There's probably no such thing as a "real bargain" in Texas whitetail hunting these days, but Texas correspondent Ray Sasser does keep his ear to the ground for hunts with a reasonable price tag. Here are a couple he just came up with: "A hunt I just heard about on the 12,000-acre Hemphill Ranch in Coleman County may be of interest to some Hunting Report subscribers. Ranch owners here are offering a limited number of hunts this fall for both management bucks (mature eight-pointers scoring up to 140 B & C) at $2,250, and trophy-class bucks (10 points or better and scoring over 150 points) for $3,000. Both hunts are all-inclusive three-day hunts for free-ranging wild bucks. Accommodations are at a Best Western Motel in Coleman, about 15 miles from the ranch. Daily transportation to and from the ranch is provided, as is transportation to and from the airports in Coleman or Abilene (about 50 miles to the north). Also included are three meals a day for days one and two and a continental breakfast on day three. Ron Speed, Jr., of Ron Speed's Adventures, is booking this hunt. Speed has hunted a portion of the Hemphill Ranch for several seasons and says killing a management buck in the 125- to 140-class shouldn't be a problem. And there's a chance for much bigger deer, he says. You can contact Speed at Ron Speed's Adventures.
The second hunt I just heard about takes place in the brush country of South Texas, an area well known for big whitetails. Forrest West is offering a $3,500-trophy-buck hunt which also includes a doe, unlimited wild hogs and javelina, and a turkey, plus the ability to return if unsuccessful taking a buck. He leases 2,000 acres near George West on the Live Oak-McMullen County line and uses permanent tower blinds with automatic feeders set up throughout the property. While he's mostly interested in the ranch's bobwhite quail, he's seen several nice bucks and says a hunter should be able to kill a 140-B & C or better buck. "Last season, a friend of mine passed up a deer that would........(continued)
