I'm planning some kind of big game hunt outside of my home state of Pa in two years. One of my choices may be for a "quality" deer in Texas. I also thought about hunting caribou instead. What would be a better hunt. I'll only have around $6000 for a hunt. Any other suggestions would be appreciated, especially from people who have "been there".

Bob257

You could probably find a combo elk/mule deer hunt in Montana for that price. Hell, you can almost go to Africa for that! If had that budget, I think I'd be looking for something besides whitetail. Don't you have those in PA?

If you have $6k to spend, don't waste it on a Texas whitetail you'll likely kill from a stand and probably over a corn feeder.

There are any number of quality hunts to be had for that amount, which would likely also take in your airfare.

Heck, you can do a 5-6 critter plains game hunt in South Africa and even pay your airfare with it. Of course, then you would have the additional expense of trophy prep/shipping back to the states. etc. but you certainly can take home photos only or perhaps just a couple of the trophies for less than $1,000 extra.

I'm sure some of the booking agents/outfitters here can make some good recommendations for NA options, too. An elk, mule deer or even the caribou hunt would be more adventuresome than even a "quality" TX whitetail. Besides, you can chase a whitetail in PA or nearby states, no? -TONY

Ram,

Geez, I should have read your message first. I sounded like an echo. -TONY

Many will suggest that you spend your money hunting something else or somewhere else. However, if you are interested in hunting in Texas for a whitetail deer there are many options. Not all hunts are like the television shows where the hunter, guide and cameraman squeeze into a box blind 100 yards from a feeder. Not all hunts are priced based on what the buck's gross B&C score is.

If you are interested in a hunt for a free ranging, mature whitetail buck on a low-fenced ranch from 20,000 acres to over 100,000 acres I would be happy to recommend people I have either dealt with or who I know by reputation. These are not guaranteed hunts, and in much of Texas the rainfall in a given year will dictate how many really good bucks are around. A lot also depends on what style of hunting you are looking for and what you consider to be a quality buck. Some of the hunts are at the upper end of your budget and some are significantly lower.

I am sure there are others on the board with more Texas deer hunting experience, and they will probably also offer advice. Wendell Reich might be a good person to contact.

For $6,000 you can have the option for a nice caribou hunt where you can take two nice trophies and probably your airfare included.

For a nice whitetail hunt I would suggest doing a free range hunt in Canada for around $4,300 and have the chance at deer in the 160-180 class.

There are many more options for this price range, but if you want whitetail or caribou, these are two great options.

Ah Tony, so typical of "outdoor writers." You may want to stick with topics you know something about. Sure you can shoot a whitetail from a stand over a feeder or foodplot in Texas. Just like you can in many other states as well as Canada. What's wrong with that? I prefer not to judge others hunting tactics.

As far as high fence hunts in Texas go don't sweat it. Just make sure the place is large enough for fair chase. I've hunted on a 5000 acre high fence place and now hunt on a 6000 acre low fence place. There ain't a damn dimes worth of difference in the quality of the hunt.

Texas whitetail hunting can be very diverse. You can have any kind of hunt you want. Find the right outfitter for the type of hunt you are interested in. Heck, there's even an outfit that does horseback open sight leveraction rifle hunts. You can hunt during the rut by rattling. Another option is hunting canyon country, just like hunting mule deer.

Most place allow you to harvest a couple of does and spikes as well. Unlike a lot of places just cause you kill your deer the hunt isn't over. There are varmints to hunt like coyote, fox, bobcat, and an occasional mountain lion. Feral hogs are considered pest on most ranches. Then there is also quail hunting, blues and bobs. Ponds loaded with some huge bass. Javalina are a bonus on a lot of places as well. All included on your non-resident license.

So pay ole Tony no mind and come on down to Texas. The only problem is you'll want to come back every year.

By the way here is a picture of a "quality" buck I rattled up last year on our low fence place. No feeder and No stand. I passed on him as he is a 160 class 6.5 year old buck. With all the rain so far this year he should go in the 180's. Rattling in a buck like this is quite an experience.

M16: not arguing with your score. I just like to try to score 'em on the hoof. It's a beautiful buck, with a great spread. I come up with a score of about 150. Where do you think I'm off?

Spread: 24"
Mass: 32
G1's 3+3
G2's 8+8
G3's; 9+9
G4': 4+4
Beams: 23+23
Total= 150

It's very difficult at least for me to score from a picture. Basically I think you are a little off on the mass and on the points. If you will notice his head is slightly up making the points appear a little shorter. But what do I know. I judged a deer last year at 176 and ground scored him at 188. I guess the moral to that story is when you see one that big shot first and score later.

Heck a trip to the Upper Penisula of Michigan or to Northern Wisconsin or Minnesota would give you a high quality deer hunt. There is an abundance of forest service or paper company land open to hunting, and you don't need a guide.

Deer are so plentiful, some of those states are offering people second tags hand over fist.

YOU can save a lot of that $6,000 and go with a really nice 'dream' rifle. Trophy quality in all three of those states, are only beaten by the Canadian Prairie Provinces. However success rates in the Upper Midwest will be a lot higher than Canada has to offer.

And the deer will be bigger than a Texas " game farm" buck.

A 200 lb field cleaned deer is no big deal in the Upper Midwest. Deer are big and fat, in the Northern Midwest, just like most of the women you will meet in the bars when you go out for a beer up there.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Bob, you pay those writers no mind and go ahead and pack your bags for that quality Texas hunt. Oftentimes those who get invited to help with advertising miss out on the real hunting that is available in Texas. Certainly we have our problems with the high fence, feeder, stand hunts but hey have you ever taken a moment to see how big Texas is - well duh! For the money in your budget you can have a chance at a nice whitetail, nilgai, several porkers a few rattlesnakes and still have time to fish some of the best spec trout/redfish waters in North America. Yes, if you are a nimrod you can even take some quail back home to Pa. Welcome to Texas.

If it was me I'd go on both the Texas deer and a caribou hunt.
There are alot of Texas deer hunts for 150" or better bucks for $3000 or less.Most throw in a doe or 2 and a hogs as well.
And for $3000 or so you can make a real caribou hunt to either Deception Bay Quebec ( which is as far north as you can go on in Quebec and is on the Artic Ocean. A much better deal/hunt than Schefferesville area where you worry about migrations) OR you can go to Alaska which is my favorite hunt for caribou. I live in Pa too, and go each August to Ak. to fish and 'bou hunt. three of us fly to Anchorage, hop a shuttle to Illiamna, then an air service over the Alaskan Range and camp on the tundra. You can stay as long as you want to hunt. As the cost of the flight is,what your paying for. We go for 10 days and the entire trip door to door is right at $3000.
Why not consider a spring turkey hunt with air in TX=$1000, a fall hunt Tx wht deer= $2750 with air and a Alaska 'bou drop camp with air=$3000?????? BB>

M, I agree with you on the score as he appears to be closer to 160 than 150 for the reasons you mention. With the rains we have had he should be a dandy in November.

muygrande, I agree with you wholeheartedly! Some of the disparaging remarks on this thread are made out of ignorance.

I've been hunting Texas nearly every year for the last twelve years, and it's one of my favorite hunting destinations, no question about it, and I'll be hunting there long after I've quit hunting in most other places. Texas is an absolutely wonderful state, with great people, fantastic food, and superb hunting. I like the weather, too! It's become like a second home to me.

You can hunt several counties if you'd like, and you can not only hunt whitetails but mule deer and hogs. The hog hunting is almost as much of a draw as the deer hunting is, at least for me!

You don't have to hunt as though you are some yokel in a blind, just waiting for the automatic feeder to go off and for someone to tell you to shoot--not by any means! You can make your Texas deer hunt just as challenging and rewarding as any deer hunt you'd participate in anywhere else.

AD

Allen, very well put and I know some Chambers of Commerce who would like to hire you to promote the many opportunites in their areas!

Bob257,
I think you might enjoy the hog hunting more than deer hunting if you get down to a good area. The hunts here are what you make of them and they are available for every taste. My mouth has started writing checks my body can't cash so I can not do as much as I want now that I have a little money, so do not hesitate, check them out and go for it.

Thanks for all the input. Of course I don't know if I'm totally clear on what to do, but at least I have some others opinions. I do have whitetail here in Pa of course, but I haven't been able to get on a 140+ buck. Mule deer would be interesting, but I'm hearing that they're in trouble as far as numbers and getting tags? I haven't ruled out elk or moose or anything for that matter. The hunt won't take place until fall of 2006, but I feel I should be checking out my options. I'll have to make a trip to the Eastern sportsmen show this coming March and talk to some of the outfitters. Any other input is welcome. I know a lot of you have had hunts that I've only dreamed of so I value your opinions.

Bob257

It all depends on what you want most. For me the setting is as important as the game. I love wilderness and mountains so if it were me I'd be thinking elk. I only have so many years left in my legs for climbing mountains so that's what I like to do. Sitting on top of a mountain with the whole world layed out in front of me is just a feeling beyond good description. For $6k you have a lot of options, none of which are bad. It's a matter of what means the most to you.

Jeff

Nothing against Texas, but if you want a great experience you might want to take a look at a Sitka Blacktail hunt in Alaska on Kodiak or one of the other coastal islands. Nice combo trips available with fishing for halibut and salmon included. And you get to see brown bears, killer whales and just generally spectacular scenery. And I think the limit is still three bucks.

I'm sure some of the AK guys could reccomend an outfitter or two.

Hey M16, Thats a good looking buck and it's good to see people are willing to let some get to the age needed to become real trophies. What county do you hunt in?

I'm hunting in Maverick County between Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs.

Bob257,

If you are not just completely sold on South Texas, there is a place in the Trinity River bottoms called The Big Woods it is more than 7,000 acres, fair chase and you have the option of hunting a blind or sneaking around and rattling. Habitat is bottomland forest with linear openings cut in a checker board pattern through the place. Great hog hunting and great duck hunting (when the weather cooperates). They are only in about year 4 or 5 of their management program and it is really begining to pay off. Don't let the price-per-point thing scare you, it's just business as usual for Texas these days unless you are on a yearly lease. For example, my lease in far East Texas is $1250 per hunter per year and you won't see nearly the deer you will at The Big Woods - a lease in South Texas will set you back probably at least 3x that. Finally, let me say that I am in no way financially connected with this place, in fact I've never been there ; however, I am a personal friend of the environmental consultant/wildlife biologist that has helped set this place up. He has promised to take me hog hunting there so I can try out the new .375 H&H. We went to college together and are on that same separate deer lease. The first deer listed for 2001-02 is my friend's wife's deer. She is also the photographer for most of the photos, other than the harvest ones. If you would like some more contact info PM or e-mail me.

I sent you a PM with some web sites and contact information for a few ranches in Texas. You have lots of time to plan, but part of the fun (at least for me) is looking at the different options and talking to people.

I do not have an economic interest in any of these places, they are just places I would consider (or have hunted) if I were doing a Texas deer hunt of the kind you asked about. If you have any questions let me know.

If you are careful in picking your hunt you should have a great time whether in Canada, Africa or Texas. Good luck.

If you want to hunt a great whitetail Texas is indeed the place. You have endless choices. High fence, low fence, no fence, Feeder hunting , spot and stalk etc etc. I have hunted there several times and I have never set foot on a high fence ranch. Setting in blinds a hundred yards from a feeder.....BIG DEAL ! How is that any different from the vast majority of the USA that still hunts ???? The great thing about it is that you will see more great bucks in one morning than you will in 10 years in many other states. You do not need to spend the whole 6k though. It is very easy to find a great hunt for around $3500 including lodging and a guide. Some of the bigger ranches charge around 4k for free roaming whitetail hunts. That leaves you with ample room for travel expenses and even a nice Texas BBQ dinner or two ! Travel to AK is very expensive when you count the airfare, charters to camp etc, licenses, tips etc etc. The only exception I can think of is a self guided hunt and then your chances of success are much lower. I'm certain you could work it out if it was a top priority. As far as going to Africa for 6k....maybee if you only want a two or three small animals, straight to the camp, straight home on the cheapest charter you can find.....MAYBE ! Personally returning home and wishing I would have had the $$$ to do it right or shoot one of "those" is not my idea of a good time.....But then what do I know ? After all I'm not a writer just someone who has actually hunted Texas and AK a few times Best of luck in your choice. I thought they were both great hunts but I look forward to returning to Texas more than most other places.