Several bucks bigger than those mentioned above were spotted on the ranch after the close of the season last year. And that's after all of Roewe's hunters harvested big, mature bucks. With the mild winter and abundant rainfall in the region this spring, Roewe expects another banner hunting season this fall.
Hunting on the Stuart Ranch is primarily spot-and-stalk, much like hunting mule deer in open country. The property is mostly rolling grasslands with scattered oak and pecan trees growing along the creeks and drainages. The rifle season runs from November 20 through December 5 and coincides perfectly with the rut. Green winter crops of wheat and rye are well established by this time each year, and bucks are often taken during early morning and late afternoon when they move out of the timbered areas to feed in the fields.
Hunters often find themselves engaged in a waiting game until the deer decide to move from bedding to feeding areas. The high native grasses easily hide even the biggest deer, and it's next to impossible to spot them until they decide to move. Roewe says he likes to find a high elevation that gives him good visibility down into the strips of timber. Often, he glasses the same patch of timber for 30 to 45 minutes without seeing any movement; then, suddenly, deer begin getting up from their beds in the tall grasses or along the edge of the tree lines.
Roewe suggests hunters........(continued)
