Texas Whitetail hunt for honeymoon? Where to go?

[kodiakfly]

My wife and I are coming up on two years and we never did a honeymoon. So before any rug rats are part of the picture, we want to go on a honeymoon. The other day she suggests a South Texas deer hunt!

My wife does hunt; has her own bow and .308 but let's just say she prefers fair weather for hunting...thus South Texas and not Alberta. I've hunted Texas off the Frio and I've told her about it. She likes the idea of warm temps, shooting all kinds of animals and an easy hunt that doesn't involve physical training and packing out animals so I told her I'd look into it.

Now, I don't mind sleeping in a cinder block bunkhouse with scorpions on the floor, but I think she'd prefer a nicer environment if we're going to call this a honeymoon. So any suggestions of an outfit that has maybe air conditioned rooms, wine at dinner and crap like that? We don't need 170" bucks, and only condition is that it's not high fence, and whitetails being the primary game-not exotics. I know how Texas deer hunting works and I don't mind being driven right to my stand or even a feeder nearby.

I know I'm asking for a comfortable "puff" hunt, but if the wife is suggesting we go hunt for a week instead of me sunning my fat, pasty white ass on a beach somewhere, I'm down for whatever. I told her we could spend the weekend on Padre Island if she changes her mind and wants to walk on a beach.

Any suggestions?

 

[SDHNTR]

I'm going on a S TX hunt that sounds somewhat similar to what you are asking about and I leave Jan 1st. I want to bow kill a big free range whitetail without freezing my tail off and places like that are kinda hard to find without paying $5-6k+ In S TX. I also also love the multi species, multi target aspect of TX hunts with the ability to shoot hogs, javelina, does, cull bucks, free range exotics, turkeys, etc. This place took me a while to find and I haven't been there yet, but hit me up after Jan 7 and I will let you know how it went.

Another place I have been to that is nice is the Barnes Keith ranch. Pretty nice house to stay in, TONS of game, free range (well, the fence is on 3 sides) and lots of stuff to shoot at. Price is pretty reasonable for all the critters you can shoot. But it's the Hill Country, not South Texas. A top end buck is going to be 120-130". Fun place if you really want to plug the cooler and have a virtually sure chance at killing a nice buck. But if you want to kill a BIG one, go South.

 

[kodiakfly]

Thanks. I will hit you up. And good luck on the hunt.

I don't need a massive buck and my wife is fine with whatever. I'll take a 130 if it's a good time for "us" and she gets to kill something. As far as price, I don't want to say money is no object (it certainly is) but let's just say we're willing to pay "honeymoon" prices for a nice place compared to having to check our boots for scorpions and snakes in the morning.

Thanks.

 

[rhendrix]

What's your price range and what airport are you flying into?

 

[kodiakfly]

Open to suggestions at the moment. We'd prefer to not spend $10k each, but she was ready to drop several grand each on Hawaii...and I think if I find a place and start showing her even 130 to 140 class deer, she'd get pretty excited. And it doesn't need to be luxury, just needs to be nice accommodations and not a man camp.

This is really about meeting HER expectations; warm weather, easy hunt, plenty of animals...so I'm really thinking South Texas needs to get the nod, so San Antonio I assume. It's where I've flown in before.

 

[rhendrix]

I don't know if you're opposed to high fence game operations, but this guy is on Texasbowhunter.com and everyone that has hunted there has had an exceptional time and there are plenty of deer. He's in the hill country which is in Central TX. But it would be more than a couple of hours drive from San Antonio.

http://www.krivomanoutdoors.com/south-texas-trophy-bowhunts/

If you want I can post links from live hunts that guys have done on here as well.

 

[Browtine]

I've hunted the Briscoe-Gates Catarina Ranch several times down in the heart of the "Golden Triangle". It has good guides and modest accommodations and almost 20K low fenced acres. Most of the hunting is done out of high racks and what used to be a very desolate and peaceful area is now overrun with gas well traffic so you'll deal with lots of truck traffic, rutted roads and dust if its dry in that area. You pretty much have to hunt over feeders or corn the senderos, but we've also had decent luck rattling in nice bucks. I have no idea what they charge as I've always been lucky enough to be on "business". It's located a couple hours south of SAT between Carrizo Springs and Laredo. You'll see lots of deer and have easy opportunities for her, but it might not be warm, especially riding around in a high rack.

Here's my best from down there and we only hunt 2.5 days so I'm usually not very picky.

 

[SDHNTR]

Open to suggestions at the moment. We'd prefer to not spend $10k each, but she was ready to drop several grand each on Hawaii...and I think if I find a place and start showing her even 130 to 140 class deer, she'd get pretty excited. And it doesn't need to be luxury, just needs to be nice accommodations and not a man camp.

This is really about meeting HER expectations; warm weather, easy hunt, plenty of animals...so I'm really thinking South Texas needs to get the nod, so San Antonio I assume. It's where I've flown in before.

130-140 is nothing to sneeze at! Those are big bucks any way you slice it, IMO. You aren't gonna get them in the Hill Country. If that's your goal, S TX is where you want to be. If you want archery, find a guy who specializes in archery. You can always gun hunt a bow stand, but the opposite is rarely true.

 

[gelton]

I've hunted the Briscoe-Gates Catarina Ranch several times down in the heart of the "Golden Triangle". It has good guides and modest accommodations and almost 20K low fenced acres. Most of the hunting is done out of high racks and what used to be a very desolate and peaceful area is now overrun with gas well traffic so you'll deal with lots of truck traffic, rutted roads and dust if its dry in that area.

My thoughts exactly about the gas well traffic. I'm on a lease in far south texas near San Ygnacio, can see the mountians in Nuevo Leon Mexico from my deer blind. The view doesnt help though when you have generators running and a nice local driving through your place every morning to check guages greeting you from the blind at 8:30 every morning, even on Sundays. Check google earth to look for well pads or ask the landowner if that is the case.

Areas that used to hold great deer, like this lease, are dwindling because of all the fracking going on. All that we have been seeing is plenty of does, cull bucks, javelina and hogs, but nothing big by south texas standards.

With that being said, King Ranch is legendary to Texas locals but looks like they want 5K for a 170 class deer. Anything close to or south of Freer would be good but dont discount Central/West Texas around Junction (Mason County) or near San Angelo. You will probably see more deer with very nice bucks. My father in law hunts on a lease near San Angelo and it seems like he gets a 140 class nearly every year with a couple of 160 +.

EDIT - Also - I hunted there this past weekend and it was 45 degrees in the morning and got up to the low 80's by mid day. The deer hadnt even started rutting yet.

Not much help on a landowner but can help out a bit on general areas.

 

[kodiakfly]

130-140 is nothing to sneeze at! Those are big bucks any way you slice it, IMO. You aren't gonna get them in the Hill Country. If that's your goal, S TX is where you want to be. If you want archery, find a guy who specializes in archery. You can always gun hunt a bow stand, but the opposite is rarely true.

Absolutely, 130 is a fine deer, and I would shoot one on this trip. I'm just saying when you check out the TX deer websites, they're loaded with 170+ deer and up to 130" is a management buck on a lot of properties. It'd definitely be an archery hunt, but she'd probably take her rifle just to make sure. LOL

 

[kodiakfly]

Awesome deer.

 

[SDHNTR]

Absolutely, 130 is a fine deer, and I would shoot one on this trip. I'm just saying when you check out the TX deer websites, they're loaded with 170+ deer and up to 130" is a management buck on a lot of properties. It'd definitely be an archery hunt, but she'd probably take her rifle just to make sure. LOL

Keep in mind, most of those monsters are high fenced. Even in S TX, free range, I'd say your average mature buck is going to be 130s-150s. You only see the best of the best on outfitters websites, TV, mags, etc. Going anywhere with the expectation of a wild170" whitetail is a stretch, a big stretch.

 

[Browtine]

Keep in mind, most of those monsters are high fenced. Even in S TX, free range, I'd say your average mature buck is going to be 130s-150s. You only see the best of the best on outfitters websites, TV, mags, etc. Going anywhere with the expectation of a wild170" whitetail is a stretch, a big stretch.

Agree 100%. I've probably seen 150+ bucks on the Gates-Briscoe over 3 trips and probably only a handful would have squeaked over 150".

 

[SDHNTR]

Browtine, what did your buck go? 140ish gross? Can't quite see if he's a 10 or a 9. That's a tank of a buck and has the cool factor with that spread. One of those awesome bucks where the score doesn't accurately reflect the animal. I like the splat on that prickly pear in the background too!

 

[gelton]

Keep in mind, most of those monsters are high fenced. Even in S TX, free range, I'd say your average mature buck is going to be 130s-150s. You only see the best of the best on outfitters websites, TV, mags, etc. Going anywhere with the expectation of a wild170" whitetail is a stretch, a big stretch.

This is absolutely true. Especially on our low fence lease, which is why I mentioned to the op to check out west texas as well. There are some really nice bucks out that way. The bodies arent as big as the south texas deer but the racks in the 130-150 area are neck and neck with south texas. If you are looking for 150+ the edge goes to south texas.

Here's a sampling of my year so far in south texas, does, cull bucks, javelina:

 

[Browtine]

Browtine, what did your buck go? 140ish gross? Can't quite see if he's a 10 or a 9. That's a tank of a buck and has the cool factor with that spread. One of those awesome bucks where the score doesn't accurately reflect the animal. I like the splat on that prickly pear in the background too!

I haven't put a tape on him, but I'd guess you're close. He's a 9, if his right, matched his left, he might make it into the mid/upper 140s.

I find the south Texas bucks hard to judge becuase their bodies aren't near as big as I'm used to seeing in KS which makes their headgear look huge on the hoof.

He definitely left an easy blood trail to follow!

 

[kodiakfly]

Keep in mind, most of those monsters are high fenced. Even in S TX, free range, I'd say your average mature buck is going to be 130s-150s. You only see the best of the best on outfitters websites, TV, mags, etc. Going anywhere with the expectation of a wild170" whitetail is a stretch, a big stretch.

Agreed. I'm not even seeking a 170 deer. Heck I'd pee myself with a 150. I've got no issue with 130" deer. Especially since I've not hunted whitetails in so long, I'd probably shoot the first 100" deer I see and be completely happy with it. I plan to do a lot of research and shopping around over Christmas when I get some free time. to really surf the web and see what's out there.

 

[1hoda]

Hill Country is more scenic if you aren't after a wallhanger. Also, s Tx brush country can be nasty wet, bone chilling humid type cold in Jan or Feb if conditions are right. Plan for Nov/Dec and wx is consistently better. Ask the outfitters about the timing of the rut in their areas - should be in late Nov/Dec. s Tx bucks seem to move a lot more than whitetail bucks in other parts of the country during the rut so you'll get to see some bucks that haven't been on a particular ranch all year if you time it right.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Absolutely, 130 is a fine deer, and I would shoot one on this trip. I'm just saying when you check out the TX deer websites, they're loaded with 170+ deer and up to 130" is a management buck on a lot of properties. It'd definitely be an archery hunt, but she'd probably take her rifle just to make sure. LOL

Texas is very ranch specific(not area nor county like people think). We kill a 150 or better ever year on places I hunt LF in Mason and Brady(both hill country). Heck there is a public place that's a draw hunt just down from my house in NTX that has one that pushes or breaks 200 just about every other year. Just about every county in Texas has 150 genetics, difference is if it lives long enough to express it.

Whitetails don't migrate, once you exceed thier home area you are managing the same deer for years.

Just remember 130,140,150 doesn't mean much as a number... It's the down score(frame) that makes a deer impressive. 99% of people would take A 130-140 8pt over a 130-140 10pt because the frame will be more impressive. 140 8pt is a stud with in its own right.

As far as archery hunting, just depends on how you want to hunt and what you want to look at all day. East tx pine trees, hill country mesquites, north and central tx big oaks, STX scrub or panhandle plains.

Also don't disregard HF just because of a fence. If it's over 2k acres and native genetics it's still a hunt. Fence doesn't make them tame.

Regardless where you hunt pack a camera. Will keep you from getting trigger happy. Have fun and forget horn size. Just being on a good ranch watching mature 6.5 or older deer is a hell of a treat.

 

[mauidiver]

Did you find anything yet? I have a couple leeds for you and your wife. Feel free to PM and I'll set you up.