Does anyone know anything about these creatures or the hunt? I would love to go hunt them but I am wondering do you have to have a guide? Are they found on public land or do you have to pay steep trespass fees like everything else in TX? I am kind of a do it yourself kind of guy, wishing to not be outfitted or guided is this possible? Any info would be great, over the counter tag or lottery?
There are free range Auodad and other sheep around Amestead Lake around Del Rio Texas. Since they are not native you do not need a tag. In that area the land is Federal Land and they do allow archery hunting. Out in West Texas they also have them free range but I think it is on private land so you would have to pay. A bunch of the high fence operations have them also but again you have to pay.
Those are the one thing that I wish I could have taken when I lived in Texas. Someday I will get an Auodad. Good luck to you if you go!
Keeping the Faith
Magnus
Ive looked into it extesively in the past few years as I think they are the coolest lookin critters! From what Ive found out I think they are extremely hard to hunt with trad gear! Not that Im not up for a challenge but most of the people Ive talked to said it would be virtually impossible to harvest one with trad gear! If you find out anything about them shoot me a PM and I can also shoot you some info on what Ive found out over the years....
cheers and good luck!
Do a search on PowWow. There was a story about a guy doing a hunt for them on public land back packing in a few months back. With all the drug cartel and illegal activity on the border you might consider carrying if your hunting there.I agree on wanting to hunt them, I've always wanted to shoot one after an encounter I had with them many years ago in Texas. That time I got within 50 yards of a herd of them. They didn't stick around when they figured out what I was.That was the one and only encounter though.
Lake Amistad national Recreational Area is about the only place I can think of where you can DIY it. Here is their website:
http://www.nps.gov/amis/planyourvisit/hunting.htm
I've never hunted it myself but do know people who have and have seen the Aoudads on this hunting area.
If you want to pay for one there are several exotic ranches that you can get on a two day hunt for $500-$600 with no kill fees. Do your research though because some of these places you may not have much of a chance of even seeing one. There are other ranches that have kill fees in the $1500-$2000 range. Most of those places will have better quality animals but you still have to do some research and get references on the ranch.
Bisch
this isnt in Texas but i was just watching one of Ken Moodys videos.they were hunting on his place in Tennessee.he's got alot of the exotics and one guy killed a Aoudad there with his bow.this wasnt a new video,so im not sure if he still has them or not now.
I have also been looking into an Aoudad sheep hunt in Texas or New Mexico. What an awesome hunt that would be!
Aoudad backstraps are some of the best I've had.
NM has a draw hunt in the south centeral area, i understand the draw is easy to do. the hunt is very hard, ruff mountians and very little water the area is around Carlsbad,NM west on a place the locals call the Rim.
my buddy fished Amistad this weekend and saw lots of mouflon and aoudad ... maybe someone would want to organize a tradgang hunt there?
Free range Aoudad would be a huge accomplishment considering the country they live in...
Take a good pair of boots with lots of ankle support; West Texas and Eastern New Mexico are coverer with ankle busting round rocks like giant ball bearings....
Good luck!!
I was on a free range Aoudad hunt in Coahuila Mexico last month (as camera man), lots of extreme hiking and/or climbing, the terrain where they live is really hard. A friend of mine has a property with access to a part of the mountain range where they live, I can hook you up if you want (the area has not been involved in drug war violence as far as I know, I was there last weekend again this time for javelina hunting) however the % of succes is very low........with a rifle! no one has taken one with a bow and arrow there yet(compounds included) but they do guarantee you will see them otherwise you wont pay.
it will never be the same to chase them in the mountains as to hunt them in a fenced property (I'm not saying its easy)As far for the DIY you can do it or you can hire guides
I would love to hook up with a couple od serious hard hunting tradgangers for a hunt if that would be possible but I do not want to pay high trespass fees or a guide I want to do it on my own with hard work and a bit o' luck! I hunt hard and I hunt honest if I get one great if I dont well I will have fun trying! I just do not really know where to start, I tried googling it but all that I could find was high dollar hunts and mostly rifle type outfitters! Lets see about getting together a few of us!
That's some pretty country around lake Amistad. I'd love to hunt it, but it probably won't be this year. Good luck on figuring something out.
Lake Amistad was a free hunt until a few years ago
Now there is a $20.00 fee for the season to cover the expenses. You are required to have hunter education card. Area 4 has most of the Audad and area 5 is the only area you can hunt Mouflan and there are really nice animals on both areas. Area 4 called long point can only be accessed by boat as it is land locked. Amistad can get rough so have a good sized boat.Camping is allowed on shoreline as long as you are outside the actual hunt areas.They are not easy but a lot of fun to hunt.
Lake Amistad was a free hunt until a few years ago
Now there is a $20.00 fee for the season to cover the expenses. You are required to have hunter education card. Area 4 has most of the Audad and area 5 is the only area you can hunt Mouflan and there are really nice animals on both areas. Area 4 called long point can only be accessed by boat as it is land locked. Amistad can get rough so have a good sized boat.Camping is allowed on shoreline as long as you are outside the actual hunt areas.They are not easy but a lot of fun to hunt. The boat permit is $4.00 per day or $40.00 per season