Trophy hunting requires preparation. It requires being able to clearly identify your prey and going after it. You need to know what is in your sight (gun or bow), and what it will take to bring the animal down. Attending an event, such as those hosted by an Axis Deer Trophy Hunting Ranch, helps. Otherwise, you are on your own to memorize all of the available and legal big game you can shoot in the U.S., where you can shoot them, and when.
Axis Deer
Axis, or chital, deer are native to India, but you do not have to fly all the way to India to hunt them. Private hunting reserves in Texas import the deer, let them run wild on the hunting grounds, and all you have to do is sign up for a two-day hunting excursion. They are considered a trophy deer because their fur is covered in white spots and because their racks are often HUGE, with a major spread and lots of points. Their heads and antlers make a beautiful wall decoration, to be sure. A basic, long-range rifle or light bow is enough for these little deer.
Blackbuck Antelope
Blackbucks are another gorgeous animal you can shoot on private hunting grounds. These animals have a massive twinset of corkscrew horns rising in a V-shape from their heads. They are called blackbucks because their buckskin hides are mostly black over the tops of their backs and necks, and purest white from underneath. After you skin this animal, you may want to consider stuffing it by a taxidermist; it is just that pretty. Hunt these antelope the old-fashioned way; a bow with a draw of about one- to two-hundred pounds should do it.
Red Stags
These deer are widespread throughout the globe. They are prized for their reddish coats and massive racks. It also takes a lot of skill to bring one down because they are four to five times the size of an axis deer and they are incredibly powerful. Bringing down a big buck equals almost five hundred pounds of meat, as opposed to the eighty pounds of meat of the axis deer. Bring a big, long-range rifle with large bores (bullets) and a scope that will not miss.
Fallow Deer
These deer look like you crossed an axis deer with a moose. They have the wide, thick antlers of a moose, but the smaller bodies and spotted coats of the axis. They weigh twice as much as an axis deer, but less than a blackbuck or red stag. Ask your hunting guide what he or she would suggest as your weapon of choice.
