Howdy yall,
I have asked a few questions on here and had some great answers. I bought a ranch in Texoma region that came with about 270 acres of high fenced area. It's currently under the TPWD Conservation for WT and I am planning on adding a few exotics. What I'm trying to understand is how to estimate carrying capacity. We are trying to get a rough guess at how many WT on in the property and it's somewhere in the 15-30 range. Should have better numbers in 60 days.

Looking at adding 1-2 more species for a mix of live sale and limited hunts. Axis, Fallow, Blackbuck, Scimitar Oryx are the species I am choosing from.

I'm trying to build some various business case models (this is a break even business at the moment vs a for profit enterprise).
But while I have costs of these animals, survival rates, and some guestimated live sell and hunt sell prices, I really need to better understand carrying capacity and how well the land can support multiple species and how many.

I know there are a lot of you with a lot of experience and information and I figure I would ask.

It will really depend on how your place is a far as current range conditions and how much browse and grass you have. The blackbuck and Simitars are grass grazers. Axis can go both ways and a Fallow is just a goat with palmated antlers.
Annual rainfall will play a big part as well.
Also you can change your dynamics if you are planning on supplemental feeding.
I can recommend starting with very small herds on everything and give a year or so to learn about your place.
On Axis get you a buck and 2-3 does. Scimitars are dominant animals. Males can be very territorial and sometimes will kill babies and other species. I would get a young 1-2 year old bull and a couple of cows and let them grow on your place and build your herd.
Blackbucks breed twice a year and can get out of hand quickly. I would again get a young to medium aged male and 2-3 does to start.
Fallow are some of the hardest animals imho to raise to trophy size. Males will fight very aggressively and it's not uncommon for two mature males to fight in rut till one dies.
Start slow and conservatively. There are a lot of dishonest and crooked folks in the exotic animal business and will take advantage of you and sell you unhealthy and junk animals if you let them.
Chris Atkinson, an Aggie who lives in Bandera is the best in the business and will treat you honestly and fair. He is the ONLY guy I will do business with now.
Make sure you have a good fence and good functional water gaps.
You must stay on top of your population density. Overgrazing can destroy a place quick and once it is overgrazed it is hard to get it back. Pay close attention to your browse line on your trees and scrub brush. If you start seeing a distinct browse line you gotta take of your range.
You can go broke in this day and time trying to raise exotics or deer on protein due to cost….. so have a budget on feed bills and stick to it.
Water is your most valuable asset. Water is life. Have a plan to always make sure you have year around dependable water sources.
Also remember on your true horned animals like the blackbuck and scimitars that you can invest a lot of money getting them to trophy class and that all it takes is a fight or breaking off a horn and your trophy is done unless your client is ok with having a taxidermists fix it.
Enjoy your place. Take your time.

Let me know when you are ready for fallow and/or red stags. Been developing our herd of trophy hoofstock for 15 years.

Business case? In my limited observation of this industry, it seems that the only guys who can consistently make money on exotics is the local feed store owner. Especially if you take into account the true cost of land.

I have had some people tell me that you shouldn't move certain breeds north of their raised latitude. Only go south.
So in other words, don't buy south Texas raised black buck and Axis and move them to north Texas. But it's ok to do the opposite. Any truth to that?

I was really leaning to the Scimitar Oryx but they are expensive to get into and grow and the whole horn breaking thing has me concerned. May just start with Axis or Axis and Balckbuck.

I was considering a hybrid model of live sales and hunts but I'm discovering despite the cost of buying live animals being high, it isn't very profitable to sell them live. At least upon initial inspection

Never have heard that. I have bought animals and moved them both ways and never had a health or mortality issue.
I used to trade exotics with a man in Missouri and we never had any issues. The key is to buy healthy animals from a reputable person.
I also quit buying or selling animals that were captured by using tranq dart drugs. We went to capturing by helicopter and nets only. Lot better on the animal imho.
More expensive but faster and less post capture mortality.
Give Chris Atkinson a call. Tell him you're an Ag. He has his degree in WFS. He is super honest and knowledgeable and will talk with you.
His mobile is 2onezero three1 seven 96 thirty.