Hey there, I just booked a free roam Axis deer hunt with a guy off of craigslist about 17 miles north of Rocksprings. My question is has anybody booked a hunt with a guy named Armando Morales down around that area? I'm a little bit skeptical but I figured I would give it a shot, the price is cheap and it sounds like a great deal........ it's a 3 day hunt with a cabin included, this includes two properties one which is 25 acres and the other is 30 acres. Are the deer still good and thick down in the area to where I may have a good shot at an Axis? Thanks in advance, Bo

Doesn't matter if you already booked, let us know how it turns out though!

And to the forum. If that one doesn't work out there's a bunch of good axis hunts with people on here. Goof luck

Good not goof

Check this: http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5572138/Re:_Day_Axis_Hunts#Post5572138

Helps to do a little research. Never understand why guys book and then ask.

Well It's booked BUT I haven't finalized it because I haven't signed the lease agreement.

Good luck. Good information on the other post on this site to consider. Go on a clear night and worst case enjoy the beautiful hill country evenings. Lots of outfitter/guide feedback on here. If you are going to dayhunt it's worth the time to check them out or ask. Welcome to THF.

1riot1ranger thanks for that link, that is very good info, and I know that you can't expect much out of a free roam hunt for $150 lol. But all in all me and 3 other guys are going and if it's worst case scenario we will have a few beverages and enjoy the great outdoors, where else can you go stay for 3 days and hunt and have a decent place to camp out for $50 a day?

That is very true. Just don't let it leave a sour taste in your mouth the next time you are looking for a hunt with a more reputable outfit.

^ BJones this is the only reason I go, never seen a axis buck, only 1 really small doe(about 40lbs) in 5 months. Just enjoy your stay and relax dont expect a deer but take lots of beer, food is good in rocksprings at vaquero's. I will be going shortly.

Let us know how it went when you are back.

Here's what you do - go rent a thermal scope and get it sighted in.

Lots of these small neighborhood places have axis coming through at night.

Hope you are not joking, I went there a few months ago and sat like 3 days in blind during whole day. Come next day and I see deer tracks. So they might be nocturnal.

Axis are perfectly legal to hunt at night. And while I normally wouldn't suggest it for exotics, in some situations - like this - it may be the only success path. I once was invited to help cull out an overpopulated ranch of axis. After two days of trying - chasing around playing peekaboo without success, we switched to night tactics and got the job done in a few hours.

Just make sure it is an Axis you are shooting, hard to see spots with some night vision gear. Would hate for someone to shoot a whitetail by mistake.

yeah I guess it would be impossible with a thermal. NV scope might come in handy

Thanks for all of the input fellas. Its getting closer to time for the trip and i'm getting excited. I got three 150lb. bales of high quality alfalfa i'm going to take for the trip, if they don't want corn from the feeder maybe they will want some alfalfa ..... also I had planned to do some night hunting along with the morning and evening hunting, I don't have a thermal or night vision scope, but I do have 3 very high quality high output green led lights, 2 of them are already mounted to two different gun/scope combos of mine and I went and field tested them a couple of times this past week shooting some hogs and coyotes. The light setup with my Leupold scopes are clear as day around 150 yds. very impressed!

Three bales?!!! Wow, they are going to eat well for a week! Good luck to you! I know the odds may be against you, but you never know.

I am an axis nut, and before I got my own little honey hole - I used to try a lot of these cheap, low-percentage options. My success rate was about 1 in 4 attempts - but I DID score now and then. A couple of times with fairly nice bucks - so it DOES happen.

Here's a secret tip - put a couple of overripe mangos on top of your bales. Axis, for some reason, have a particular fondness for mangos and can smell them a long way off. Just cut them in half and leave the halves exposed to the prevailing breezes. That, along with the alfalfa, should ring the dinner bell for any axis in the area.

(BTW, if you can find Chaffhaye - it works better than plain alfalfa)

Not impossible. I've gotten pretty good at identifying axis from WT through my thermal - but it takes a lot of looking and honing skills. The body shape of axis are different and fairly distinctive - more a wedge shape. Plus, they move differently. Where I am, axis are generally in groups which move much differently than WT in mannerisms and speed. Sometimes it is easy - when a group of 25 deer come walking in together in a tight group - it's a good bet that they are axis.

However, single animals can be much harder - and all this being said, even though I am pretty good at identifying different critters through the thermal, I wouldn't pull the trigger unless I was SURE (especially out of WT season) and definitely wouldn't suggest a thermal newbie take a chance.

Did the OP even came back to share his experience ?

Did the OP even came back to share his experience ?

Hope he does. Would be interested to know.

Just to update you guys, my trip is next weekend March 13-15, I will def keep y'all posted on how it goes.

Cool I look forward to it.