Free range Waterbuck in South Texas

[wesheltonj]

The warthogs are at the Chaparell WMA not the Daughtrey, unless they moved in past 6 months. Jack Brittingham imported the warthogs and his ranch borders the Chap. Since the new Tx draw system put in place 2 yes ago, better chance of winning the lottery than getting drwon at the Chap. I have 10 preference points and might never get in.

Yeah- I'd much rather hunt Africa than African animals in Texas but the drive sure is shorter than the 16 hr flight

I hunt just north of there (Daughtrey) at the Atascosa McMullen County line, Warthog were coming out of McMullen this past deer season. The following is from the Houston Chronicle: "Several other warthogs have been reported taken this autumn by hunters in South Texas, with most coming from LaSalle, Dimmit and McMullen counties, but at least one coming from Duval County."

 

[CAustin]

Amazing that African animals have gotten out of the farms they were put on!

 

[BWH]

Some animals just don't want to be fenced in. My blackbuck was shot free range.....
In concho county..... Hundreds range free.... They are crazy though..... The girls surround the buck from hundreds yards away.... The free range are different from the high fence. The don't come to feeders. Just graze.

 

[sestoppelman]

But still, "free range (ANY African animal), in TEXAS just sounds goofy to me.

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

Getting ready to move to Texas very soon, just south of San Antonio of I-37. Already talked to several cattle ranch owners from Jourdanton to Kenedy, Calaveras to Three Rivers (Beeville) about hogs and such on their properties. Have free access to a half dozen ranches. When I was down towards Killeen several years ago, couldn't hunt anywhere unless you leased it. Guess the hogs have been such a problem that TPWD doesn't even have a season or consider them game species, only vermin and pests.

 

[wesheltonj]

I lot of ranchers stopped leasing when the Eagle Ford checks started coming in. The rancher next to me did and the one exit to him did too. I've never leased, and the hogs where I am at have exploded. I had one herd of over 40 hogs right under my stand (literally) this past season.

 

[Divernhunter]

If either of you (wesheltonj or Nicholas Barcomb) ned or would like to have someone come and hunt the pigs with/for you just let me know. After my Africa return hunt in 2017 I want to come to Texas for a Blackbuck anyway and some pigs.

 

[wesheltonj]

If either of you (wesheltonj or Nicholas Barcomb) ned or would like to have someone come and hunt the pigs with/for you just let me know. After my Africa return hunt in 2017 I want to come to Texas for a Blackbuck anyway and some pigs.

Do you have a fully automatic weapon to remove the vermin?

 

[sestoppelman]

I want to go to the Congo and hunt American black bear!! Makes about as much sense.

 

[siml]

@sestoppelman , can I come with as your back up......pretty please, we can bait the bear with Bongo...

 

[Archer]

The warthogs are at the Chaparell WMA not the Daughtrey, unless they moved in past 6 months. Jack Brittingham imported the warthogs and his ranch borders the Chap. Since the new Tx draw system put in place 2 yes ago, better chance of winning the lottery than getting drwon at the Chap. I have 10 preference points and might never get in.

Yeah- I'd much rather hunt Africa than African animals in Texas but the drive sure is shorter than the 16 hr flight

Yes, most of the warthogs being shot have been around the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area. My Dimmit County lease is a couple of miles from Brittingham's Ranch. I really think someone in my lease will get a warthog in the next few years.

 

[johnnyblues]

BTW.... Suffice to say I am a little familiar with TX. Lived here & hunted here my entire life.
Pronghorns in Marfa area
Elk in the Glass Mtns
Muleys in Marathon area
Lease next to King Ranch
Leases in Hill Country
Own "low fence" farm

Sounds like I need to go hunting with you! Lol

 

[wesheltonj]

Aerial survey of the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area (Free Range)

 

[Red Leg]

A really, really good FREE FRIGGING RANGE hunt in Texas is the Aoudad. That have colonized a huge swath of country from the Big Bend up into Southern New Mexico. Though not protected by the state, the ranchers who own the regions' ranches have 70k - 200k low fence cattle operations and understand the animals' value. The take is carefully managed by the leasing outfitters. It is spot and stalk hunting at its best in very demanding terrain. You can also murder one in the Hill Country on a postage stamp pasture behind a game fence.

 

[jeff]

I just read a story of someone killing a good eland bull on their property in Texas, they don't know where it came from.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I just read a story of someone killing a good eland bull on their property in Texas, they don't know where it came from.

I imagine there will be a rancher with a mad face when he finds out about that one...

 

[Graham Hunter]

Had a friend about 10 yrs ago whose wife shot an Eland on his low fence property in Kennedy county. Sent me pics of his high hung feeders with the spinners getting knocked off. Dumped all the corn and made the hogs happy. Had one pic of only the back legs I couldn't identify for him. When his wife shot the Eland and I told him what it was. Neighbor said there had been a high fenced ranch close by 17yrs before. No one had ever seen a Eland. Also had a nephew in the Hill Country that shot a very good Axis Buck on low fence. Exotic hunting in TX is high dollar and definitely not Africa.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I can believe that no one had seen an eland. I was on about 4200 acres in RSA, with allegedly 40+ out there. I saw who knows how many track marks from them, but never once saw those massive ghosts. I'd think they earn the title just as much as the kudu do

 

[DFWCAVEMAN]

For "FREE RANGE" discussion on page one: I was submitting my Waterbuck data to SCI this week and called the SCI office in Tucson to ask about how they define the term. The large ranch (6500 hectares) where I hunted, had a perimeter fence. Per the SCI records dept, this is considered "free ranging". Hope this helps. (Note: Face blocked on picture; I don't need any additional grief, hope you understand.)

 

[edward]

one nice waterbuck.