Smart Ranch?

[huntfan]

New guy here, but I've been doing a little reading and I wanted to ask you guys some questions.

It seems like the Smart Ranch is a bit of a sore subject and I hope I'm not upsetting anyone by bringing it up in here, but I want to find out just what the deal is. I found Dave's website a few months ago and after talking to a few people about the ranch, I scheduled a hunt for this upcoming weekend. (March 28th thru the 30th)

This is the first time that I've really seen some negative input about the ranch but it seems like there have been a few changes since then. I have heard that the ranch is now high fenced completely rather than on 2 sides enabling them to hold the animals on the property, and that there are no longer any feeders, and it's strictly a spot and stalk hunt. I'm expecting a difficult hunt, but I'm just curious to know just how many of you have been to the ranch and didn't like the experience. I saw one persons thread who was there and had a bad experience, but that can happen anywhere. I'm sure there are people who swear they'll never go back to the King Ranch for a hunt, but that doesn't make it a bad ranch. Don't get me wrong. I'm in no way affiliated with that ranch, nor am I trying to promote it. I will be there in 2 days and finding negative threads about the place just now is making me a little nervous.

I hope I'm not starting off on the wrong foot by opening up this discussion as my very first post on the site, but being that I'm already invested in this hunt, I'd just like to hear more about it. I have always been nervous about taking an offer that seems too good to be true, but I'd like to think that I've done enough research on this one to feel comfortable about going for it. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, just having the opportunity to be out in the woods hunting is what makes me happy, so I'm probably a little easier to satisfy than most.

I can say that I've gone as far as contacting Todd Cast with T-N-T Outdoors who was recently on a hunt there. He seemed to have plenty of good things to say about the place, even though they didn't shoot an animal either. I don't necessarily have high expectations, but again, I'll be there in 2 days so I'm just wanting to gather as much info as I can. I am really looking forward to the trip though!!!

Either way, I'll let you guys know how it goes if you're interested in hearing about it. If not, then I'll speak no more. hehe.

thanks

Chad in Ingleside, TX

[Oklahoma Kid]

Hey Chad...I have not been to the Smart Ranch but, I hope your hunt is a good one. Some of my buddies have been there and said they will not go back. On the other hand, I have read some post where some folks enjoyed themselves while there even tho they didn't shoot anything and a few post from folks that actually shot something. I sincerely hope Dave has cleaned up his act and is offering a good hunt. Let us know when you get back all of the pros and cons. We look forward to post from people like you who can be unbiased and let us know how the hunt really is. Good luck!

[Texastaxi]

Do a search, on here, for "Smart Ranch" you'll find all the info you want ... maybe more.

[huntfan]

I guess the main thing I'm taking from this is that it's such a cheap hunt, that it's at least worth it to try once without having to worry about breaking the bank and coming up empty handed. Even if I don't shoot anything, I won't feel bad about the money at least.

Texastaxi, I did read your thread on the ranch and that's what got me worried. My concerns were eased a bit when I found out that you went before they made the changes. Either way, I'm glad this place is here for people to be up front about their experiences on these ranches, and I'll be glad to share how my trip turns out. I've got high hopes for it, but I've got to remember that generally, you get what you pay for. We'll see though. I've heard a lot of positive things about the place along with the negatives, so all I can do is judge for myself. Thanks for the info fellas and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

[DJM]

Go on your hunt with an open mind.Then come back here and tell us how it went.Good,bad ugly.Hopefully the changes made were for the better.


DJ

[StikSlinger]

I went with Todd and some of our buddies. I had a fun hunt but it is a HUNT. If you have more than about 4 people it gets crowded. I would make sure you are a good stalker and have something to check the wind with. Hunt in the south corner that is along the blacktop rd. There are animals but they are wild, I mean wild. You should also be prepared for shots upto and on average 40 to 50 yrds. It is a spot and stalk hunt. It is high fenced but there is a good chance you will come home empty handed, but that is part of hunting. The house is alright but it needs a good cleaning. Take your own food, but there is a gas station down the road about a mile that has bbq. Good luck and enjoy the hunt. And for the record I am not a fan of Dave, just a hunter trying to fill my cooler.

[4Advntre]

I am always looking for an affordable hunt so keep us posted on how your hunt goes
Good Luck & Have Fun

[ByronB]

Is there anyone out there that would not go back to the King Ranch to hunt???? Just kidding ya. I was able to hunt it this year for a weekend and my son and I saw more animals than we could count. Had a blast. Your point is well taken though. One bad weekend on a day lease can make a person leary. Good luck on your hunt.

[huntfan]

Yeah, I don't know of anyone who would turn down a hunt at the King Ranch hehe. That place is amazing just to go and see some of the deer they have!!

4advntre - I'm like you. This kind of deal comes along and it's right down my alley. I don't know about the rest of you, but paying $1500-$2500 to go shoot a trophy Axis buck gets me put in the dog house by my wife, haha.

I've got my fingers crossed on this one. I just want it to be a fun trip and I can still have a good time even if I don't shoot anything. I already know that this isn't the place to shoot a monster buck, but I'm ok with that. I just want the meat in the freezer anyways.

Well, In about 28 hours, I'll be camo'd up and hitting the ranch, so I'll update you guys on the hunt when I get back.

StikSlinger - thanks for the info. I have been practicing at 40 and 50 yards for the past month so I figure that will increase my chances of shooting something, or at least shooting AT something. hehe

[huntfan]

Hey fellas, I'm back from the hunt. First things first.....my legs are KILLING me. I don't know if I've ever done as much walking in a weekend as I have these past few days. Anyways, here's my take......


We got to the ranch Friday about noon. The directions we got were good and we didn't have any trouble finding the place. When we got there we talked with Dave and 2 other guys who were there for a bit, got ready, and then went out on our first hunt. For the first 3 hours, I never saw a thing. I started on one side of the ranch and my brother in law started on the other. We met in the middle and he told me he was stalking some axis for a while. We headed back to where he saw them last, and sure enough, we jumped them up. From that point on, it was all out tracking, stalking, chasing, hiding, seeking,.....you name it, we tried it. For those of you who've read about it, calling this hunt tough is an understatement! You've got to be very VERY good to get close to these axis. We had our chances though. To be honest with you, I had no idea what to expect, but I actually had a lot of fun on this hunt, and that was without even taking a single shot at an animal all weekend. My brother in law did shoot a blackbuck Saturday Evening though, so we did end up with some meat.

I'll recommend that if you love bow hunting and want something extremely challenging, then go for it. I think you'll have a good time, but just be prepared to go on the hardest hunt of your life. I can't say that enough. It is not easy at all.

After saying all that, I'll give my positives and negatives from the weekend.

Negatives:

1. The axis are extremely wary and jumpy.... moreso than normal and I think it's due to a ton of pressure from constant hunting. 640 acres seems like a lot of land, but 4 people can run those deer ragged fairly easily in a weekend. The negative part is that this much pressure has to be tough on the animals health wise in my opinion at least.

2. It seems like some hunters might be taking advantage of the ranch because over the 2 day weekend, we found 4 dead animals out on the ranch, and 2 axis does with leg injuries. I can only assume that those injuries were from bad shots, but the ranch manager was unaware of these, so there have been some dishonest hunters. I'm sure that happens everywhere though.

3. This is the last negative, but it's just something that I personally think needs some thought put into it. The whole weekend, I only saw one buck, not including some nubbin bucks that he has out there that I wouldn't shoot anyways. Dave has a deal that if you shoot a buck, you get your money back. That sounds great, but the problem is that all of his bucks get shot out and then there is no way of sustaining a herd because there won't be any breeding. This is just my opinion, but I think I'd do away with that rule. This will give the herds a better chance to be self sustaining and give the bucks a better chance. Besides, the price is cheap enough that I don't need my money back. The hunt alone is worth it.

I don't guess those are really all that negative, but it's just what I took from this place. I really had a good time.

Now for the positives.

1. The hunting was fantastic. We did see a lot of animals, and had plenty of chances. This place gives you a chance to really use all of the tricks you've heard over the years of bowhunting. You definitely utilize wind direction, ground cover, feeding patterns, and all sorts of other information that you hear about when it comes to bow hunting.

2. The nights around the campfire were a blast. The other guys we hunted with were a riot. Especially our new friend that we nic named "John Wayne". I haven't laughed so much in a long time. It was really a lot of fun and I hope we can get together again for this hunt.

3. The amenities are not like any other ranch you would stay on. They're not anything fancy by any means, but frankly I was there to hunt so all I needed was a roof over my head and a bed. I slept well though! The ranch is absolutely beautiful! Just being out there was a lot of fun.


All in all, I still can't believe that you can go to a place like this and hunt so cheaply. I can't see why people would have a problem with someone who would want to be different. I don't know about most of you guys, but I don't have the kind of money to go pay big bucks to hunt on a fancy ranch, stay in a fancy lodge just to shoot a deer and go on my way. I know that most people want to bring back a trophy to hang on the wall, and meat to put in the freezer, so I understand why this is such a big business. I want that too, but I very much respect this guy for doing what he does. It gives someone like me a chance that I wouldn't normally have. Sure, I came back empty handed, but I can't say that it wasn't worth it. Out of the four of us who were on the hunt, we will all be going back. If there's one thing someone can take from this, I'd say just to try it once. It's not going to be for everyone, but after all, I'd much rather come up empty handed and only $250 lighter in the pocket book, than fork over $1500 for a hunt. That's just my opinion though.

I can't make up anyones mind for them though. I'd say that you just need to try it once and decide for yourself. As for me, I'm a happy camper after this weekend.

Chad

[StikSlinger]

Chad, glad you had a great time. It is a hard hunt.

[HuntinCrazy]

John Wayne here! Because of the distance, we arrived late thursday night. We met with dave, had too much food and sat around a campfire. Since the hunt was to start at lunch friday, we slept in. Anyway you really can't spot too well in the dark and my last hunt I found that cactus is tougher than me! Anyway at about 9:00 we were waithin on the other hunters to arrive and Dave chased us into the field. with the wind out of the southwest, my hunting partner SQ2 and I went around the north, north-ease fence. Within 200 yards I spotted a group of 12 Axis. One larger Doe was very alert and had spotted SQ2 so I carefully stalked to 30 yards. I was behind a small cedar and the doe alerted on SQ2 and like a flash the herd was gone...I never saw the doe bedded in front of the cedar I was behind and she scared the heck out of me! I attempted to stalk staying close to the fence not realizing the Axis had circled. When I got to the corner I jumped 8 more Axis one being large boddied but having nubs. It was a buck and body indications (from whitetail knowledge) aged that deer about 3 but I never had a shot as I nearly steped on a whitetail fawn. My heart was pounding out of my chest.

We went to camp and met 2 of the nicest hunters we have met in a long time. We had cleaned up and cooked breakfast while they went on their first hunt.

When they came in we shared experiences and talked about the difficulity of the hunt. If you are assuming a canned hunt killing someones pet, don't waste your time because as Huntfan indicated, this is one of the toughest hunts I have ever experienced. I think any bow hunter that can stalk these axis to a kill can hunt anything! This would be a fantastic tune up for Elk.

All totaled on friday we counted 30 axis in different heards. I saw a total of 2 whitetail and 6 blackbuck alive and 3 texas dall which we nicknamed mo larry and curley.

My best stalks were on 2 limping does but in both cases they were away from the heard and with very young fawns so even with one broadside at 20 yards looking the other way, I passed on the shot. Being there without her knowing was excitement enough. I know she had no idea I was there because she sounded and her fawn came out of the cedar grove behind her while I was watching. The second I stalked behind her to within 38 yards. She was bedded under an oak grove and one of my fellow hunters was approaching from the North East and she was fixed on him. As he bent to glass, she bounded from the bedding and ran off. The other huunter then noticed me and indicated he had not seen her or her doe. We agreed we would not shoot a lone doe with a fawn by her side. Later that day I saw this doe (known by a distinct front leg injury) licking the fawn so I suspect this animal had a very young baby.

All in all I am elated with the company we shared, the meals we had together, the stories around the fire and the experience. Had I looked for hunters I could not have done better than find Chad and Charlie!

By the way my Hernia has resulted in a distinct limp and that is how I got called John Wayne....thanks charlie.......

If your looking for a challenge this hunt is it, it is a unique idea in a saturated market of stand hunting ranches.

[Oklahoma Kid]

It's really good to hear when hunters have a good time at a ranch. Your fellow hunters can make or break a paid hunt. It is great that you teamed up with some truely nice folks to hunt with. Too bad you didn't get a shot. Nub bucks and does probably were not whay you were after anyway. Thanks for not shooting the does with fawns.