On the Trail of Roaring Axis Bucks

It's the beginning of May and the turkeys are gobbling, the bears are waking up, and the fish are biting. But what a lot of people don't know is the Axis bucks are also starting to roar. Axis deer were introduced into the US in the early 1930s and made a strong stand in Texas. Their bodies are similar to whitetails in size but have almost red coats with white spots, elk-ish antlers, and during the rut axis bucks roar like some prehistoric creature. But most importantly they are arguably one of the best tasting wild game animals which is probably why they were brought here.

The first time I went on an axis hunt I didn’t know much about them and had no idea the sound they made so when the first buck let out this loud screeching roar about 30 yards from me in the predawn light, I just about came unstitched. I spent the next several days hunting very similar to how we elk hunt during the rut. When a buck would roar we would instantly try and calculate the wind direction, terrain, and what cover would hide us from the dominant buck and his harem of does along with a handful of smaller axis bucks that are usually hanging around with them. At the end of the hunt, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to go back next spring.

Fast forward to this spring… I’m back at TC Outfitters in South Texas and the weather is pleasantly cool for the first week of May. The only people in camp are me, two other people from the IOTV crew, Ashley and Calahan, and a special guest we invited on the hunt with us Megan Harten from Savage. As we set up this hunt, Megan told us she would be bringing a new rifle to the Savage lineup that would be released this summer. So, the excitement level was pretty high as not only did we get to be the first to hunt with this new rifle, but Megan had only been on one axis hunt the previous year but on that hunt, she never heard axis bucks roar because she was there before the rut.

The first thing on the agenda was to head to the range to check our rifles as the airlines are never easy on luggage. I was shooting the Impulse Mountain Hunter with Savage's straight pull action, chambered in a 6.5 Creedmoor with an AccuCan suppressor, and after a slight adjustment, it was ready to go. Megan was shooting the brand new 110 Trail Hunter Lite in a .308 caliber also with an AccuCan suppressor. Knowing that this was a sub-$700 rifle I was curious to see what kind of grouping it would shoot. Her first two shots were high and right almost touching so we made the appropriate windage and elevation adjustments on the scope and her next three shots were dead on and two of the bullet holes were overlapping! It was time to go hunt.

That evening’s hunt was action-packed as we got on a large group of axis and stayed on them until dark but never saw the buck I was looking for. It can sometimes be tough with these free-range Axis, like elk, as they can cover a lot of ground. I honestly can't remember what Megan saw that evening. What I do remember was the excitement in her voice when she got back to the lodge and told us about hearing the axis buck roar. After dinner we all sat around the computer to look at some of the footage from the evening's hunt and Calahan played a clip of Megan hearing that first roar and turning to the camera wide-eyed and grinning from ear to ear. Having produced a hunting show for almost 20 years, these moments mean the most now. It doesn’t matter if it’s a kid or a seasoned hunter, when I get to witness someone experience something for the first time and see that excitement, it truly makes me appreciate how lucky we are.

The next morning is an early one. With plenty of coffee and breakfast in our bellies, we exchange our good lucks and jump in the trucks and head out for the morning hunt. My guide took me and Ashley (running camera) to an area where there’s been sightings over the last couple years of old buck with a nice big rack on one side and the other side looking like a three-foot sword growing out of his head. We spent several hours silently stalking through the south Texas brush only hearing a single roar. The guide could tell from the deep guttural sound it was him. As luck would have it, we unknowing had slipped up within 20 yards of the old monarch axis buck when he jumped up and ran off through the brush only giving us a brief glimpse. What a  beast! He looked like he would tip the scales at 300 pounds. I considered it a success to even get that close to such an animal. As we made our way back to the truck, I got a text from Calahan that Megan had shot a buck! He couldn’t wait to show us the footage and we couldn’t wait to see her trophy.

We all met back at the lodge for high fives and hugs as they talked about their hunt that morning still shaking from excitement and adrenaline. Not only did Megan get a beautiful buck and some incredible meat to take home, but she also had the honor of taking the first animal with the new rifle all on camera.

Megan Harten

After taking care of the animal and getting it in the freezer we ate lunch and continued talking about how her hunt went down and how great the rifle performed. Selfishly wanting to be a part of this first hunt with the new rifle, I asked Megan if I could use it for the rest of my hunt and she energetically said of course.

Two days later I was able to position myself for a short 60-yard shot on a great buck that fell within as many yards. We were all on a high that’s only understood by fellow hunters and decided I would run the camera and try to get Calahan on a buck in the remaining days of the hunt. Unbelievably, the very next day, Calahan shot his first axis with same rifle!

Tim Anello

We had done the impossible. In the same hunt we were able to shoot three axis bucks, the first three animals, with this brand-new rifle! Helping to show the shootability, accuracy, and effectiveness of the new sub $700 rifle from Savage. Success is measured in so many different ways. We had successfully proved what this rifle was capable of, provided ourselves lots of great meat for our families, and strengthened the bond between friends.

Calahan Henry