Species

Trophy Mule Deer

Background

This hunt takes place in southwest Texas on a privately managed, free range ranch which spans 104,000 contiguous acres. The mule deer population on this ranch has excellent genetics, which combined with the year round protein feeding program and careful herd management has resulted in consistently outstanding trophy quality. Aerial surveys of this ranch indicate a buck to doe ratio of roughly 1.2 to 1 and hunters normally see a high number of animals each day while hunting.

Lodging and Food

The lodging is a modern and comfortable 2800 sq foot ranch with satellite TV, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, central heat and air and a porch with a breath taking view of the Davis Mountains. Meals will be prepared each morning and evening and hunters will typically take a field lunch with them and eat in the field. Alcohol is not provided in camp, but hunters are welcome to purchase their own and bring it to the ranch with them.

Terrain and Hunting Style

The rocky, desert terrain in this area ranges from roughly 4000 feet in the low areas to 6500 feet in the Davis Mountains high country. Hunting is conducted safari style out of high rack vehicles, which allow you to cover thousands of acres each day searching for your trophy. Extensive glassing is required to methodically look over the areas you pass through when hunting in this fashion, so bring the best optics you can afford (10X recommended). Hunting will generally continue all day, with mid-day walks through draws and coulees trying to locate bucks bedding in their mid day sanctuaries. 

Clothing

Temperatures in this desert area vary greatly throughout the day and can range from the low 20’s in the morning to over 80 in the afternoon. Please make sure to bring layered clothing that can be adjusted to the temperature as the day warms up. Pants that have some type of abrasion resistance to the thorns that grow on much of the vegetation are advantageous, as long as they are also quiet. Boots with good ankle support are also a must for the mid day walks in the mountains. Once you send us your deposit, a complete list of gear will be sent to you.

Travel

Hunters arriving by commercial air can fly into Midland, TX and rent a vehicle to make the 2 hour drive into camp. If suitable connections are not available to Midland, hunters can alternatively fly into El Paso but the drive is almost double the distance (roughly 4 hours). It is recommended that clients rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle with decent ground clearance (normal pick up trucks and SUV’s are fine) as some of the roads leading back to the ranch can be rough depending on the weather. Clients will be sent a detailed map to the ranch upon booking.

Guns and Ammunition

Flat shooting rifles of .270 and up with premium bullets are recommended (smaller calibers such as .243 and .25-06 are perfectly legal and acceptable assuming proper shot placement). If you plan to hunt aoudad after your mule deer hunt, we recommend you bring a .30 cal magnum rifle as the shots are longer and aoudads are extremely tough and hardy animals. Shots on mule deer can range anywhere from 50 yards to 300 yards, but generally your guide will try to get you within 200 yards for a clean shot. The value of practicing at home using the exact rifle and ammunition you will be bringing on your hunt from field positions cannot be overemphasized. Bring at least 40 rounds of ammunition so that you have enough to check the zero of your rifle and make adjustments if required.

Dates

 2 groups of 6 hunters in each camp for the first 2 weeks of the season in November (seasons starts the first Saturday in November).

Getting Tour Trophies Home

Your trophy will be caped and frozen solid in camp for a shoulder mount by our on site taxidermist. You can either choose to have him do the taxidermy for you and ship the mount to your home or have him take care of expediting the cape and antlers back to your taxidermist at your cost. Alternatively, you can choose to travel home with your frozen cape and antlers as checked luggage, however we STRONGLY recommend against this due to hassles with ever changing airline policies regarding transport of trophies and the very real possibility of your cape being lost and ruined by the airline. Whatever you choose to do with your trophy, all costs and liabilities are your responsibility.

Cost

• 2x1 4 day trophy (5 night) trophy mule deer hunt - $7500
• 1x1 guiding is available for an additional $1000 per hunter
• Additional animals available at extra cost as outlined below
• Observers are welcomed at $1200 each

Included

All lodging, food and beverages while on the ranch (excluding alcohol), professional hunting guides and field preparation of animals.

Not included

Commercial flights, any accommodations or food before arrival at the ranch, licenses (non-residents need a Type 105 license which they can purchase on the way to the ranch for $315, Texas residents need a Type 101 license for $25.00 – license fees subject to change by the state of Texas), airport pick-up or return, rental vehicles, taxidermy or shipping of trophies, gratuities for guides or cook.

Refunds

All deposits and balances paid are completely non-refundable in whole or in part for any reason including but not limited to: illness, injury, flight delays, unforeseen loss of income, early departure, late arrival, business emergencies, family emergencies, etc. Please also be aware that any animal that is injured in any way is considered fatal and your hunt will be over.

Deposit

A 50% deposit is required to hold dates. The remaining 50% is due 90 days before the start of your trip. Requests for date changes once deposits have been paid will only be honored solely at our discretion and are subject to a 10% processing fee.

Refunds

All deposits and balances paid are completely non-refundable in whole or in part for any reason including but not limited to: illness, injury, flight delays, unforeseen loss of income, early departure, late arrival, business emergencies, family emergencies, etc. Please also be aware that any animal that is injured is considered fatal and will be charged at full price.

Additional Trophy Fees

* Any animal that is injured in any way is considered to be fatally wounded and will be charged at full price

Once you have harvested your trophy mule deer, your hunt is considered over. You will be allowed to stay in the lodge for the duration of your hunt, but if you wish to go into the field to hunt additional species there is a $500/day daily rate added to your hunt. This $500/day will be subtracted from the trophy fees of any animal listed above if successfully harvested. If you plan on hunting additional days, please make sure to bring a checkbook or cash as you will be expected to pay the balance for the additional days and/or trophy fees before leaving the ranch.

TO BOOK A HUNT OR FIND MORE INFORMATION

Contact: Dan Goodenow

Phone: 248-613-7549

Email: dgoodenow@jimshockey.com