Hunting Archery Duck Deer

Texas Still King for Big Bucks - What are the old sayings, “You just can’t argue with success” or, “It ain’t braggin if you can do it”? As much as I hate to give any ground up to the Lone Star State about anything, one undeniable truth is that Texas is still tops for producing white-tailed deer of both sexes. When a state touts deer population numbers that regularly exceed a head count of 5 million, then naturally it’s a hunting location that is going to garner a lot of attention.

Argue as you will about some of the tactics used by Texan deer land managers, outfitters, and hunters such as the open (legal) use of game feeders and high fenced hunting properties, the facts are the facts, madam, as Sergeant Friday used to say on the old cop show Dragnet. Non-resident hunters returning home from Texas deer hunts regularly report having seen more bucks in just a few days than several seasons altogether back home. That’s just the reality of it.

THE TEXAS TWO-STEP

Last season I was invited by a group of colleagues to venture to Texas to try a sendero deer hunt south of San Antonio. Unfortunately, some health problems cropped up at the last minute and I had to cancel out. The good news was, my friends kept me abreast of all the hunting details with full reports on their experiences.

Ironically the deer hunt was arranged with Rick Hodges of Lone Star Outdoors in New Braunfels, Texas. Years before I had gone on a Rio Grande wild turkey hunt with Rick. This put me in good stead of knowing about the hunting territory and what my guys were in for.

The hunting area was about a two-hour drive south of San Antonio. This is dry, arid, classic Texas deer habitat. The landscape consists of gentle, rolling hills covered with patches of thick brush and cactus. Numerous draws and large creek bottoms run through the semi-desert environment. Planted food plots line the creek bottoms. These areas pull in deer and turkey from miles around.

Deer hunting was conducted from enclosed elevated stands or tripods offering views over the brush terrain and down into the draws. These elevated positions allowed deer hunters to be able to glass over a large area, catching bucks moving amidst the thick cover. Though the ground was covered in brush and head-high bushes, lots of open areas existed between the clumps of cover so bucks could easily be seen if the hunters kept a close vigil. Binoculars were certainly a required piece of equipment, as were scoped rifles shooting fast, flat-trajectory cartridges. Using a 7mm magnum or a .300 short magnum would be ideal.

Don’t be fooled by Texas weather, either. It might be hot and dry in the winter months, but it can get surprisingly cold at night and into the early morning hunting hours. In one day the temperature scale can easily run from lows in the teens to up more than 80 degrees. That means an insulated jacket before the sun rises and just as it sets, but a cooler long-sleeved shirt for wear up in the day. A hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water are essential for long sits in a deer stand.

“The quality of bucks available made each day exciting. However, in a snap decision at the first ranch we hunted, I had already taken an 8-point buck scoring almost 120 B&C points. Days later I saw several bucks going better than 130. Guess I should have waited,” said Stephen Conwell. It is always tempting to take the first nice buck you see on a hunt, but years of experience have taught me to have a little more patience, unless a buck before the muzzle is a confirmed wall hanger. Then one in hand is definitely worth one in the bush.

Rick Hodges added, “A couple of the guys in one group weren’t very patient and took smaller bucks early on. In total we took four 8-pointers, one nine pointer, and three 10-point bucks. The best of the group scored 146 Boone and Crockett points. The hunters also harvested eight antlerless deer, five hogs, five coyotes, one bobcat, and one badger.” Last season one hunter collected a 153+ B&C buck, so the potential for a nice buck is always there on this 10,000-acre Texas ranch. Quite a nice mixture I’d say. Few places around this country can offer deer hunters such a diverse opportunity on free-ranging game targets all in one packaged hunt as can be found in Texas.

If you have never tried Texas for a deer or Rio turkey hunt, then the experience comes highly recommended. Contact Rick Hodges at Lone Star Outdoors by phoning him at (830) 609-3600, or sending him an email at rhodges@satx.rr.com. It’s easy to fly into San Antonio, rent a car and head south to the ranch. I wager it will not be an adventure soon forgotten.

By John J. Woods