The hunt takes place on a ranch in Dripping Springs, TX (about 30 minutes from Austin). The ranch is 1,850 acres and is low fenced. Normally this area of Texas doesn't produce trophy deer, but this place has some true trophies. The reason for this is because the ranch is part of a whitetail management co-op that is made up of 9 or 10 ranches totalling around 15,000-20,000 acres that are all well managed and protein fed year-round. It is not a "guaranteed" hunt, but the success rate is very good. Last year, 13 out of 15 hunters went home with bucks between 145" & 175". The average trophy buck taken on this hunt is about 155", which is a heck of a nice buck anywhere, but especially in this part of Texas.

I just visited the ranch 2 weeks ago on a 3 day hog hunt. I saw lots of whitetails and turkey, and 3 of the bucks that I saw looked very promising. One of them looked like he would have a 20-22" spread with at least 10 points and LOTS of mass (bases were probably 7 inches).

The hunt is for 4 days/4 nights and includes all meals, lodging, and your guide. You will be allowed to take 1 trophy buck, 1 management buck (any mature buck with 8 points or less), 1 Hog, and 1 Turkey. The cost is $3,500. Also, they don't like to run more than 2 hunters at a time (unless requested), so 2 hunters will have the entire ranch to themselves for rattling, spot & stalk, blind hunting, etc....

If you anyone is interested, send me a PM and I will put you in contact with the operator. I can also get references for anyone who needs them.

As a reference myself (not for the whitetail hunt, but for the property and hogs), I can honestly say the meals and lodging are top notch. The lodge is not fancy, but it is extremely clean and organized. It is inspected (once a month I believe) by the health department. There is one bunk room with 3 bunk beds (sleeps 6) and then a private room with a queen size bed for a couple if desired. A heck of a deal in today's expensive hunting market.

Also......I don't want to mislead anyone. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I don't get anything for booking hunts. The operator told me that if I can book him some hunts, that I will get a discount on a Whitetail hunt. He is having surgery sometime this month and will not be able to make it to the hunting shows like usual, and that's why he made me the offer. I would very much like to hunt a buck on this ranch this fall, due to the fact that it looks like I won't be able to hunt anywhere else this year. The price is the same, whether you book directly with him or thru me, I'm not getting any money. I just wanted to make that clear.

Here are a few pics of whitetail from the ranch......

.......and here are a few pics of the lodging.

You might want to move this to the outfitters forum.

I'm surprised by the extreme lack of interest I'm getting about this hunt. I guess the economy really is getting bad.

I would probably be interested if I hadn't already gotten on two leases this year.

Were the first two photos taken at the hunter's homes after they got their heads back from the taxidermist?

Reason I ask - there are no pine trees native to Dripping Springs and you can clearly see one over the guy's shoulders.

Troy

I would say the picture were taken in the same spot. There is a weathered gray fence post over the hunters shoulders. I don't know what your pines look like in texas, but I don't see any in the top two picts.

What time of year is the season?

Yes.......I believe the first 2 pics were a father/son team and they took pictures at their home and sent them to the operator. He's got a couple other nice pictures in photo albums and in his newest brochure, but for some reason they're not on his website yet.

I leave about 20 minutes from Dripping Springs and have lived in Texas in my whole life - and hunted here as well.

If the deer are really this big in this co-op 15K-20K acre area and it indeed is low fenced, then this is a one in a million location in the world that no one else knows about.

Austin Hunter,

Yep.......I know it's pretty hard to believe. You are right. But you can do this anywhere in Texas if you can get enough land together and if the landowners will actually participate.