TnLungBuster Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 I'm looking for any help that I can get on hunting the state of Texas. I'd like to do a 5 day hunt without having to go thru an outfitter. Is there any suggestions on where to start as far as public land goes or would I be wasting my time? Thanks ahead of time for your comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDeerHunter Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt Unfortunately public land hunting in Texas is not good. There are some big Natl Forest Lands here , but the deer are pretty well educated about hunters. The really bad issue is that there are hundreds of idiots who hunt the public land because it is cheap and most of them do not respect the land or your safety. Are you looking for a bow hunt or gun hunt? Let me know and I might could help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TnLungBuster Posted May 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt It is me and 2 other guys that are looking to do a gun hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDeerHunter Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt I will do some checking for you. What time of year? Your best bet would be to do a day lease program or a package hunt. The problem is..............Texas is expensive, but there are some good deer and lots of them. What kind of deer are you wanting and what kind of budget? I can also give you an inside on some good areas for public hunting , but they are heavily pressured. If your coming for 5 days then mos likely you will be able to hunt a few days when the pressure might no be so bad like during the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TnLungBuster Posted May 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt I'd like to have the oppurtunity to take mature whitetails if possible and I dont want to spend over $1000 on the entire trip (that is gas, food, everything). What is the "day lease program"? Thanks for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDeerHunter Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt Well alot of ranches that have an abundance of deer will lease out their property by the day to hunters. In the hill country you can expect to pay about $100 a day per person with a two day minimum. Alot of places will take groups of two or more hunters , so you and your buddies could have the whole place to yourselves. Some places have a cabin and others just campsites and the bag limit varies from ranch to ranch. Most common is 1 buck , 1 doe , and 1 turkey. Usually hogs and varmits are unlimited. I have hunted alot of the hill country ranches and there are some good ones there, the bucks most likely will score 100-115 B&C. If you want a chance for big deer then you would have to hunt south Texas and the prices there are alot more. Most likely it would be out of your budget. I will research some places and let ya know, I know a few good hill country ranches and might possibly consider working out something on my place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt A realistic chance at a 150+ deer will typically run you anywhere from $1500 - $3500, depending on what services and amenities are offered. If you want a real trophy, say 180+, expect to spend much more. Again, thats for a realistic chance. There's always that one in a million chance you could take a trophy off of a day lease. It does happen a few times every year. You can also apply for a raffle from TPWD for a Big Time Texas Hunt when they become available. Not good odds of getting drawn, but it's worth a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shutter Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt Some people use www.deertexas.com to find day leases, packages, and yearly leases. I've never used it, but have heard of others using it with success. I will say, do your homework on those offerings. While most of the time the offers are legit, some have been burned (pretty rare from my understanding). Good luck finding a hunt. I know a couple of good outfitters, but they are a little more than 1K. If your budget changes, let me know. I know of some very good ranches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennswamper Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt IF someone knows of a ranch I can kill a 150" buck for $3500 or less, please let me know. I've been twice to Texas, going back next year but I've never seen anywhere I could do that but one place and it had to be an 8 or 9pt. Chances of that is slim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rifleman25 Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt [ QUOTE ] IF someone knows of a ranch I can kill a 150" buck for $3500 or less, please let me know. I've been twice to Texas, going back next year but I've never seen anywhere I could do that but one place and it had to be an 8 or 9pt. Chances of that is slim. [/ QUOTE ] I have hunted many, many times with Rick and Ekaine McDowell of Miami Texas. They own and operate Top Hand Hunts and do a wonderful job. I want to say the price for a 150 or better is like 2k-2500 The number is 806-868-2671 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDeerHunter Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Texas gun hunt Most of the places here are $2500-$3500 for a deer up to 149 inches and then $100 an inch for every inch over 150. There are several good ranches that offer opportunity on bucks over 150, but the truth is that less than 10% of hunters harvest a deer over 140. The problem is not finding a ranch with a hunt on 150 plus deer, it is finding a ranch in that price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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