In free range, it largely depends on the terrain - but you can figure at LEAST 10-12 years. It is very hard to track and age free range animals or animals on very large HF properties because they can be so reclusive.

I had a rancher once tell me he bought about a dozen axis for his 1280 acre HF place. For two weeks they did nothing but walk the fenceline - then they up and disappeared. He didn't see ANY for about 4-5 years and thought they must have all died. Then one day he came around a corner late in the evening and there were about 100 axis standing in the field.

They can be THAT elusive.

Axis live much longer than whitetails and are tough to age. In "captivity", they can reach 18-20 years of age - or more! On well managed HF properties, they will easily reach 13-15 years - although they are usually shot before then.

In free range, it largely depends on the terrain - but you can figure at LEAST 10-12 years. It is very hard to track and age free range animals or animals on very large HF properties because they can be so reclusive.

I had a rancher once tell me he bought about a dozen axis for his 1280 acre HF place. For two weeks they did nothing but walk the fenceline - then they up and disappeared. He didn't see ANY for about 4-5 years and thought they must have all died. Then one day he came around a corner late in the evening and there were about 100 axis standing in the field.

They can be THAT elusive.

They will reach 90% or more of their maximum horn LENGTH by 5 years. They can add a small amount of length after that based upon range conditions, and are more likely to add mass. The reason they "holy grail" of axis - a 40" - is so elusive is that you have to let those 36-37" walk for many years to gain those last few inches - AND you have to have good conditions.

Axis that are 36-37" might add a little in perfect years, and then give those gains back the following year. If you run across a 40", you better shoot it then - because he might give up 2" the following year if conditions are poor.

A 30-31" axis is a good free range animal, and that is about average size around the world. For some reason, it seems that Texas has a higher number of 35"+ axis than any place I've found or read about - or maybe it's just because I am closer to places and people that have seen them here in Texas. There are some isolated pockets of free range axis here in Texas that have numbers of real large (35"+) axis, but they are few and far between. It seems the 4 or 5 places I know about all have large, lush alfalfa fields to frolick in.

Incidently, I have a confirmed photo of free range axis near the river in south Dallas county - within sight of the downtown skyscrapers in the metromess.

Congrats, nice buck. Sounds like a fun "second chance" stalk.

Good info John.

Got a buddy that has Axis on 320 acres. There are times he won't be able to find them for a month or more. Forget hunting feeders.

X2

Nice shot, hard to believe that he ran that far with a hole in his boiler room.