The Tale of the Three Amigos: How Hunting Is Conservation

The Tale of the Three Amigos

Written By: Allen Robinson

Like any true success story, this one begins with a bit of luck, and money…. The three amigos are the scimitar-horned oryx, the addax antelope, and the dama gazelle. These three animals are either on the critically endangered list and/or are extinct in their native habitats. Aptly named because of a court case brought by the Humane Society of the United States [HSUS] against the US Fish and Wildlife Service [USF&W]. The goal of HSUS was to stop the USF&W from removing these three amigos from the exempt list. The case was ultimately lost by USF&W, and these animals were not removed. The loss made it necessary to obtain expensive permits and navigate through bureaucratic hassles to hunt them. Populations dropped, and the species were becoming more endangered by the day… the total population dropped for all three species, to fewer than 9,000.

In 2014, legislation was passed to remove the three from the list. Since that time, numbers have exploded all over Texas, and today all three of these amigos are thriving. Today there are over 13,000 scimitar alone. Add in the other two, and population levels are in excess of 20,000 individuals.

All of the animals on this list were purchased and imported starting in the early 1970s as part of the reclamation project by a few groups. These animals were specifically picked because their numbers were dropping to dangerous levels. Factors such as poaching, mechanized hunting, and habitat loss are a few factors that contributed to their demise in their native lands. But there is a silver lining to this story.

First on the list is the scimitar-horned oryx. A true fairy tale, as they are believed to be the origin of the unicorn! If you have ever seen a one-horned scimitar, you would believe you were witnessing a real life unicorn. The scimitar oryx was introduced to North America in the 1970s and is now thriving in Texas. We personally have a herd of over 60. They are considered extinct in the native lands of the Sahara Desert.

If you are going to hunt scimitar, you’ll have to come to Texas to do so. A re- introduction project was started in 2016 in the country of Chad. So far the reintroduction has struggled to re-establish a viable population.

Next, we have the critically endangered addax antelope, also known as the white antelope. Native to the Sahara Desert, they have been dropping in numbers since the 1800s. They are so rare in the wild that it is virtually unheard of to see one. Like most great things in the world, their herds are led by the oldest, dominant female. Built much like a horse, this antelope has a slow gait, easy stride, and a bad temper when pursued. One of the better table fare on the list, as well as one of the most prestigious looking mounts, the herds are thriving in Texas thanks to hunters.

The last on this list of the three amigos is the dama gazelle, which is the largest gazelle in the world. Also on the critically endangered list, these gazelles are also native to the Sahara. This species of gazelle has seen an over 80% reduction to their numbers in the wild in the last decade alone. A re-introduction was tried in 2015 in the country of Morocco, but massive poaching has hindered their survival. Today it’s commonplace for you to drive through the Texas Hill Country and see herds of up to 100 or more grazing the pastures and valleys.

Without the demand for hunting these animals, there would be none left in the world. All three would be extinct. It takes money to make these animals make sense for ranches like ours. Conservation through hunting truly works. There is no better proof than these three amigos. We hope y’all come and hunt with us soon.