At my lease is East Texas, the best time for hog hunting seems to be March. They are really hustling for food with the acorns soured and everything else just beginning to grow. Also plants haven't yet leafed out and visibility is better and it's still cool enough not to worry too much about meat spoilage. If you haven't shot any exotic goats before, remember that their lungs and heart are much further forward than white-tails. Shoot the audad on the shoulder, not behind it.
Hogs are tough. I have learned to always shoot them twice, especially if there is thick cover nearby.
As far as the Noslers go, I put a 100 gr. Nosler from a Model 7 6mm Rem though both shoulders of this goat at a stepped-off distance of 200 yards. They will work , more especially your .270 with 50 more grains of bullet. However, now my favorite is a .308 with 150 gr. Failsafes.
Posts: 842 | Location: Anchorage, AK | Registered: 23 January 2004
Best time I have found for hogs, any time but most sucess is spring. Barbray sheep in the fall. You will have a great hunt. Hunting Aoudad is great fun. If you can get a hunt in west texas. One of the most breath taking places you will ever go. Of course I'm bias, I grew up there.
Posts: 88 | Location: Texas/colorado | Registered: 02 December 2003
How much is the 3 day hunt going for, if you dont mind me asking? Also who is the outfitter? I plan on returning to Texas next winter for another pig hunt and would like to hear a few more options. Audad sounds like a great hunt. I would love to take one with a bow... Fordfreak
Having hunted them with a rifle, I can say that hunting them with a bow is next to impossible, or atleast it would be in all of the areas where we hunted them. There might be other areas where it would be easier to get close to them, but we always had to shoot them a long was off, off the top of a rock outcropping or something similar.
Posts: 852 | Location: Austin | Registered: 24 October 2003
We found this auction on Ebay. We won it for $811 for 2 people. 2 days/3 nights all inclusive. Here is the website for the ranch if you are curious. Thanks for everyones help. What kind of meat is on an Aoudad? Is it any good? Let me know. Thanks for everyones advice.
On Aoudad meat rap it in bacon and cook it. Toss the Aoudad meat and eat the bacon . All I've ever had was tough. There is better stuff to eat out there.
Posts: 88 | Location: Texas/colorado | Registered: 02 December 2003
It can be tough. However, as we all know, hunting skills and cooking skills don't always go hand-in-hand. More game is probably ruined on the stove and in the oven than is ruined in the field.
Do a little research on how best to cook it, and you should be able to find something palatable, at least.
When all else fails: grind for CHILI MEAT!!!
RSY
p.s. Did I miss the "Texans Only!" sign for this thread???
Posts: 785 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 01 October 2001
Damn! What a steal! 811 bucks all inclusive for 2 people? I'd pay way over that for me alone and only for the sheep part! This is good, free range hunting? There really are sheep there? That is the bargain of a lifetime if the last two questions are "yes".!
Posts: 747 | Location: Nevada, USA | Registered: 22 May 2003
Sounds like you got a good deal. A 270 is adequate but I would use a 30 caliber if it were my hunt. They are tough animals and shot placement is crucial. Here are a few pics of some aoudad I have guided on in the past. The live picture is of an aoudad we eventually killed and was at one time in the top 5 and the other is a little bit bigger but he was never scored.
You can find alot of hunts on Ebay. Especially So.TX hunts since it is their down time now that Deer Season is over. If your like me, you can't wait until November to hunt. Hopefully I can get a Prairie Dog shoot together this summer in West River South Dakota. I will let everyone know how the hunt goes. From what I gather from the Guide they are free ranging Aoudad and Hogs. Check out the websites for the Ranch I posted earlier. For $811 for 2 people. Just getting away and enjoying a few cold beverages and leaving all wories back in Houston is all I am looking for. If a respectable Aoudad or Hog happen to meet a 150gr Nosler, so be it. Thanks for all the advice.
Since I obviously offended some I will clarify. The 270 caliber will be fine in for a high fenced hunt or for an area where you can expect to get fairly close shots but for some of the free-ranging hunts out in the mountains of west Texas I would go with a 30 caliber. They are a tough animal and I have seen them take a number of bullets before they expire. The big aoudad pictured above ran quite a ways after being hit in the vitals with a 270. It was a good shot using a good rest and the distance was close to 300 yards. They are just tough and that is what I like about them. Again, shot placement is key, if you hit them in the right spot you will be fine its just that I like to have cheap insurance with a little bigger bullet.
No offense taken, I assure you. I didn't design the .270 WCF, so she ain't my baby. I just wanted to make sure the gentleman whose inquiry initially started the thread didn't start to doubt his rig. With the load he specified, he is superbly equipped to handle the situation.
If you are so inclined, would you mind elaborating on the .270 load that took the Aoudad in your picture? A very fine animal, by the way.
RSY
Posts: 785 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 01 October 2001
He shot it using 150 grn nosler partitions. He made a good shot, the animal went down within 50 yards and when we got to the spot where he hit him probably 10 minutes later he got up and went a pretty good poke. We trailed him through really heavy cover for 4-500 yards before we found him piled up and had to actually put one more in him.
, more especially your .270 with 50 more grains of bullet. However, now my favorite is a .308 with 150 gr. Failsafes.
