Who can go? When? Texas 2003

[Calif. Hunter]

April 19 would be fine for me, but l-pointer wants it March 8 or March 15.

Tom (since you are "local" ) - can you find out what it looks like on those two weekends (but NOT if one of them is Easter!) with Thompson? If he already has more than a couple of people booked, then we should look at the April 19 date. If he just has a couple of people already booked, that's okay. What will he need to reserve the weekend?

All of the above is just my 2 cents - what do the rest of you think?

 

[Tom]

Ok, I called him and we'll see what the other weekends in March are like in numbers booked. He goes by first come, first serve. If he is confident a group will be big he holds the whole ranch for a while allowing people to get their deposits in. That's how he confirms a date for a hunter, with a $50 deposit. Most people so far here want March, and not the last weekend. I got that. I called and left a message asking if there are any weekends in March with just a few hunters booked. He's out of town, and will call back after he gets the messages off of his machine. If not, are there any problems with April 19th besides Easter is April 20th. We'll see what he says for numbers booked.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

If Easter is April 20, you can count me out for that weekend. Maybe Thompson just has a hard time filling that weekend and figures we'll get a few guys to do it.

 

[Nut]

I'm with Cali on The Easter weekend. No way.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Do we have a date that weekend, Nut??? I didn't know we were together that weekend...

 

[Nut]

Only if you want a date Cali I will put my dress on and you can pick me up at 7.

 

[Kraven]

That would be a definite no for me on the 20th since it is Easter.

 

[Moosie]

If it's during April (TURKEY SEASON, I might make a quick trip down.. i have a turkey on Ol' AA's place with my name on it

 

[Shaky]

Tom,

I hunted this place last Jan 2002 and had a great time. I did not connect with a hog even though I did see some. Can you beleive they were out of my range?

My buddy got a hog at 135 yards. The weather really messed us up but thats why they call it "hunting"

The food was absolutely fantastic. I would go back just for the grub. If you don't get enough to eat, its your own fault. Just as an example they cooked us 12 eggs, 2lbs of sausage, 8 peices of toast and a quart of juice for breakfast. There wasn't anything left after the 2 of us finished breakfast. For dinner one night they slow cooked a briskit out on the grill outside over mesquitte. It was a 5lb briskit. Another night they cooked 2lb T-bone steaks on the grill. I think I gained about 10lbs on that trip. The lodge is really nice and fairly new, its only a few years old.

Here is a link:

www.venadogranderanch.com

We booked the hunt thru Ray Atkinson.

I got a rate of $379.00 per person for 10 or more hunters - we have 15 going. This rate includes everything.

I would be interested in a cull axis deer hunt if it wasn't to expensive. I have no use for the antlers but I hear the meat is the best.

If you know of a place that offers cull hunts for axis deer, please forward that info.

Jim and I plan on returning to Texas in March or April for another hog hunt and possibly an axis deer hunt - cull hunt. We are always looking for places to hunt.

I would enjoy killing some axis deer at 1000 yards

Jim and myself have already booked a deer hunt in southern GA. We know a fellow down there that owns 2500 acres and he says he has way to many deer - thats the kind of "problem" I like. Jim will be buck hunting and I will be cull (doe) hunting. I was told I am allowed to kill 3 doe a day. We plan on going for 3 or 4 days.

I leave Monday for Colorado to hunt elk with Jim. I have a bull tag and 2 cow tags. I hope to kill a few elk.

I have booked a 3 day pheasant hunt in Iowa for the fall of 2003, with Jim and others. Sounds like a good time.

So many animals to kill, so little time.

Don

 

[Tom]

Shaky,

Here's a bunch. I haven't been to them though. Let me know if you call them and any of them are good.

Tom


EXOTIC Game Hunting in the Hill Country, Fallow, Axis, Oryx, Black Buck, Red Deer, Sika, Sheep, & Etc. Contact Ken Wimberley 915-446-2742 830-459-2742

HONDO, exotic animal hunt. $500 per animal - no other fee. Axis, Fallow, Black buck, Corsican, TX Dall, & 4 horned rams. 830-426-4429 after 5p

WEEKEND-HUNTS, Kimble Co. Deer, Axis, 210-269-7466 porterranch.8m.com

AXIS meat hunt, others no shoot-no pay, Bulverde, metro 830-980-4603

EXOTIC Game Hunting in the Hill Country, Fallow, Axis, Oryx, Black Buck, Red Deer, Sika, Sheep, & Etc. Contact Ken Wimberley 915-446-2742 830-459-2742

HONDO, exotic animal hunt. $500 per animal - no other fee. Axis, Fallow, Black buck, Corsican, TX Dall, & 4 horned rams. 830-426-4429 after 5p

TAXIDERMY MOUNTS: Auodad, Sika, Fallow, Axis, Black Buck, Turkey Pheasant & more. Will consider trades. Call for info 522-3955

WEEKEND-HUNTS, Kimble Co. Deer, Axis, 210-269-7466 porterranch.8m.com

AXIS meat hunt, others no shoot-no pay, Bulverde, metro 830-980-4603

HUNTING WHITETAIL, Axis deer, & Fallow Deer, Stonewall area. TX 830-644-2919

ARCHERY Hunting, Axis Deer Day Hunts in Junction, Tx., $100/day. Irrigated pecan bottom, South Llano Farms. 915-446-8271(9am-6pm)

HUNTING WHITETAIL, Axis deer, & Fallow Deer, Stonewall area. TX 830-644-2919

Some may be expensive, some are not, their just adds. Let me know if you call them and find out something.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

The one place that says "Weekend Hunts, Kimble" at Porter Ranch seems to be too good to be true. (I checked their website) Low fence on two sides of ranch, so game is somewhat free ranging. They have 4 2-hunter blinds with feeders, and the price is $400 and you can get one of almost everything they have, included in that price. I just wonder how much game actually comes in?

 

[Nut]

That does look inviting CH. It would beat stopping after you get 1 kill. But you do wonder on how much game you will see.

 

[Nut]

It is also just a little south of Ole Bob's place I believe. Can anybody check on this place? There is only 4 bunks in the house. Wonder if they allow a tent? So many questions. Need a scout

 

[Tom]

Nut, you can call them up and ask the questions. Here's some of my thoughts on that one. Its $400 for a weekend hunt, its $250 liscense to hunt whitetail and that covers turkey and the exotics also. You're looking at $650 if you're out of state. Most axis are not hard during much of the whitetail season, so what are you going to hunt for a buck, one of them, maybe two, if you hunt archery season in Oct. or early Nov. with rifle. You do have to know how many there are there and when they are there and we don't know that yet. Thompson's place has $180 for one ram and all the aoudads and varmints you can shoot and he has been doing this 25 years plus and has great animals, we know that. Some people last year shot a second ram for another $180. I don't think anybody shot 3 and that would still be just $540+$35 and you only have to pay more than the $180 when you shoot additional $180 rams. Last year we had exotic doe hunts for $100-$150 and nobody wanted to go except Moosie and Cali. The place where Moosie got that small blackbuck has a lot of does for $100 each and is right by Thompson's place, that's an option before or after Thompson's ram hunt, a blackbuck doe for $100. At Thompson's the hunt is over 3 days, so that gives two more days for the same $35 liscense to hunt something somewhere else. We did the place Danr suggested last year and saw stuff but didn't get anything. We saw lots of antelope at the place where Moosie got his, Cali knows. An antelope doe is good meat and a tanned hide would make a neat hunting book cover or pilow cover. I could check that to make sure its still available if people wanted to do that. I could check the javelina place too, that was $75 for two of them, camping free, or nice cabin for another $25/person. Hogs are there too for a little more. The same out of state, over the counter, $35 5 day liscense covers the exotics, javelina, and hogs. The whitetail and turkey have a season and a higher liscense cost but are still over the counter. You get 4 turkey tags and about 5 whitetail tags and a mule deer tag with that liscense. Some work in some counties and some don't. Kimble county is a 5 whitetail deer county, with 2 or less bucks/liscense. Its a 4 turkey county with either sex this year. Archery season is basically Oct. and general (or rifle, etc.) is basically Nov.-Dec. but Texas Parks and Wildlife has the exact dates. That's by the state, then the landowner, as at that web page puts some limits on that as described at the web page Cali looked at. There's some thoughts on it. I'm not anxious to go scout this place as its bow season now and I'd rather hunt. If there was a lot of interest, I could work on it. August is when most of the axis bucks get hard, then they drop in November. There's lots of places with axis does for $250 and I found some at $150 last year in March but nobody wanted to go.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Thanks, Tom. I think a lot of the folks from outside of Texas are not so interested in the meat if they are flying down there. So the doe hunts probably do not excite them.

Thanks for your efforts in helping to set up the hunt. Thompson's is probably the best bet - it has the facilities for a large group and there won't be any surprises. It is basically a long weekend trip for most of us.

 

[Tom]

Cali, If people want the meat, the best thing to do is drop it off at Ingram Meat Processor and have dry sausage made out of it. Everybody should have got a sample link last year from me, so they would know what it is like from that. That can be shipped without refrigeration just like regular mail. After a couple of weeks it get hard like jerky unless you put it in the freezer. Then it will hold its consistency and stay chewey, until you take it out, then it starts drying and getting hard like jerky again.

Thompson is expected to be back from out of town today, so we should get some info. in a few days when he gets to all of his messages.

Some may be interested in the javelina/hogs and/or does that are nearby, we'll just wait and see how this works out. It should be arranged ahead of time though because a last minute decision to go after one might not workout.

 

[1_pointer]

OK, Cali, you were right. Don't count on me, as the wife has given the okay for the Sask Bear Hunt. Sorry. Heck, that's too bad a consolation is it?

 

[Calif. Hunter]

1-pointer - we're gonna change your handle to "No Show"! Good luck on the bear hunt. I certainly can't blame you for choosing a week long bear hunt in Canada over along weekend in Texas' Hill Country for a sheep.


So, Tom - any weekend except Easter is now open. See when Thompson has a fairly open weekend. Thanks!

 

[KeithE]

I might be interested in this also. Do most people fly in? I could probably drive there. Might have to take a week off, darnit.

Keep me in the loop, I think I could do this. As long as it doesn't keep me from the CA hog hunt at Choppers place that is!!!

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 10-02-2002 20:06: Message edited by: KeithE ]</font>

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I'd be glad to have you there, Keith. Don't you fly? It's probably just as cheap to fly as drive all that way - it's a looong haul. I usually fly out of LAX on Thursday night, taking Friday off, and fly home Sunday afternoon.