Aoudad Adventure

Trayball20

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
68
My brother and I have been able to hunt quite a bit in Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. So, we wanted to try something different after looking around we decided to try an Aoudad hunt in western Texas. We talked with a few friends that had done a similar hunt and after many calls and thinking it over we decided to try a DIY hunt with West Texas Hunt Organization. We had to book 2 yrs in advance since both of us are teachers and wanted to go during our Christmas break. Mike from WTHO sent us some cooridnates of where to camp which had electricity and non-portable water, borders of the property, and a few landmarks to help find our way around.

We are given 5 days to hunt and 1 day to set-up camp and look around, so the day before our scheduled day to scout and set up camp we start heading south from Wyoming to Van Horn, Texas. After staying the night in Van Horn we head out to the ranch and started setting up our wall tent and just getting ready for the week of hunting. Once camp was set up we decide to go glass one part of the ranch that was suggested to us by Mike. We start glassing and after 3 1/2 hours we hadn't seen an Aoudad, well to be honest we don't see anything a live at all. It is now getting close to dark so we start heading back to our truck, but decide to walk back a different way to see if we can see anything. We didn't see an Aoudad that night and didn't get much sleep thinking if we were going to see any the next day hunting.

First day of Hunting:
After talking with Mike about what had happened the night before we all decided that going to a different part of the ranch was smart. We leave the truck at day light and start covering the eastern part of the ranch. By 10:30 all we have seen is 2 mule deer, 3 wild horses, 1 jack rabbit, and 1 coyote still no Aoudad. At this time we both pretty frustrated, but we knew it was a DIY hunt and we hadn't looked at the far south east side of the ranch. At about 11:30 we are set up glassing the last part of the ranch when I spot an Aoudad walking along the skyline at about 3/4 mile from us.
View rece.jpg


Man O Man were we excited to finally see one. After watching it for a while we both decided it was a ewe, but there must be more over the hill so off we go. Knowing they have great eye site we decide to walk up a drainage that is a couple away from where we last saw the Aoudad hoping to get out of site of them and get the wind right. It takes us a couple of hours to make our way over to them. As we top the hill and make our way over to them we bump 2 mule deer bucks that run in their direction hoping they didn't bump the Aoudad we make our way over to the draw and find nothing. Well shoot onto the next draw. As we peak into the next draw there they are, 25 or so, so we both pick one out to shoot and all of a sudden they start running through the draw and up the other side. My brother says he is going to shoot the first one, which was the one I was following, so quickly I pick out one I think is big and we shoot at almost the same time. We both made great shots on running Aoudad and just like that our hunt was over on the 1st day. His sheep is 29 1/2" long and mine is 29 3/4" long. After taking care of both sheep we check our OnX and we are 7 1/2 miles from the truck. We made it back well after dark to our camp and the next day we loaded up everything and drove back to Wyoming. Learned a few things on the hunt 1. Dang everything pokes you there I was picking cactus out for weeks 2. Aoudad don't need water they can get it from the cactus they eat 3. Walking on those rock is like walking on a river bed all the rocks move and are round. Here are a few pictures of our Aoudad. Mine is the Blonde colored one while my brother's is the darker red color. I also included a picture of mine mounted.
IMG_1990.jpgIMG_1995.jpg
IMG_1960.jpgIMG_1973.jpg
IMG_2342.jpg
 
Last edited:
I did a hunt a few years back (guided) in some of that same country with the same outfit. I actually enjoyed it way more than I expected to. I killed a "nice' ram but have the itch to do it again some day and hold out for a 32"er
 
I did a hunt a few years back (guided) in some of that same country with the same outfit. I actually enjoyed it way more than I expected to. I killed a "nice' ram but have the itch to do it again some day and hold out for a 32"er
If I ever went back to hunt Aoudad I would certainly go guided. This was one of the toughest hunts I have ever been on.
 
It’s tough country and cool animals. It’s funny that you actually step into the Yucca plants because they poke you the least compared to everything else. Makes me want to go back

I thought it was the creosote bushes that poke the least.

Also did this hunt, back in 2017.

Tuff hunt.
 
Great story, pics, and mount. Nice shooting as well. Chasing all those deer, elk, and antelope paid off when it came crush time and you had to make that running shot.
 
Mike is a stand up guy! Congrats on the success!

And yes, can confirm, everything here wants to stab you or bite you. Haha.
 
Very nice ram. How the hell did you get a running shot without hitting a ewe? The rams I hunted in South Africa were always packed in the middle of big herds of ewes. And they stayed there even on the run. I finally got the drop on one as they were moving down to water in the evening. Then they were strung out almost in a line. Over a hundred in the herd and just two grown rams. I really thought we could have done better but not pleased with that property manager's way of doing things and we were glad to get out of there.

What gun did you use? How far?
 
Last edited:
Very nice ram. How the hell did you get a running shot without hitting a ewe? The rams I hunted in South Africa were always packed in the middle of big herds of ewes. And they stayed there even on the run. I finally got the drop on one as they were moving down to water in the evening. Then they were strung out almost in a line. Over a hundred in the herd and just two grown rams. I really thought we could have done better but not pleased with that property manager's way of doing things and we were glad to get out of there.

What gun did you use? How far?
There were only about 15-20 total in the herd that we shot them out of. When we ran over to the edge to see them all, they were running already, I saw that the first one was a good one, but they were moving from our right to left. My brother had sat down to my left so when he said he was going to shoot the first one I quickly scanned to find another good one which was in the middle of them, but was clear with two ewes in front of him and a few about 10 yards behind him. A quick "Are you on one?" and we both shot within a second of each other. Mine went right down and started rolling down the hill, my brother had to shoot his one more time both rolled to the bottom. To be honest I was super nervous that I had shot a small one as I didn't have a lot of time to size him up, but turns out he is longer and heavier than my brothers. The shots were right at 180 yards. My brother shoots a 300 win mag, Remington CDL with shilening barrel, with 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and I shoot a 7mm, older Weatherby Vanguard with a shilening barrel, with 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.
 
I want to go do one of these hunts some day. I’ve put in for the Palo Duro hunt for years. Oddly enough a few years ago a group of three rams showed up for a few pics on one of my cameras in central TX, the didn’t stay long enough to hunt and went to live in the tall cliffs of the neighbors. Last I talked to him they were still there but down to two.
 
I want to go do one of these hunts some day. I’ve put in for the Palo Duro hunt for years. Oddly enough a few years ago a group of three rams showed up for a few pics on one of my cameras in central TX, the didn’t stay long enough to hunt and went to live in the tall cliffs of the neighbors. Last I talked to him they were still there but down to two.
It was a different hunt from what we are use to going on so it was great to experience something different being successful didn't hurt either lol.
 
In just the 2 years that we had booked the hunt and went the price had went up 25%.
Yeah I've been on and off in conversations with Mike for awhile. I should've done it in 19 or so when it was sub 2k. 🤷‍♂️

Maybe I'll have beginners luck and draw a tag. Would like to visit with you more on the ranch and experience through pm if you're willing.

Thanks and congrats again
 
Yeah I've been on and off in conversations with Mike for awhile. I should've done it in 19 or so when it was sub 2k. 🤷‍♂️

Maybe I'll have beginners luck and draw a tag. Would like to visit with you more on the ranch and experience through pm if you're willing.

Thanks and congrats again
Certainly willing to share our experience. Shoot me a PM.
 
Back
Top