Dont look now but here comes hunting season

[tommurtha]

yep, slightly over 20,000 lbs of corn last year and over 25k miles maintaining ranches and hunting. Call it a passion or an obsession

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your venison cost per lbs has to be astronomical

[Mastercraftdave]

That is a lot of corn. I thought I had a lot to keep up.

Dave those hogs love your place. Are they there year round or only portions of the year? Late summer/early fall is when the come on my place. HOGS ARE THE DEVIL!!!

It really depends. When the drought hit last year they left in October and I didn't see them again until April. They haven't left sense and every time I sit out there, they never show up

Hogs are awful, they destroy food plots and will ruin a deer population. I can tell you that the deer and hogs work in a circle. if the hogs are at one field on one side of the property, the deer are on the opposite side.

Its been wet this year so no reason for them to leave and find a water source. I have a trap coming that I plan on releasing havoc on them.

[Mastercraftdave]

yep, slightly over 20,000 lbs of corn last year and over 25k miles maintaining ranches and hunting. Call it a passion or an obsession

How many deer to do kill a year? Do you need a hand hunting all this land ?

[pmkkdx]

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your venison cost per lbs has to be astronomical

probably not much higher, if any, than store bought beef with the prices here lately.

4 of the places I don't have to pay anything to hunt, as I am there to manage & develop the herd & population (2 in central TX + one out west) OR guiding for paid hunters plus get hunting privileges for trophy quality animals (panhandle) ... the one in east TX is my only paid lease and it's reasonable in price. Both east TX and panhandle are on TPWD MLD3 programs where all the tags are provided by the state distributed by the biologist based on deer counts for the area. This means there is potential for a very large quantity of deer to be had (son and I took 12 deer between us last season off east TX lease, 16 the previous year) leaving my 5 remaining tags from my license to be used at the other locations. This is not to mention the number of feral hogs we take each year (year around) that are considered a nuisance animal. Makes for good venison hamburger and lots of sausage/pork roasts ... 3 full size freezers to fill.

[pmkkdx]

How many deer to do kill a year? Do you need a hand hunting all this land ?

it varies from year to year based on census counts by each property. could vary from 4 up to over 20 per year between all the ranches.

there is already a line of volunteers offering to help except in the panhandle (well there too but not many can afford those hunts when I get to guide)

[Mastercraftdave]

probably not much higher, if any, than store bought beef with the prices here lately.

4 of the places I don't have to pay anything to hunt, as I am there to manage & develop the herd & population (2 in central TX + one out west) OR guiding for paid hunters plus get hunting privileges for trophy quality animals (panhandle) ... the one in east TX is my only paid lease and it's reasonable in price. Both east TX and panhandle are on TPWD MLD3 programs where all the tags are provided by the state distributed by the biologist based on deer counts for the area. This means there is potential for a very large quantity of deer to be had (son and I took 12 deer between us last season off east TX lease, 16 the previous year) leaving my 5 remaining tags from my license to be used at the other locations. This is not to mention the number of feral hogs we take each year (year around) that are considered a nuisance animal. Makes for good venison hamburger and lots of sausage/pork roasts ... 3 full size freezers to fill.

Man you I would say this is a passion. Send me a PM with some of your guided hunt prices and locations. I have always wanted to make a guided hunt just always leary of the places I find with the cost and not knowing anyone that hunted there before.

[pmkkdx]

most, if not all, of the guided hunts are booked out several years in advance thru my BIL, he merely has me come up to help guide when there are schedule conflicts or too many hunters coming at the same time. not cheap either IMO.

I know a number of outfitters that have decent hunts, guided, semi-guided and DIY for reasonable rates to outrageous depending on accommodations & class of deer expectations ... let me know what you are looking for and I can find you something. My son has a part time gig with one that I would recommend depending on your budget and what you are looking for. They have a wide variety of ranches, both LF and HF, with white tail to a wide variety of exotics (can hunt year around here in TX on exotics) from cull or meat hunts up to some high class trophies (200+ inch WT HF, 150+ WT LF)

[Mastercraftdave]

most, if not all, of the guided hunts are booked out several years in advance thru my BIL, he merely has me come up to help guide when there are schedule conflicts or too many hunters coming at the same time. not cheap either IMO.

I know a number of outfitters that have decent hunts, guided, semi-guided and DIY for reasonable rates to outrageous depending on accommodations & class of deer expectations ... let me know what you are looking for and I can find you something. My son has a part time gig with one that I would recommend depending on your budget and what you are looking for. They have a wide variety of ranches, both LF and HF, with white tail to a wide variety of exotics (can hunt year around here in TX on exotics) from cull or meat hunts up to some high class trophies (200+ inch WT HF, 150+ WT LF)

Thanks, I will be in touch.

I want to see some of those monsters that Im sure you have on camera.... My deer are babies compared to what you are seeing.

[406planker]

Archery antelope in MT right now and general archery starts on Sep. 2. Between me and the wife we've got 4 antelope tags, 3 elk tags, 4 deer tags and 1 bear tag left. Bring it on!

[tommurtha]

Archery antelope in MT right now and general archery starts on Sep. 2. Between me and the wife we've got 4 antelope tags, 3 elk tags, 4 deer tags and 1 bear tag left. Bring it on!

I need 3 houses at least, one for skiiing, one for winter and one for hunting

[406planker]

I need 3 houses at least, one for skiiing, one for winter and one for hunting

I think I could go for a setup like that too. I suppose winter and hunting homes could be combined though, at least where I'm from..

[tommurtha]

I think I could go for a setup like that too. I suppose winter and hunting homes could be combined though, at least where I'm from..

I meant a no snow winter home

[2RLAKE]

Working to finish the bathroom at my barn ... finally ... after 5 months ... have the septic tank installed now i just need the cistern. I plumbed everything Sunday ... love working with PEK ... and now just need water. The plumber is interested in my 30' travel trailer so i will sell that if possible and throw a couple of beds in a big tent ... hopefully this time next year i will have the cabin and bunk room all finished ... just need more time and money!

[406planker]

I meant a no snow winter home

But there's so much fun to be had in the snow!

[leadsthebest]

406 I'm jealous of all your tags in Montana. I would love to see some pics. I understand if you don't want to post them on the internet. Loose lips, sink ships!