Exotic Hunts

	The Elk is the 2nd largest species of deer in the world, and one of the largest mammals in North America and east Asia.  Male Elk have large antlers which are shed each year. Elk are more than twice as heavy as mule deer and have a more reddish hue to their hair coloring, as well as large buff colored patches and smaller tails. Elk cows average 500 lbs, stand 4-1/2 ft. at the shoulder, and are 6-1/2ft. from nose to tail. Bulls are some 25% larger than mature cows, weighing an average of 650 lbs, standing 5 ft. at the shoulder, and averaging 8 ft. in length. Only males have antlers. The largest antlers may be 4 ft. long and weigh 40 lbs. Bull Elk may have 6 or more tines on each antler.
	The Red Deer is one of the largest deer species, and inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor and parts of Western and Central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Algeria and Tunisia in n.w. Africa being the only species of deer to inhabit Africa. They have been introduced to other areas including New Zealand and Argentina. Red Deer is a large hoofed animal. Only the stags have antlers which start growing in the spring and are shed each year near end of winter. European Red Deer antlers are distinctive in being rather straight and rugose with the fourth or fifth tines forming a "crown" or "cup" in larger males. Any tines in excess of the fourth and fifth tine will grow radially from the "cup".
	The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family of Cervidae. The male is a buck and the female a doe. Bucks are 140- 160 cm long and 90-100 cm shoulder height, and 60-85 kg in weight. Does are 130-150 cm long and 75-85 cm shoulder height and 30-50 kg in weight. The species is very variable in colour, with four main variants, "common", menil","melanistic" and "albinistic". The common form has a brown coat with white mottles that are most pronounced in summer with a much darker coat in winter. The albinistic is the lighest coloured, almost white. Common and menil are darker and melanistic is very dark, even black. Most herds consist of the common form but have menil form and melanstic form among them. Only bucks have antlers, these are broad and shovel shaped.
	The Chital Deer also known as the spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and most of India. It is the most common deer species in Indian forests. Its coat is reddish fawn, marked with white spots, and its underparts are white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in a lyre shape and may extend to 75cm. Males sporting hard antlers are dominant over those in velvet or those without antlers, irrespective of their size and other factors. An axis stands about 90cm tall at the shoulder and masses about 85kg.
	The American bison commonly called buffalo is a large hoofed mammal of the cattle family. Bison have short horns and humped, heavily mantled shoulders that slope downward to the hindquarters. A mature bull stands about 6.5ft. at the shoulder, a body length of 9ft., and a weight of 2500lbs. Both sexes bear heavy, curved horns. The coat of the buffalo is dark brown,with coarse hair which is especially long on the head, which is held low, and on the neck and shoulders. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were over 60 million bison in North America. Uncontrolled hunting drove it nearly to extinction by 1900, but it has since recovered.
	This species of Antelope was originally spread over large tracts of India except in Northeast India. During the early part of the 20th century, these antelope were brought to the United States (specifically Texas} for the purpose of hunting and breeding. The horns of the Black Buck 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 (dark brown) and the belly and eye rings are white. The light brown female is usually hornless. On the open plain, the black buck is one of the fastest animals and can out run most predators over long distances.
	The domestic Sheep ,the most common species of the sheep genus is a woolly ruminant quadruped. It is probably descended from the wild mouflon of South Asia and Southwest Asia. Intact males are referred to as rams. The sheep is related to the goat, both belonging to the goat antelope. A wide symbology relates to sheep in ancient art, traditions, and culture. In Egyptian mythology, the ram was the symbol of Heryshaf. The ram is also the first sign of the western zodiac, in which it is known as Aries. There are many breeds of sheep and the ram are among them. The Soay ram demonstrates the wide variance in sheep traits that belies the prototypical appearance of the animal.
	This species of Wild Sheep is one of the Caprinae or "goat antelopes". Mouflon is thought to be one of the two ancestors for all modern domestic sheep breeds. It is red - brow with a dark back stripe, light colored saddle patch and underparts. The males are horned and females are horned or polled. This species originated in Southeast Asia and in 1980's was introduced in game ranches in North America for hunting.
	The Sitka species is a member of the deer family that inhabits much of East Asia. It is closely related to Red Deer and Elk. These are also native to Taiwan and Japan. Sika deer are widespread in Japan. The Sika is regarded as a particularly prized and elusive sportman's quarry.
	Scimitar Oryx is a species of Oryx which formerly inhabited the whole of North Africa. The Scimitar Oryx is just over a metre at the shoulder and weighs around 200 kilograms. Its coat is white with red - brown chest and black markings on   the forehead and down the length of the nose. The horns are long, thin, parallel, and curve backwards and can reach a metre to a metre and a quarter on both sexes, male and female.
	Zebras are black or dark with white stripes and their bellies have a large white blotch for camouflage purposes. Some zebras have brown "shadow stripes" inbetween the white and black coloring. The stripes are typically vertical on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal stripes at the rear and on the legs. Zebras are generally slower than horses but their great stamina helps them outrun predators. When chased a zebra will zig - zag from side to side making it more difficult for the predator. When cornered the zebra will rear up and kick its attacker. A kick from a zebra can be fatal. Zebras will bite their attackers as well. A zebra can run at least 60kmph. Zebras are native to eastern and southern Africa. They are a member of the horse family.
	The Watusi breed of cattle is native to Africa. They have very large distinctive horns similar to a Texas Longhorn. Some individual cattle have horns measuring 12 ft. from tip to tip. The Watusi are descendants of the Aurochs which became extinct in the 17th century. Watusi first came to America in the 1960's. This breed is often referred to as the "Cattle of Kings".
	The Razor Back are feral pigs that were brought to North American during the mid 1550's. Also called old world swine, Eurasian wild boar or Russian wild boar. Though pigs were successfully farmed this way, many were lost. The lost pigs eventually made up the first razorback populations. Razor Backs are viewed as a chief game species in many parts of the United States. Razor Backs are hunted for sport and trophy. Hunting of Razor Backs is encouraged in many areas due to their destructive nature. They tend to shy away from human contact but can become very dangerous if they are cornered, wounded, or with young, and can injure and even kill humans and other animals.