Last September we were called out to a ranch to "shoot every aoudad you see."

Some people sell aoudad hunts. Other people have decided that aoudad are aggressive, destruction, and a net negative impact on the habitat and other species they are managing.

In this case, it was a high fence ranch that had some damage to their fence along a wet weather creek and this was the assumed entry point of the aoudad.

When we got to the ranch we learned the owner had quit running the feeders because he was tired of feeding the aoudad. There had also been record rains and the native grasses in the fields were 2-3 feet high. We showed up with two bales of alfalfa, corn, a .308 and .12 guage.

Our hope was to set up a "bow blind" and when the herd of aoudad came to the feeder, we would open up with the benelli m4 .12 guage, unloading 6 rounds of 00 Buckshot.

Our plan did not become reality. One of the great quotes of the weekend was John Schwarzlose telling me, "We are throwing hay into a hay field" as we baited the feeder with alfalfa, standing in grass up to our hips.

The reality is that if you have aoudad that you want to eradicate, keep your feeders running so that you know where to find them.

Also, with the damage to the high fence, the aoudad seem to have come and gone (none were seen this past hunting season). However, the wild hogs also came - and didn't leave.

High fences require constant monitoring, especially after heavy rains, if they are to serve their intended purpose.

My other favorite quote from this trip was when I called my wife and in response to me telling her we had not seen any aoudad, she said, "I thought you said they have an Aoudad problem? Your problem is they don't have any aoudad. That is confusing."

Hunt Hard. Fish Smart. Explore Texas.