School me on Axis

[Diamond S]

When is the rut?, When are they hard horned (antlered). When is the time to hunt them, I know it depends on if you want a velvet or hard antler, but what are the best times? Any other tips?

[sideways]

You will see velvet and hard horns at the same time. They don't have a predictable cycle like whitetail. Peak breeding is June/July


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[8pointer]

June and July have always been good months for me in kerrville area

[brokeno]

June July August. They drop their horns year round.

[chancito1]

Shot my first hard horned axis several years ago in October went to pull him by horn and it popped right off his head.

[cricman]

The only thing I can add is; Find them, shoot them, and eat them! They are delicious! I have been lucky enough to kill 2 a couple years ago. The meet didn't last 6 months.
My buddies grandparents have them passing through their ranch near Uvalde. He brought back some Axis Deer tamales that his grandmother had made and they were THE best tamales I have ever eaten!!!!


cricman

[mason bowhunter]

In the area I hunt May-August seems to be the best for me. For the most part the bucks that are hard horned now will be your bucks in velvet starting in early spring into early summer. With that said the bucks you see now that are in velvet will be your hard horned bucks early spring and summer. If I'm just looking for a doe then anytime of the year works for me cause they hit the feeders hard year round. The axis on our ranch seem to hammer my protein feeder year round. I've tried Alfalfa and they loved it to but the protein is like crack cocain to them and they keep coming to timed protein feeder religiously. A good water source helps a ton too. Good luck and have fun chasing them!

[HoustonHunter]

School me on Axis

There’s a an X axis and a Y axis.

X runs horizontally, Y runs vertically. See graph for reference.

Hope this helps.

[Ohio Darin]

They mate year round and the rut corresponds with when they were born. Shot my first axis this past June. Hard horned but still had a lot of velvet hanging on him and running with 2 other bucks. Buddy shot one the evening prior that was full rut with swollen neck. It was first week of June and a lot of rutting activity going on. Will say I found my new favorite game meat and trying to hunt annually now.

[Balcones_Walker]

Peak for us is in May. Velvet for us primarily February and October. They like alfalfa and Lyssy and Eckel Exotic Breeder 16. Most active during the 9pm hour and 12-3 am. Generally speaking if you hear them chirp you might as well pack it in because they have busted you. They are migratory, so timing matters. They're complicated socially. Beta males hang out together, females herd, and alpha males are usually not far from the female herd. Occasionally all the trophy bucks will get together. They are probably complaining about their jobs and the females but I can't speak axis to know. But I wish that I could.

Oh and you have to floof the alfalfa into big piles to really bring them. They don't seem to like it packed tightly.

[texashunter56]

Father's Day weekend is really good time to start hunting. Rut is in full swing and the majority(70% or so) will be in hard antlers. The antlers will have the prettiest color and not be broken up at this time. I have rattled axis bucks in the Hill Country when rattling for whitetails in the first week of Dec in Kerr County.

[MasonCo.]

There’s a an X axis and a Y axis.

X runs horizontally, Y runs vertically. See graph for reference.

Hope this helps.

Don't quit your day job, unless its a comedian...

[Diamond S]

Thanks for the info everyone, even you HoustonHunter