Free range Waterbuck in South Texas

[buck wild]

There is a pocket of free range African animals on a large ,coastal ranch about 1.5 hrs from my house. They have waterbuck, oryx, lechwe etc with established breeding herds. Here was a recent waterbuck 27" with 9 1/2" bases.
PS This was not my kill- I just lifted the pic

 

[BWH]

Free range.... Texas?????

 

[Mark19707]

Is it possible to have free range anything in texas?

 

[edward]

what ranch?

 

[BWH]

Kinda...... In extreme far west TX there are "some". Aoudad, Pronghorn, elk........ Deer & hogs can/will go wherever they please. However, there are soooooooo many fences & high fences. Free range would be EXTREMELY RARE!!!!!

 

[BWH]

I would only have to assume if it were feasible, if you have animals of value, you would fence. Hence why 99.9% do!

 

[JimP]

Is it possible to have free range anything in texas?

Chickens, turkeys, vultures, or any other bird that can fly over the fence.

I wonder just what their definition of "free range" on this ranch is?

 

[BWH]

Oh yeah..... Ducks, geese, dove!!!!

 

[enysse]

It very nice waterbuck, I love the mass.

 

[johnnyblues]

No matter what that's a nice waterbuck.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I've got some coastal free range scotch at my place in Anahuac buck wild of us want to swing by and talk about it! PM me, I need to kill something, bottle of scotch, bourbon or a waterbuck! It's been more than 24 hours since I've seen the demise of anything besides my love of mankind, Chicago for a day and now I'm in Indianapolis! I would rather change my travel plans this week for a square kick in the nuts and call it good!
Awaiting a chance to get home,
Cody

 

[ActionBob]

Cody are you wanted for murder in Chicago? I can't believe you spent a day there and didn't kill someone! On occasion that Frickin place gets in my way when I'm going elsewhere, I go around or or fill up the gas tank, empty the bladder, and drive though at night without stopping.

 

[Red Leg]

Maybe not that weird. The aoudad population is well established. An axis deer is likely to appear on any ranch in or near the Hill country. Drive west from San Antonio on I -10 and every third deer carcass will have spots. Elk are surprisingly common through the Big bend region with huge bulls taken every year. (Interestingly, they are not treated as a game animal.) Ibex are spreading throughout the desert north of El Paso and southeastern New Mexico. And of course nilgai have become a major trophy species. These are all healthy, breeding, and expanding populations, and they are not behind fences.

 

[ActionBob]

Maybe not that weird. The aoudad population is well established. An axis deer is likely to appear on any ranch in or near the Hill country. Drive west from San Antonio on I -10 and every third deer carcass will have spots. Elk are surprisingly common through the Big bend region with huge bulls taken every year. (Interestingly, they are not treated as a game animal.) Ibex are spreading throughout the desert north of El Paso and southeastern New Mexico. And of course nilgai have become a major trophy species. These are all healthy, breeding, and expanding populations, and they are not behind fences.

Damn! I'm ready to go huntin'

 

[Bullthrower338]

Bob,
Can't be wanted if they can't prove it! Rudest people I have encountered in a long time! Got out of my rental car((VW Jetta) and offered to beat the lips off of a CS at a light early this morning for honking at me! In Houston you don't honk unless you are carrying a 45 or larger. Chicago is one of the few places that I do not carry, unfortunate at least, that prick needed pistol whipped just so he learned a little respect for his elders. Such a bunch of uneducated younguns up in that cesspool. No wonder Barry came from there! I meant to swing by Bill Aires place and talk about rifles but I didnt have time for that CS either!
Love and Peace,
Cody

 

[JGRaider]

In Texas, free range = no high fences.

Some of you guys need to educate yourself before making such ignorant statements on the lack of free range hunting in TX, as red leg eluded to. First of all the Yturria Ranch in deep S TX does in fact have many species of free range exotics, including waterbuck, oryx, nilgai, etc. It is a huge place bordering the King Ranch and that's where that waterbuck was taken.

Secondly, you can hunt free range elk, aoudad, exotics such as blackbuck and axis, and obviously whitetails, mule deer, pronghorn, etc totally free range, especially once you get out of the TX Hill Country where there are, in fact, numerous high fence operations. There are very, very few high fence ranches in the Trans Pecos, West Texas, or TX Panhandle.

 

[wesheltonj]

I have axis and white-tail in my front yard all the time, if my back yard was not high-fenced to keep them out, they would be there too.

Where I hunt in South Texas, there is a wild warthog population, which is very free range, and TPWD wants them all dead.

 

[buck wild]

In Texas, free range = no high fences.

Some of you guys need to educate yourself before making such ignorant statements on the lack of free range hunting in TX, as red leg eluded to. First of all the Yturria Ranch in deep S TX does in fact have many species of free range exotics, including waterbuck, oryx, nilgai, etc. It is a huge place bordering the King Ranch and that's where that waterbuck was taken.

Secondly, you can hunt free range elk, aoudad, exotics such as blackbuck and axis, and obviously whitetails, mule deer, pronghorn, etc totally free range, especially once you get out of the TX Hill Country where there are, in fact, numerous high fence operations. There are very, very few high fence ranches in the Trans Pecos, West Texas, or TX Panhandle.

This .... they really are free range- no high fence to keep them in. As stated the ranch that initially stocked them in the low fence area borders the 800,000 acre King Ranch. Very restricted hunting rights has preserved them and allowed several species to take hold. Also as stated nilgai have really blossomed even outside the 800,000 acres. Maybe one day these herds will dispurse into other areas. There is also a decent free range sambar deer herd on Powerhorn Ranch, which was recently acquired by the State of Texas- they anticipate some public hunting on draw hunts in next couple of years.

And oh yes the free range warthogs- they did get lose from a high fence place but now are roaming in low fence places in S Tx. I havent seen any big boars killed but some smaller ones and a few sows have been killed in low fence areas.

 

[Red Leg]

And I forgot scimitar horned ibex. At least one free range herd is growing near Alpine, Texas. And not a high fence within a hundred miles.

 

[BWH]

In Texas, free range = no high fences.

Some of you guys need to educate yourself before making such ignorant statements on the lack of free range hunting in TX, as red leg eluded to. First of all the Yturria Ranch in deep S TX does in fact have many species of free range exotics, including waterbuck, oryx, nilgai, etc. It is a huge place bordering the King Ranch and that's where that waterbuck was taken.

Secondly, you can hunt free range elk, aoudad, exotics such as blackbuck and axis, and obviously whitetails, mule deer, pronghorn, etc totally free range, especially once you get out of the TX Hill Country where there are, in fact, numerous high fence operations. There are very, very few high fence ranches in the Trans Pecos, West Texas, or TX Panhandle.

What ignorant statements????