The Los Cazadores Contest in the town of Cotulla, which has become the state's most recognized big buck contest, scored 147 Texas bucks with gross B & C scores of 160 or more. The previous record for 160-class bucks at the Los Cazadores Contest, set in 1992, was 102 bucks of that caliber. Keep in mind that for every 160-class buck killed, hunters probably take at least 10 deer in the 150 class.
Several factors contributed to the record deer season. First, El Niño produced abundant rainfall across Texas, resulting in excellent antler development. Second, many bucks taken this year were passed over in 1996/97, as drought conditions had hindered antler development during the previous summer. Those are short-term factors. The long-term factor is improved game management. More quality whitetail management is occurring in Texas now than ever before.
All of this good news, of course, has a downside - namely, cost. The cost of a Texas whitetail hunt is rising quickly. Anyone headed to this state for a hunt where the odds are good of seeing a 150-class back should expect to pay $4,000. Many top-of-the-line hunts are now being priced on a sliding scale based on how much the buck........(continued)
