I don't think anyone was questioning that private land ( in Texas ) is on average, gonna be better than walk in hunting public land ( in Texas ). Or that when you spend more money, that will open up access to better hunting tracts than lower cost hunting tracts.


But the OP used the word "all" which is an absolute, to which many people pointed out many examples of being successful on low cost hunting opportunities.

I’d argue there is public land that has greater odds of killing a gross 170 than 99% of LF core hill country leases. You may not draw every year now since it’s been in newspapers and magazines, but there a probability of drawing

I’m sure there is, which is why I referenced walk in hunting.

You have a much better chance to kill a 150+ on the Hagermann or the Chapparral or Matador than I do at my place, even though I have a much higher density.

Every year people kill nice bucks on walk in areas in the Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and Sabine national forests as well.


Would those be my first choice? No, they wouldn’t be. But if it was all I had, I would make the best of it

I think you can absolutely do all that…scouting, stalking, hunting public land, etc. But that person or hunter can’t, without money drive up, walk out to a private, very private, exclusive range, and kill a 250 class deer in 30 minutes. With a 95% success rate.
Is that the hunting y’all are talking about. Because, when I talk to those guys, they say they are every bit the hunter you are. And as time goes by, that story of the hunt grows and grows. Walked 10 miles with a 100 pack on their back. Still, I don’t get all in a panty wad; they are living their dream.

That’s an entirely different scenario. What you’re describing is more of an estate type hunt for pen raised deer.

I’ve done that as well, it did take longer than 30 minutes.


But it’s a different type of hunt than my western hunts where I’m in nasty country hunting animals that have probably never seen a person before.

It’s like fishing a heavily pressured public lake and then fishing a highly managed private lake a 10th of its size. Odds are you’re gonna do better on the private lake. But that doesent mean either one isn’t fun or that the private water requires zero skill.


You can’t kill or catch what doesent exist on the property or water you are on, regardless of anything else

Yes..good friend of mine has 500+ elk, 270+ whitetail, makes a bunch of money, he’s a great guy and so are his hunters.