Cheesehead things are a lil different in TX. Especially the BIG private ranches in southern TX. Public hunting land is practically NONEXISTANT in the state, and what is available isnt in the prime southern areas of the state. I saw a statistic on the percentage of public to private hunting land once and it was in excess of 97-98% private. But thats good. If you are willing to pay for a quality hunt and buck, you can get in on some FINE places. I hunted The Encinitos (of Real Tree fame) twice in 99. It was INCREDIBLE watching that many good bucks (140-150+ inches) and all the other game that is found in south TX. The hoghunting was fun and only surpassed by the porkloin on the grill later that night!!! Rio Grande Turkeys were EVERYWHERE and those ugly lil Javelinas were fun to watch.

Tags are simply over the counter and not that expensive. Cant remember for sure but want to say in the hundred something buck range. The gun season opens around the 2nd weekend of November and runs to the middle of Jan. Typically the rut is peaking around the last two weeks of Dec (a great time to go as many other states are closed or pressure has slowed the deer hunting considerably plus most other states ruts are over by then as well!) The stories/videos you see of rattling are primarily done during this time and it is a GREAT experience.

I could go on and on for pages about TX. I LOVE that state. Their management philosophy is different than most places and the rights are reserved for the landowner, as it should be. On many ranches you can fill doe tags with a gun before the rifle season even opens. This allows for removal of does that wont have been bred and gives you a chance to take hunters out that might not could stand the colder season hunts. Hell when I shot a buck on opening weekend in the middle of November I was wearing a brown t-shirt, jeans and snakeboots! When I returned the day after Christmas it was MUCH colder and that south TX winter wind is just " different" , it seeps in everything like water.

Its just an entirely different " culture" down there and the hunter is king. Much of the economy is driven by hunters and deer season. You are treated with courtesy and respect everywhere you go. Much the same way you are when dealing with the folks that live around the big bass lakes in northern and eastern TX. Its just AWESOME! I aint retiring to FLA it will be a spring/summer home on Lake Fork and a fall/winter home in " the golden triangle" of southern TX... Land down there is CHEAP! Most of it is under $500 an acre and a " yard" can be 1k+ acres. 10k acres is a small place down there. Anything under that is considered a " backyard" lol. The section I hunted on was 45k acres and there were neighbors that were MANYTIMES larger than that.

Dont let those who have never been feed you a line about " fair chase" or tell you that hunting behind high fences is immoral. While The Encinitos was' nt fenced, I would' ve enjoyed it just the same if it would have been. On ranches as large as most down there, the deer never see the borders anway, a fence would have NO impact on their lives other than assuring they dont follow a hot doe across the fence and get shot, plus the fence keeps poachers out. That brush is so thick that you cant necessarily find them anyway, the fact that a fence is 2 miles away has NOTHING to do with it. I enjoyed " corning" the roads and hunting over feeders. In most places with that deep brush its the ONLY way you would EVER see a single deer otherwise.

I also fell in love with " high racking" . Thats riding around in a truck with a welded on rack/platform that allows you to see above everything (there is very little vegetation above 10' down there, you can see for miles from the tops of a truck and it allows you to see " down into" the brush). Your dad with his bad leg will LOVE this type of hunting. Riding around looking at wildlife, in beautiful scenery (the silence is deafening, no airplanes overhead, no cars zooming by on an interstate just complete desolation and silence!) nice weather and what the heck even a cooler full of drinks in the rack with you. How can it get any better? The prepared meals are the perfect period for the end of each sentence/hunt.

Trust me I' ve already tried to get my ol lady to move down there!
RA