I'm interested in a little feedback and should have asked this question last week. I spent the weekend at a friends ranch hunting exotics and was focused on an Axis. While I saw over a dozen species of animals, I never found the axis I was seeking.

What other exotics are good eating? I'm not even sure what some of the animals were (I've never hunted a place with many exotics) but here's what I know I saw:

Black Buck
Aoudad (already know I'd never eat one, have killed many low-fence)
Sika
Fallow
Bison (I know that's good eating, but didn't need that much meat)
Red Deer
Pere David
Ibex

Saw 3 other species of exotic deer, but didn't know what they were.

Also, is there a difference between Red Deer and Red Stag? Saw two different types of red-colored deer that looked similar, but had some glaring differences.

It was a fun hunt and I'll get to go back, but need to educate myself a bit before I do. Google searches aren't real helpful, so I thought I'd ask you experts.

I have had blackbuck, axis and red deer and love them all. My wife will not eat certain whitetail because she doesn't like the strong taste (her words.) She will eat all three I listed above and ask for more.

Red deer. And red stag same thing they all good but idex and aoudad there both goats

Of the things u have listed:
1 pere David
2 aoudad (you're nuts if u don't eat them)
3 red deer & sika (real similar to elk)


And TJ5 doesn't even know what aoudads are. They're sheep, not goats.

Actually they're neither. They are a separate genus but share a common ancestor with both sheep and goats.

Red Deer is good alot like Elk, Blackbuck was good....slightly better than or equal to whitetail to me, I havent eaten Piere David but have heard nothing but good things about it, Fallow and Sika have heard good things about and my all time favorite is Axis.

Red Stag are the males, females are referred to as Hinds, Cows or Does and Red Deer is speaking of the species in general

Yeah, that's why they're called Barbary Sheep and rams ewes and lambs instead of billys nannys, and kids eh...

I think it's actually a specie diff. But taxonomy is a very inexact science. Google "the specie problem".

There's probably as many disagreements about what they are, as there are arguments about their meat.

"I just deal with the facts ma'am", they're named sheep and they taste awesome!

Rancher were getting way off topic of this thread. I use this site often http://www.ultimateungulate.com/index.html we really need to start a new thread if you want to discuss it.

Not really. I was just pointing out that whatever you want to call them, they're good to eat. Just a little friendly ribbing to TJ5.

And I'm not too impressed with a lot of scientific theories lately. Remember, "scientists" tell us this is global warming too... ;-)

Of all the exotics listed above Ibex are probably the best eating. That should stir it up.

Ha!!! And the most expensive/#!!

Even more than Kobe beef.

Red deer

Fallow deer and axis are excellant eating, but was not too impressed with blackbuck though. Sika is also good. Never had red deer but they are similar to elk and elk is fine eating so if they similar in taste red deer should also make excellent table fair. Although not an exotic, pronghorn is also very good eating.

Everyone always says Nilgai is good to eat, but I've never had it.

X2

Kill one of each and tell us what order you would put them in.

Also, sheep or goat doesn't matter to me. They are going to be just fine around me because I'm letting them walk.

Have an axis and go from there. If you've had whitetail, you know, so next stop might be elk.

I've had:
Axis
Red deer (Hind)
Black Buck
Red Sheep
Addax
Oryx
Gemsbok
Fallow
and Sika.

Of them all, I'd rate Addax, Axis, Fallow, Sika, Red Deer and Gemsbok near the top. Black Buck and Oryx next and Red Sheep near the bottom. Haven't had Aoudad yet

Me and some friends cooked for the ladies.on valentines and I cooked the Bison back strap we recently took at WRS, all anyone could say was wow!! We also had some HEB prime cut riibeyes out of the case and side by side with the Bison there was no competition, we feel truly blessed to have taken this animal.

Bison, pere David, and eland are all gonna be real hard to beat.

Red deer and Axis are fabulous!! I've never tried fallow but my boss (who owns a exotic breeding ranch) says he's never been able to cook a fallow and make it taste good.

If you have the opportunity to do a blind test between whitetail and axis, guess is you'll choose axis. Same test with Axis and elk, you'll throw up your hands and say fill my plate.