What are your favorite transplanted animal species which have been accepted as "native."

As a Texan I'd say Aoudad and Nilgai. Carp were never a thought until I saw it posted above...had a ton of fun bowfishing for them in the past.

migrabill said:

Would Red Stag in Argentina count? I also love hunting free range Sika deer in my home state of Maryland.

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Always been Interested in that hunting opportunity. Any pics of your hunts and trophy’s?

steve white said:

Though native to Texas, I vote for the white tailed deer....it has made its home all the way to Finland, where there are loads of them!
Pheasants come to mind for game that is now considered native in the US

What's your pick from Africa to the furtherest reaches of the planet?

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It is mostly Indian species that are basically native now in Texas. Axis and Blackbuck particularly.
Aoudad likely have the highest population of any transplanted African species followed by Scimintar Horned Orxy.

Hedge774 said:

Nutria?? Maybe?

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That´s small game. We have capibaras, but they are protected, we cant hunt them. I dont consider them big game anyway

Philip Glass said:

It is mostly Indian species that are basically native now in Texas. Axis and Blackbuck particularly.
Aoudad likely have the highest population of any transplanted African species followed by Scimintar Horned Orxy.

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Born and raised in Texas and I thought the same thing, the history of south Texas ranchers importing Indian game is fascinating.

In 1930 they brought Nilgai into King Ranch and Axis followed in 1932; so during the Great Depression a rancher brought in exotics.

My first Axis - 39.5” Free Range outside of Junction Texas


Consider this - in 1910 under the “American Hippo Bill”, hippos were almost introduced into southern Louisiana in an attempt to solve the nations meat shortage.

Despite major backing politicians ultimately decided that importing and releasing something as large and potentially dangerous was not a good idea.

Shame… could have provided generations of Boudreaux & Thibodeaux jokes!

Hawaii & Texas - Axis deer
Maryland - sika deer
Africa - Fallow deer

My vote is for NM White Sands Oryx. As Tex .416 said, it is the best meat I have ever had. I like bison, elk, moose and I have had antelope, deer, bear, and a lot of other wild game. But the Oryx is the best bar none.

Pheasant, pheasant and pheasant.

Did I say Pheasant?

Nothing like the camaraderie on a pheasant hunt.

Pheasant, chukar, huns for sure. I wish they would plant aoudad all over the west. So much scrub blm land, they could lottery lots of tags for them. Same with mouflon.

Axis (in TX and FL) and Aoudad in TX, for starters. 'Lots of time in beautiful country hunting them in the past (W TX, huge ranches with elevation-not flatlands awaiting them to hit water!) Many great deals to be had in both, relative to the cost of heading to Africa to hunt (also non-native to Southern Africa). Much easier here, all-the-way-'round! 'Was hunting lots of Asian invasives w/ my 10' JD mower earlier in (N. Hemisphere) Summer. 'Scored a thin belly pan and (plastic/rubber) fuel tanks connector pipe on a remaining 3" diameter spear lurking like an Adder under the cuttings (on a smaller MF 4wd) when I hastily re-seeded the area w/ native tall grasses at twilight! LOL It's better than new now, using 1-piece heftier aftermarket American parts (Parker steel braided hose re-routed above the f. driveshaft, solid clamps, thicker plate, etc.) Everyone is being more conscious of problem invasives in the US nowadays (even my 85 y/o Mom rips them out weekly at the farm and along the A/T!)...'Have seen some gorgeous TX ranches restored from Juniper/Cedar back to the tall native grasslands w/ oaks, etc. and they once again produce some HUGE whitetails and beef!

jgonzalez said:

That´s small game. We have capibaras, but they are protected, we cant hunt them. I dont consider them big game anyway

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Are pheasants large or medium game? lol

jgonzalez said:

That´s small game. We have capibaras, but they are protected, we cant hunt them. I dont consider them big game anyway

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Capibara are pretty dang large. I never thought they were that big until I saw the in person. Anyone else remember whe the Pope declared them a fish so people could eat them during lent? Truth is stranger than fiction!

deewayne2003 said:

Born and raised in Texas and I thought the same thing, the history of south Texas ranchers importing Indian game is fascinating.

In 1930 they brought Nilgai into King Ranch and Axis followed in 1932; so during the Great Depression a rancher brought in exotics.

My first Axis - 39.5” Free Range outside of Junction Texas
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Consider this - in 1910 under the “American Hippo Bill”, hippos were almost introduced into southern Louisiana in an attempt to solve the nations meat shortage.

Despite major backing politicians ultimately decided that importing and releasing something as large and potentially dangerous was not a good idea.

Shame… could have provided generations of Boudreaux & Thibodeaux jokes!

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Nice Stag that Chital, but I’ve done a bit of Axis hunting & I think the tape might be out or you meant 29.5in ?

There are so many awesome animals running around wild now in different lands, enhancing some & decimating others !

I think the Water Buffalo & my Favourite Banteng are special but lots of them are, love Scimitar Oryx, Addax also in the NT, Lechwe were roaming in Kakadu before being culled out & even Pygmy Hippo.

Aoudad free range in South Africa a long way from home but still in Africa & we had free range Nyala herds that had escaped from hunting blocks.

Even Cape Buffalo along the Limpopo again escaped from shoddy fences, Lion sightings, trail cam pics & spoor there to, from where they came we don’t know ?

Ontario Hunter said:

Any of the Down Under guys hunt peacock? I have seen a couple videos from NZ. Appear to be rather cagey birds if truly wild.

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Yes a fair bit, they are considered a pest in some areas along with Greater Canada Geese & Turkeys
We did a lot of US hunters just for Turkeys back in the day, seems much less now days ?



They are actually great eating bird !

Rocky Mountain Elk in Texas. There are a few that have naturally migrated into the Texas Panhandle. Unfortunately, the ones in West Texas did not. There is an unnamed wildlife group that fights every legislative session to keep them exotic and not subject to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, even though those in the Panhandle are "native" by natural migration. It's also unfortunate that you could shoot a 400 point Elk in Texas but can never enter it into Boone & Crockett as they are exotics thanks the efforts of the unnamed wildlife group, which is why I will never give that association a penny.

Sarg said:

Yes a fair bit, they are considered a pest in some areas along with Greater Canada Geese & Turkeys
We did a lot of US hunters just for Turkeys back in the day, seems much less now days ?

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They are actually great eating bird !

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I'll be there for turkey and fallow in June! And if you've heard a peacock wake you up at dawn, you'd shoot one too!

The correct term is probably “Naturalised”.
Water buffalo, or any deer!

Well if we're talking two legged (birds) then pheasants, Four legged Oryx.

steve white said:

Would it bother anyone to shoot a Nyala or Sable in Namibia, far from natural range, even though the animal is free ranging in its adopted habitat?

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Yes. I've been careful to only hunt African animals in places where they occur naturally. Now outside of Africa, I like hunting feral hogs and have an interest in Axis deer in Hawaii. Does that make any sense? Nope. It's just the way I see things.