Hunting African game in Texas

[edward]

ive hunted texas twice,water buck and simatar oryx.both were fair chase hunts and i got the meat on the oryx.with the crap going on in africa to get your animal home texas might be the only way soon.glad i already have my bucket list filled,almost.at 78 in nov im probably not what your outfitter would want to take a chance on anyway.been 5 times so have no complaints.

 

[oldhoward]

I live in Texas and hunting in Texas is expensive if you have a hunting lease. There is the cost of the lease, stands, feeders, lodging, corn/protein feeds, beer and food. To hunt multiple species at a fixed cost in Africa will cost about the same as a year round lease in Texas depending where you hunt.
We have an inexpensive lease. Travel in Texas you could drive 10 hours to your hunting lease, Texas is a big state and that is not at 55mph. There are some hunts in Texas that are reasonable, like goats and sheep, bison plus a few others.
There is always a chance to get some exotics escapes on the hunting lease like elk and blackbuck. Yes I would be interested in hunting African game in Texas but the cost would have to be very reasonable, what I mean is for if a Oryx cost 1500 in Africa I would be willing to pay 2000 to hunt in Texas just for convenience. Problem is I like hunting in Africa, it is like 5 star vacation compared to hunting/working my lease.

 

[Lee M]

Throw out an all in (food, lodging, guide) 3-5 animal package deal for 5-7 days so we can compare to deals we see on this site. I imagine it won't be close, as I don't think that is the client the exotics TX ranches are looking for.

 

[mrpoindexter]

I agree that to compare prices on a single animal and include full airfare to Africa spread across only that one animal is not a valid comparison. Who goes to Africa and only hunts & kills a single animal? Granted, I am no veteran hunter, but I went to Africa and shot 10 animals on my 8 day trip. The cost of airfare per animal was quite low. I can't imagine how much they would charge to hunt Cape buffalo in Texas.

 

[Philip Glass]

I've raised exotics including African game on my ranch for over 20 years. All I can say is that it is had to compare Africa and Texas. Thank goodness for exotics in Texas or many species would be extinct. The Scimitar horned Oryx, Addax, & , Dama Gazelle although extinct in their homeland are thriving in Texas. There are more Axis deer, Nilgai, and Blackbuck antelope in Texas than anywhere on earth! Private ownership of wild animals is why they are thriving in Texas and RSA. Private property rights are all we have that sets us apart from communists!
Thank hunting for saving species!

Regards,
Philip

 

[mrpoindexter]

No argument from me there. We are fortunate that there are ranches like this and I expect prices will come down in the future as the supply here increases but maybe they are already at the equilibrium. Private ownership of huntable animals has definitely increased their populations and perhaps in the future we will see many of the animals that were extinct in their native homelands can one day be reintroduced if there is a habitat that can support them. Until then, I may have to go to Texas to get a blackbuck.

 

[lwaters]

I've raised exotics including African game on my ranch for over 20 years. All I can say is that it is had to compare Africa and Texas. Thank goodness for exotics in Texas or many species would be extinct. The Scimitar horned Oryx, Addax, & , Dama Gazelle although extinct in their homeland are thriving in Texas. There are more Axis deer, Nilgai, and Blackbuck antelope in Texas than anywhere on earth! Private ownership of wild animals is why they are thriving in Texas and RSA. Private property rights are all we have that sets us apart from communists!
Thank hunting for saving species!

Regards,
Philip

I often think what the states of Nevada and Utah would be like if they were not just a bunch of
BLM filled up with jackasses and wild horses. Animals like the gemsbok should do well there. One thing about Texas it is privately owned and has more game than the other BLM states. I may be wrong but I think alot of the western part of the US would do well with some of those African animals that don't need alot of water but I bet it never happens.

 

[mrpoindexter]

I agree that it will likely never happen. I looked into buying a kudu but found that I cannot import one into California. Of course, land here is way too expensive for game ranches, I think - especially when people would be willing to travel to Utah or another close state with much cheaper land prices. (I don't think kudu would do well in Utah but maybe Arizona...)

 

[Lee M]

Philip, I agree. I've never hunted TX but I will get the chance to do so this fall/winter for whitetails. I can't wait. Everything is bigger in TX. LOL

 

[Erny]

I think that most of the western states such as Utah get way to cold in the winter for African animals to survive. The mild winters in southern Texas is very similar to Sothern Africa's climate.

 

[Philip Glass]

I often think what the states of Nevada and Utah would be like if they were not just a bunch of
BLM filled up with jackasses and wild horses. Animals like the gemsbok should do well there. One thing about Texas it is privately owned and has more game than the other BLM states. I may be wrong but I think alot of the western part of the US would do well with some of those African animals that don't need alot of water but I bet it never happens.

You are 100% correct. Those places with no game and just wild horses would be a paradise for scimitar horned oryx and the like. Ibex would do well there too.
Philip

 

[Scott Slough]

I think that most of the western states such as Utah get way to cold in the winter for African animals to survive. The mild winters in southern Texas is very similar to Sothern Africa's climate.

There is always global warming !

 

[spike.t]

You can get African animals in Texas, but you can't get African sounds in Texas . Forrest

sure that can be sorted.......

 

[lcq]

I've raised exotics including African game on my ranch for over 20 years. All I can say is that it is had to compare Africa and Texas. Thank goodness for exotics in Texas or many species would be extinct. The Scimitar horned Oryx, Addax, & , Dama Gazelle although extinct in their homeland are thriving in Texas. There are more Axis deer, Nilgai, and Blackbuck antelope in Texas than anywhere on earth! Private ownership of wild animals is why they are thriving in Texas and RSA. Private property rights are all we have that sets us apart from communists!
Thank hunting for saving species!

Regards,
Philip

amen to that. The theme here is almost identical to SA in the 70's where poaching threatened to extinct many species. then private ownership brought back a thriving population and provided much needed jobs and revenue. another familiar theme would be Zuma and Obama but that is a discussion for a separate thread

 

[Ray B]

I would consider it if for no other reason than I could drive to it and not have to go through an airport or another country. But the only animal in Texas that appeals to me- is about 30 years ago there was an article in American Rifleman/Hunter about cattle that had gone wild down in the brush along the Rio Grande. The bulls were similar to Cape Buffalo in behavior. Going into the brush after a wild bull with a 404 Jeffery- how close is that to Africa?

 

[CAustin]

Lot of good points shared here! I hope the good guys in Texas keep raising the animals people want to hunt!

 

[Ragman]

The only African animals I have any interest in hunting in Texas is Aoudad and Scimitar oryx, especially the Aoudad. I am more interested, though in the Indian species of blackbuck, nilgai and axis deer. Would love to hunt them.

 

[jeff]

The only African animals I have any interest in hunting in Texas is Aoudad and Scimitar oryx, especially the Aoudad. I am more interested, though in the Indian species of blackbuck, nilgai and axis deer. Would love to hunt them.

I'm with you, my thoughts exactly!