Brandon Ray photo
By Jake Legg
Texas has a lot of young whitetail hunters who might be interested in expanding their trophy list to include other big game. The varied habitats from El Paso to Beaumont—from Dalhart to Brownsville—are home to both native and exotic animals that will satisfy the most selective connoisseurs of big game hunting. I will dwell on some good animals to include in your bucket list.
American pronghorn
The unique American pronghorn antelope thrives in areas of the Texas Panhandle, as well as the dry, arid counties west of San Angelo. Unless you are good at stalking, which can easily be done, expect to shoot at distances up to 300 yards, depending on the terrain and how much the animals have been hunted. A buck pronghorn weighs a little over 100 pounds, so any flat-shooting deer rifle sighted properly will do fine.
The smart hunters will sight their rifle 3-inches high at 100 yards, which makes the point-blank range of most deer rifles close to 300 yards. This means that you put the crosshairs on the pronghorn and pull the trigger from 50 to 300 yards—no hold over! Also, remember that a pronghorn buck is small, and you may think he’s farther than he really is, so judge the distance with your naked eye.
The weather is usually warm, so take care of your pronghorn in a hurry, and don’t leave it long in the sun because its eyelashes and nose pads will go bad.
Mule deer
West Texas and the Panhandle offer some good mule deer hunting. Much of the hunting is glassing to find a buck, and then stalking to shooting range. Mule deer are dumb compared to whitetails, and are easy to kill once you find them.
The Texas mule deer weights up to 200 pounds or more, but they are thin-skinned and will fall to any good deer rifle from .24 to .30 caliber. Bullets that open quickly on impact are the best, but don’t go mule deer hunting with varmint bullets.
Mule deer shots will vary, based on terrain, but you will probably get more long shots than short. So, be ready for any shot, and have your rifle sighted in about 3-inches high at 100 yards so that you can simply put the crosshairs on a buck from 50 up to 300 yards and squeeze the trigger.
Aoudad
The exotic aoudad—a native of North Africa—is a prize trophy with sweeping horns and a goat-like appearance. And don’t call him an “aoudad sheep.” He’s no more a sheep than a Big Bend jackass is a racehorse. DNA has shown the aoudad as being a species of its own—not a goat or a sheep. Good trophies will have 30-inch horns, and are tough critters.
Wherever you chase this bizarre trophy, the aoudad will give you a challenge, and maybe a long shot. I have killed aoudad with a .270 and .257 Weatherby. So, I suggest you take a rifle and ammo that can down a tough, 300-pound animal.
Select parts of the aoudad make for good table fare. Even if the ram is old, take the backstraps, shoulders and hindquarters for tasty morsels and hamburger.
Axis deer
The exotic axis buck from India has everything in a trophy: long-beamed antlers, a beautiful spotted cape, and outstanding venison. The spotted deer roams the Hill Country and other high-fenced ranches, and is a prized trophy. Meat hunters say the axis is the best deer meat in Texas.
Axis can be hunted the same way as whitetails, but don’t expect them to frequent the corn feeders. Axis deer tend to stay in certain areas in small groups. Hunters usually locate a good buck and stalk to within shooting range with any good deer rifle.
Nilgai
If you get serious for a special hunt, go after the nilgai antelope. Originally stocked on the King Ranch, the big antelope has spread across much of South Texas. Most hunts are guided, and a lot of help is needed for a “blue bull” or even a cow. The meat is delicious.
Most nilgai hunting is safari style, by slowly driving and glassing, then stalking for a shot. Some ranches have waterholes for blind hunting. Nilgai can be very wild, depending on how much they’re chased by vehicles, and long shots are common.
Leave the .243 and 6.5 Creedmoor at home. The lightest caliber I would recommend for hefty hunters is a .30-06 or .300 Magnum with 180-grain Nosler bullets in a 24-inch barrel. However, lady hunters have been successful with milder recoiling rifles such as the 7mm Mauser or 7mm-08 with heavier 160-175 grain Nosler bullets. Sight in 3-inches high at 100 yards, and put the crosshairs on the shoulder (lungs).
