Handgun hunting ranch questions

I have a ranch in the Texas panhandle that I?m interested in setting up for handgun and bowhunting exclusively. The reason for this is twofold. I prefer the challenge myself, and secondly, I find the people who bowhunt and handgun hunt appreciate the experience and respect the animals and land much more than the guy who picks his rifle up the day before the season and assumes it?s still GTG from sighting it in 3 years ago! I have good WT, muledeer, hogs, and trying to establish rams. This it TOTALLY free range hunting. My questions to begin with are:
1. What type set ups as far as blinds or stands do you handgun hunters prefer?
2. What ranges are you comfortable shooting?
3. What do you expect to pay for the different species?
4. What do you expect to be included in your hunt?
5. What am I missing?
I am a farmer/rancher foremost but the hunting does subsidize my Income. I have several sanctuaries that I stay out of and REALLY try to limit the pressure on the animals. I also have the only cultivation in many area so you can generally expect a very game rich environment. I have been judging the experience of the hunters to this point and have been letting those who seem knowledgeable and trustworthy to hunt when and where they choose for the most part with my input as to game movement. There will only be 2 WT and 2 muledeer hunts per season and a very limited number of pig or ram hunts. People having a successful hunt is my utmost concern and limiting hunters is the best way to do that. The current acreage is 1500 but I have a contract on 320 more acres and will be closed on it by the first of the year. Thanks in advance for any responses.

I will be no good in terms of what prices should be, but thanks for doing this.
What part of the Panhandle are you in?
A number of years ago, we lived in Panhandle.
Still have friends there.

Can't answer any of your questions at this moment, but I'm interested in a mule deer hunt.

I?m between childress and turkey.

Price is going to depend on the size of the animal. Will you be furnishing food, lodging, guide, airport transportation etc.?
Most of the ranches provide those things in a package with a Management buck (under 7 pt.). Come up with a basic price and go from there. Check texas ads to get an idea os prices in your area. Good luck.

This is a LOW fence non canned hunt. I?m not interested In charging by the inch. If you are fortunate enough to see the BIG BOY, he is yours for the taking. I intend to provide modest accommodations and can provide transportation from the airport if necessary. Everything you will need to be comfortable will be provided but this isn?t going to be a 5 star resort ?hunting? kind of a deal. This is for the serious hunter!

Nice area for deer!

Yes sir it is.

Many moons ago, we lived in Spur, TX.

Right down the road....
At least for this part of the country!

I?ve got a handgun or bow hunt for mule deer available if anyone is interested. It will be the week after thanksgiving. I only do 2 whitetail and 2 muledeer hunts per year so the pressure is very low!

I would be interested in hunting hog(s).

I have some answers and some questions.
> Do we need to have are own transportation to and from hunt
area?
For me I would be driving and have 4WD so not a concern.
> Would you offer room and board, if not any nearby hotels?
Again for some would they need transportation to and from or
would you provide?
> Would skinning, butchering, etc. be offered.

< I prefer ground blinds but tree stands or tripods are fine.
< I am comfortable shooting out to 75 yards. Some may be good
at much greater distances, some less.
< I have seen hog prices from $300 and up to $500+. A lot
depends on what is offered with the hunt.

Looking forward to see how this progresses.

Hogs are $150 per person per day with a 2 person 2 day minimum. I provide a small cabin with bed, bathroom and kitchen area. I will take you to and from your stands unless you prefer to go alone. I only do 2 hog hunts a month maximum to keep the pressure down and insure good success.

I had to cancel a Texas bobcat/javalina hunt this past may cause of Cov 19... Wish you all the luck in the world...

Hello From Massachusetts:

Just my opinion.

1. Ideally the box blinds are nice. A couple of years ago I hunted Florida with a group of friends for wild hogs. It was a great "guys" trip and what the doctor ordered for my emotions at the time. I like the box blinds as they are comfortable enough to sit in from sunrise to sunset. Also you have a stable platform to shoot off of.

2. I like anything 25 to 100 yards. I love my TC Contender in 4570 and feel comfortable taking game out to 100 yards. More than that not so much.

3. I do not know how to answer that question. I do believe you can sell the Panhandle experience if that makes sense to you.

4. Hmm. A decent chance at game. I would also say a decent place to stay. It does not have to be the Taj Mahal but a simple cabin would be nice. The place in Florida was a "cabin" made out of a metal shed and it was neat. The cabin had room for six men and we had a great time. Simple shower and kitchen area. Very clean cut, so to speak.

5. Ok. You are in the Panhandle. Do you have javelina? Adding that to a deer or other hunt would be a bonus. To me they are a unique trophy. Also where we hunted there was an open canopy with a hoist to clean game.Also do you have any odd ball game like Auodad? Do you have varmints and small game? The guides could clean out and butcher a wild boar in under five minutes. Some type of electricity to refrigerate or freeze your game meat.


I hope this helps.

Sounds like a good deal. With two person minimum, are there 2 beds or more in cabin?

I have personally hunted with Chuck.
we have booked already booked to go back again in February. This is what I can tell you about our hunt last February.
we stayed three to his camper don't know if he has changed anything since then. my wife and I slept in the queen bed, my son slept on a couch. he said it was comfy and as he put- it beat sleeping on the floor;) he was a plus one for the trip and he knew what the sleeping accommodations were going to be. Chuck had us hunting in two locations and picked us up and dropped us off. tower blind, tree stands and natural ground blinds were used during our hunt. We shot hogs from all of them. We took 5 hogs in two days. Chuck told us we could shoot as many as we were willing to clean. Don't know if that has changed or not. we whacked and stacked as many as possible. we were there to fill the freezer. I find paying for hog cleaning fees a waste when you can do it yourself in 30 minutes. He had a tripod with a hand crank winch to clean the hogs on . running water from the hose and a light to work by after dark. We brought coolers and Ice and it was plenty cold at night to keep ice in February. I have been on 6 hog hunts and enjoyed this one the most as it felt more like hunting with no high fences. Chuck was only around if you wanted him to be. We had a lot in common and we enjoyed his company. Actually had him install a custom muzzle brake on my 375 win. contender barrel after he told me of his gunsmithing background. Very happy with his work. bringing another down to have him do.

We saw some nice deer while there and plenty of hogs. I though seriously about the Deer hunt (looking for a muley) when he advertised it, but this economy slow down hit me in the pocketbook. We saw two deer that most guys would have been very happy to put on the wall. We were not even in his good deer area.
We saw at least 4 coyotes and had the green light to punch them if we could, but just couldn't get on them with the handguns fast enough before they were back in cover.

Chuck- what I have seen on other hunts for rams have been $375-700 depending on species and size. when they get down to the low side of the price range a lot of guys (me) will shoot one just cause they are there and Rams have a tendency to tempt us (me) by hanging around. I know it has made me spend my money twice, figured I drove 10 hours to hunt hogs might as well enjoy it and add a Ram! Price might depend on the availability of getting sheep/Rams to stock.
Another suggestion would to be to find a local that will butcher the animals and package them with a quick turn around as some guys can't or don't want to butcher their own.

Being able to accommodate multiple people in a group of 4 or more would be a plus.
As for stands I would definitely keep them fairly close. most guys, me included want a drop shot if possible. especially if hunting with an open sighted handgun. better chance at hitting them in the goodies and less tracking after dark. that has to be judged by how tolerant the hogs are and how fickle the wind is near your feeders or corned trails.

Just my .02 worth.

Good Luck Brother and see you in February!

Can?t wait to see y?all again Dave! I?ve made several changes since you were here and you only hunted a portion of my property so we will see some more country in February! Seeing some great Mule deer so far this year.
I?ll definitely take everyone?s suggestions in and do as much as I can when I can. It has to come as time and finances allow. I?d like to put up some deer pics if I can figure out how.

Interested in a mule deer/hog combo

PM sent

1. What type set ups as far as blinds or stands do you handgun hunters prefer?

I'm partial to ground blinds, but if you could build a two-man treestand with a solid rail about 10-15 feet up, that'd be a welcome option in my opinion. That'd be very dependent on the trees on the property, though. Had a family friend build something like that on their property, and it was significantly more comfortable than the small metal prefab one I've got up.


2. What ranges are you comfortable shooting?

This is going to be dependent on everyone's choice of handguns. I can shoot 200 yards easy with an Encore resting something solid, about 100 yards with most scoped revolvers, and about 30 yards with open sights. That said, if you kept your hunting locations to where you'd have game within 75 yards or so, that'd go a long way to enhance the overall experience.


3. What do you expect to pay for the different species?

Your call.


4. What do you expect to be included in your hunt?

Meals and lodging if you've got cabins or guestrooms for the hunters.


5. What am I missing?

Do you have a range where your clients can shoot? Even for close range hunting, it'd be nice to double check our sights before the hunt, and to ensure one last bit of practice on paper before moving on to the real deal. Archers especially would appreciate being able to check their bows.

You mention cultivation. Do you plant food plots, or is it just crops/pasture?

Everyone around here farms cotton and I only do hay, being (Wheat, rye, triticale, oats, vetch, cowpeas, millet) so my crops are ?food plots?. I do have some small fields between 5 and 30 acres that are specifically for hunting purposes during the season.

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Nice Pics!

Thanks

Thank you

I've found the pop-up type of ground blind can be very useful. You can easily move them anywhere to set up at any distance. some types help keep in human scent and most are not crazy expensive.

Sounds like a good place for a hunt!

I?m thinking about some of the 2 person chair blinds since they would be easier to move and easier to brush in. I prefer a stool and a natural brush blind myself.

Where is the closest airport?

Amarillo and Lubbock are about the same 2 hr drive.