Helicopter Aoudad hunting in Tx

[skydiver386]

Texas Adds Aoudad to the List of Animals You Can Hunt from Helicopters

Senate Bill 1245 was signed into law in May, adding aoudads to the list of species hunters can shoot from the sky.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[Flbt]

Texas Adds Aoudad to the List of Animals You Can Hunt from Helicopters

Senate Bill 1245 was signed into law in May, adding aoudads to the list of species hunters can shoot from the sky.

www.outdoorlife.com

So there now a invasive pest spices now.
Ok no problem with it for pest control.
I don’t think I would say hunting but as some one that has done control.
I know hunting is the common word for it.

 

[Mountaineer]

Anyone know any ranchers that allow hunting for a minimal fee?

 

[skydiver386]

Plenty of hunting ranches have them, but I had no idea they were such a problem.

If they make decent table fare, I would think a no closed season, no bag limit would take care of the problem.

 

[JimP]

Trouble is the state wants to get rid of them, and the private ranches see $$$$$$ for them.

 

[Flbt]

Trouble is the state wants to get rid of them, and the private ranches see $$$$$$ for them.

So just like hogs.

It’s funny how hogs will show up some place and people don’t see them in the surrounding area

People see them as money or hunting opportunities.
And then we get over run with them.

 

[MS 9x56]

Shooting anything from a helicopter is killing, not hunting

 

[jomw10]

Plenty of hunting ranches have them, but I had no idea they were such a problem.

If they make decent table fare, I would think a no closed season, no bag limit would take care of the problem.

In Texas there is no season, no bag limit and keep expanding. They are carrier of desease that kills bighorn sheep.

 

[skydiver386]

Then my question would be are they mostly a problem on public or private land? If there are large tracts of public land that hunters can legally access, that would make for some good hunting.

If the problem is on private ranches, that complicates the issue.

 

[jomw10]

No public land open to hunting in west Texas

 

[JimP]

In the whole state of Texas there is only around 5% of it that is public, this includes federal and state.

 

[skydiver386]

So the problem is with overpopulation on private ranches?

And the private ranches want big $$$ to hunt Aoudad, to the detriment of the native Mule Deer and Bighorn sheep population.

Have I got that right?

 

[Red Leg]

On much private land in West Texas, the aoudad is a critical "cash crop" for many land owners. As a result, they carefully manage the take whether the state fish and wildlife office cares or not (which they do not - just like our elk, nilgai, axis, blackbuck, and mountain lions). They represent every bit as challenging a hunt as they would on the North African coast were they still extant in huntable numbers there. Moreover, our desert bighorns are so rare that only the very rich or very lucky get to hunt them. This sort of control measure sickens me.

 

[Philip Glass]

I am not an attorney but I don't know why this ruling was needed. Private land and exotic species means no government control what so ever. It may be like the hog situation where this allows for a client to shoot on a paid hunt. Land owners can do this at will and have before this ruling. People seem to be confused about that.
For those that don't know the aoudad in far west Texas is out of control. They can eat rocks and predators are rarely successful in taking them. If the state would allow big horn sheep to be privately owned and managed on our lands that are 98% private to start with There would be no aoudad conflict. Dont get me started!

 

[skydiver386]

I am not an attorney but I don't know why this ruling was needed. Private land and exotic species means no government control what so ever. It may be like the hog situation where this allows for a client to shoot on a paid hunt. Land owners can do this at will and have before this ruling. People seem to be confused about that.
For those that don't know the aoudad in far west Texas is out of control. They can eat rocks and predators are rarely successful in taking them. If the state would allow big horn sheep to be privately owned and managed on our lands that are 98% private to start with There would be no aoudad conflict. Dont get me started!

Thank you for a little help on this understanding the issue.

From what I'm able to gather, private Landowners can profit from the Aoudad, but not Bighorn or Mule Deer. Without all of the facts someone from that area has, it seems to an outsider that all of this is to the detriment of the native wildlife.

I helped on several Arizona wildlife restoration projects while I was stationed there, so I care very deeply about the Desert Bighorn and Mule Deer population.

Sit down, have a cup of coffee and lay it out for us. I'm more than willing to listen.

 

[Muskox]

New Mexico aoudad (Barbary sheep in NM) are considered to conflict with desert bighorns. I don't 100% believe this. I have seen aoudad in every environment from the desert floor to the tops of 8000 foot mountains. I have never seen them up at the top of 9000-11000 mountains at least not where I am at.

They are a tougher bighorns by a lot, but they aren't native. Desert bighorn stocking rates are dependent on them being alone. We have water projects all over white sands missile range, and I rarely ever heard of them drinking water. We have game cameras on most pieces of water, we don't have a ton of desert bighorn usage of water guzzlers and springs.

Aoudad of course.

Deer yes daily.

We had a Rocky Mountain bighorn walk over from NW Arizona 250 miles and get killed by a mountain lion on one of our guzzlers. He had an ear tag from a game survey in Arizona.

 

[TheGrayRider]

I am not an attorney but I don't know why this ruling was needed. Private land and exotic species means no government control what so ever. It may be like the hog situation where this allows for a client to shoot on a paid hunt. Land owners can do this at will and have before this ruling. People seem to be confused about that.
For those that don't know the aoudad in far west Texas is out of control. They can eat rocks and predators are rarely successful in taking them. If the state would allow big horn sheep to be privately owned and managed on our lands that are 98% private to start with There would be no aoudad conflict. Dont get me started!

Most probably a state exception to the Airborne Hunting Act of 1972 (see below.)

The Airborne Hunting Act is a federal law in the United States that prohibits shooting or harassing wildlife from an aircraft. It was enacted in 1972 to prevent private hunters from using planes to hunt or harass animals like wolves. The Act makes it illegal to shoot or attempt to shoot wildlife from a plane, use a plane to harass wildlife, or knowingly participate in such activities.

The Act does have exceptions for wildlife management activities conducted under the authority of a federal or state permit. This allows for authorized wildlife management practices, like those involving feral hogs and other species in some states.

I will not comment on the ethics vs legality of hunting from aircraft such as the totally legal hunting of big game animals from aircraft in New Zealand.

I would think that the Texas Wildlife Department used detailed, science-based management studies and not quick knee-jerk emotions before presenting this legislation.

I’m sure the anti-hunting community will follow soon with the usual state and federal lawsuits.

Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Aoudad as most all exotics in Texas are not “wildlife” and there is no season or limit on them. The younger animals make great Gyro and suvlaki meat. The big rams are tough as shoe leather if not prepared properly.

 

[HookMeUpII]

So just like hogs.

It’s funny how hogs will show up some place and people don’t see them in the surrounding area

People see them as money or hunting opportunities.
And then we get over run with them.

The problem I've always had with TX/OK/GA and hogs is it seems super greedy the way the industry prices hunting them. Granted, having people come in and shoot them is apparently only scratching the surface of the problem. I look at it from the standpoint of: If you're charging $1,000+ for a hog hunt, doesn't seem like much of a problem you are eager to solve, now does it? If there is lodging, meals, and so on, included, that's a different story. However, I've seen $1,000+ just to be driven to a box blind in front of a feeder on private property.

I had no idea, until this post, about the aoudad issue. Seems like a lucrative "problem" to have when places are charging $6,000 trophy fees on them.

Helicopter hunting is a bit different, obviously. Fuel is expensive, insurance isn't cheap, and pilots don't typically work for free.

 

[Philip Glass]

Most probably a state exception to the Airborne Hunting Act of 1972 (see below.)

The Airborne Hunting Act is a federal law in the United States that prohibits shooting or harassing wildlife from an aircraft. It was enacted in 1972 to prevent private hunters from using planes to hunt or harass animals like wolves. The Act makes it illegal to shoot or attempt to shoot wildlife from a plane, use a plane to harass wildlife, or knowingly participate in such activities.

The Act does have exceptions for wildlife management activities conducted under the authority of a federal or state permit. This allows for authorized wildlife management practices, like those involving feral hogs and other species in some states.

I will not comment on the ethics vs legality of hunting from aircraft such as the totally legal hunting of big game animals from aircraft in New Zealand.

I would think that the Texas Wildlife Department used detailed, science-based management studies and not quick knee-jerk emotions before presenting this legislation.

I’m sure the anti-hunting community will follow soon with the usual state and federal lawsuits.

Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

Interesting. It seems this only applies to federal lands as it is enforced by the department of interior. DOI does not have jurisdiction over private lands. I guess the new law will help to do the culling, if need be, in Big Bend National Park etc.