Exotics

Have you ever been out hunting your favorite exotic and wondered what the animal's country of origin is? That question struck me the other day and I figured that a lot of other hunters have had the same thought. I did a little research and thought I would share the results of my search with our readers.

One of my favorite exotic animals to hunt is the Axis deer. They are reddish brown with white spots. The deer comes from India. A large buck can weigh up to 250 pounds with horns of 30 inches or more.

The next animal on my list is the Fallow deer. This deer comes from Europe. The various colors of the Fallow deer are white, dark brown, and red with white spots. The antlers of the Fallow deer are very impressive. The Fallow deer can have pal-mated antlers with 20 points or more.

The Sika deer hails from Japan and China. This deer is a lot smaller than the Axis and Fallow deer. The Sika deer is dark brown and some can have white spots. The antlers on the Sika deer range from 11" to 19" with exceptional racks up to 29" in length. Their antlers have 3 to 4 points branching off from the main beam. The female Sika deer have bumps on their heads where the males grow antlers.

The Red Stag is a very impressive deer. Its size and antler mass make it a very sought after exotic trophy. The Red Stag comes from Europe. It weighs up to 400 pounds with 30 inch antlers containing 5 to 6 points on each side.

The Blackbuck Antelope is probably one of the most popular exotics perused by hunters. The Blackbuck hails from India. The horns twist out and have up to 4 twists each, with lengths ranging from 7 inches to 22 inches of straight-line measurement. A large Blackbuck weighs 80 pounds.

The Aoudad sheep is probably the most prestigious trophy a bow hunter could harvest from the sheep family. The Aoudad is from Africa. The horns on a large ram can be from 26 inches to 33 inches. Their hair is sandy brown with long beard type hair on the bottom of their neck and on the front of their front legs. Rams weigh up to 250 pounds. Unlike other members of the sheep family, Auodad ewes grow horns also. The horns on ewes are not as big as on a ram, but they can be very impressive on an older ewe.

The Ibex Goat hails from Asia. The color of the Ibex is brown with a black band around the shoulders. Record billys range from 26 to 32 inches. Billys weigh around 150 pounds.

The Corsican Ram is probably the most hunted exotic. The Corsican is from the West Indies and is a reddish brown sheep with a black mane that can grow to a pretty impressive length. Large rams will weigh 125 pounds.

The Mouflon Ram is from Greece. The only ram that makes a greater trophy than the Mouflon is the Aoudad. The horns of a Mouflon ram are heart shaped with trophy quality rams having horns of 31 inches. A mature ram will weigh 90 pounds.

The Texas White Dall Ram is from the United States, Texas. The ram looks similar to the white Alaskan Dall ram. The color of the Texas Dall can range from a milky white to a dull creamy white or peach color. A mature ram will weigh 130 pounds.

The Black Hawaiian Ram is from the United States, Hawaii. The horns on the Black Hawaiian Ram can curl out 25 inches or more. The color of the ram is black with some rams having a little white on the muzzle around the nose.

The Jacobs or Four Horned sheep has been traced back to the Mediterranean area. The exact country of origin is unknown. The Jacobs sheep is one of the oldest breeds of domestic sheep. The rams can weigh between 120-180 pounds with the ewes weighing between 80-120 pounds. Both male and females are horned with the male horns being larger. Jacobs sheep can have as few as 2 horns up to 6 horns. The two vertical horns on rams may grow up to 24 inches or more.

The Catalina goat was brought into the United States with the Spanish explorers. On the coast of California they turned loose these goats on what is now known as the Catalina Island. They did this where they would have a fresh source of meat when they came inland to rest and relax. These goats come in many different colors. The billies have horns that grow up and back from the head in large twists. They may weigh as much as 200 lbs. (By Rickey Hunt)

The African Mountain Goat originally came from West and Central Africa. Their first arrival to the United States was with the slaves. Later in the early 1900's animal collectors sent them over with Lions as fresh meat for the Lions. Later in the 40's and 50's they begin to show up in some of the zoo's. They are a short, compact goat standing up in the shoulders at 18 to 21 inches. Billies usually have a luxurious coat with a flowing mane over his shoulders and a long beard. They come in many colors. The billies horns come up and back with large twist. An African Mountain Goat billy that measures 20 inches long is counted as an exceptional trophy. (By Rickey Hunt)

I hope you find this information informative. If you have more information on any exotic specie such as country or origin or history that you would like to share, please send it to me at jdfergy@tvec.net .