Hunting the species

Red Deer

The Principal specie at the Reserve Ranch, this large, handsome deer sports sweeping main beams and can have 18-40 plus points. The Summer coat is a shiny reddish-brown, becoming duller, grayer and shaggier in Winter and stags will develop a neck mane during the rut. Highly gregarious, living in small herds it is not uncommon to find several Stags travelling together in bachelor groups. Older stags can become solitary during the “roar” while pursuing females, emitting bellows that end in a series of grunts. The hinds (females) will bark sharply when alarmed. They are known to be alert and wary with excellent eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. Not an especially swift runner, they have adapted well to the dense cover of the South Texas Brush country, and they will disappear without notice.

We recommend rifles in the 30 caliber and larger with good optics.  Shots can range from 50 to 200 yards, and we will utilize stable, shooting sticks to insure a steady shot.  The typical method of hunting will be spot and stalk, slowly approaching food plots during feeding times, then water holes and wallows throughout the day.  The top drive hunting vehicle can be a great asset to locate the Stags in the dense brush.  Once spotted, the hunter and guide will move downwind by vehicle then offload to make the stalk.  This can be especially exciting during the roar when the Stags are vocally active.  For the clients who are unable to walk, we can utilize ground and elevated blinds at waterholes and food plots.  Likewise, we will utilize blinds for bowhunters as well as spot and stalk.