The Cazador Slam, Part One

By: Brian Kightlinger

I became an official scorer for the Records of Exotics Club five years ago. Since then, I have traveled to numerous locations in pursuit of memorable hunts. Hunting exotic animal species is a blast! Not only are they fun to pursue, but they also are fantastic to eat.

One evening, I looked through my Record of Exotic Score sheets and realized I was one animal away from completing the Cazador Slam. The Cazador Slam, through the Records of Exotics, comprises the following exotic animals: Blackbuck Antelope, Axis Deer, Fallow Deer, Aoudad, and Sika Deer. As I thought about my previous hunts, I reflected on each one with a smile. My goal for the fall of 2022 was to complete the Cazador Slam.

Blackbuck Antelope

The blackbuck antelope is native to India and Nepal and was brought to the United States in 1932. Blackbucks have spiral-shaped horns that twist above their head. Some blackbucks are black and white, while others are brown and white. Introduced first in Texas, it became a popular animal to hunt, because it is crafty and incredibly tasty to eat.

In 2017, I traveled to southern Ohio to hunt blackbuck antelope at Salt Creek Hunting Preserve. My blackbuck hunt was action-packed, with plenty of spot and stalk attempts. The blackbuck was challenging to get near with a bow. On a few stalks, I closed the distance, only to see him jump out of his bed and run away quickly. After several hours of hunting, I put my bow away and grabbed my Ruger 308. As the sun set in the west, I finally got the blackbuck in range for a shot. The Ruger barked, and I watched the animal fall to the ground.

Axis Deer

Axis deer are also native to India. They are often called the Chital and arrived in Hawaii in the 1860s. In1932, the spotted deer was brought to Texas. Their populations have flourished in not only in Texas, but also in other states.

In June 2018, I traveled to Monterey, Tennessee for an axis deer hunt at Wilderness Hunting Lodge. Wilderness Hunting Lodge had a large herd of axis deer, and I challenged myself to kill an axis buck with my bow. On the first day of my hunt, I snuck through the woods, spotting and stalking the axis bucks. After a long day of walking, I had nothing to show for my efforts.

The second day of my hunt was more successful. Before lunchtime, I successfully harvested two trophy axis bucks with my bow. Both of the bucks presented me with shots under thirty yards, and I took advantage of my opportunity. My well-placed arrows made quick work of the axis bucks. Besides being beautiful trophies, the axis Bucks were delicious to eat.

Fallow Deer

The ancient Phoenicians began domesticating fallow deer in the 9th century. These Eurasian deer have been used for their delicious venison for centuries. In 1918, the Hillman Land Company from Kentucky introduced a herd of fallow deer for recreational hunting. Fallow deer are popular exotic animals to hunt due to their large antlers and various colors. Their three color phases are white, chocolate, and spotted.

After my successful axis deer hunt in 2018, I decided to look for a fallow deer hunt. In 2019 I booked a fallow deer hunt at Powder Horn Hunting Preserve in Port Alleghany, Pennsylvania. I woke up early on December 15th, made the three-hour trip to Powder Horn, and met up with Nate Frederico. After changing into my Rocky Camo, I grabbed my bow and headed for a shooting house.

Fresh snow had fallen during the night, and the fallow deer were active. I watched two large fallow bucks spar in the snow. After fighting each other, the fallow bucks walked towards the shooting house. As the bucks walked behind a few trees, I drew my bow and waited for an open shot. I whistled loudly, and both of the fallow bucks stopped. My Black Eagle Spartan Arrow hit the spotted fallow buck's vitals, and I watched him run twenty yards and crash in the snow.

Aoudad

Aoudads are native to Northern Africa and are also called Barbary Sheep. It is believed that soldiers stationed in Northern Africa during World War II saw the aoudad and thought it would be a splendid animal to hunt. In the 1940s, the animal was introduced to Texas, but ranchers had difficulty keeping it in fences. Escaped aoudad flourished in Texas, and their population grew steadily.

Covid hit in 2020 and put a damper on my search for an aoudad hunt. In February of 2021, I booked a hunt at the Wilderness Hunting Ranch in Everett, Pennsylvania. I couldn't wait to get to the ranch because there were two aoudads that I could hunt.

The weather in February was cold but clear. When I arrived at the Wilderness Hunting Ranch, there was a fresh coating of snow on the ground. Dressed in my Rocky Marino Wool hunting gear, I grabbed my bow and headed out to look for the aoudads. After sneaking across the top of an oak flat, I rested at the highest point on the property. Using my binoculars, I spotted an aoudad bedded on an abandoned logging road. His dark brown coat made him easy to see in the snow. All I had to do now was close the distance and get a shot.

Quietly, I snuck through the snow to a vantage point above the bedded aoudad. With the wind in my face, I closed the distance to 23 yards. Ranging the aoudad multiple times, I was sure the distance was accurate. Slowly, I drew my bow and put the HHA single pin on the aoudad's vitals. I watched the Black Eagle Spartan Arrow penetrate deep into the bedded aoudad. The aoudad stood up from his bed when the arrow hit him. After spinning around a few times, the aoudad fell to the ground and expired.

Sika Deer

Native to eastern Asia and parts of Russia, this deer is also called the Japanese Deer. The sika deer looks like a miniature elk and was brought to the United States in 1916. There are roughly 12,000 wild sika deer in the United States today. Maryland has a regulated hunting season for these unique deer. Unlike elk that bugle, the sika stags have a distinct bark that will alert other deer to danger.

The first time I saw a sika Deer was on my fallow deer hunt at Powder Horn Hunting Preserve. I couldn't get over how much they looked and acted like elk. The only visual difference was their size. Because they resembled elk, I was excited to put them on my bucket list for a future hunt.

This is part one of Brian’s Cazador Slam adventure. Check back next Friday, December 16 for part two and read about Brian’s Sika Deer hunt.

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