Bow Hunting The Texas Hill Country(Bandera County)

I am going to test the water's here! I have not done any guided hunts on the ranch in 3 yrs. and my deer density is the best it has ever been. My buck to Doe ratio is 1/1.5 and this should be an incredible year. I am going to open the ranch up to Archery Only Hunts. This will be traditional,compound and crossbow. The hunts will be guided to semi-guided, The stands will be popups, tripods and tree stands. The Ranch is HF, and is no longer under MLD my choice. I do have an area for primitive type camping with water and electricity. I will not treat this as a day lease and will space the hunts out to limit the pressure on the deer. Like I said I am testing the water a bit to see if there is any interest. The ranch is loaded with P&Y quality deer, and my son took a 5.5 yr. old last year with his bow that scored 147 3/8. I will post pictures as the horns become more pronounced. If you have any questions PM me. I have not set prices yet but will make them affordable. I need to re-coop some of my protein cost(Double Down)

PM box is full.

Sorry Richchet83, box has room now!

This should be very good. I posted some pictures for John a few years ago and those were some very outstanding Bucks. I can only imagine what the Bucks will look like this year.

Thank you don k, I have absorbed the feed cost for the last few years without doing any package hunts. I have watched the deer grow tremendously. All the doe that I have seen in recent have twins. My bucks are growing horns at a very fast pace. I would have to say I am excited. Just a few more months and I will be retired!

I'm not a bow hunter but it sounds like you're in for a great year. Good Luck and I can't wait to see some of the photos of your deer!!!

Thank you ELKhunter49

Hi John I hunted with you and Cody a couple years back, I shot the Axis Buck and a 8 point out of Docs stand . I am guessing this is the same ranch ? I might be interested in a bow hunt, I will be waiting to see your prices. Thanks

Absolutely LittleD same ranch we just let the ranch rest for the last 3 yrs in an attempt to allow more bucks reach their maturity and see better bucks.

Just curious, why did you choose to get out of the MLD program?

Good chance I would be interested.
how many acres do you have to hunt.? Forrest

Would be interested in doe hunts...was a blast last time we were out. Say hello to Cody for me.

Sorry for the late follow ups guys, as you know is been raining at bit up in Bandera and I have been cleaning out protein feeders and checking fences. I will have a full price list to include all packages available posted this afternoon.

The Ranch is 500 acres HF, and located in Bandera County. The Hunts will be Archery Only! I have a camp area that has water and electricity available and you can pitch a tent if you choose. There are also some cabins 5 miles from the ranch at the Lake Medina RV Resort that are very nice and come with a full kitchen located on the Medina River(lmrvresort.com) I want to keep it to individual hunters or small groups no more than 4 hunters at a time. You or your small group would be the only ones hunting on the ranch during your stay. Hunters will be transported to and from blinds (pop ups, tripods and tree stands) hunts will be semi guided or fully guided hunters choice. Must be proficient with your equipment and demonstrate such (There is a Archery Range in camp area)

Daily Fee $100.00 per person (which is waved if you harvest a deer)

Whitetail Deer Packages
Big 8pt plus Doe $1300.00 (Hunters choice on Mature 8pt Buck)
Cull Buck 7pt or Less plus Doe $700.00 (pictures will be provided to hunter of cull buck examples on ranch)
Doe $200.00 (Hunters choice)
Trophy Buck Hunts TBA (Will be determined in August)

The Buck to Doe ratio is 1/1.5 The Ranch is under intense management and Protein is fed year round.
Pictures of Bucks will be posted as they become further along in their horn growth.

These are a few pictures from last year, All these deer have added another year of growth to their antlers as well as their body's as have the other bucks on the ranch.

I had opened up the ranch every year for selective brain stem harvest from deer of my choice to TPWD, but I became concerned due to the BIG CWD Scare that TPWD would become the ones to select the harvest deer which could be a 4yr old or 5yr old buck that I have provided protein to and watched grown and would not be one that I would harvest for their study.

Awesome! PM sent.

Hey BowsnRods, I don't have PM but I do have your business card. Is that security business number still valid? If not, could you please shoot me a text Thanks!

chital_shikari the phone number is still the same my friend call me anytime. Tell your Dad I said hello and Cody wanted me to tell you hi as well.

Here are a few more pictures from last year, this should give you an idea of the quality of deer on the ranch.

tag

What sort of Deposit are you requiring to book a hunt?

X2

Had to make a new account! This is johns son Cody. This will be a great year for hunting and I am excited that we are only allowing for archery harvest!
This is my buck that I took this past deer season at the ranch

I do not require a deposit, and never had any problems with booking this way in many years past. I will start scheduling in the next week or so and all that's required is for you to select a date and show up. I will make sure that the cost of the hunt is agreed upon when booking, there are no hidden cost or additional fee's to accompany your package hunt. I am very easy going and stress free, I will make sure that your hunting adventure with my son and I will be very enjoyable.

Chital-Shikari!!!!!
If you are planning a bow hunt with this Gentleman..Dont forget to include me..

Talked to BowsnRods today. I will touch base with him next Tuesday to finalize. This is the same ranch and people were Sameer shot his first deer, back in 2014.

Sounds like a good deal, I would be interested in hunting with you.

Sounds like a great place, people and hunt. Almost makes me want to bow hunt...Almost.

Common TXHOGSLAYER didnt you ever want to be the indian when playing cowboys and indians.

Tag

I pulled camera chips today, lots of pictures of bucks just not enough development yet in the antlers to post. I will give it a couple more weeks and start posting.

Filled protein feeders today with my son and his friend, I am amazed at the consumption of protein. We are going through a ton a week, could it be the DD. The pictures will tell as they will be coming soon. I want to see a bit more growth first.

PM sent

All PM'S returned

PM sent?

Well it looks like my post didn't make it, I have trouble with this kindle thingy, anyhow can you pm me your contact information. I have a couple of questions before I can commit to a hunt.

PM sent to Team Hillbilly

Howdy do you have anymore hunts available sir?

Yes Sir, please PM me a contact number and I will call you.

Happy Father's Day

Left you a voicemail, sir. Sorry for the tardiness.

Sorry Chital, working cows and filling feeders all day. Call me tomorrow anytime after 10am

I pulled chips yesterday, the bucks are showing great mass and good spread. We still have 2 months of antler development still to go. I am happy with what my protein is doing for antler growth.

I'm starting to get excited!

That buck and taxidermy shop looks familiar!

Did I forget to mention our Taxidermist lives down the road from the ranch. Great job on Cody's mount Rob.

Let it rain, getting some good showers today.

Happy 4th of July to ALL THF Members!

New pictures coming soon

I'm checking in every day, just hoping to see some! Hope you and yours had a great 4th of July.

Absolutely brother, you can see some recent pictures under my double down post in the open hunting discussion

Myself and a couple of buddies maybe interested if the price is fair. Love that area.Keep the pictures coming and prices.

Will do Marc!

Your deer are looking good. If you want I will send you some DD stickers to put on your feeders.

A few recent pictures from one of the protein feeders

A few more pictures, I will pull camera chips this weekend. The Bucks appear to have a good month of adding to their antler's

Bucks are looking good John.

Thank you

X2!

I will post new pictures tomorrow. I am excited to pull camera chips.

I would say they are coming along very well and I am anticipating 1 or 2 possible Trophy Hunts amongst a good number of our Big 8pt hunts
This guy is definitely on the ranch hit list for culling!

Awesome looking deer...Nice cull too for someone..

Those are some really exceptional Bucks.

Thank you Don, I enjoyed meeting you this morning for a great OST breakfast.

I am in the process of getting a trailer set up at the ranch for lodging.

They are looking good! and yes that is a cull buck in the last picture facing the feeder to the right.

We also have plenty of doe for the meat hunters

Seasons growing near,and I still have some dates open!

140 class management buck

Looking good. Can't wait till November.

Question, how would you price a 9-point?

It's Hot

I will be posting more pictures next week,I think we have about another month before they start rubbing out. It looks like we will be offering 2 Trophy Hunts this year along with our management hunts.

Some new pictures and a few new bucks showing up, very picture heavy

Most of the bucks are hitting the protein feeders at night or early in the morning due to the heat

a few more pictures

they need to create a Bowhunting emoji! :)--->

I saw a few signs of rubbing today, I will put chips back in camera's this weekend when I fill the protein feeders.

A few more pictures!

I have a few hunts still avaliable.

I put chips back in camera's today when I filled protein feeders. I will post new pictures in a week

Your bucks are looking good. Have any of yours started shedding out yet

I have seen some rubs on a few mesquite trees, I am waiting to pull chips on camera's. I would say most bucks still have a month or so to go.

Bump

I have only seen 2 young bucks that have rubbed out, the big boys still growing!

I have a few more bow hunts available, guest of a paid hunter no charge. I have lodging available on ranch. Very family and kid friendly atmosphere. You or your group will be the only hunters on ranch during your stay.

It's going to be a Great Year!

BowsnRods, shoot me a text about on-site lodging, please.

I still have a few hunts available, I am going to add an additional Doe to my Big 8pt package for the same price. This Doe will be an added for the hunter that tags his Buck and Doe early into his hunt and wants to harvest another Doe.

I will be moving camera's from protein feeders to bow set ups with feeders this next week!

Keep me updated!!

It's going to be an incredible hunting season, I will have new pictures to post by mid next week. I also had a very nice 5th wheel trailer brought to the ranch and set up, providing lodging for hunters this year.

Have a great weekend! I will be setting up tripods and pop ups.

if you hunt with him, you'll never be disappointed. I've hunted with him several times over the past years....awesome

Howdy sir, I'll take a spot if still available for a big 8 package.

Thank you jerry hart for the kind words and garslayer2010 please pm me with a contact number so I can call you to get some dates.

just pulled chips from feeders at bow stands

sorry so picture heavy, but deer are looking great!

They Really Are Looking Great!

BowsnRods - interested in booking a hunt. PM on it's way!

Wow that one big 8 and 9 are beautiful. I'm going to be keeping an eye on this post for sure.

Edit: thats the same deer just didn't see the crab claw in the one pic! Mighty fine buck there!

Tautog pm returned, we are very happy with the growth of the bucks this year. The hunting should be incredible.

Some very good looking Bucks John. You are going to have some very happy hunters.

Thank you Don, we sure have been blessed this year.

All PM'S returned

We got a few more bow stands set up today, and a few more camera's out before the rain hit. Checked rain gauge when the shower stopped and 7/10 is what we had.

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Thank you to all THF Members that have booked your Bow Hunt with my son and I for this upcoming season, we promise to make your hunting experience with us very enjoyable!

Will be posting more game cam pictures tonight

New Feeder and Bow Stand

My son scouted this past weekend for our upcoming bow hunts and observed several young bucks sparring and a 3 yr old buck making a scrape. I feel it's still way early for us, but with cooler weather this past week and heavy dew in the mornings the younger bucks were practicing for late November. I pulled camera chips today and will post new pictures tomorrow.

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Top picture cull buck

another cull buck, sorry for poor picture

Great weekend for my son and his hunter. They harvested 2 mature doe and we're able to video both kill's. I will post pictures tomorrow. The cooler weather has the bucks moving around and the younger bucks are still in their batchelor groups.

My son Cody with a doe he took with his bow.

Hey Terry, Cody and I cant wait for you guys to come down in November. This year is going to be a great year for all!

Set up a few more game camera's today with my son, I hope to have some new bucks to post by mid week. The moon has slowed down the morning activity a little bit but in another week it will be back to norm. We did see a number of good bucks during the middle of the day filling feeders.

BowsnRods, left you a voicemail as well as a text. Need to reconfirm booking.

Spoke to chital_shikari

I pulled chips this morning and lots of new bucks showing up on camera, sorry very pic heavy.

The words 'Pic Heavy' & 'Sorry' should never be used in the same sentence, lol

Look forward to your hunt TMc

I am booked up for this season but if I should have a cancelation I will post the open dates.

Glad you got them all sold John. You are going to have some very happy hunters.

Thank you Don, I hope they all shoot their bows straight and true. I saw a buck chasing a doe today.

SAY Hi TO CODY...hunted with him several times, super great guy as well as his son. His boy should be 17, but at 9 he knew more about deer than most adults. he's been raised right, and they're true to their word....

Thanks Jerry, Cody is fixing to be 22 and I couldn't do what I do without him! It's true he guided his first THF Hunter when he was only 11 and I remember well we had 2 brothers from the forum hunt with us and Cody's hunter killed a Huge 8pt the first evening. Love those Memories!

Garslayer2010 scored on a very nice 8pt yesterday afternoon and got a big doe this morning. This was our first hunt of the season and it has started out great. A good number of bucks were seen even with the warm weather. Pictures coming soon.

Congrats Garslayer2010 on your awesome Buck.

Your hunter got a great Buck Deer.

Thank you Don, we had a great weekend and even though it was pretty warm the bucks were still moving. It was a pleasure to have Garslayer2010 at the ranch for some great bow hunting.

Guys you will not be disappointed in this hunt! John and Cody won't let you be! Everything was top notch and John made me feel right at home. The ranch is absolutely beautiful and there are plenty of great deer. It's only going to get better as it cools down. I can't wait to make it down again. Thanks again John and Cody!

The buck I shot was an absolute bruiser, mature deer. Scored 123 right on the dot and couldn't be happier with him. Saw plenty of younger deer that would have scored higher but I'm absolutely thrilled smacking this old bruiser.

More pics to come!

Thank you Garslayer2010

Well Retirement is 3 months away for me and I have to burn some time or lose it, I am going to open up a few weekday hunts to consist of Tuesday-Wednesday or Wednesday-Thursday if anyone is looking to book a last minute hunt and doesn't mind hunting during the week. Lodging is included and I will work with you on the type package hunt you are looking for. This is Bow Hunting Only (Recurve,Compound and Crossbow)

We are seeing some rutting activity! I will post some new game camera pictures tomorrow.

John the bucks are looking really healthy. Cant wait to come see you guys next month

You have some very good looking Buck Deer. I like that last picture.

Thank you Don, They have started to push a little. My son Cody and I watched a doe run straight for us this morning as we were checking snares and she stopped about 20 yards from the mule and just stood there. I looked behind her and here comes a 3 yr. old 10pt never taking his eyes off her and realizing Cody and I are standing there just 20 yards away.

I really have not seen any activity here. Very odd. Usually here they have stated a couple of weeks ago. The larger Bucks are not together any more but not acting goofy either.

Where is the cold weather, I watched a buck today stop to cool down a bit and take a drink of water before continuing on the trail of a hot doe.

Friday afternoon I was visiting a friend who lives on Rio Ranchero not far from you. Sitting out in the yard enjoying an adult beverage and saw two different Bucks after does.

I will post some pictures from a couple of new bow stands on Thursday.

Sorry so picture heavy, lots of bucks moving around!

Looking Good! Be there in a week!

Looking forward Terry!

A lot of really good looking Bucks John. They are really starting to move the last few days.

Thank you Don, I have a young lady and her dad hunting with me and she took a great buck yesterday with her bow. I will post pictures in the next couple of days.

That crab claw still running around...maybe not same time tomorrow

Really excited!

I had to reschedule chital_shikari due to my trophy hunter still hunting, chital_shikari I appreciate your patience and understanding.

Had a fantastic weekend with a Member of the THF and his Family. The picture is of his daughter who scored on a 128 inch whitetail buck with her bow, her biggest buck so far.

A very good Buck she got. Looks like you have some really good ones left.

okay, at this point i'm just sitting here gigglin' with anticipation! HaHa Have A Great Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thank you Don, and yep Terry its like seeing the Christmas gift under the feeder but cant open it yet.

Just let me know!

Here are a few more photos from out hunt. We had a blast! If you have a hunt booked you will not be dissapointed. John will take good care of you and you will see a lot of deer.

Really like that crab claw 7 and 9 point! Im still looking for another hunt may be interested.

Took my grandson here a few years ago for his first deer. John and Cody are good folks.

Thank you Harvey, it's been a great weekend with TMC from the THF and his brother. They saw lots of great bucks and will be going home with some venison in their ice chest.

Are there any openings in mid-December, sometime between the 14th - 18th? I may be interested in booking a hunt but would love to get some details. Looks like the deer are quite healthy and great opportunities for hunters.

Also, didn't see anything about crossbows, and if those were acceptable.....

Thanks,

I thank you for your interest willieRedneck, I am booked up for this season. I do allow crossbows.

As John mentioned we had a great weekend. He's a top notch individual and you can tell how knowledgeable he is as well as how much he truly enjoys his work with the deer an the hunters he takes care of.
It was my brothers 1st archery hunt. He learned a lot and had a great time. He scored on his 1st whitetail and I put the hurt on a nice 9 point.

My shot was hard and through the shoulder. He jumped the fence, broke off the arrow (looked like abt 9-10 inches of penetration) (I know there's a 'That's what she said' joke there) broke off the arrow and we gave him some time to watch his movement, if any. It was getting late and
we then made the decision to come back in the morning, found a good blood trail but lost it in the general area we last saw the deer moving the night before.

We make the next decision to call in the dog tracker guy. Dog picked up the trail immediately but ultimately wasn't able to recover the buck.
Crushing.
The trail never exited the area and the buck was never bumped, so I believe he's tucked right under our noses at the base of a tree or under some brush and we simply couldn't find him.

John busted his butt to make sure we had a great time and did everything he could to help locate my deer. The dog, I was less impressed with, lol. But I believe the dog guy was a good guy, it just didn't work out in my case.

Hopefully the Ravens and Buzzards lead us to the buck eventually.
These are the challenges of Archery Hunting and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The accommodations were perfect and I'll be back every chance I can.
Here are a few pics. Not sure I did the video correctly.







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Thank you Terry, I cant wait to have you back.

I will be pulling game camera chips in the morning, and will be posting new pictures by tomorrow afternoon.

Very Picture Heavy, Sorry But the Bucks are really moving!









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WOW John you have a bunch of really good looking Bucks.

Thank you Don, getting ready for some weather coming.

Just let me know on dates

Will do chital_shikari

Bucks are really after the does and makes for an interesting hunt. I have seen them running at all times of the day.

I have one of our THF members at the ranch this week and we say about 7 bucks yesterday evening 2 shooters and this morning we were covered in big bucks, an 11 point 2 big 9pt and a 8pt. They all had love on their minds.

Great time with John this weekend. We saw a ton of deer moving and so many good bucks ... His place is a slice of heaven, beautiful and well managed. John himself is just a class act and has become a good friend. See you soon!

Thank you Johnny Pound, Cody and I look forward to having you back out real soon. The wet weather is over for awhile and now the cold will set in. I finally got my food plot planted today. It was too wet to get the tractor into the plot so I had to hand seed 5 acres with a 40 lb push seeder. It took me several hours but I gotter done. Saw lots of deer movement this evening when the sun popped out at 5pm and the temp dropped real quick. The season has been great and looking forward to our next hunt coming this weekend with another one of our THF members and his daughter who will be after her first buck.

Should be a great weekend for my THF members Hunt!

Great evening hunt with THF Member and his Daughter, this evening started out very slow and the temperature began to drop fast. We thought we would have to end our hunt early due to the young lady hunter starting to get cold and to be honest so was I. Then things changed a group of Bucks started to work their way towards us, and just like that nobody was cold anymore. A very nice 8pt presented her with a shot at 35 yards and she sent an arrow flying and with a loud Crack at impact the spitfire broadhead found the engine room and the buck fell within 50 yards. Pictures coming soon, we will be back out in the morning to give Dad a shot.

Awesome!

Glad she got her buck but 35 yards is a long shot.
what is your average shot to the feeder or water Forrest

22 to 25 yards to feeders, her buck was hung up just past the feeder. She made a wonder shot using a spit fire broadhead.

Let there be no doubt, John Mills is The Man! He never gave up and I got the call this morning that I had hoped for. John found my 9 point! Our guess is that as we backed out that night, the coyotes must have moved in and clearly bumped him quite a distance before taking him down.

John, I can't thank you enough for never giving up the search, even with all the colder weather, other hunters in camp and the rest of your responsibilities. I've never been with a guide or an outfitter who works harder and cares more about making sure the hunters have a great experience than you do.

Folks, you can't go wrong in booking a hunt with John & Cody Mills. He has a passion for what he does and he's great at it. He's an outfitter, guide and great friend.

Thanks again John, can't wait to get that critter on the wall.

Thank you Terry for the very kind works,Cody and I just finished up another incredible weekend of hunting with one of our THF members and his daughter. The young lady is deadly with her crossbow. I am glad I keep extra blades for my Havelon knife. I will post pictures when I get back to work Tuesday.

Here is another couple pics that show the quality of the rack better. He'll look great in the mancave.

Terry let me know if I can be of service, I have some extra capes available if you were wanting him shoulder mounted. Thanks!

I took my daughter this weekend for her first ever hunt on John’s ranch and man, I can’t begin to tell you how great John and his son Cody are. You can tell that John and Cody are very passionate in what they do and it translates into their commitment to ensuring you have a great time and are comfortable at every turn.

My daughter put a great shot on a very nice buck and doe. I on the other hand, put a shot on a buck a little far further back that I would have liked. We weren't able to recover my buck but that definitely wasn't due to lack of effort. That old bruiser of a buck sure is a tough animal, he just kept going. I have confidence that if the buck is dead, John will find him.

During our 5 hour drive back home, my daughter said to me, "I'm so glad that my first hunt was on John's ranch, it was so awesome there...". I agree, I feel that we have a great friend in John! Thanks John and Cody for helping to make a weekend full of awesome memories for us!! We will definitely be back!!

Awesome the smiles on the young lady says it all. Forrest

Just pulled camera chips and here are some of the bucks still running around for those who's hunts are coming up!









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X2!

Rob, I sure do want to get a nice shoulder mount like last time. Wall pedestal turning back to his right. (not that I'd given it much thought, lol) I'd be amazed if his cape was still usable, if not I'm happy to use one of yours and let you work your magic.

For all those reading, Rob is the best taxidermist by far that I've ever used... and I used a few from Montana to Texas.

Thanks Rob and I'll talk to you soon!
TMc

Awesome

This ranch is definitely managed right! We saw many good mature bucks and awesome deer behavior on every sit, from doe bleats, grunting and lots of chasing!!!

We're already making plans for a return trip to John's ranch next year!!!

A few more pics...

Tautog, I am so glad that you and your daughter had a good time with some incredible hunting action. I have several THF members coming out starting this weekend and through the end of next week. The weather is going to be great and the bucks are ready for round 2 of rutting activity. I watched a 9pt this morning with his little harem of doe. We will have our first true freeze on Monday of next week if the weather man is right.

A few recent pictures, 3rd picture of a cull buck.

Very few places have that quality of Bucks left. They are really some good looking Deer.

Thank you Don!

What an evening, got my hunter in a pop up blind at 3:15 pm and within 15 minutes we were covered up in deer. Then it happened, a huge 9pt walked in and within 16 minutes of being in the blind an arrow was launched and hitting home it did. The Monarch went 50 yards before piling up. What an incredible hunt. Pictures to be posted soon. Headed back out in the am to bare the cold and find another buck.

Here he is gross 136 2/8. So fun hunting w John and Cody. Great guys. I'll let the pic say the rest

Beautiful! Congrats on a great buck!

It's been a great start to a wonderful week, Cody and I had some fine folks from Grapevine who brought their Nephew out to bowhunt, the young man scored on a nice 9pt this evening, pictures to come. I wish them a safe trip back and a Merry Christmas. I have one of our THF members arriving tomorrow afternoon to hunt with us for a couple of days and the weather couldn't b better and the bucks have started chasing again.

Some great looking Bucks. And it looks like you still have a few left. Good luck with your next hunters.

Awesome hunt this morning, THF member scored on a huge cull buck. The pictures and story to follow.

Got to spend Christmas Day hunting with my son Cody,he text me while in a different bow blind telling me he had a big 6pt cull out with a few young 8pts. We decided to remove him from the dinner table and with a 35 yard shot Cody drilled him and recovery was quick. It's was great being in the woods with my son, best Christmas gift ever.

That's great John where was the 6 at Christmas Eve morning ha ha ha

Merry Christmas Mills Family!

So here is how my hunt from Thursday afternoon until Saturday afternoon went with the awesome Mills's. The ranch is gorgeous and you can tell that there is a ton of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into making the ranch into what it is today. The people (Cody, John) are absolutely second to none and i drove away from there feeling like i had made friends and hunting buddies for life. So i was on a hunt for a big 8 or 9 on my trip and the second hunt which was Friday morning i had a feeling it was going to be good and boy was it. Was in the stand by about 10 after 6 and John put some feed down and he was off. Not 10 minutes later i could here several deer crunching corn and running around in front of me. Couldn't see my hand in my front of my face and they were already there. Well as the sun starts to come up i can start to make out deer and in a matter of a few minutes i could make out horns. There was a massive 10 19 yards away from me that i tried and tried for about 20 minutes to make him a 9 to no avail that tenth point just wouldnt go away. So i am admiring him and the does that were out. I look down at my phone to text John and tell him how awesome this 10 looks and i look back up and i see this buck standing to the left of the feeder. Thought for sure he was an 8 until i inspected him closer and realized he was a huge cull 7 point. So again i text john and tell him there is a big 7 here. Not a minute later i get a text back with a picture asking is this him and sure enough it was so i tell him yes same deer. we text back and forth a few times and well i have a weakness for culls so i end up telling john i would like to take this buck instead. He says go for it. I waited until he gave me a broadside shot and let the rage hypodermic fly and boy did it hit its mark. He ran about 100 yards and piled up. Just like that i had my first buck on the ground with my bow. It was great. That double down is no joke either. This deer was named "chicken foot" and in the picture above you can see his sheds from last year compared to what he is after 1 year of feeding double down on the ranch. Now i know the protein you feed isnt everything but in combination with what John and Cody do on this ranch it is a recipe for success. Cody scored him at 127 6/8ths and estimated his age at 7.
Now full disclosure is i was hesitant to right this only because i was worried that with all the great things going on at this ranch at some point these reviews are going to sink in and i dont want to miss out on my hunt next year and many years after that because someone beat me to this great ranch.

Ricochet83, thank you for the very kind words. You will always have a place to hunt with Cody and I and we look forward to your hunt with us next season which starts in only 10 months.

That was cool!

Didn't get to hunt with BowsnRods this year, hopefully will be able to next year!

Well it's last weekend of the regular hunting season and Cody and I have a THF member down hunting with us. We got in the blind at 330 and by 345 we already had a couple young bucks devouring the sugar beet crush I put out as an appetizer. We watched a huge 8pt walk in with a hot doe and as she began to feed with the other deer the buck laid down under some trees. You could tell this old boy was tired of chasing his girlfriend around and just needed some downtime. The buck stayed bedded until we lost light never giving us a shot.

What an incredible evening, the hunt was awesome for a THF member, Cody and I. Pictures and story to soon follow. Happy New Year Johnny Pound! Awesome Buck

I had the privilege of helping John and Cody close out their season last weekend, and I'm happy to put a capper on this awesome thread as well. We had a hell of a time! It was my third hunt with these terrific guys so no surprises there.

As John mentioned, the first sit brought in a big 8 with love on his mind, and he laid down to rest just out of range before giving me a shot. The second sit brought in a coat rack 11, a big basket 10, a young 8 and 7, and more does and smaller bucks than I can remember. Just awesome.

The third sit started slowly as the weather broke from chilly and cloudy to warm and clear. Then it happened - a hot doe came to feed with a toad 9 on her tail. After hanging back for a while, he settled in to take a bite. Within a few minutes he turned broadside and my trusty PSE delivered. The Stinger zipped through both lungs, and this beautiful buck turned, ran, and fell dead 20 yards away.

Could not be happier with my New Year buck and cannot wait to hunt again with John and Cody! They are high character, fun guys with a first-class operation and tremendous knowledge of their resource. We've become good friends thanks to their welcoming and warm nature. Thanks, guys, for everything, from the comfortable place to stay to the memorable conversation and the opportunity to observe so many fantastic animals. Talk to you soon!

Thank you Johnny Pound, we are looking forward to next year and cant wait to see what the deer do on another year of DD Feed!

Congratulations on a Great Buck and I echo everything you have to say about John & Cody Mills! Great people!

What an incredible season Cody and I had with our Family of THF members. This was the most productive year in our last 10 years, good management and supplement feeding provided all our hunters with very nice Bucks. The proof is in the pudding or Double Down in this case. Cody and I look forward to seeing everyone next hunting season.

Wow, I have enjoyed following your posts all season and your DD is working. Hope to book my son and me next season.

Hey John and Cody, will be bringing Ham back out this Fall. Would not miss it for any thing. Did the big six make it through the last of the season? Stephen

Yes Stephen, the big 6pt is still running around. Cody and I look forward to your and Ham's return. "Always ready 2 hunt" my son and I have enjoyed having family's coming out and look forward to hearing from you.