Super Exotics by TF&G Staff

Remember “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous?”

Host Robin Leach would narrate an inside look at the homes and lives of the super rich, super famous and often the super spoiled.

Consider this article our version of that program for hunters. Famous and spoiled are not qualifiers, but if you want to hunt any of these species you have to be rich or at least willing to take out a sizable loan.

Our yearlong series on non-indigenous species has taken us on a journey from humble hog hunts to fast-paced axis deer hunts in the exciting rut. Exotic hunting is a big part of what makes Texas unique, so we thought it would be fun to look at some exotics that have a price tag bigger than their horns.

Enjoy.

The markhor is an extremely rare exotic, but a few ranches have them. One advertises hunts for $1,000 plus $450 per inch. Considering their horns can reach 50 inches, you can see why this is an elite exotic. The markhor is a large goat species found in Afghanistan, India and in the Himalayas.

The red lechwe is about the size of a large whitetail. Hunting one on a Texas ranch would cost about the same as shooting a Boone & Crockett-sized buck. They are becoming increasingly common on Texas exotic ranches, but to shoot one costs about five times as much as a blackbuck.

The eland is the world’s largest antelope. Hailing from Africa, this is a popular species not only among world traveling hunters, but locals who raise them for their meat. Topping out at nearly 2,000 pounds they are a surprisingly graceful animal and are considered a worthy quarry by veteran hunters.

What exotic would cost you more to shoot than the average four-year college tuition? If you said the bongo, you guessed right. These stunning animals are from the deep-forested regions of Africa in countries such as Cameroon in the Congo’s dangerous forests.

—story by TF&G STAFF

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