Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Antelope processing

Maybe I have lucky but even the ones that were a long ways from alfalfa and clearly living in sagebrush tasted great to me. The buck I shot last year was feeding in a grass pasture and was also great but I didn't notice much difference in quality among any of them. As others have said-I was warned to get them dressed and cooled quickly and I took that advice seriously.

Their summer diet is mainly grass if they have it. In the winter, they eat sagebrush. I don't think I'd want to eat one that's been on a sage diet.

Just the value of the lease in quality of hunting vs doing paid hunts. Like dollars spent per year vs animals harvested and days in the field, quality of the hunts etc. Was there any BS that went along with the lease that you eliminated? Obviously the paid hunts are working good for you and the variety would be a pretty big plus.

In Texas, it is easier to find a Telephone Booth than a lease of much promise to hunt on. Nearly every lease has a "quality management program", meaning you'll never see anything better than a 120 if you're lucky. Owners are after the money & really have no concern for your success even though they charge you $2500 or more annually. High fence leases must feed their animals gold dust for the prices they charge. True trophy leases cost a 401K or an IRA. There is constant argument that the indigenous animals belong to the people of Texas, yet most of them are stacked up behind high fences. It is illegal to own Whitetails in Texas unless you have paid the right money to the right people. Once you find a lease you spend money, time & labor in an attempt to prepare your hunting area. Later, the owner decide you don't fit into his "Good Ole Boys Club" and does not extend your spot for the next season. So, you improve his property & get nothing in return. I once had a lease boss who offered my camping spot to his buddy and they moved my trailer out of their way. Had they asked me to move it I would have done so without issue. Went to the lease to hunt, arrived after dark and had no idea where my trailer was. It wasn't where I left it.


Paid hunts offer variety as you mentioned. They are readily available. You can get into them for as little or as much as you care to pay. Paid hunts do not require me to haul a flotilla of travel trailers, blinds, feeders, ATV's & other related equipment hundreds of miles across the state only to have to haul it all back the next season. Feeding costs. Protein costs. If your lease is in deep East Texas, the safety of your equipment is suspect at best. If you are on a lease you can go hunt as often as you please. If you do that on paid hunts you can run out of funds quickly. Paid hunts are hospitable, trustworthy & cordial if you get with the right folks.

Thanks for the reply. I figured there was a story in there somewhere. I've always had a place to hunt when I wanted to go. This public land deal looks interesting. I can't wait to get some experience. I had the chance to go over 20 years ago with a friend who was pretty successful at it. I wish now I would have.

Here's a photo of Daughter #1 with one of our 2016 antelope. The cooler she is standing on is one of four large coolers we took. Doe antelope fold up nicely inside, We fill two with bags of ice. The skinning rack consists of two 1"x1" square tube, 4 bolts/lock washers/nuts, some black pipe/elbows/nipples/etc. and a 2x4. Goes up and comes down in seconds. We gut them on the ground, skin them and ice them down. Awesome eating.

Sounds great. Try to find some alfalfa where I hunt.