Not a Pig but thought you'd enjoy

[Uncle Ji]

Just wanted to share this picture of a successful Saturday afternoon hunt, my first since my back surgery in January. My buddy Aaron spotted this nice old Axis buck bedded down with just his antler tips showing at over 500 yards away. We all observed this buck for almost half an hour before Aaron and Keli'i finally made the stalk getting to within 50 yards of the buck before he finally popped his head up giving Aaron a perfect neck shot. He is having this best buck mounted. He measured 35" on one side and 34.25 on the other with perfect symmetry. Congratulations Aaron, and mahalo Keli'i for inviting and guiding us, and Kaimana for the great company.

NICE EXAMPLE OF A TROPHY AXIS BUCK


L to R KELI'I, AARON, KAIMANA, and Me

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

congrats Uncle Ji on the great Axis, i here the meat is really good and i hope i get the chance in life to hunt one someday!..........tra

 

[betelgeuse]

Nice trophy.

I've been wanting to do that for a while. I think it would be neat to have the hide tanned on an axis. I have been working on the wife to go to Lanai. She loves going to Hawaii, so I think it's just down to the planning. Has anyone had any experience with Palawai outfitters on Lanai ?

I know this is the Hog forum but I thought I'd ask

 

[ozstriker22]

Thanks for Posting Up, Uncle Ji, even though it's the hog forum... I'd never seen and Axis buck before? Totally cool. Looks like it's from Africa or something.

Tell us more about the area you were hunting. Public, private, etc. Are these deer indigineous or imported? Thanks!

Jesse

 

[Glass eye]

betelgeuse, go to my profile and contact me about axis deer on Lanai. I've hunted them there with archery, muzzleloader and rifle. Archery is the best deal and you don't need an outfitter, all you need is a group of 4 hunters to split the cost of a 4x4 rental ($100 a day) I've rented a house and I've also camped there for $5 a day. It's actually very inexpensive, a 9 day hunt for around $1,000 for everything, airfare, license, taxis, ferry, 4x4, food, gas,restaraunt, lodging,etc, etc.

 

[baboltin]

great looking buck...congrats.

 

[Uncle Ji]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ozstriker22 @ Aug 14 2006, 10:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Thanks for Posting Up, Uncle Ji, even though it's the hog forum... I'd never seen and Axis buck before? Totally cool. Looks like it's from Africa or something.

Tell us more about the area you were hunting. Public, private, etc. Are these deer indigineous or imported? Thanks!

Jesse[/b]

The Axis Deer is a native of India and several were presented as a gift to the king of Hawaii King David Kalakaua from the British Ambassador to Hawaii back in the 1880s. These deer were introduced to the island of Moloka'i first then to Lana'i, and late in the 1960's a small group of 5 escaped from an enclosure on the island of Maui which the existing herd here decend from. The genetic pool of the Maui deer is more limited than the other islands so trophy bucks are more rare here. There is a desire to erradicate the Axis Deer on the island of Maui. The State DLNR has stated regarding Axis Deer on Maui, and I quote from the Maui Hunting regulations appendix: "Any Axis deer encountered while hunting on a public hunting area on Maui may be taken by the hunter regardless of number or sex of deer taken." Sounds good except that the few public areas on Maui are not proper habitat for deer the Axis deer prefering dry semi-arid lands but the public lands on Maui being high elevation alpine, or dense rain forest. The majority of Axis deer habitat on Maui is on private ranch lands, with access to the general public extremely limited except thru proffesional guide services. My hunt took place on Hawaiian Homelands which is probably even more limited these lands being reserved for native Hawaiians except by invitation of a resident native Hawaiian.
Just as an FYI the only indigineous mammals to Hawaii are the endemic Hawaiian Bat, and the endemic Hawaiian Monk Seal both being listed as endangered species. The first Polynesian inhabitants introduced pigs, dogs, and accidently stowaway rats.

 

[ozstriker22]

Wow! That's an awesome account. You've answered 90% of my questions, with only two remaining that I can think of...

Do they taste good? And how much do they weigh (look to be small bodied)?

Jesse

 

[Lan-Lord]

Uncle Ji, congrats on the axis! 35" is a great buck for anywhere. And he is very symetrical

oz, axis meat (IMO) is the best wild or domestic meat you will ever eat. I took an axis doe hunt last year here in Texas, and hands down it is the best tasting game. It's tender, mild, and tastes great.

My wife, who is quite conservative when it comes to food, is begging me to bring home some more axis backstrap this year.
Of course, I gotta keep her happy

 

[Uncle Ji]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ozstriker22 @ Aug 18 2006, 09:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Wow! That's an awesome account. You've answered 90% of my questions, with only two remaining that I can think of...

Do they taste good? And how much do they weigh (look to be small bodied)?

Jesse[/b]

Amen to Chris, Axis deer are grazers like cattle feeding mostly on grass, unlike Whitetails, and Mulies which are browsers. Because of this Axis deer (aka Chital, Barking Deer) taste like lean grade A beef with no gaminess from feeding on herby tasting leaves.
As far as body size this buck was an estimated 200 lbs. so bigger than a average Texas Whitetail but smaller than most Canada Whitetailbucks, and bigger than your average coastal Blacktail buck. I would call it average buck size. I have seen these Axis bucks with bigger bodies pushing 250 lbs.

 

[ozstriker22]

Well hold me down and tickle my feet!!! It sounds like we've got a runner-up for Wild Boar meat. I never thought I'd see the day... I'm gonna have to git me one o dems Axis's!

From this post I understand Hawaii deer are feral, although mostly on private land. Is TX private land too? What other states have these deer for a reasonable price?

I've been thinking about taking two weeks vacation with my wife in a year or two and going to Hawaii with my bow to chase some goats and pigs around. Maybe on Kona. But it looks like I'll have to stop by Maui for an Axis too!!! I hope the hunting is good in winter... cause that's when airfare is cheapest!

 

[Lan-Lord]

Texas exotic hunting is private land, and my axis doe hunt was very cheap!
3 days food & lodging (note lodge was very nice and food was extremely good)
1 axis doe
1 cull audad ram
unlimited hogs

All for $200 + tips to the skinner and cooks. This was on a 4500 acre exotic ranch.

 

[Glass eye]

The axis in hawaii breed all year round and they are in various stages of antler growth throughout the year, but most of them are skin heads in the fall and are developed but in velvet in feb.
Don't think that you can just arrive and buy a license. Before you leave the mainland you must get a "letter of exemption" from Honolulu and send it back to them with a copy of your drivers lic. and a copy of your ORIGINAL certificate of hunter safety. A hunting license is not valid, it must be the original hunter safety course certificate. They will then send you this letter of exemption that you present to DOFAW in order to buy your Hawaiian hunting lic.
p.s. to hunt Maui you need to pay around $1500- $2000 to hunt private property, I wouldn't count on finding them on public land.
Lanai on the other hand is not a problem.

 

[ozstriker22]

Please forgive me, I'm a product of the Southern California Public Education System. My knowledge of Geography extends to: Home, Starbucks, Work, Mall, Beach, Mountains, and everything outside of those 6 areas is known as USA/MEXICO and consists of unmarked earth of unknown size and location. In my above post I PRETENDED I knew the difference between Maui and Kona, but I have NO IDEA what those names actually mean.

Hawaiin Geography 101. How many Islands are there and are Maui, Kona, and Lanai 3 different Islands, or just the names of cities on the same island, etc? I apologize for my ignance, but my doctor says I'm impotent, so I might as well act like it.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

All for $200 + tips to the skinner and cooks. This was on a 4500 acre exotic ranch.[/b]

WHY do I live in California???? Oh yeah, that's right, I'd move to Texas but I can't find it as it's not Home,Beach,Work,Starbucks. But seriously, that sounds wwwwaaaaayyyyy tooo good to be true! Are the animals just private stock that's released from a pen and "hunted" or is it truly fair chase hunting animals that are actually afraid of people? Not that I honestly care, for $200 bucks I do it in a heartbeat... I'd just kick the doe so it runs off a few feet and stops licking the grain from my hand long enough to draw my bowie and then "put a stalk on it" but I really doubt I'd drive to TX unless it was an honest fair chase hunt. Please don't mind my humor, just planning how I can spend what little money I have left on hunting.

Sincerely,

Jesse

 

[Uncle Ji]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ozstriker22 @ Aug 21 2006, 12:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Hawaiin Geography 101. How many Islands are there and are Maui, Kona, and Lanai 3 different Islands, or just the names of cities on the same island, etc? I apologize for my ignance, but my doctor says I'm impotent, so I might as well act like it.[/b]

The Hawaiian Islands are made up of 132 Islands though 7 of the 8 largest are regularly inhabited and the better known. Maui, and Lana'i are Islands, Kona refers to Kailua on the Kona (leeward) side of the largest island Hawaii there also being a Kailua on both O'ahu (my hometown), and Maui.


http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/hi_geography.htm

 

[Lan-Lord]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ozstriker22 @ Aug 21 2006, 03:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Are the animals just private stock that's released from a pen and "hunted" or is it truly fair chase hunting animals that are actually afraid of people?[/b]

Many exotic ranches in Texas are high fence. (however, some exotics have escaped and there are now small herds of free ranging.) The axis deer here are very wild. They will wind you and bolt just like a spooky whitetail. I considered the 4500 acre, high fence hunt fair enough chase ( I personally wouldnt consider that a canned hunt).

 

[ozstriker22]

Thanks Lan-Lord, I would not consider that a canned hunt either. As long as their not tame/used to humans, and I can't see the fence, I'm cool with something like that.

I also heard that in TX you can buy a whole bunch of feed grain, and you line the sides of the road for few hundred yards. The hogs come out of the brush to eat and you've got a flat shot right on the asphalt.

Jesse