I was at the Texas Trophy Hunter Show in Fort Worth last weekend and got to talking with Rio Bonito Ranch. The idea of a free range fallow really intrigued me. Has anyone hunted there? It sounds like a really cool place at a reasonable price for a free range exotics.

So, what's the attraction for "free range"? U do know they are only "free range" in Europe right?

Every animal is actually in an "enclosure". There are hard boundaries to every range. Sorry to bust Ur bubble txhuntr.

I hunted there in the late 90's.

really nice place, back then it had been hunted hard and we didnt' see a lot of animals.

one guy took a hog and another took an aoudad. I hunted for 3 days straight and never saw a single exotic, as did the other hunter in our group

the house is something to see though

I guess if the game animals cross a property line fence then the hunters there are free to roam as far as they please after game, property line or no property line?

Please explain these "hard boundaries" and how Texas has them, but Europe doesn't....

Rio Bonito is a great place. They do a lot of business every year an usually stay booked pretty well from what I have been told.

. Europe has hard boundaries too, the fallow had no choice, they were drug over those boundaries against their will.

Hard boundaries can be rivers, super hiways, oceans, or just preferred habitat. All act just like a brick wall.

The concept of "free range" being preferred is lost on me. If I go hunting I don't play mind games like, "well, if the animal can't get past a barrier it must be less honorable or entertaining to hunt it".

But to each their own.

Free range, thats what I am talking about, I would suggest a good pair of Kleins and start tracking. FYI, you can cut the middle clips on a HF and roll right through it, no need in making anyone mad by cutting a hole in their fence.

All this is facinating, but has anyone hunted the Rio Bonito Ranch recently?

Ha! Interesting.. and potentially dangerous concept.

Talk about hijacking someone's thread.

I have not hunted there myself. Here is a suggestion: Visit their website and search the hunter galleries of successful hunters. If the quality of game harvested meets your goals then that's a plus. Then call the outfitter and ask about hunter success when focused on one particular species (fallow) Ask for 3 recent references. Call those references and ask them if they just hunted for any exotic that happened to walk by their stand or could they focus on one species. Ask about guides, food, accommodations, bow hunting, rifle, stands etc.

If all your research says Book the Hunt.Go for it, but remember the harvest is only a small percentage of a successful hunt. Good Luck.

I have hunted the Rio Bonito. It is 15000 acres of low fence and does have a high fence area. Just remember it is hunting, thick brush and elevation changes. You will enjoy good food, great lodging and some awesome bass fishing.

Hint:

Anytime a hunting ranch spends as much time touting their "bass fishing" as their hunting... you might want be a little cautious.

And it's obvious it's not all "free range". You don't do "free range" exotics like they have listed.

This hunter review lists it as "fair chase". I'll remind any and ALL that it absolutely ain't FAIR if you use anything but your teeth, feet, and hands. Everything else is an "unfair" advantage.

http://www.huntingreport.com/hunting_article_details.cfm?id=2627

Here's some more.

http://local.yahoo.com/info-18973419-rio-bonito-ranch-junction

and another.

This internet thing is pretty amazing..

http://www.huntinfo.com/outfitter-review-details/1025720077

Yeah one of the hunters shot an axis off of our place that we were leasing next door. Decent axis buck with a .22 cal hole behind it's hear 50 yards on our side of the fence

Hunted there 2 years ago, they shot the crap out of everything and no mature animals. Would not ever go back.