Addax are spiral horned antelope once occurring throughout the deserts of North Africa, standing about 3.5 feet high at the shoulder, and weighing up to 300 lbs.  Their coloring is distinctive, gray-brown in winter and sandy / white in summer. 

By the late 1800's the Addax’s range was already shrinking, with possibly fewer than 200 remaining today in their native habitat, caused mainly by sustenance hunting by indigenous people using motorized vehicles.  Prolonged drought, harassment by travelers, mining exploration, agriculture expansion and tourism have also been factors.  It is estimated Addax experienced a decline over 80% within ten years.  The Addax continues to be threatened by uncontrolled illegal hunting and harassment.

Due to their excellent adaptation to Texas and stewardship by landowners the species is thriving and its future existence as a species is insured.

AOUDAD                                                      

Aoudad, or Barbary sheep, were introduced into the desert mountains of west Texas and southern New Mexico from their native Atlas Mountains of northern Africa in the 1940’s.  The only wild sheep in Africa, Aoudad can stand up to 40” at their shoulders.  Characterized by a solid sandy color coat throughout their body, mature males have a striking long beard that runs from their throat all the way down to their chest, and sport long hair as chaps on their front legs.  This coat and their massive horns make some of the most impressive life-size or half-size mounts found in trophy collections.

The Aoudad’s wariness and tough physical hardiness are exceptional, making them an underrated game animal.  They are not considered a pure sheep but have morphological and biological features of both a sheep and a goat.  Mature males will have a live weight of over 300 pounds, and both males and females grow horns, but male’s horns grow considerably larger, reaching 33” in exceptional trophies.

Blackbuck is a species of antelope originally native to India, Pakistan and Nepal.  Their  horns are ringed with 3 to 4 turns and can be as long as 28 inches.  The adult males can  grow as tall as 32 inches and can weigh as much as 95 pounds.  In the male, the upper body is black, and the belly and eye rings are white.  On the open plain, the Blackbuck is one of the fastest animals and can outrun most predators over long distances.

Today the Blackbuck native population is confined to a few small pockets in India.  Introducing Blackbuck to Texas ranches has ensured it continuance as a species and it is one of the most popular exotic game animals to hunt todaydue to its elegance and beauty as a trophy mount.

The Fallow Deer is a native of the Middle East, the Mediterrean region and Western Asia during the last interglacial period, and spread across central Europe by the Romans or the Phoenicians.  Recent finds show that they may have been reintroduced into southern England in the first century AD.

The species is variable in color, with four main variants, ranging from white to black.  Only bucks have antlers, that are broad and shovel-shaped.  The Edwards Plateau region, with its mosaic of oak, juniper, and grassy areas is well suited for fallow deer.  HOT, Inc. has access to excellent Fallow bucks, including the hard to find chocolate variety.

The Texas Dall Sheep is a hybrid that originated in Texas and was derived from cross breading Corsican and Mouflon sheep.  This beautiful animal typically has a bright white to grayish coat with hollow hairs that protect them from the cold.  Mature rams will weigh in at a hefty 140 to 150 pounds, stand about 3 feet in height and have curving horns that usually curl up, out, down and out, and are light brown and narrow.  The horns have growth rings, which tell the sheep’s age.  As such Texas Dall Sheep make for a very attractive and exotic mount, and they are one of our most popular exotic ram hunts.

Texas Dall’s has an appearance similar to the white Alaskan Dall Ram, native to mountainous areas of the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Alaska and western Canada.  Texas Dall’s hunted on the Sabinal Ranch have lineage including native Alaskan Dall Sheep.  This produces rams that will have up to 40” spreads, making them extraordinary examples of the specie.