Free Range Exotic Hunting here in Texas

fordmantpw · Oct 21, 2015

Sounds and looks like a great time with some nice meat for the freezer. A high school classmate of mine guides part time for an exotic game farm in Texas (and part time here in MO). Judging by some of the pics he's posted on Facebook, you'd think he was on Safari in Africa or something!

STx · Oct 21, 2015

/pine said:
I'm curious...in what ways?...taste, texture??...IMO whitetail meat (if treated properly, from the minute it hits the ground) is as good as any beef (including the absolute finest in the world)...likewise with elk...
In my experience...meat quality (especially game meat) is all about how it is taken care of as soon as the heart stops...!

Elk, Red Deer and Axis (in that order) are my favorite meats. I'll take a quality cut of any of the 3 over a prime beef steak any day.

I think whitetail venison is OK but if given the choice, I'd take a beef steak over it and I'm SUPER meticulous about handling my meat. When I shoot something, it's cleaned, skinned on on ice within an hour of hitting the ground. I then wet age it, adding fresh ice and letting the blood/water drain off as it melts, for 7 - 10 days before processing it. Nothing I've ever shot has tasted "gamey" but I think whitetail is just a little too lean and just doesn't have the same rich depth of flavor that Elk, Red Deer, Axis and Beef have.

I like Bison as well, I'd choose it over beef. I guess I'm just a fan of the darker red meats.

/pine · Oct 21, 2015

Thanks for the explanations guys...
unfortunately most of the meat I get to harvest is whitetail.
Like myself and others have related the quality of game (any) meat is directly related to its care from the onset of the kill.
As for taste...I've noticed quite a bit of difference depending on what they eat...i.e., I prefer deer that eat mostly mast over those harvested near agg. crops...soy beans will produce big fat deer but the deer seem to taste better around here when there is a large white oak acorn crop...

tractorshopper · Oct 21, 2015

Have never had Axis meat. Mule deer is by far my favorite deer meat. Elk is good, but I like Bison and Mule Deer better.

gsganzer · Oct 21, 2015

Some of the best meat I've had is nilgai. Very different texture, but very flavorful.

Complete Turf Care · Oct 21, 2015

I'm headed to central Texas on November 5. Whitetail season opens November 7.

When we were there in September, we saw more Axis than ever before. I've been hunting this ranch for 13 years. Last year the owner said we could take up to 3 axis, but the weather was bad, and no one killed more than one. I think we harvested a total of 6 axis with 12 hunters.

This year looks better. We will probably have a lot more meat to bring home this year. I went out and bought 2 new ice chests.

To give an idea of the size of the Axis compared to whitetail, several years ago we took 6 axis and 16 whitetail. All the meat was processed at one place. We ended up with 550 lbs of axis and 500 lbs of whitetail.

And I agree, axis meat is much better than whitetail.

These are free range. Last year one guy took a Pere' David.....which is extinct in the wild.

MossRoad · Oct 21, 2015

EddieWalker said:
That's one of the guides blood trailing catahoula's that he keeps in the back of the Mule while out hunting. He is very friendly and just loves to run!!! We would let him out after getting our animals and he would race ahead of us on the way back to the truck. At one place their was a paved road that went through the middle of the ranch and we got up to 25mph for about a mile and he was right beside us the entire time!!!!

When I shot my blackbuck, he went a short distance into some thick cedar. We had an strong blood trail that was easy to follow, so the guide felt it would be good for "Chief" to get a little practice. It was fun watching him work the trail, he just ran straight along it right to the blackbuck. Then while taking pictures, he came and sat next to me, which made for a great picture.

Thanks! I love to see a happy dog work. :thumbsup: