Well sounds to me like you pretty much already know everything so I'm not sure why your asking anyone for their input. Perhaps you have successfully proven you are the smartest fellow on a hunting forum. Congrates. You always seem to be the first one to point out someone else's mistake or problem in a very belittling way but maybe this is just my opinion. Anyway just wanted to throw my two cents in since you always do. Good luck with your axis adventure

Hunting pimps make me laugh

Well....guess you can't make everyone happy

"....Axis are not primarily grazers"...

Weird, because Texas Tech Natural Resourse Laboratory ("Their food consists largely of grasses at all seasons, augmented with browse. Green grasses less than 10 cm high seem to be preferred. In Texas, they graze on grasses such as paspalum, switchgrass, and little bluestem. Sedges are favorite spring foods."), North American Deer Farmers Association ("The primary diet of axis deer is grass, and they will graze on new weeds and forbs. When grass is not in sufficient quantity, they may browse."), The Aggies ("The main foods utilized by these deer are grasses as well as flowers and fruits which fall from the forest trees. They will occasionally browse when it is necessary.") and multiple other sources say differently. Certainly they browse. They love the protein feed I give them! However, browse is not their PREFFERRED food source. If you want to have healthy animals that reach their full potential, you may want to feed them what they're supposed to eat.

As far as your original question goes, you're probably going to have to do trial and error as reproductive rates vary. This is where your carrying capacity info might help out since animals with more competition for food will be less productive. Gestation is 7.5 months plus a weaning period of 4-6 months and one fawn is typical. So basically, 1 fawn per doe per year times your survival rate which is yet to be determined. Lets assume at least 70% because I'm assuming you're going suplimenting food and water, but again, only time will tell. That's 42 total surviving fawns which means 42 mature deer a year that will need to be removed once you get to your 40/60 split in order to maintain it.

But heck, I thought they ate grass, so what do I know?

haha....never said they didn't eat grass. I just hear some people say that Axis only eat grass and that's not the case.

And yes....we will have more supplemental feed and water than the animals could ever want.

Thanks for the comments.

Go talk to a wildlife biologist in that area and see what he has to say about your plans. You might even be able to get him to come out and take a look at the property

Wade, I was trying to answer your question on Harvest rates. Here, let's do the math:

Starting with 60 does (forget the bucks for now to make it easier).

With 60 does, if you harvested 15 (high end of number you said), that would be 45 does left. They could (and will) breed twice in the that year, but let's assume just once. That's 45 new animals. Plus the 45 left over. So after 1 year you got 90 animals walking around. So you shoot another 25% - that 22 animals the second year. That leaves 68!! They each breed again. Now you have 136 animals the third year. Now you have to shoot 34!! That leave 102 animals - they breed and the next year you have 204 - and have to shoot 51 - or about 1 per week. OK, the fifth year 204-51=153 and they each drop a fawn and now you have 306 - and have to shoot 77 animals!

Of course, not all new animals will be does - but we only figured on 1 fawn drop per doe - and that's probably going to be closed to 1.6 to 1.7.

I know, I know - these numbers seem ridiculous - and they are somewhat because of lots of other factors - but even at HALF you can see that you can be neck deep in axis very quickly.

I mention 5 years, because that pretty much how long it takes an axis to reach "shooter" potential, if you are talking big horns. Unless you buy some BIG ones right at the start.

IMHO, starting with 60 does is WAY too many to control up front. TWENTY does is enough - you'll have trouble keep up with them even then.

Also, on such a small property - you will run into two issues. First, when the numbers get up to about 60 - it won't be much of a hunt. You could put a lawn chair out anywhere and wait a few hours and animals will walk by. Secondly, after you shoot one - expect the others to get so spooky that you'll have to chase them around to get a shot.

The only folks I know that have 100 or more axis on less than 200 acres are ALL commerical operations - basically breeding them for sale or supplying meat to restaurants.

While I've never kept axis, I HAVE done LOTS of hunting for them on LOTS of ranches big and small. With the exception of the new guys starting up or guys who are managing a smaller head(20-50 animals) - most of the ranches have more than 50 animals have the attitude "choot 'em - choot 'em PLEASE". They have trouble booking enough hunts or having enough family and friends to shoot them to keep in check - it's gets old really quick.

They always tell me "take the shot, whatever" - young animal, old animal, 300yard shot, running shot, small buck, doe - whatever. PLEASE, PLEASE help me get them off - they breed like rats and are eating me out of house and home. Just don't shoot the BIG bucks.

And I have never shot a doe that wasn't pregnant - never.

I agree with you John. I had axis on my property which was high fenced. In this area there are probably as many free range axis as there are whitetail. The axis were always tearing holes in the fence fighting with the ones on the outside. I had trouble selling them for $750. As you said just about every doe that was shot had a fawn inside. It really looked good when you gutted one and there was a fawn inside and it was usually the wife or youngster asking what that was in the sack. I got rid of all of the axis. Within the last 6 months I now have 4 more that have jumped in and set up house. I am going to eat them before they start multiplying.