Exotic Animals

The Shift

April 18, 2020 by Macy Ledbetter

I have been a huge fan of whitetail deer ever since I can remember.  I learned to hunt them with my father as he carried me into the woods and up to his favorite tree stands to sit with him.

Because of my upbringing chasing whitetail deer, I decided to make a career out of them.  I ate, drank, slept, dreamed and chased anything and everything to do with whitetail deer.  I subscribed to every deer related magazine and I pushed lawnmowers hundreds of miles to help pay for each subscription.  My passion became my schooling and my schooling became my career and for that I have been extremely blessed.

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Axis Deer Are On the Move Near You

April 18, 2020 by Macy Ledbetter

Axis deer, or chital, or the large white spotted “fawn-looking-but bigger” deer are usually found behind high game fences—but not always.  The axis deer is originally from India and was imported to Texas around 1932!  This beautiful red coat with white spots and large white throat patched cervid grows antlers just like our familiar whitetail, but each antler typically only has three points per side!  The beams are long and may extend upward nearly three feet off his head with a top tine creating a fork and a long brow tine jutting straight out near the head similar to an elk.   Only the males have the antlers but both sexes’ coats looks the same.  Seeing axis for the first time, many folks think they look like a giant whitetail fawn based on their familiar camouflage pattern.

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