Just got back from 3 excellent days of hunting at Indianhead Ranch in Del Rio Texas. I'll provide more details once I decompress and get my work backlog cleared out, but here are a few pic's to get it started.

Good times chasing sheep in these canyons. Weather was a balmy +100* by the afternoon.


I shot a very nice Scimitar just before dusk on day 2. He measured out green at 39 x 39 1/8. 35 yards quartering away, DRT with a neck shot.



The morning of day 3 provided an opportunity at this toad of an Armenian... a 140 grain Accubond out of my 270 short mag. literally dumped him in place at just over 100 yards with a frontal shot to the chest/neck.


That's it for now. I need to edit a bunch of pic's and write up a proper hunt report, but the long and the short of it is: GREAT TRIP!

[edited post for a better sheep image]

Looks like a great trip! Thanks for sharing.

Very nicely composed photos, especially the ram.

quote:

Originally posted by KevinNY:
Very nicely composed photos, especially the ram.

+1, that rock you have the ram posed on makes for a great photo!

Nice looking animals. Are you going to have them mounted?

Very nice Armenian!

Very nice.. Ive been on the Indianhead several times.. It's just a bit over an hr from my hometown.

Hey thanks everyone. I shot fashion and advertising photography for a number of years in my youth, so I have a definite opinion on how things should be set up --haha

The Armenian is a pretty nice one, and I am fortunate to have crossed paths with him on the last day. They are a bugger to stalk. I missed one at 406 yards the afternoon before [underestimated a head wind and the shot struck high by a few inches –it carried over his back]. I passed on another moving out at a slow walk at 350. Neither of those were as big as this guy however.

I have even more envy and admiration for those who have hunted them in their native mountains.

Looks like they have a lot of different species. But I sure can't fathom why anyone would pay $12,000 to hunt a kudu there. And that's just the trophy fee, not including the guide fee and daily lodging/food fee. A couple of the other African critters are ludicrously priced too.

In 2003, I hunted South Africa. Paid $4,995 for a kudu, gemsbok, impala, springbok and blesbok. That included 10 days of guide fees, meals and lodging. For another $5,000 in trophy fees, I added blue and black wildebeests, bushbuck, nyala, warthog and a 2nd springbok for a rug. Airfare was $2,500 for a total of about $12,500.

Today, a guy can still book a package hunt in S. Africa for $6,000 TOTAL that would include a kudu, gemsbok and a couple other critters. Tack on a generous $3,000 for airfare and you have all of $9,000.

Hmmm, since I just saved myself $3,000 to kill a another kudu, maybe I'll tell my wife about the super discount I got and make a second trip over there.

BTW, RANDERSON, nice pix and trophies!

Tony,
you cannot compare hunting African game in TX to hunting African game in Africa... It's always been excessively expensive and always will be..
On the other hand, it costs 70K to hunt Markhor in Pakistan, but you can do it in TX for 8K.. Again, no comparision, but just an example of the reverse from the African species..
Personally, I'd never do either, but that's not to say that there aren't plenty of folks who wouldnt bat an eye at the cost.. Personal reasons of not wanting to travel, time constraints, personal convictions to go overseas, etc..
Diff strokes for diff folks..

Besides, the gent was hunting Armenian mouflon and scimitar horned oryx, not southern African plainsgame.. The Armenian will cost you in the neighborhood of 10K-13K should you want to hunt them in their native range, and good luck ever even FINDING a free range simitar in north Africa.

Great hunt Randerson!

Scotty,

Reread my message and see that I referred to AFRICAN game only, not any of the others.

So what I said still stands -- $12,000 for kudu is ludicrous. And here's why.

If a Markhor in Pakistan is 70K and only 8K in TX, then the kudu is ass backwards in comparison; it should be LESS than what you can hunt it in Africa for, not 3-4 times more. In 2003, the trophy fee only where I hunted was $1,700. It's probably a bit more now.

Same goes for the other African game on that ranch.

Impala $5,000 -- about $350-500 in Africa
Nyala $9,000 -- same as kudu above -- $1,700-2,000

Randerson,
regardless of what you paid,(which is none of my business) those are fine looking trophies in my opinion. If you're happy with the price and the way you took the animals, thats all that matters.

Great animals, great pix, whats not to like.
Thanks for posting.
GWB

perhaps, but I can get in Momma's jag convertible and have a nice vacation driving down in the time I would spend in an airplane to get to Africa. Of course I'd miss all the fun of having some 9th Grade dropouts screw around with my stuff in airports here, and all the fun of customs here and there. Oh yea, and all the joy of paying a couple thousand dollars shipping fees and a year or two or three wait for my trophies from Africa.
You must not ever have been to Africa...

Rich
DRSS

quote:

You must not ever have been to Africa...

And you must not have read my message or perhaps didn't comprehend what was in it.

Here is the pertinent part again:

In 2003, I hunted South Africa. Paid $4,995 for a kudu, gemsbok, impala, springbok and blesbok. That included 10 days of guide fees, meals and lodging. For another $5,000 in trophy fees, I added blue and black wildebeests, bushbuck, nyala, warthog and a 2nd springbok for a rug. Airfare was $2,500 for a total of about $12,500.

And for the price of just the TX nyala and kudu -- $21,000 -- all the hunt costs, airfare, the trophy prep and shipping (8 months) from Africa was covered, as well as the taxidermy on 10 animals done here!

As I said Tony, certain African game is excessively expensive in TX and always will be.. some is well within reason. Scimitar horned oryx being one of them..

I know what Kudu cost in Africa.. I have 3 in the house already and plan on another one next May when I go back aross the pond for the 6th time...

Moving on..

quote:

Originally posted by Scottyboy:

Moving on..

Agreed. Didn't mean to hijack RANDERSON's thread.

Very nice animals and good pictures. I am not trying to be contrary so please do not take my next question as such. What is the deal with the scimitar horned oryx? I thought that the recent lawsuit by the peta terrorist types put a stop to hunting them. What did I miss?

Mike,

I believe this is what you're referring to maybe:

As the result of an HSUS and Friends of Animals assault on a rule exempting captive U.S. members of three antelope species from Endangered Species Act prohibitions, those three species are now in jeopardy. While HSUS and Friends celebrate a success in court, the ramifications of their empty victory have undermined conservation efforts for these species in the United States.

Although scimitar-horned oryx, dama gazelle and addax have either disappeared, or all but disappeared in their home ranges in Northern Africa, captive herds of the species have been thriving on ranches here in the United States, in great part due to the ranchers’ ability to sell, trade, breed and allow hunting of members of these captive populations without ESA restriction. The freedom to manage these animals has encouraged private owners to raise large herds and these animals now number in the thousands in the United States. Though, in 2005, the FWS listed the three species as endangered, at the same time the agency adopted a rule that would exempt captive members of the three species in the United States from ordinary ESA restrictions.

HSUS and Friends of Animals filed suit to challenge that rule. Their goal was to prevent the hunting of individual animals, regardless of the cost to the species as a whole. They did not succeed. The court did not find that hunting of these species was illegal and rejected HSUS and Friends’ assertions that hunting in the U.S. encouraged poaching or brought any other harm to members of the species outside of the U.S. The court also dismissed the animal rights groups’ allegations that they were in any way harmed by the hunting of the species in the United States.

The Court ruled in the two groups’ favor on only a single issue. The judge decided that the ESA does not allow a blanket exemption to endangered species prohibitions and that those who wish to hunt or otherwise conduct activities that amount to a “taking” of these three antelope species, must apply for an individual enhancement of survival permit from the FWS. The judge ruled that because the permit applications must be published in the Federal Register, the notice of the application makes it possible for individuals and groups to comment on the proposed activities.

The judge’s ruling forecasts the end to the system that has allowed the three species to increase in the United States. The additional bureaucracy and delays introduced by the application and Federal Register notice procedures will make it more difficult and more expensive for ranchers to raise these animals. More likely than not, ranchers with existing herds will no longer wish to raise and breed these animals. Fewer and fewer ranchers will keep their herds and as a result, the next few years will see a dramatic decline in the number of herds and ultimately the number of animals in the U.S.

HSUS and Friends of Animals are busy patting themselves on the back over their “victory” in the courts. Ironically there is no victory for anyone. HSUS and Friends did not succeed in making hunting of scimitar-horned oryx, dama gazelle and addax illegal. They only succeeded in sabotaging an amazing conservation effort for these three species.

randerson - glad you had a great hunt. the animals are beautiful and will make fine mounts should you decide to go that route. and the memories are even more valuable. congrats.

Congrats on some fine looking animals!!!!

I agree that ram on the rock looks like a great pose and mount!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mike Smith:
Very nice animals and good pictures. I am not trying to be contrary so please do not take my next question as such. What is the deal with the scimitar horned oryx? I thought that the recent lawsuit by the peta terrorist types put a stop to hunting them. What did I miss?[/QUOTE

I believe a further development has delayed the implementation of that ruling.

One point about African or Indian game in Texas: Many plants here are toxic to species from other continents. Kudu are especially sensitive and it's not uncommon to lose 4 or 6 animals for every one harvested. This becomes very expensive and the cost of raising shootable trophies has to be amortized over the lost animals. A lot of ranchers won't even bother with Kudu because of the loss rate. Some species like Blackbuck and Fallow are almost bullet-proof and breed like flies with correspondingly cheaper prices.

The ones at risk are especially vulnerable after a real dry spell. The first green growth after a rain is often the most toxic to them and they simply don't know to avoid them. That same plant will be far less toxic as it matures. There have been operators in South Texas that have lost herds in excess of a hundred animals from this in less than two weeks. FYI.

Great animals and great pictures, RANSERSON.

Last word I had was Scimitar, Markhor and one of the rare Gazelle's were halted. I hope to hear this is not the case as it would destroy what so many have accommplished in TX. They were to be like CITES I animals. Anyone have an update?

R, fine trophies on both accounts, and great pics, congrats.
David

Wow, great dialog!

I certainly understand a lot of the feelings, both pro and against these types of hunts. I can only speak for myself, but I do have extenuating circumstances that preclude me from going on a 7 ~ 10 day hunt to Africa. I’m fortune to have a great job, especially now with the economy as tight as it is, but time is a premium and trumps traveling abroad for me, for now.

I choose the scimitar horned Oryx as a result of the CITES BS going on. The folks at Indianhead are watching the issue quite closely, and feel the clamp will come down, and soon. That will put a very big dent in hunting them, with who knows how much of a vig for the right to do what we can do freely now [trophy fee not withstanding].

However, it was a much better experience than I anticipated. I honestly feel after having done the hunt, and witnessing firsthand how skittish those sheep are, that my ram will be a source of pride when he ends up on the wall in my den.

Thanks again for all the great replies, I love this place, and all the knowledge the community openly shares!

Great pics and great animals! I sent one of my kids to Indian Head Ranch a couple years ago when he was thirteen to summer hunting camp. He was taught the hunting and rifle/archery basics plus tracking and woodsmanship. He was also allowed to take one animal. It was a great experience for him.

Randerson

Is Darren Carr still working at Indianhead? I filmed his and Mark Wehinger's in Zimbabwe in 2005 for Elephant and Buffalo.

Mike

Sorry was meant to say i filmed his and Mark Wehinger's HUNT in Zimbabwe in 2005.

Mike

Yup, and as a matter of fact, he was our guide. Great guy, great guide, and I couldn’t recommend any better for sizing up and getting you on trophy level animals. There were two to three times where I liked what I was looking at, and he had me pass on shooting. In hind sight, he did me right.

Funny side story. Darren has guided for Indianhead for quite some time. He has had many Arizona based sheep hunters come to hunt one of the many available species of sheep they offer. After the first few hours, and him getting to know us a little better, he picked up on our [my hunting partner was there for a bison, and a long term friend for two decades] general sense of sick humor. Darren decided to share a story with us. He started off asking if I was a “typical Arizona sheep hunter?” Which I asked back what he thought “typical” represented. He goes on to tell us about on three separate hunts where hunters from Arizona having shot a sheep will go up to the kill, grab it’s back legs, splay them open and bight down on the poor things testicles. Well, we all laughed pretty hard at the mental image of that spectacle, but he assured us it was a tradition and I should think about the ramifications if I didn’t follow in my predecessors footsteps. I assured him that there would be NO ball bighting by me, under ANY circumstances, and that if he produced a tube of Chapstick I’d kick him in the…

Anyway, great guy, and very good at what he does. All the staff were great for that matter.

It sounds like you had a blast with him as i did in Zimbabwe. Hell of a nice guy. Very funny too.

Great trophies

Mike

Yes Tony that is what I was refering to. Do we have to apply for some kind of permit now or is nothing in place yet?

Randerson, I agrre with the no biting thing. LMAOF I could never bring myself to do it. It made me think of a time when I was 16 and we let the pigs get a bit too big before the farm owner decided they needed castrated. I was all of 5 ft 4 inches and 120 lbs. The other kid that was helping me, or me him, weighed 100 lbs dripping wet. The pigs were about 120 lbs. We got the shit kicked out us but got the job done. I just had a mental image of trying to do that by the oral method. No Thanks! Some tradtions are made to be broken in my book. LOL
I am glad you had a good hunt. Even if it dosnt fit the purists ideals at least you got to hunt. Some is better thsn none. Did you have to apply for a permit for the Scimitar?
Mike

Randerson, Is that a Kimber 8400?

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
Randerson, Is that a Kimber 8400?

Good eyes there 505: Kimber 8400 Classic, 270WSM, Talley bases and rings, Swarovski 4~12x50 AV [older scope].

I don't know anything about the 270wsm, but I have the same gun in 22-250 and 300wsm and the 300 is by far the finest, most comfortable, accurate production rifle I have ever owned. I have a 375 caprivi that is nice as well (a little heavy), makes it easy to shoot on the bench though.

Great report and beautiful trophies Randerson!!

I've heard very good things about Indianhead and may have to give it a try sometime.

Thanks Tiggertate for the Kudu info!! I wasn't aware of the plant issue.

Regards,
Scott