I am trying to figure out if anyone else is NOT seeing any axis deer, or lack of exotics for that matter, in our area. Our place is just east of Rocksprings off HW 41 just past 335. We are on CR230 about 3 miles down. The place my buddy and i have is pretty small(160 Acres)but we have seen nothing. We have 5 feeders out and have been feeding corn since March. We have 6 cameras out and have not seen a single Axis/exotic on any camera or on the stand. At first i thought because of the early rain the deer were not really coming to corn so we fed alfalfa and Chaffe hay. Still nothing. We are not trophy hunters per say, but since we are Firefighters we get some time off during the week and are able to come out pretty often. We have seen tons of hogs but very few deer. We have 1 or 2 does that come to the feeders usually once a day but not morning and afternoon. I dont expect to be covered up with deer but i am beginning to be worried. I tried really hard for a couple years now to find a place, with axis mainly, so that i could bow hunt. Now ive guided in the area alot and i know the Axis are there somewhere but whats going on? We are putting out a protien feeder next month to see if it helps. My only other reasonong is that there are neighbors on all 4 sides of me that hunt. They also all have feeders on our fence, (not too happy about that)but they have not hunted them at all so im guessing it is only going to get worse when oct and definately nov rolls around. If anyone has ay advise or lives in the area please le tme know if you are having the same issues. Also i will be out there next monthon the weekend of the 15th and 16th so if anyone wants to meet up for lunch or dinner im in. If anyone needs a hand that weekend around there im also up to help out, its always nice to meet new guys with the same intrests. Thanks in advance Darrack

We are hunting 12 miles down FM 189 coming from 277 and have seen very little axis. We can't shoot axis per landowner rules so more protein for the whitetail is mighty fine with me.

I dont think with 160 acres we could manage any whitetails so i really dont even think about it. With all the feeders set up around us as well i am certain any deer we have would be toast come rifle season. I guess what i thought was that i could hunt the hot months and enjoy being there with a a chance of seeing a few exotics every now and then. I would really like to see a few axis running around, i dont even care about bucks im just starting to get a little discouraged. I just enjoy hunting with the bow but i have sat in the rifle stand just to see whats running around and it looks very bleak.

The red part is where I would put my money if I was a betting man. No feed pens will not help deer hunting in most areas.

STX, I wondered how much that would affect everything. My only question to that would be the deer have plenty of time to hit the feeders as all of the hog pics are late at night or early in the am before the feeders go off. Would the hogs coming in bother the deer even if it is well after the feeders go off? I got most hog pics at 11 30 pm and 330 am. I will also get a couple feed pens and see if it changes any.

They (axis) are pretty mysterious creatures,,,, now ya' see them -- now you don't. I have had 2 properties outside Rocksprings, and all those exotics are pretty cautious & keep a low profile most of the time. I got lucky a couple of times, but it seemed the harder I tried to connect with them the harder they became to see. Most those exotics are traveling nomads, so to cross paths doesn't come easy. Good luck to ya' !

I agree Silly, I guided for a few years on a part of the Hackberry ranch just south of where I am now and we were covered up there. I see tons of axis coming in from I 10 on 277, so I just figured I/we were in the right spot. It's just hard to believe we haven't seen a single one. What I'm hoping is that once the browse starts getting slim they will move closer to feeders but right now it seems the whitetails are even staying away.

What is your water situation like? If you do not have water, what is the closest water to your place now?

We have 2 small troughs and the neighbor has a 3 acre pond. No creeks or running water close by.

Was just at my hunting spot in Boerne last weekend - the cams showed very few axis in the past 3-4 weeks. I had maybe 5-6 pics of axis when normally I get 30-40 a month. One of the few times my daughter and I sat all weekend and did not see a single axis on our spot. Down the road in Waring/Comfort, an outfitter that we were also hunting with that weekend had similar results - saying his cams on several ranches showed a marked drop in axis pics.

It's something that happens in the late rut - July/Aug. Had the same thing happen the past 2 years - they virtually disappear for about 2 months with only rare sightings. Then, like magic, all the same herd show back up in September.

I think it is combination of things - but one thing is for sure - when they don't want to be seen, you ain't gonna see 'em. I also think that this time of year, just post rut - the bucks and older does lay low and don't move. I have also noticed that once they show up again, many of the bucks have dropped horns.

Thanks John I sure hope your right. I have a elk hunt in NM in Sept but I will definitely make it out there first week of Oct. I will let you all know what I see on cams in Aug but like I said we have had them out since March and not a one so far.

What I noticed is this time of the year they tended to move to lower drainage areas for the better or preferred grasses. Most of the upland grass areas are mature and seeded out. With this heat they are not very green now either. The low areas have more moisture and grasses are still green and even lush especially if cattle grazed them down to allow new growth. I had one location on a ranch, that at this time of the summer I could always find a herd of axis deer in that area. It was on a creek bottom that had a motte of Crab Apple Trees that was pretty good size that was surrounded by big Live Oak, Post Oak and Sycamore. That was a really cool area in the summer time also. The grasses on that bottom were mainly Indian Grass, Eastern Gama, and mixed Blue Stems.

That makes sense as most of our place is flat and with no creeks. I assume it's starting to get dry as the rains have slowed down quite a bit. We worked out there cutting the grass all weekend, it was 2 feet high but it wasn't as green as I thought it would be.

Axis are mainly grazers. They have certain grasses they prefer(like cattle) over others. They know where they are and what areas are best in every season. Find that area this time of the year and you will see them.

Even around here there are certain areas where you see them and others where never. I have a neighbor who joins me on part of a side. Most of his is LF. You see Axis with in a mile of him but never on his place.He has water, protein feeders, cotton seed and alfalfa out. Does not draw them to his place. Who knows why?

How big a fella is this neighbor? AND does have a taste for fresh venison?

They stick to the dry creek bottom in our neighborhood. At my place out of Fbg. they bed and travel along a little rocky ridge by a drainage. I've whacked several there. When I'm in the blind they only cross that fallow field in a semi-high gear, usually before good light.

Darrack, I own a place, couple hundred acres, about 13 miles north of Rocksprings. The axis have been moving like crazy over the past month. I recently posted a picture of two bucks we killed on July 11th. We went back the next weekend, and my aunt missed a 32" buck during the evening hunt on July 18th. That morning though, from the four stands, we counted 80 something different axis between everyone. They are out there, just need something to draw them in.

The Southern part of my property is mainly a dry creek bottom, and covers approx 60-80 acres. Noone and I mean noone is allowed to even walk in there. Its an axis sanctuary. Ive been mixing my spin feeders with 50/50 corn and protein and have water close by to draw them out of the creek bottoms.

All the neighbors places are small 50 to 100 acres at most, at least the ones that touch our fence anyway. They have not been there or hunted all spring or summer so far that i can tell. All of their feeders are empty and have been since ive been there. I actually tried to get ahold of them to meet them but i am not sure they want to meet. I wonder if they hate the property owner or something because on all 4 sides of the place there is a feeder on the fence with a stand pointed right at our fence. Any arrow or bullet will absolutely pass to our property. I worry when season comes the animals will no doubt be less and less. Trust me i am having a great time and really enjoying it being out there and just getting away, i just looked for a long time to find a place just to have an opportunity at some axis. When i found this place i thought for sure there would be at least some pics of some. I will continue to try whatever will help and will be thouroughly excited when the first one turns up.

Don, thanks for the reply i know they can be nomadic im just hoping i can find a way to get em close.
Im good friends with Lance Clawson so i keep up with you on how your Ibex are doing. I hope all is well this year as i know the babies can be hard to keep alive some years. Hope this year has been good to you sir.

Newulmboy, I have kept a lookout for your posts since i saw you were close to us. Congrats on your axis this year. The pic with those 2 and the stories were great. I have hunted and guided on the Baker 3 and at Kays place. They are north of Rocksprings and have all the bump gates in case you close to there. That place was covered with Axis, how close are you to there? I have some hilly sections and rocky ledges and have sat for hours looking. I have walked every inch of our place to see if i could even find trails to set up a blind but our place may have just to much opposition, with no water, very select browse, and looks like alot of hunting pressure during the season. I will continue to enjoy my time out there and work hard to make that place more exotic friendly, until something better may come along. If anyone knows of a place looking for a hunter or 2 please let me know. Until then i will enjoy the little place we got and hunt hard and work harder.

He about average. lives in S.A. and has a couple of hundred acres here. I used to run some cows on his place. Now I just kinda look after it. I have seen Aoudad, BB and Fallow on it but never a Axis. Not a mile from there close to where my son lives you see Axis just about all the time. And me who lives between him and town even have them jump in my semi HF. Right now I have 6 as of yesterday. Today maybe none.

Does he want to sell it?

I don't believe so. It was the family ranch. the old man died and it was split up. He has about 60 acres to go and he will have the whole place again. And I believe he is getting close to getting it.

Darrack, I actually share about a mile of fenceline with the Baker3 ranch. They bought 8100 acres of the Old Taylor Ranch in 2007 and I bought 222 acres in 2012. The whole place is still loaded with wildlife.

We have place about 25 miles south of RS on 377. My Axis are nomadic. Sometimes you see them sometimes you don't. My place is 75 acs as well as my neighbors. None us kill a lot of deer mostly just watch them. Which is good but I scratch my head about the axis. I have read some good info on this post. Keep it them coming I'm still learning about them.