Aoudad hunting.

Yes sir, they are attracted to much the same as whitetail, including attraction to corn or protein. Given the right terrain and situation, they are one of the hardest game animals to get on and cleanly kill. I took me quite a few years to get on free ranging with a bow. Suggest mounting the front half the animals, because the chaps (main into long hair on front legs) really adds to the awe, this animal deserves, also known at Barbary Sheep as I think they originated from N. Africa.

During rut, we've actually had the rams charge a 4 wheeler or pick/up. Unless your shot is perfectly in the vitals, you've never ran into a tougher animal. I think them and Nilgai are the two most ignored, great imports we have to hunt. Good luck and enjoy it, also you cannot be too quiet or camo'd, as a wild Aoudad, can take a whitetail to school.

Tony Dukes
TEXAS
 
Not to mention they contour better than any other animal I have ever encountered. They will be in your lap one minute and the next a mile away and no chance of pursuit.
 
Is there many public land hunting oppertunities for them with good success? They sound like a fun hunt and would be in driving distance for me.
 
Thanks guys , looks like I got my work cut out for me. I've been glassing these guys at a distance and just casing out their patterns. They are as free range as you could hope to get. We will use horses as transport to add to the experience , something out of the ordinary in todays African hunting.

I hope I can report some success in the near future.

Roy.
 
Just thought I'd share a report back here on our hunt.

I eventually had to buy a Nikon spotting scope and it has been serving me well till now. I've monitored the sheep at a distance on and off over three weeks and seen some really good rams.

We took the horses up to find safe routes into the mountain for when we are going to take a client in and stumbled onto a ram by chance that was lying up. The wind was in our favour and I dont know who got a bigger fright - us or the ram !! Well he broke cover literally as he was in heavey thickets and barrelled his way through coming into view for the first time at about 70 yards where a good rifleman could have tried a running shot at him - he was a good one for sure. He kept his nose into the wind and never let up running - CONTOURING all the way round till he was eventually out of sight.

We got our first client in last Sunday , a local trophy hunter. Early morning we glassed the slopes and found serveral mixed parcels of sheep with some nice rams among them , shooters for sure but we held back and eventually found two rams on their own - a monster and a slightly younger looking ram. The younger ram was bedded down but the big boy was up and forever turning himself through 360 degrees watching for a while in all directions. They were at the edge of where the brushline lets up before the final stages of the mountain toward the towering cliffs above.

The stalk took a couple of hours through the thick stuff trying to hold a bearing on the sheeps position because once we entered the thick brush we were committed and had no futher visual contact with the sheep. After a very careful approach eventually we were within 30 meters of the rams but because of the angle of the slope and vegetation they remained hidden from view. We were actually to close and badly prepared. The sheeps keen eyes must have picked up a hand movement - bare skin and they got out of there quick , and quietly sticking to the thick stuff. We returned empty handed but armed with better knowlege in order to prepare for our next attempt.

CAMMO UP - hands , face , rifle and optics. If you're hunting these sheep leave nothing to chance , they are sharp.

Really a majestic animal to watch through good optics !!
 
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