Powderhorn Ranch Exotic Hunt

Drawn for the above hunt. Any information or suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks

Have you gotten that lottery ticket yet, the way your luck has been going? Can't wait to see how you do on this hunt. Be sure to post a report and pics. Best wishes.

Congrats on a difficult hunt to draw. Good luckand have fun.

Anyone familiar with Sambar deer?

When you get there ask if they will be doing any public quail hunts, if you don’t mind.

Will do 68rust bucket. I love quail hunting so this may be an opportunity.

Your a lucky draw. Can't wait to see some pictures. Looks like there could be some great fishing also.

My son was draw for the youth hunt in October, and got this bull, in velvet. He was feeding in the middle of a marsh, late in the morning, about 10:30. It took about an hour for the 2 of us to maneuver in for the shot.






What I can tell you about Sambar is:
They really like the water. All of them we saw were in the water.
They are covered in ticks... covered.
They are BIG... my sons weighed 308 after field dressing, and they have a huge gut.
My son shot this with a .270 150gr Sierra Game King, at ~80 yards. It was a good shot, and fatal, but I'd probably go with something a little bigger.
They are delicious!!




Lucky Kid?
He not only got drawn for the newest WMA this year, but also the oldest, and took a mule deer at Sierra Diablo WMA

https://www.facebook.com/TransPecosWMAs/

Great job and thanks for the pictures. That is a feat he will not forget for awhile. Looks like tick heaven country.

Sounds like a perfect year!!!! Good dad!

How did your hunt go? Hope you had success.

I was lucky to get drawn but not lucky in the stand assigned. The hunters who were drawn were assigned blinds based on when they paid is what I was told and got a low numbered stand and did not see "anything" from that stand at all. I also understand this was actually the fourth hunt for Sambar this season. There were two hunts not ran by T,P & W and our hunt was the last one. I think pressure may have started to have an effect.

The staff was tremendous and helpful in every way. Dan took something like 12 or 13 stand bys which I suspect was a high number because it was the last hunt this year. The WMA is virtually a swamp but with decent oilfield roads. Weather was rain, heavy fog and patches of sunshine. Blank, remember our second day at Mason Mountain? This fog put Mason Mountain out of the competition for "heavy" fog. Mosquitoes were airborne but were having mid air collisions before getting to me thanks to the fog; I could hear them but not getting bit!

The Sambar are large as elk or maybe a little smaller! The Sambar I observed were all hanging from racks at the headquarters. I don't know if they are as spooky as elk and thus easy to harvest if you see one. The hunt was over at 11:00 AM Thursday morning so I headed in around 10:30 with my tail between my legs. At 10:50 I looked down a side road and there stood a Sambar just taking it easy about a 100 yards away. Hopped out and laid my 7MM across the hood of the truck and let the Barnes STX do it's thing. Sambar dropped in it's tracks. Called in and told Dan I would be late getting in. Here they, the staff, came and finished the gutting and loading it up for me. Got back to hunt headquarters and the staff had knifes ready; they deboned and packed it in ice for me in what had to be record time. Weight after being gutted 290 pounds. No doubt, they were ready to go home! Didn't think to take pictures because I don't know how to post them anyway.

Disappointed at not seeing anything from the blind that was just the luck of the draw. Again, the staff was great and hard working. This is probably going to be a great state park if they drain the swamp.

Fantastic. When Lady Luck smiles at you, just take it with thanks. A weight of 290# is just about like a rag horn bull elk after gutting. Plenty of meat, and we will have to learn how it tastes. The swampy ground and fog would be disappointing, but could have been much worse if the mozzies were bad too. Just get that turkey now and you will have had a pretty good year. Take care.

That's awesome, I don't know how I missed the entry for the hunt this year.

I am also interested on how they taste, my buddy who hunts all over the world told me they don't taste great. Not saying I will take his opinion for mine, but I do hold it in high regard.

Herbie, I have heard mixed results on the taste. Because of the mixed results, I took my Sambar to Pete's Fine Meats who I have always had great results from. Since, we both live in Cypress, I will share some of it with you, just give me a PM on where you would like to meet. Everything should be ready in two weeks.

Oh a meat trade!

Congratulations that is awesome. I was there for standby but I was not one of the 5 or 6 people picked off of 3 cards.

Congrats on the hunt.

No, I will give you some of the meat if you want.