One reason the Pete Kennedy Ranch can produce big deer is the property's abundant water supply. Two major drainages traverse the length of the ranch. Alameda Creek provides water year-round, and Montonosa Creek holds water much of the year. There is also at least one well or windmill for each 1,000 acres, providing a steady, dependable water supply for wildlife on a year-round basis.
A second plus to this property is that there are no cattle here, so the available water sources and vegetation are devoted strictly to wildlife. Over five miles of senderos have been cut through the ranch and seeded with a native plant known as four wing saltbush, which contains 25 percent protein. The seeds for this plant are rather pricey at $500 per pound, but deer flock to it like a magnet. Schneider also plants mung bean, better known as bean sprouts.
Deer hunting here is spot-and-stalk, or over food plots. Food plots are planted in the flatter areas, usually adjacent to one of the creeks. Hunters conceal themselves on the side of the ridges. When asked what kind of shots hunters might expect, Schneider says anywhere from 50 to 300 yards. The deer here are pretty much left alone year-round until hunting season begins, so they are not very skittish. Schneider says they have killed deer at distances of only 50 yards, but he recommends clients bring a flat shooting rifle and know where it is shooting all the way out to around 300 yards.
The Pete Kennedy is separated from........(continued)
