Exotics Hunting

So you've saved your money and your significant other has granted permission to book a hunt. Perhaps it's a once-in-a-lifetime deal, or maybe you're one of the lucky ones that gets to do it every year. Regardless of your circumstance, a daunting decision remains... choosing an outfitter.

Throughout the years axis, sika, and fallow deer, aoudad, and wild hogs had all been spotted on this ranch. With no high fences to restrict movement, animals come and go as they please. Only sika deer have remained to establish a permanent presence. Originally spreading in range throughout Asia, from northern Siberia to southern Japan, the first introduced herds of sika deer adapted well to the varying Texas landscape.

Sitting in the scant shade of a thorn acacia while a hot African sun burned down on an arid land, I wondered idly if Bruce Truter really would return. Barely an hour has passed since the professional hunter set off downhill on foot to fetch the Landrover and, by my best calculation, another hour will pass before I expect to see him again. Maybe. Nevertheless, I scanned the wide plain that unfolds like a giant's apron below me, hoping to see a distant, nearing plume of dust. The plain is lifeless, except for a small band of zebra feeding lazily among a stand of tall bitter aloe a quarter mile away; watching them, my mind wandered.