Episode 2 was pure chaos — roaring axis, fighting blackbucks, multiple animals, and the kind of fast-paced hunting that keeps you sharp.

Roaring Axis and Fighting Blackbucks

John was behind the camera because the night before I’d tagged a doe. We didn’t have much time to pursue it once the rut kicked in. We heard some serious roaring from what sounded like an axis buck, so we pivoted and headed that direction. By last light, we found two blackbucks fighting through a fence — wild to witness and tough to film with a handheld camera in low light.

The action started early the next morning. Lots of roaring already. Lots of water movement. The exotics were in full rut mode, and that meant opportunities — if we could stay flexible and aggressive.

Multiple Encounters

We spotted axis bucks roaring across the landscape, blackbucks in aggressive postures, and from one vantage point we could glass a whiteTail up on a hill. I even spotted a pig. Stalking free-range exotics means you’re never hunting just one animal. You’re hunting a landscape where multiple species are moving, vocalizing, and giving away their positions.

“There’s a lot of roaring already this morning, so we decided to come over here.”

This episode proved that free-range exotic hunting rewards aggression and adaptability. You can’t stick to a plan when the rut is on and animals are broadcasting their location every few minutes. You have to hunt what you hear and see right now.

If you’re curious how this style compares to blind hunting, check out my land setup video or my successful blackbuck hunt at 72 yards where all this scouting came together. Free-range hunting builds a different skill set — and Episode 2 showed exactly why I love it.

American Country Outdoors documents the real learning curve of exotic hunting, and these moments are where the education happens.

John and I pulled up to Baker 3 Ranch and I knew this hunt was different from anything I’d done before. His church runs an annual hunt there, and it’s not about putting heads on walls—it’s about depth, challenge, and real bowhunting.

My first year was 2023. John brought me into it, and the second I got there, I understood why he talks about this place with so much respect. The ranch sits in rocky country, the animals are wild axis and blackbuck, and the hunt itself is a multi-day commitment with real challenge built into every stalk.

Scouting and Setting Up

Episode one was about getting oriented and laying the groundwork for the hunts to come. John and I spent the first day hiking the washes, placing Moultrie trail cameras at water holes and key spots, and looking for signs—rubs, tracks, water holes where axis come in to drink.

We heard axis roaring in the distance. That’s not a sound you hear from whitetail or elk. It’s unique, sharp, and wild. We moved toward the sound, trying to locate where the bucks were bedding. The terrain is all rock and creosote, so noise discipline matters. Every footfall on the rocks is a potential give-away.

We found a good water hole, set up a camera, and moved into some shade to gllass and listen. The afternoon wore on and we heard more roars. We knew the animals were in the area.

There’s just something special about this hunt that is way more in depth than killing a giant bull on a side of a mountain.

As light started getting thin, I spotted a buck across a clearing—about 100 yards away. I made my move, repositioned toward some better trees to close distance. But in moving to get a better position, I stood up and there he was—a good axis buck right across the water. I drew back and sent an arrow. Clean miss. That’s the hunt right there. Not the story I wanted to start with, but that’s what happens when you hunt wild animals with a bow.

What Baker 3 Really Is

This hunt isn’t about guaranteed success or trophy guarantees. It’s about being in rugged terrain, making long stalks on wary wild animals, and learning to hunt without a net. We’ve got more episodes coming. Animals will hit the ground. Decisions will be made. The hunt will unfold like it really does in the field, not like a highlight reel.

If you want to see what commitment to archery and wild country looks like, Episode 2 shows where this led. And if you’re hunting javelina in similar terrain, Texas hunts teach the same lessons about stalking and pressure.

Eleven seconds. That’s all it takes to remind you why you hunt exotics.

An axis buck roaring—that deep, guttural call—is something you don’t forget. It’s aggression, dominance, territorial claim all wrapped up in one sound. When you’re that close and the camera catches it, you get to feel what I felt in the moment: the raw power of that animal and the privilege of being in the same space.

Axis deer have a completely different rut than whitetail. That roaring is their language during the rut—it’s how they establish dominance and challenge rivals. Getting footage of this close is rare. It means the stalk was good, the approach was silent, and the moment was there for the taking.

This is the hunting experience most folks don’t see. Not the trophy photo after the harvest, but the genuine encounter with an animal doing what animals do—living, competing, surviving. That’s what bowhunting exotics in Texas gives you.

Moments like this fuel the next hunt. Check out my other axis deer hunts and exotic hunting content.

I headed back to Baker3 Ranch for my third year of axis hunting, and this time the stick and string was loaded and ready.

The Baker3 Tradition

Every year my church, ReNew Life Church, heads to Rock Springs, Texas for a retreat. I’ve done this three times now, though I missed the last two years due to COVID and work. Baker3 Ranch has become the place — good people, solid habitat, and axis deer that know how to test your patience.

This year I drew the back pasture. I figured we’d mix it up: some blind hunting where the water holes congregate the herd, and some spot-and-stalk when we could get eyes on animals and close the distance. The forecast showed temps in the hundreds, which is typical. Heat doesn’t bother axis — they just hunt it harder.

There’s always a friendly competition at noon, first person to tag and photo an animal wins. It’s the kind of low-pressure contest that keeps everyone sharp without turning the hunt into a race.

Stick and String in Texas Heat

Bow hunting axis is different than whitetail. These animals are tough, athletic, and they don’t follow the same patterns. They vocalize more — that roaring and bugling gives you audio cues you don’t always get back home. And when the heat climbs, they change where and when they drink.

“Axis hunting teaches you to stay flexible and adapt your setup every day.”

The beauty of Baker3 is the variety. You’re not limited to one tactic. I could glass from high ground, see what was moving, then either stalk in or set up on a known water hole. Some days the animals cooperate. Some days they make you work for every yard.

This hunt reinforced what I love about hunting free-range exotics — they’re unpredictable and they sharpen your hunting skills. And if you want to see how axis behave on open land, check out my blackbuck and meat hunts where those lessons applied directly.

That’s what keeps me coming back to American Country Outdoors — real hunts, real challenges, and the knowledge that each trip teaches me something new.

I drew back and released. That perfect shot—the one every archer lives for—finally happened.

Axis deer are crafty. They’ve got keen senses and they know the land like we know our own yards. But that morning, everything lined up the way it should. The wind was right, the stalk was clean, and when the moment came, I trusted my form and my gear.

There’s something sacred about the ethical take. It’s not just about the animal—though I respect every single one. It’s about the work that goes into it: the practice, the hours of scouting, the patience waiting for the right moment. My Victory Archery arrows flew true, and that’s what matters.

This is why I hunt. Not for the glory or the photos (though they’re nice). It’s for that one moment when everything clicks and you know you’ve done it right.

Check out my other Texas exotic hunts and archery kill stories to see more of what bow hunting means to me.

The best hunting moments are often the shortest ones.

We were working a spot when an axis doe spotted us and started barking—that repeated, sharp alarm call that axis use to warn the herd.

The best hunting moments are often the shortest ones.

She was close, alert, and completely wild. That repeated, sharp alarm call that axis use to warn the herd. She was close, alert, and completely wild. No domestication, no second thoughts. Just an animal reacting to a threat in her territory.

No shot, no kill, no trophy. Just a moment of connection with something wild. That’s why I hunt. The bigger hunts have plenty of action, but moments like this—where you’re just witnessing raw animal behavior—those are what I remember when the season ends.