An open spot or two, or getting a group of around 4 together, it makes no difference to me. Prefer mule deer only country. I'm not about having to have a monster, but more about spending a week or two (and then I'm GONE off your land) in country that I miss. Far west Texas or panhandle. Very flexible on accommodations. Time and ability to come talk to you and see what you'd prefer. PM would be the best way to contact. Thanks in advance.

what's your budget? what accommodations are needed?

My BIL has some contacts in the panhandle that I can get him to check on.

I can camp in a tent with no water or electricity (although I am getting pretty old for 2 weeks of that), or get a motel room if a town is close, or make do with any structure. Budget-wise I am resigned to paying for what mule deer are currently going for. I'm sure I'll get an education on $. The bigger the better as far as acreage. As stated, I can get a small group together if a place doesn't already have a group on it. 'Prefer working as a team, sharing info and areas (as opposed to "This is your stand/pasture and that's what you hunt for 2 weeks.") I do appreciate you checking for me!

Still on the hunt.

The pitchfork has openings. Gonna cost between $8k-$10k though. Wish I could swing it.

Most the pastures with opening are primarily whitetail pastures on the north side of the highway

dang 8-10k gun what they getting a man now,,,,

Did you happen to pm Jgraider?

Not yet. I hear tell he is ate up with hunting them.

"I have a dream..."

Up.

my BIL checked with his most of his contacts, mostly all full or shot out or quail hunters have overtaken ... still waiting on a few others, but no cigars so far.

I am stunned at the $$$ for quail hunting involved and ruined some of the places

Hey, thanks to you and your BIL for checking! I appreciate the help. I realize it's a needle in a haystack situation. I'll "endeavor to persevere." What I lack in intelligence, I make up for with tenacity. The hunt continues.

Quail hunters see just the opposite, deer hunters hunting til end of February and locking out the quail hunters. Not that much available ground left to run bird dogs in Texas.

Hi Creekrunner - I joined the forum to find a group of responsible hunters interested in the same as the above. I'll try to PM you (if it'll let me).

PM answered.

Dang 8-10 K is a lot of money for a mulie. Good luck in your search.

If you can find a good hunt cheaper I’m listening

I’d be willing to join your group if you’re needing some people. Mid 50s, drama free. Own my own place in the hill country, but would love to hunt some mule deer

Still on the hunt. 'Appreciate all the contacts and suggestions.

PM sent

If I was going to spend 10 grand it wouldn't be on the Pitch Fork

Id pay 10k for the right transpecos but not Pitchfork.

I've talked to a couple of great guys on here that have contacted me about this thread, and I've got a couple of feelers out, but nothing "fitting like a glove" just yet. Thanks for bumping it up fellas. It's nothing that has to happen, this year or the next, but it doesn't hurt to keep searching.

What’s wrong with Panhandle?
I would also consider the right MLD Texas MD lease for 10k.

Pitchfork is a better WT lease than Mule deer. Not a historical high producing mulie ranch.

Bobo, I asked what was wrong with "Panhandle" not "Pitchfork". You had mentioned Transpecos but not Panhandle.

Sorry, I have a ranch in Panhandle, and have mule deer, just seldom have any thing over 165. Transpecos has ranches that are consistent 190+ producers w/ much higher densities. There are a few ranches in the panhandle that have a very special situation where they are a winter/rut destination for protected mule deer herds, such as Dkerson charity hunt

Id entertain sandhill areas also

'Thought I had a lead on a place in true, No Country For Old Men country. But, if my friend on here didn't misquote the acreage, it sounds postage-stamp size for out there and, I doubt the land manager contact will ever get back with me. Interesting history though of a place that it looks like someone thought they'd try to create another Luckenbach...in the middle of nowhere.

Creekrunner, if it's No Country For Old Men country, I think you should throw any suitcases of money you find in the nearest river. Don't want to meet Anton Chigura!

Creek, did you see the one listed in Panhandle? both MD & WT ... (probably a silly question)

If I’m gonna pay $10k for a muley and have to drive to the panhandle I’m just gonna keep going another couple hours and go to Colorado or New Mexico

That’s the trade off on a mule deer lease. At some point the cost factor on a lease vs. a package hunt has to be considered since the season is so short.

Its not short if its MLD.

True, but I can’t ever remember seeing a mule deer lease offered that was MLD. I’m sure they do exist.

Most of the mule deer properties I’ve seen were either hunted by friends and family or the hunting was spoken for by an outfitter.

Good, consistent mule deer hunting in Texas is very hard to come by. It takes a combination of proper location, habitat, and hunting pressure/managment.

Maybe if you look in the classifieds in the mule deer foundation publication you will find some ads.

One can only imagine what kind of information is packed inside those pages….i wouldn’t know though….

Nor I. TWA hired that old goober, by the way.

Ill see him at the next TWA conference handing out pamphlets on CWD…

Again, prefer mule deer only country.

'Been a couple of months, and starting to get too late for this year, but bumping anyway.

I just saw one on 2coolfishing in Van Horn.

I'm in my late 30s and been looking around this area as well! I'll jump in if y'all can find a good deal.

I'm afraid I have a better chance of finding the Holy Grail.

There are quite a few very good mule deer killed on the Pitchfork every year. There are many that aren’t killed bc most pastures only allow one MD per 5k acres so once someone on a pasture kills one the season is pretty much over. There are also a lot that don’t go public bc people don’t want others to know about them, scared someone will try to offer more money and get their lease. I agree though there are other places that consistently generate big bucks but if you like 170” Muleys with a chance at a giant the Pitchfork isn’t a bad option. Obviously some pastures have much better mule deer terrain than others.

A 170” Texas mule deer isn’t nothing to sneeze at, but are you saying that’s the average buck taken or a representative of a big deer that gets taken every once in awhile?

It all depends on the pasture you are on. If you are on the prime MD pastures you will have a pretty good chance at 170 most yrs. Also depends on the group on that pasture though bc like I said they don’t want more than 1 MD killed per 5k acres and most pastures are close to 5k acres some more some less.

This one was just killed recently out there. Just under 170

This is a hard fact that most fail to understand, either because they are ignorant (nothing wrong with not knowing), or don't know what a good one looks like. Due to lingering drought, predators, hunting pressure, etc, nowadays a 170" mule deer is a dang nice buck, and are relatively few and far between. There are a few places in the Trans Pecos that have been protein feeding deer for a few years and they can grow some good ones. We've killed quite a few 180"+ bucks over the years, a handful of 190's, and a smaller handful of 200" bucks, but the lingering drought, increased oilfield traffic, etc has really taken it's toll over the last 10 years.

180” was always my goal. Only saw one buck in the Trans Pecos that might have gotten there but he gave us the slip.

In several years of hunting I never saw one that would be in the 170’s. And these were old deer. Big ranch, low population and low pressure. No feed. There were bucks taken that were in the 170’s, 180’s and in the 200’s but I never saw one on the hoof. 160’s was the average mature buck taken.

Big Muleys are a rarity.

There are some transpecos ranch’s breaking 200 pretty consistently, in fact our old one isn’t doing to bad now, not sure it won’t be long before it’s in that bucket. 160 was probably average but that’s because some of us didn’t have 14 plus days to scout and hunt. It broke 170-200 pretty much every year though

I can remember a few years where there wasn’t a 170” killed. Some years there was a a few.

If they are feeding yes, It should improve.

If a ranch is on MLD then it helps tremendously . I never went but some of the guys would go back after Christmas and the deer they would see would make you think it wasn’t the same ranch.

I remembered I did see a big deer and tried to stalk him but the wind got me and he busted. Guy killed him a few days later joy riding thru the pasture, deer was 175”.

I miss hunting there.

There were a lot of young 165-170 passed. That last buck STX killed that was 187 was perfect example, year before I had him at 35 yards, and I also damn near had to take the gun away from trex later that week to keep him from shorting him he was in 70’s that year. They took 190 last year, it’s one guy that has whole lease, feeding and headed to mld

Mine from Gray County a few years back

Saw one on face book, a guy living in Ropesville had one south of Brownsfield in Terry county,thinking around 400 acres with salt cedar bottoms and app. 200 acres CRP 2 hunters . 3500 each for season or 10 grand for year round with quail,dove and critters. Should have got his name and can't find it now

Great deer.

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/1...chase-big-bend-starr-county-border-wall/

Contact the Texas GLO

^^^ Great article, thanks!

Had no idea Texas purchased the Brewster ranch, that's great!

Maybe, we will see.

Hopefully they provide actual hunting and outdoor opportunities for people, rather than these chincey draw hunts that TPWD puts on

Looks like the bought majority of Brewster, be cool If they actually open it up for hunting. Aoudad, Elk and mule deer

They bought around 350k acres. Lot of land

Yes, 350K acres is a lot of land. Most would agree it’s adequate……..

They bought the Amarillo foundation ranch a few years ago that joins the Palo Duro canyon park, can't remember the cost or acres but around 5,000 or if the foundation gave it to state for tax write off. Has a nice home on it. Heard the big dogs with TPWD get to hunt it.

Think whole ranch was 420k but not continuous

Correct. It was more or less contiguous but they sold off a few pastures last year

Is the GLO funded by tax payers?

I don't know precisely, they could be enterprise funded by leasing grazing, hunting, minerals and real estate. Their mandate is school funding. My guess is this will probably be leased to an outfitter or outfitters because that is how most of their other tracts are handled but maybe they work out a deal with TPWD to lease the land to them for hunting purposes.

With this ranch and black gap, they could easily go to a more western style draw with a unit of nearly 500k acres...(read, not a 3 day babsitting hunt...). It bodes well that it is not a WMA and public hunting opportunities were specifically mentioned in the article. One could anticipate this ranch holds some sheep and maybe opens that public opportunity a bit or adds a governors tag or two to be auctioned.

Looks like we're getting closer

Still alive for twenty-five! Let's go for next year. I've found mule deer in one of the most God-forsaken, neglected-for-O&G-royalties ranches in the state! (The ol' sumbitch was written up in Fortune Magazine a few years ago regarding the Permian Basin oil industry, but I refuse to give the painfully contrived character any more press. 'Most can't stand him, but we got along alright.) Gimme and my cohorts a chance. All we need is some mule deer.