Bred Does Recommendation

We are looking at purchasing some bred does to improve genetics on a high fenced ranch. The ranch is located just outside Junction. Not looking to produce the next world record, just good solid improvement over hill country bucks. Can anyone give a recommendation?

To most benefit the ranch's genetics, you need to make it a long term investment. What I mean is to plan on at least five years of stocking. What ever your budget is, is how many does you need to release per year. You will have greater success then just calling it quits after one year. Make sure you start harvesting your "non-tagged" does ASAP.
Try and make a home within the high fence that greatly resembles a deer pen and release your does there. These deer are used to seeing and being around people and structures so try and have a feeding station close to an area similar. 99% of released deer will walk the fence line non-stop so make sure you have feed and water on the fence line until they start navigating the property.
It's not always the case but prepare yourself for death loss.

I'm no expert on the matter

but a friend of ours has 1300ac out toward Brackettville, they released some bred stocker does on their place this year. they just released them flat out. no preparation like what was described above. those deer are having a hard time. I haven't heard that he's lost any of them yet. but he sends me game cam pics sometimes...and those girls look pretty poor. they look sick compared to the native deer. I suppose they will rebound...I dunno. but under those conditions I'd bet whatever fawn they bore also isn't looking at the best survival rate either.

This situation is true for a lot of animals that have been pen-raised or at least raised on a feeder their whole lives. They've never learned to rustle. We do a ram test every year to determine growth rates, etc, and the second those rams come off the feed they'll drop about 30 pounds.

Usually they'll adapt but it may take a year or so. The key is if they raised offspring, those fawns won't be pen-raised and should be good stock going forward.

So, I assume then its better to catch some does on the property and artificially inseminate them? Or purchase a couple of breeder bucks and put tags in their ears to keep them from getting shot? Are you going to have the same issue of death loss in purchasing breeder bucks?

You could always let out what you have..shoot a few more and start clean right..

If we did that, then I would want recommendations as to where to purchase the deer, which was what I was asking to begin with...

We purchased some bred does to put on our place to bring in new genetics and if we had to do it over again we would just spend a lot less and buy unbred does. We bought 16 and of the 16 8 were bred. In summer very few of the 8 actually had fawns (per game camera on protein feeder they eat at) and not one of the fawns lived. We are on year two now with about 13 of the 16 does still alive and we now have about 4 fawns that have survived. We fed protein constantly $$$$ for 1-1/2 years and cut them off in Fall 2014. So far so good, we constantly see them eating our natural vegetation leaves and they all look good. After talking more and more to other people I know that have done the same thing I have heard a common problem. Poor survival rate with fawns the first year but successive years are much better. I think the stress of being darted, transported, dropped off some new place, etc. causes the doe some problems. I also heard recommendations of a soft release pen but in our case I don't think that would have helped at all. The doe stayed in approx. a 600 yard radius from where they were dropped off. Message me if you have any questions. One more thing, have to stay on your predator control because the first year these doe would walk up to the feeder while you were filling it. Now they run off and are wilder. Easy prey for coyotes the first year for sure.

I understand the native bucks will kill the pen raised boys who are tamer with no fight or survival skills in them.

id go with TTT does before pen raised does. they are caught off a ranch and then released. they have a better chance of surviving. as far as pen raised bucks, if you have alot of 4 and old bucks they just wont make it. they dont know how to survive in the wild unless there is a feeder they can stick their face in and native bucks will kill them.

Go with TTT does from a well managed ranch that feeds protein. Money better invested on those does than pen raised ones.

Thank you all for the advice!

Lonnie Walker would be the guy to talk to. He could give you the best advice for your situation and also probably provide the deer if that's the direction you wanted to go. Shoot him a message or shoot me one and I can give you his contact info.