Exotic hunts you never knew about

[PrimitivePete]

I was looking to plan an out of country hunt and was doing my research on where to go and what to hunt for when I was surprised to learn that there is a relative exotic hunt right here in the US. Sambar deer on St Vincent's Island, off the coast of Florida. It made me wonder what other hidden gems do we have here that we don't readily know about.

[Terry Green]

Exotics here are mostly canned hunts, and we have never allowed those.

Sorry, but I have to keep the site on target.

If anyone posts about exotics on an island or some other situation that is not canned, those are fine.

Thanks,

T

[PrimitivePete]

Terry my apology but this is not what I would call a canned hunt, it is by lottery and run by Florida Fish and Wildlife. It's not hunting on a preserve so respectfully do not agree this a canned hunt.

[Terry Green]

Pete, somehow you missed this sentence in my post above....

"If anyone posts about exotics on an island or some other situation that is not canned, those are fine."

I was just making it clear to others that exotics in a pen are not allowed.

No worries on your post Pete. 

[PrimitivePete]

My bad Terry, thank you !!!

[Zeebob]

Pete there are Sika deer in the marshes around Chesapeake bay.  There are ibex in the Florida mountains in New Mexico.  Ibex tags are hard to come by..and the hunting is difficult even if you used a rifle.  Hunting access for the sika deer might be an issue.

I fish around St Vincent island…it’s a jungle!

[supernaut]

I have read a few articles regarding iguana hunting in South Florida and it looks like a pretty good time with a lot of potential shooting action. They are an invasive species and are supposedly pretty good table fare.


Anyone here ever hunted them?


 

[PrimitivePete]

Zee that is part of the attraction, where do I get to experience a jungle hunt inside the US

[Zeebob]

Better have good snake boots! Not sure what you need for fending off the gators!

 I also heard from a local there that there are monkeys running wild in the Box R WMA…just outside of Apalachicola…fair game according to him…it’s a jungle there too!
I’m guessing there aren’t too many so it would be tough hunting…

[Kyle85]

Pete,
    I'll second the Sika hunts around the Chesapeake, and there is public access in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore.  I can't speak for Blackwater but I can assure you there are totally impenetrable parts of Assateague island.  It is a very cool environment though because it is also very diverse, besides the nasty thorn thickets, there are sandy pine flats, scrub sand dune hills, salty marshes and a kind of marshy savannah in places too.  It's a great adventure and an exceptionally challenging hunt too.  Their rut is a little earlier than the whitetails and starts in October, it overlaps the tail-end of archery and the beginning of muzzleloader in Assateague. -Kyle

[JDinPA]

The Sitka deer hunts in MD, you need a good bug suit. The mosquito's will eat every inch of you not covered up.

[Kyle85]

Yup, bugs can be savage in the early season on Assateague, but they're not that bad come mid October except right after sunset, so yes, come prepared but don't let them scare you away!

[Terry Green]

Thermacell is a wise choice....

[SOLDIERII]

We have free range Nigal and Water buck on the Texas coast. I own unfenced property in the TX hill country and we have free range Axis, Black buck and Fallow. We also get random Elk and Sika. Free range hunts are totally doable in Texas.

[Terry Green]

Black Bucks are VERY wary and a tuff ambre!!!  They can see you from Alabama!!!

[SOLDIERII]

They don't stick around long!

[Swamp Stick]

The St Vincent Island hunt is a really cool experience. I've gone on it once before and have been applying to go again. It's low odds of success but the environment is something else. You camp out along the beaches and the fishing is great in the down time after hunting hours. Even if you don't go for a Sambar hunt there, I'd recommend looking into the whitetail hunts on the island. As a side note: if you do go, hire someone to take you too and from the island. Boats sink there every hunt while anchored off shore and get swamped if pulled on the beach.

[stevem]

To add onto Zeebob's New Mexico post.  In addition to Ibex in the Florida Mtns (tough to draw an either sex tag, not so hard to draw a female tag), the state also has barbary sheep (in several parts of the state) and oryx on White Sands Missile Range.  All require a draw run by the state game and fish department.  All can be found on public land.

[Terry Green]

supernaut, no, but experienced them on St Thomas.  Damn near could pick them up. Fish in a barrel there, no sport or challenge at all.

May be different where you are referring to.

[supernaut]

supernaut, no, but experienced them on St Thomas.  Damn near could pick them up. Fish in a barrel there, no sport or challenge at all.

May be different where you are referring to.

Thanks for he info. Terry. I have no direct experience with the iguanas. I wouldn't be interested in hunting any animal that I could pretty much catch by hand, like you said no sport or challenge.  I know some people hunt them with air rifles and blow guns and didn't know if going after them with a bow would be an option.