Re: First deer/hog hunt, open to advice/suggestions (a little long)
- From: "J. David Boyd" <david@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 14:50:14 -0600
WuzYoungOnceToo <dan@xxxxxxxx> writes:
> Yes, I'll admit it: I'm a 44 year-old virgin. I spent a lot of time
> hunting small game and birds (rabbits, squirrels, doves, etc.) in my
> youth, but never got the opportunity to go after any larger game.
> Well, having a son (who is 13 y.o. now) has given me the impetus to try
> my hand at bagging something that will take up more space in the
> freezer, while simultaneously introducing my boy to the joys of the
> sport. Living in North Central Texas (Dallas suburbs) and wanting to
> hunt in-state seemed to present us with four general categories of
> options:
>
> 1) Spend a boat-load of money on a good deer lease that we can hunt all
> season...or sharing a deer lease with someone else that we can hunt
> part of the season, for only a half of a boat-load.
>
> 2) Spend a couple thousand clams on a hunting package at a ranch, with
> at least a high probability of success (important, I think, for a boy's
> first hunt) and some help from a guide...also important, I would
> suspect, for a first time out.
>
> 3) Hunt public lands, which are minimal in TX (only about 5% of the
> state is public land), and with a lower probability for success,
> especially not being an experienced white tail hunter.
>
> 4) Hunting hogs on a ranch. This has the dual advantage of a high
> success rate coupled with a MUCH lower cost.
>
> My son and I are, at this point anyway, concerned only with the joy of
> the hunt and of making a kill for meat (a critical part of the
> experience, in my opinion). As such, options 1 & 2 seem unwise for a
> first-timer who works for a living. They seem more appropriate for
> someone with some experience under their belt (at least enough to
> confirm that they're hooked on the activity) and for those seeking
> trophy bucks. Option 3 isn't attractive for the reasons already given.
>
> So, a reasonable hog hunt seemed like our best bet for a first outing.
> I had settled on this and began doing some research ("some" being an
> understatement...my eyes began to bleed, I'd read over so many ranch's
> web sites) and then, all of a sudden, I got lucky. I found an
> operation not far away that offers, in a no-frills manner, both hog AND
> deer hunting for the same price (about the same as most hog hunting
> only ranches). The catch, if you wish to consider it a catch, is that
> they are a participan in the Texas Parks & Wildlife Managed Land
> Program, which means that they only permit the harvesting of does and
> spike bucks. This seems perfect for us since, as I said, we couldn't
> care less about a trophy at this point (maybe next hunt)...AND they
> have openings for days that are convenient for us. The opportunity to
> go after both meat hogs and deer in the same 2-3 day hunt sounds like a
> great introduction to larger game for the both of us, so I will be
> conacting them after work today to book a hunt with them for later this
> month. Now, having bored you with all of that long-winded bit of
> background, I'll get to the inevitable "any tips/suggestions from the
> experienced hunters in this area" question. OK...would anyone care to
> offer any tips/suggestions beyond the basic and usual suggestions
> (gun/hunter safety, etc.)? Tips specific to the area (Northeast TX)
> would be extra appreciated, as would clever insights regarding gear
> that might not occur to the first-timer, or appear on lists usually
> cited for a hunt.
>
> I should also mention: Several months ago, in anticipation of this
> event, I acquired a basic rifle suitable to the task in question.
> Namely, a Savage 110FCXP3 rifle/scope package in .30/06. A no-frills
> gun, but one that seems to be more than up to the job. I've spent a
> lot of time at the range blowing through boxes of somewhat pricey ammo
> and now feel comfortable with my ability to hit the mark reliably at
> 100 yds. (the furthest target available at our local range). My son is
> even more accurate with the gun than I am (he's a better shot overall,
> as a matter of fact), though he complains about the recoil. So, I went
> out and bought him a similar package deal, but with a little less kick:
> The Savage 111FCXP3 in .243. This was to be a Christmas present (and
> what else says Christmas like a rifle and a box of shells?) but I'll
> have to give it to him early so he'll have adequate time at the range
> to become comfortable and proficient with it (which should be fairly
> quick given his experience firing my gun.)
>
> Thanks in advance for any/all feedback.
What power are the scopes? And what field of view? I would expect hogs to be
shot much closer than 100 yards.
Other than that, it sounds great. You sound like a great dad!
Dave in Largo, FL
.
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