Axis Deer Hunts

Hunting Axis Deer

Axis deer were brought to Texas in or around 1932 and are currently found in a number of counties in the state's central and southern regions. The most prevalent exotic ungulate in Texas is the Axis deer.

They were documented to have independent populations in 27 central and south Texas counties in 1988. Since then, they have spread into 92 counties, and the Exotic Wildlife Association estimates that their current population might reach 125,000 animals. The Edwards Plateau now has the largest concentration of Axis deer in Texas. Axis deer hunting dates back over 90 years. Their hides are stunning, their antlers may reach over three feet, and the meat is often regarded as the best game meat of any animal. Axis hunts have attracted a lot of interest lately due to this combination and their widespread availability.

They are regarded as livestock, just like cows, sheep, goats, and numerous other exotic animals imported into the state.

Since Axis deer are not indigenous to Texas, they do not have a season and can be hunted year-round. 

May through August are the best hunting months. At the height of their breeding season, over 70% of the bucks will have hard antlers, providing the best chance to see a genuine trophy Axis buck. The remaining 30% of Axis bucks will develop strong antlers throughout the year, allowing hunters to hunt Axis all year.

Hunting Axis Deer in Australia

Axis deer's traditional range in Queensland is north of Charters Towers, where they have migrated into several nearby stations close to Maryvale and Niall. The herds are almost as far south as Charters Towers, nearly as far southwest as Hughenden, and almost as far north as just halfway between Townsville and Cairns. This herd can vary significantly between good seasons and drought, and it was believed to include about 10,000 animals (which was almost certainly an underestimate). There are now firmly established areas at Townsville, Cairns, Cooktown, Barcaldine (near Longreach), Winton, and Texas (Australia), as well as sporadic pockets to the northwest of Brisbane and the west of Warwick. In addition, deer farm escapees and occasionally translocations have given rise to several of these and other isolated herds in New South Wales (NSW).

Hunting Axis Deer in Argentina 

The Axis deer were imported to Argentina in 1945 into the Buenos Aires Province, where they swiftly and effectively adapted to their new environment. Afterward, they moved into several other provinces. They are found in the plains or pampas near rivers or streams, in scrublands that protect them from the cold and provide shelter. They generally move at night, although sometimes they are found during the day. 

Hunting Axis Deer in Hawaii

The 90,000-acre Hawaiian island of Lanai is, without a doubt, one of the most stunning hunting sites in the world because it is beautiful and home to the greatest population of free-range Axis deer in the world. You'll have yet another excellent reason to take advantage of everything Lanai has to offer if you add in a Mouflon sheep hunt.

In the late 1950s, Axis deer were introduced to Maui. Since there were no natural predators on the island to control the population, the Axis deer quickly expanded. On Maui, there are thought to be more than 50,000 Axis deer altogether. Because of the island's enormous deer population, its residents struggle to preserve its fragile natural ecosystems. In order to maintain the beauty and abundance of Maui's vegetation and other species, it is sustainable to hunt Axis deer.

Although there are no native big-game populations in Hawaii, successive waves of visitors have brought animals, starting with the Polynesians, whose pigs got loose and ran off into the bush, and continuing through the Europeans, who brought goats, sheep, more hogs, and even black-tailed deer. As a result, much of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai is home to the Asian-native Axis deer. Their ancestors were delivered to Hawaii's King Kamehameha V as a gift from Hong Kong in the 1860s and released on the island of Molokai. Since then, Lanai and Maui have welcomed them. The population of axis deer on Maui grows by roughly 25% annually because of the absence of natural predators—the only non-human deer predators on the islands are bands of wild dogs.

Because of Hawaii's consistent weather, deer can breed all year long. As a result, axis deer will consume virtually any vegetation, devastating farms and threatening other species.

Depending on the island you want to hunt, there are several Axis deer seasons throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The Axis deer season on Lanai runs from mid-February to mid-May. There are different seasons for youth, muzzleloaders, rifles/shotguns, and archery. Except during the archery season, hunters acquire specific hunting days by public lottery. In addition, regardless of how you take the deer, there is a bag limit of one deer every season. On Molokai and Maui, the axis deer season is considerably different from that on Lanai and is unrestricted. There are no limits on the number or gender of axis deer that can be harvested on public land at any time.