Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Texas deer hunting

I'm in the planning stage for next year, the 2003 season, and I'm trying to decide between a back country, horse pack in, Mule Deer hunt and a Whitetail Deer hunt in Texas. Anybody got a Texas guide or ranch they'd recommend? Its got to be free range, NO HIGH FENCE. With a reasonable chance at a 140 to 150 class deer. A 4 or 5 day hunt in the $1500 to $2500 range. Sound impossible? Thanks for your help.
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Mark,
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<br>I'm not sure free range, 140-150 B&C, and $2500 fit in the same catagory in Texas. Maybe............I have been stationed in the San Antonio area twice (am there now), and it's hard to believe what some charge just to hunt a whitetail deer. But do beware--the inexpensive "low-end" hunts are a real crap shoot. Been there, done that. BTW, I am driving home to Oregon this fall to elk hunt, and will buy enough lottery drawing tickets at a military facility in South Texas to get picked.
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<br>Blaine

Blaine,
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<br>Glad to see you made it back stateside. I look forward to reading your "Blaine Length" posts.

Mark, like deciding between an apple and an orange . I guess it depends on what makes you excited. I've done quite a few unguided horse hunts and personally would still take them over a Texas whitetail hunt anyday. Though I'll admit that I haven't tried a Texas hunt.
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<br>I know an outfitter in Saskatchewan who I've bear hunted with. He asks clients NOT to shoot deer under 140 and most still fill their tags. Every year or two they take a buck that'll knock your socks off. Usually, several will gross over the 170 mark. That out of a 20 hunter limit, if I remember right. And, a price tag of around $2500 US.
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<br>Personal preference, but I'd rather do the Canadian whitetail hunt than Texas if given the choice. Be ready for C-C-C-C-C-COOOOOLD weather though!

Man Muley Stalker I had to put on an over coat and 2 pair of long johns just to read your post. I'm from Alabama and don't like cccccccold weather.

Blaine pretty well lined it out for you. It is possible given your criteria but it sure isn't probable. You really have about three areas where you can be reasonably sure of killing something like what you want. South Texas brush country where you will hunt high fence places but they may be so big that you can't tell it. Davis Mountains or the Canadian River breaks. These won't be high fence but the odds are lower. Some big deer up there though if you can find them.
<br>I don't hunt Texas off my own place so I can't help you with guide/ranch listing.
<br>BCR

-- mark, avoiding cold weather on a horseback hunt for muleys will be chancy. The closer to the rut, is usually better, but the odds of hunting in the snow increases dramatically. Most mule deer states will likely have a decent chance of cold weather during any season. I've even seen it during the early archery seasons -- though you're more often dealing with sweltering heat in those seasons.
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<br>A muzzleloading back country hunt might be the ticket. "Typically" it'll be nice weather. The season in Colorado runs for 9 days, beginning the second Saturday of September -- but you'd have already needed to put in for a tag (draw only). Other states have some good early and late ML seasons too. During the early season, the bucks are often bunched into bachelor groups up near timberline. It's a beautiful and typically productive hunt!

Muley Stalker,
<br>I hunted Mule deer in Colorado a few years back, '95 or '96. It was the first week of gun season and the weather wasn't bad, 20s to 30s in the morning and 60s to 70s up in the day. As I recall it was the 10th or so of oct. I hunted black bear in Canada one year with snow and ice on the ground the 3 day of June. So I'm not that cold blooded. I know I'm too late for this year thats why I'm planning for next year. I know Texas is going to be tuff on a budget thats why I'm starting now, also if Texas don't workout then I can try to draw a Mule Deer tag this winter. I do bow hunt, I've taken 6 or 8 deer and the Black Bear, but now days I'm more into gun hunting. So ok, lets say I want to hunt Mule Deer, horsepack in the back country, with a rifle and on a budget. I'm not expecting a 30" buck, just a good hunt in some new country with a resonable chance at a good buck. Who and where would you recommend?

Mark, first season can fool you. The last several years have been mild, but I've also seen it far worse than the second and third seasons in the same year. You just need to be prepared for anything here.
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<br>As far as outfitters/guides. Good question. I don't know any who work the mountains. I have good friends (brothers) who are running a good deal on the eastern plains. It's a hell of a lease, from the sounds of it, but they only allow archery. Good mule deer AND whitetails. Maybe a post titled differently will get you some input on outfitters.

I think your chances of finding a place in Texas where you will have a decent chance at a 140 plus buck without a high fence and for $2500 or less are remote. Unless you define decent chance as "some hunter took one that size in this county 10 years ago". I'm not going to say it can't happen, but it is unlikely for both of your requirements to be met IMO.

I agree with one other fellow here, why hunt Texas for small whitetail deer when you can hunt Alberta, Sask or Manitoba for HUGE whitetail deer. In Sask and Manitoba it is very similar to hunting in Texas, in that you will more then likely be sitting in a small hut, watching a bait pile. It will be colder of course, but you can always add more clothes to stay warm. In Alberta you won't see as many deer, but those you do see will dwarf the whitetails you see in Texas.
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<br>One buddy of mine hunted Alberta and Sask - back to back - last fall. He killed a 178 B&C in Alberta and a 184 B&C in Sask. These whitetail deer went over 300lbs, each. Good outfitters are booked, 2, 3, 4, or more years in advance in Canada. The place my buddy goes in Alberta he has booked with that outfitter till 2010. I have seen 6 day hunts in Sask for $2500.00 at the Sportsmans Show in Harrisburg, PA.
<br>Chris Switzer (spelling is probably wrong on the last name). Two of my buddies hunted with him about 10 years ago. They both took whitetails in the 160 B&C range. He runs a lot of hunters through his camp but he has a LOT of unfenced property to hunt as well. Most hunters sit in little huts all day watching a bait pile about 150 yards away. I have talked to Chris at the Harrisburg show. He must have at least 100 stands.
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<br>I hunted hogs last Jan in Texas and from the deer I saw on that hog hunt, there is no way I would hunt whitetails in Texas. The largest deer I saw (in 3 days) was about a 140 class and their prices are more then in Canada.
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<br>I wish you luck on your hunt.
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<br>Don

http://www.hunting-in-texas.com/cc.htm#quality
<br>is a place that meets your criteria. They fine you if you shoot a smaller one though and its more expensive.
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<br>Chapparral on the Texas public hunts has 15% success and 150 bucks for a $100 4 day hunt on a bowhunt. There's 25% chance of getting drawn for it.
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<br>Some guy, actually it was Jeff Duncan, got a 230+ buck on a $50 Texas public hunt this year up by the Oklahoma-Texas border but that's bow hunting also. They get big ones up there all the time.