Texas Can’t Quit The Aoudad

[375 Ruger Fan]

Interesting article from a non-hunting magazine. Aoudad is on my bucket list!

Texas Can’t Quit the Aoudad

Some Texans are calling for the extermination of this exotic African transplant. But others depend on it.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[Lenny13]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[375Fox]

Very interesting article, I have to wonder if aoudad are still being moved to new mountains to create new hunting/outfitting opportunities?

 

[Trail Rated]

I was drawn for a whitetail deer hunt in one of Central Texas’ state parks last year. The rules about which deer we could shoot were very strict, but the park biologist told us to shoot any and all aoudads we might see. They’re tearing the place up and crowding out native species.

Naturally, I didn’t see any.

 

[Philip Glass]

Texas is mostly privately owned so not sure what the point is overall. No one person or agency can say do this or do that. Now the problem comes in where there are bighorn sheep. In those areas I’d be in favor of Govt or landowners removing the Aoudad. The problem is the state won’t give enough bighorn licenses to make it economically work. Aoudad are cheap, very cheap while bighorns can sell for up to $300,000. If we can get more bighorn herds then things can change.
When valuable animals are in private hands the populations explode. When Govt controls them they languish.
Philip

 

[flatwater bill]

Very informative. The article mentions landowners who say, of aoudad, "come and get all you want".....Is that true? I know of nowhere that you can hunt aoudad on private land without a hefty payment. I'm not very knowledgeable about Texas. I don't think there is much public land that holds huntable aoudad, but I may be wrong.........thanks for posting...............FWB

 

[JenHernandez]

Este artículo es increíble, me encantó mucho

 

[Red Leg]

They are totally unprotected. Yet, and I think wisely, many if not most ranchers in Southwest Texas treat their Aoudad as a valuable cash producing asset on their property. It is important to remember just how unproductive the land is in the Trans Pecos for cattle. There a 60,000 acre ranch is little more than a mom & pop cattle operation. Mule deer, Aoudad, and the occasional elk (also unprotected) represent important assets.

 

[arizonajake]

Out of curiosity, I checked various websites advertising Aoudad hunts. The average price range for these animals, which are unprotected and non-native in the U. S. Southwest, average $4000.00 for 3-5 day hunts involving a single animal. Add to this approximately $500.00 in round-trip transportation (if you fly into El Paso, TX). Tips add another $400.00. Approximate total ~$4,900.00 per animal.

In contrast, 7-day plains game hunts in Southern Africa average $7,500.00 and generally include 5 animals. Round-trip travel from most US hubs runs about $2,000.00. Tips run another $800.00. ~$2,060.00 per animal.

Taking into everything into account, hunting in Africa offers much better value than hunting Aoudad in Texas. Hunting them in Mexico might be a lot less expensive...

 

[Red Leg]

Out of curiosity, I checked various websites advertising Aoudad hunts. The average price range for these animals, which are unprotected and non-native in the U. S. Southwest, average $4000.00 for 3-5 day hunts involving a single animal. Add to this approximately $500.00 in round-trip transportation (if you fly into El Paso, TX). Tips add another $400.00. Approximate total ~$4,900.00 per animal.

In contrast, 7-day plains game hunts in Southern Africa average $7,500.00 and generally include 5 animals. Round-trip travel from most US hubs runs about $2,000.00. Tips run another $800.00. ~$2,060.00 per animal.

Taking into everything into account, hunting in Africa offers much better value than hunting Aoudad in Texas. Hunting them in Mexico might be a lot less expensive...

Africa is indeed a great value. But it isn't just about trophy count - particularly once you have taken a swath of PG from Africa. Were that the logic, we would never hunt Ibex or Chamois in Europe, black bear in British Columbia, or red stag in Argentina. Our hunting lives are built around a host of different adventures, and in the world of comparative costs of free range mountain sheep or goats, the Aoudad of west Texas is an incredible value.

 

[JimP]

You also need to remember that you can hunt aoudad in Texas as a DIY hunt, where in Africa can you do that on any animal?

 

[375Fox]

Texas is mostly privately owned so not sure what the point is overall. No one person or agency can say do this or do that. Now the problem comes in where there are bighorn sheep. In those areas I’d be in favor of Govt or landowners removing the Aoudad. The problem is the state won’t give enough bighorn licenses to make it economically work. Aoudad are cheap, very cheap while bighorns can sell for up to $300,000. If we can get more bighorn herds then things can change.
When valuable animals are in private hands the populations explode. When Govt controls them they languish.
Philip

Are there still new aoudad introductions onto low fence private lands? No argument of property rights on high fenced areas, but I think a distinction definitely needs to be drawn between a domestic animal and one that is still a wild animal and difficult to control. With that said, I am glad they are established there, it’s a very unique animal and the mountains they live in west Texas are stunning. I would like to hunt one at some point.

 

[crs]

I hunted an exotic ranch near Hondo for several years and always saw Aoudad , sometimes flushing a band of them like quail from thick cover. Put the sights on several, but never pulled a trigger as my guides and my hunting buddies always left the carcass for the buzzards because they were considered inedible. Plus they had a better place for impressive trophies. The big old ones can make for an impressive mount, but I am all out of wall space for trophies.

 

[Hank2211]

You also need to remember that you can hunt aoudad in Texas as a DIY hunt, where in Africa can you do that on any animal?

I believe you can still find DIY hunts in Cameroon. There are other places in Africa where such hunts can be found.

The fact you can do it though doesn’t mean you should. I’ve hunted Cameroon - both forest (jungle) and savannah - and it would have been very difficult (impossible perhaps in the forest) for a first timer.

Haivng said that, I’m not sure that native free range aoudad can be hunted anywhere in Africa. Could be wrong about that, but the places in Africa where I know aoudad can be hunted, they are introduced. So it may be Texas (or Spain, apparently) or some places in South Africa if you want to hunt aoudad.

 

[wesheltonj]

Yes, Aoudad are all over west Texas, and are considered a cash crop. Unfortunately, so are those damn wild hogs, and that is the reason we will never get rid on them.

About 20 years ago, the lawyer I worked for had a friend in Val Verde County and invited us out to kill as many as we could. I did not go. I think they shot about 30 or so. I really did not think much care much about them. In hindsight, now with an all in price around 4K, I am realizing my mistake.

I agree that they need to be wiped out where the Desert Bighorn are. They out compete the Big Horns.

 

[Trophyhunter01]

Aoudad have been marketed well as the poor mans bighorn. 20 years ago I hunted a few places to shoot all I wanted and once the price got going those days are over. About the only public hunting is draw hunts from the state, been putting in for 15 years yet to draw a tag. Have taken one big ram over 30 and others under and in hilly territory make a fun and challenging hunt. Those jokers always seem to be above you looking down and do not wait around for you to get to them. Maybe the state will open up more public tags.

 

[375Fox]

I believe you can still find DIY hunts in Cameroon. There are other places in Africa where such hunts can be found.

The fact you can do it though doesn’t mean you should. I’ve hunted Cameroon - both forest (jungle) and savannah - and it would have been very difficult (impossible perhaps in the forest) for a first timer.

Haivng said that, I’m not sure that native free range aoudad can be hunted anywhere in Africa. Could be wrong about that, but the places in Africa where I know aoudad can be hunted, they are introduced. So it may be Texas (or Spain, apparently) or some places in South Africa if you want to hunt aoudad.

I posted a YouTube video about Sudan not long ago. I guess hunting opened this fall and they are booking hunts for Barbary sheep/aoudad. So it appears might actually be possible now to hunt them in native range.

 

[318AE]

About 20 years ago, I only recall auodad, blackbuck and nilgai in terms of free ranging Texas exotics. There now seems to be far more auodads and blackbuck, as well as scimitar horned oryx, waterbuck, axis deer and occasionally warthogs and fallow deer. There are also increasing populations of elk and black bear in the trans-pecos. I don’t see any of that slowing down on it’s own. Some of the feeders in Terrell and Val Verde counties are almost like salt water fishing - you just don‘t know what might show up....

https://www.chron.com/sports/outdoors/article/Warthogs-invade-South-Texas-6671689.php

 

[Hank2211]

I posted a YouTube video about Sudan not long ago. I guess hunting opened this fall and they are booking hunts for Barbary sheep/aoudad. So it appears might actually be possible now to hunt them in native range.

I always prefer to hunt an animal in its natural habitat. This has led me to some sketchy places, but I’d have to think about Sudan!

 

[gizmo]

Texas is mostly privately owned so not sure what the point is overall. No one person or agency can say do this or do that. Now the problem comes in where there are bighorn sheep. In those areas I’d be in favor of Govt or landowners removing the Aoudad. The problem is the state won’t give enough bighorn licenses to make it economically work. Aoudad are cheap, very cheap while bighorns can sell for up to $300,000. If we can get more bighorn herds then things can change.
When valuable animals are in private hands the populations explode. When Govt controls them they languish.
Philip

Very good point, the government puts very little effort into Desert Bighorn Management, The restrictions on them are tremendous however. As you said the animal itself has very little economic value in the state and to 99.99999 % of all Texas landowners. It’s one of the few areas where TPWD and the state has completely dropped the ball when it comes to wildlife management within Texas.

Very informative. The article mentions landowners who say, of aoudad, "come and get all you want".....Is that true? I know of nowhere that you can hunt aoudad on private land without a hefty payment. I'm not very knowledgeable about Texas. I don't think there is much public land that holds huntable aoudad, but I may be wrong.........thanks for posting...............FWB

Bahahahahaha. Ya that’s almost as laughable as all the people who bitch and say the same thing about feral pigs. These same landowners are the ones who supplement a huge portion of their incomes from either hunt leases or outfitting operations. I have never believed these were legitimate quotes to begin with as I have never actually know a landowner that has the actual animals say that. Yes you can shoot all of them you want...... for a price.