Gentlemen, My wife marks one of those birthdays next year which ends in zero. I would like to take her on a trophy whitetail hunt. i would like recommendations for Texas ranches with some of the following attributes:
Welcoming and accepting of female hunters.
Comfortable lodging (lodge type setting)with privacy for a couple.
Free range or very large fence.
I am seeking opportunities on Bucks noticeably bigger than our average Alabama buck, however my name is not Rockefeller.
I would particularly appreciate recommendations from those who have been there.

I am not interested in a free range hunting debate.

Thanks.

There are many, many ranches that sell white-tail deer hunts, and your budget is the main limiting factor. As for being spouse-friendly, Texans are generally very civil towards ladies, especially those that hunt. Wherever you book, make sure you get a private bedroom; you do not want to be in a barracks with other hunters.

Look at the Junco Ranch in Webb County. They have been producing consistently for years.

You may be bombarded with offers from booking agents who troll this site. They may even provide photos of deer taken in the past; sometimes, the animals in the photo were taken elsewhere but are used to hook customers.

Insist on a) the name of the ranch; b) at least five references from last year and call each one (yes, they may be shills, but you can often sniff them out with careful questioning); and, c) research the area with Texas Parks & Wildlife.

There are Texas-specific forums; you may want to check there, as well.

George

Check with Wade Abade, he posts on AR as eland slayer.

Thank you both. George, your comments are both prudent and appreciated.

Carter's County in Houston books hunts on (2) ranches. Bill Carter owns both ranches. A Fantastic Texas gentleman, Fine lodging and super deer.
No matter where you book, be prepared to pay by the inch or BC score. We're proud of our deer here in TX.

Bamabow,

You won't find any ranch in Texas that's less than accomdating towards your wife.
If you should come across one, let me know. I have three of the biggest momma loving hillbillies working for me that would be happy to set them straight.

My suggestion on a hunt would be, I gonna get grief here, a high fenced hunt.

Nothing more boring that staring out a window when it's 30F and not seeing a thing.

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
There are many, many ranches that sell white-tail deer hunts, and your budget is the main limiting factor. As for being spouse-friendly, Texans are generally very civil towards ladies, especially those that hunt. Wherever you book, make sure you get a private bedroom; you do not want to be in a barracks with other hunters.

Look at the Junco Ranch in Webb County. They have been producing consistently for years.

You may be bombarded with offers from booking agents who troll this site. They may even provide photos of deer taken in the past; sometimes, the animals in the photo were taken elsewhere but are used to hook customers.

Insist on a) the name of the ranch; b) at least five references from last year and call each one (yes, they may be shills, but you can often sniff them out with careful questioning); and, c) research the area with Texas Parks & Wildlife.

There are Texas-specific forums; you may want to check there, as well.

George

Very good advice!!!

You can try the West Kerr Ranch, near Mountain Home, Tx. They have a very good management program, and accomodations include a double wide trailer with private bedrooms in addition to a bunkhouse. Don't let the term "trailer" fool you, it is very comfortable. The Kana's are great people, and will make you feel more than comfortable. The food there is also excellent. I have hunted there 5 times, and each hunt has been a great experience.

Toby Joe Truby has some great whitetail hunts up in the panhandle. His number is (806) 690-7803. He is reasonably priced and kills big deer. May not be exactly what you're looking for but he's good stuff.

PM sent. I sell a few hunts every year on my South Texas ranch.

I didn't realize that M16 sold any hunts, but with that knowledge, I would HIGHLY recommend trying to work out a deal with him. His property is intensely and intelligently managed, and you can see the results for yourself in his photos. And being that it's his own playground, so to speak, you can rest assured that it is not over-hunted, either.

Plus, in terms of philosophy, he is "old-school" in that family, honor and integrity still mean something to him.

Thank you all for your comments and PM's. I'm normally a "read only" type on this forum so I'm having to get used to checking PM's. I will respond to all of them soon.

I need to clarify my initial comments. I'm not totally put off on fences, but I don't want to hunt "Fred or George" or whatever they named the one with the blue tag in it's ear. I am not seeking 200" massive recordbooks. I am looking to take my wife somewhere that she can see multiple bucks over several days that are 130 +...a managed ranch, fenced or not.It is rare to see such deer locally and I'd like to treat her to something special.

I hope this clarifies things a bit. Thanks for all of the input.

I would second the recommendation for either of the two ranches that Bill Carter owns. They are both very accommodating to families and you will not meet a nicer bunch of folks.

Apache Springs is in the Texas Hill Country just West of San Antonio a beautiful property with a crystal clear spring and a high bluff in front of the camp house. This ranch offers both deer and exotic. Apache has a high fenced section of a few thousand acres for deer and a low fenced section in the front of the property that has deer and exotics.

Sombrerito Ranch is just outside Laredo in classic South Texas brush country. Yes high fence but it is 12K acres and I believe something like 20 square miles of heavy brush. The camp has a camp house with private rooms and three stand alone cabins used by couples.
You will see hundreds of 130+ deer each day and you will also get opportunity to hunt hogs, javalina, coyotes and bob cats at no additional charge.

You can book directly with them through their website.

Regards,
Mario

Make sure you look into KillamRanchCompany before you make your final decision. you will not be sorry.

I know some guys in South Texas but you are looking at paying more than what yo can get a 130-class buck for elsewhere. Other places to consider outside South Texas would be Mesquite Country Outfitters, the Nail Ranch, or the Cook Ranch. I have talked to these folks and hunted around some of their places, but not hunted on the particular ranches. The problem may be that they are booked well in advance.

M16 does have some real nice deer and does some hunts from time to time.

When I hunted South Texas, I leased through John Austin, and he was still doing package hunts last time I talked to him.

Bamabow

PM sent with info of a friend that I use to guide with in Texas

Good luck on whomever you choose.

I have made several hunts with Krooked River Ranch near Haskel, website krro.net. It is something like 40,000 acres no high fence. Every deer I have taken was above 130 best being 148. The thing I like about there operation is that they have a main house for dinning and such but you stay in private bunk houses. Each has two beds private bath with shower and closet. The rooms are cleaned each day with fresh sheets and towels waiting when you return from hunting. Two hunters per guide unless you upgrade to one on one, and each guide has his own section of the ranch so you don't bumb into other hunters. Seeing lots of bucks is not a problem there and the Ranch has some big ones if you hold out and have a little luck, outfitter/owner's name Roy Wilson.

Thanks for all the replies Gents. I have contacted several operations suggested and continue to develop alternatives.