My 5 year old and I have been hunting HARD this year with nothing to show for it. The times that we have been able to go together, the conditions have been poor or the stars just haven't aligned. He has put in 50+ hours in the deer blind this season, but the areas we hunt have a low population density and our main location is an archery only county (which is extremely difficult with a 5 year old). I was excited about this hunt at the Sid Richardson Scout Ranch on Lake Bridgeport. I knew that there were high population densities in that area and thought we should have some success. Well, we were hit with more poor conditions. Full moon, low temperatures and winds gusting to 50 mph made hunting tough. We saw one young buck on Saturday evening after hunting for 2 days not seeing anything at all. I'm so proud of my little guy. He never complained, not once. I made sure that I had plenty of snacks, warm clothes, a buddy heater, and his binoculars. I wanted to leave before he did.

The review on Sid Richardson Scout Ranch hunt is that the accommodations were far beyond what I expected. We had our own cabin with two bedrooms, a bathroom, shower and kitchen. The cabin was very clean and they supplied towels, sheets, etc... The food was exceptional. They provided 3 meals a day, snacks and really whatever else you wanted and needed. We had a steak dinner on Saturday night which was the highlight. Overall, I was very pleased with what was in their control. The blind locations were not ideal and you could tell that they were not hunters, but were charged with providing deer management on the ranch. Most blinds only had a 50-60 yard shot and were not ideal for a noisy 5 year old. We did find one that had a road to hunt with a 8' wide opening about 200 yards down.

We will keep plugging away next season, but I am anxious to have some success with him. These opportunities, however, are worth far more than any deer hanging on my wall. Spending quality time with him is a treasure and I am so thankful to do something that we both enjoy so much.

That is very cool! Thanks for the post. My son attended different camps at Sid RIchardson over the years, but I don't think I ever heard that they had a hunting program. Glad to see!

He can start when he's 9, keep this handy, both of you will enjoy it. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/youth_hunting/tx_youth_hunt_program/

Charlie

I never heard anything about hunting on Sid Richardson either. I know there are many deer in that Runaway Bay area of Jack county. Do wonder if the recent high fencing of The Patriot Ranch right next door has affected the wildlife any.

There are some huge deer in that area.

I was invited a few years ago to hunt on the Scout Ranch but wasn’t able to make it.

I had a personal invite from the person who ran it

I am not sure he still does anymore or how the general public goes about hunting it

Great post and perspective.

Nice

Sounds like you and the boy are having fun. Keep it up and it will pay off in the long run.

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Keep enjoying every minute you can with him dad because you will blink and he will be out of college!

Great Post!!!!
My dad started me at 7. We hunted ground hogs on dairy farms in west Jersey. He wasn't the most successful hunter but he sure instilled in me a passion for the out doors. I'm sure you are doing the same. Miss him so much!!!!

Thanks all! It is truly my honor to be able to introduce my boys to the outdoors and to something that I love so much. If you want to support the Longhorn Council and hunt on Sid Richardson, the link is:

https://www.longhorncouncil.org/event/lakeview-lodge-deer-hunt/

Several other ranches and scout ranches would have something comparable, but as an Eagle Scout, I love to support in ways that I can.