Sport hunting whitetail deer is big business these days. There are many states that have lower human population and lots of open space.

My research indicates that the place where managing wild whitetails for hunting becomes a science is in-fact Texas. I was aware of that, some time ago but never did the homework till I booked this Texas hunt in late October.

Wildlife Biologists and cattle ranchers work together to maximize and coordinate wild game among its beef ranches to include turkey, javelina, whitetail deer, mule deer, and antelope. But the foremost big game in Texas is whitetail deer with an estimated 4 million whitetails roaming wild in the land.

Every business and College/University that can get a monetary slice of that pie is evident. Texans have over 24 million acres to grow healthy deer. Managing deer herds and land among domestic animals requires a science approach to balance plant nutrition and wild carry capacity of the land with growing healthy deer.  Hunt management is needed to cull inferior antlered deer to produce large healthy antlered bucks is preferred. The buck to doe ratio is equally important and is ideal at around 1 or 2 does per buck.

Intensely managed ranches such as the one I will be hunting, supplementally feed deer a high protein and phosphorus rich diet. It is a costly proposition but well worth the effort when there are hunters looking for a mature whitetail with a terrific set of antlers and meat for the freezer that is really tasty.

Of course these deer are wild and hunting them perhaps on a 40 square mile tract of land is not easy when you are after a mature animal that sports a nice rack.

Many truly mature bucks are in fact, nocturnal, and only feed at night. You still have your work cut out for you given your investment to hunt them, often over $4000 to $6000 for the chance to hunt them.

Some mature bucks live and die and have never been seen in daylight only to find the massive antlers after death.

To see a buck with heavy main beams and a wide spread with G2 and G3’s over a foot long is a spectacle to behold for many whitetail hunters including me. The fact that there are plenty of deer growing nice racks gives comfort that there are plenty more where that deer came from…and I can attempt to take one with a bow or rifle.

Who knows, I may come back with stories of the one that got away!

©2018