes will be much higher this time, and I know I’ll be ready.