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.

Arizona brought different challenges than hunting back home in Texas. Different country, different animals, different lessons.

Elk hunting is a whole different beast. That bugling in the distance, knowing what it means, and then trying to move into position without spooking them—it demands patience and fitness you build up over time. Arizona elk in the backcountry make Texas bowhunting look like a short walk.

Javelina are quick and aggressive when they know you’re there. The stalk requires staying downwind and staying sharp. They’re smaller than elk, but pound for pound they’re tough and alert. The desert floor doesn’t give you much cover either—you learn to read the landscape and use every bit of vegetation.

Then there’s the mule deer. They’re different from whitetail. They see further, they move different, and the terrain rewards different tactics. Arizona mule deer made me sharpen my spotting and stalking skills.

Multi-species hunts like this don’t fill tags every time, but they fill something else—the hunger to keep learning. Each animal teaches you something. That’s what keeps me hunting.

See more of my exotic hunt experiences and trophy moments.