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October Baker 3 Ranch Combo Bow Hunt

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    October Baker 3 Ranch Combo Bow Hunt

    I posted this in the Around the Campfire forum. I'm hoping this will get some more attention on a less busy forum.

    TBHers I'm getting together a group of my buddies and going for one of the October combo bow hunts. I've searched about Baker 3 Ranch on here and read some mixed reviews. From what I've read, the people that don't like Baker 3 Ranch is because the hunts are difficult and the animals aren't handed to them on a silver platter. Can I get some more reviews and advice from yall? Like what pastures to choose if we get a group big enough to have a pasture to ourselves and what has been successful strategies for those that have hunted in October? Thanks!

    #2
    I have hunted Baker probably 30 times or more, and most times took an animal. Only two were trophies, both blackbucks. I have seen some monster axis bucks, but never got a shot at one of those.

    If you are happy with shooting a doe or a hen turkey, you can have a great hunt.

    All the pastures have animals.

    Here are my tips for success there.

    If it is dry, find water and get set up on it. You have to be fast or others will have it flagged up and taken. Even if it is not terribly dry, this can still be good.

    Set up around old feeders, even if they have not worked in a while, it seems to me that the animals still come by and check them out.

    Drive around and look the area over, if you see animals in a particular area, set up there.

    If you use a tent blind, pick a good spot and brush it in well.

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      #3




      Here are a couple of videos (if I copied the shortcuts right) from Baker, hunting with my daughters.

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        #4
        One more thing you can do, when you first get there, put a little corn out in half dozen spots and then check it after the first hunting period.....focus on the spots the corn got cleaned up.

        I usually take tri-pods, tent blinds, and sometimes even a ladder, Be ready to hunt whatever spot looks the best to you. I have killed deer just off of a stool and a couple of times still hunting, but obviously it is best if they come to you.

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          #5
          Thanks Chunky

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            #6
            Morning bump

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              #7
              Sunday bump

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                #8
                It's a nice place and does have animals but seems they are hunting it more then the four times a year that's sworn by.

                Chunky' advice is solid, and I look at a monopod to rest bow arm on for long shots.

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                  #9
                  I have hunted the Ranch for years. The Axis hold Master degrees on avoiding you. If you want to put yourself on a hunt that is 100% fair chase and not looking for a canned hunt this is the place. Bonnie and Robby are great people and are very helpful. If you don't like these people, you just don't like people. Every time I have gone, I felt like they were friends.

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                    #10
                    Good to hear, I'm excited about the challenge

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                      #11
                      Baker success

                      here is one we killed June...all three of us had opportunities just holding out for something to hang on the wall...we are going again March

                      Hmmm no pic
                      Last edited by hunterbabe; 09-15-2014, 07:58 AM. Reason: pic didnt show

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                        #12
                        Good place

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                          #13
                          I'm not trying to dissuade you from going and I hope your hunt is incredible and successful. I just find some of the comments and attitudes of some guys, including the one from the OP about the "silver platter" to be unnecessarily sarcastic, inaccurate and rude.

                          I am and experienced bowhunter who is fairly capable and successful at it. I go on "fair chase" hunts all the time. I, and friends, own land in Missouri that I hunt, I hunt low fence deer leases here in Texas and hunt places I pay to hunt. I am not opposed to a weekend of grocery shopping with my bow at a not so fair chase, high fence place my friend owns. It's fun and adds to the freezer. I would not pretend to call that "fair chase".
                          When I'm paying a land owner/manager a sum of money to hunt I expect it to be a "fair chase" for the hunter as well as for the animals.

                          I went on a summer axis blowout hunt over ten years ago with a party I put together. I found the folks at the B3 to be very friendly and helpful on accommodations. They had over booked the camp house but did us right by bringing in some travel trailers. I found they had great populations of whitetail and blackbuck. I found their axis population to be less than advertised. I found their hands, when specifically asked for helpful information, not helpful. Rude even. I figured out later in the hunt they held pastures for people who had hunted there before but didn't show up until long after we arrived and told us those areas were taken. I've watched the reports over the years of only 3 to 10 animals taken on the scheduled hunts. On the hunt I attended I believe there was around 60 hunters and less than 10 animals killed or blood drawn on. To my recollection there was one blackbuck, one small axis buck and a couple of axis doe and an axis fawn taken but that was a while back so the numbers may be one or two off. To me that is a fairly low success percentage. I did get a nice hat and meal though for the $250 it cost for the hunt back then. The $50 for the lodging I got was a great deal. The lady of the house we stayed near was a darling and so nice.

                          First, because one pays a considerable some of money (which back then a few hundred dollars was to me) to hunt a place and doesn't see animals or get shot opportunities and is unhappy doesn't mean they are looking for a canned hunt. The investment in time, fuel, corn and effort adds to that cost. That was the only extra hunt I could afford in a two year period (outside of my land/lease) and I was very disappointed. I was the only member or my party to even see an axis while hunting much less have a shot. The one I had a shot at was a juvenile and I elected to pass. We found no working feeders to hunt near, the whitetails ate every kernel of corn you could put out and the only axis that any of the other guys in my group saw were driving back to camp at night. Now their population may have increased over the years and if so that is great but one bad experience has kept me and my party away from there since that one trip. In fact one member of my party, an older fella, has not hunted an operation like that since. He did start speaking to me after a couple of years though.

                          I have been tempted to go there again based solely on some of the positive experiences posted here by the members but I haven't gotten the bad taste of that one experience out of my mouth.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by DRT View Post
                            I'm not trying to dissuade you from going and I hope your hunt is incredible and successful. I just find some of the comments and attitudes of some guys, including the one from the OP about the "silver platter" to be unnecessarily sarcastic, inaccurate and rude.

                            I am and experienced bowhunter who is fairly capable and successful at it. I go on "fair chase" hunts all the time. I, and friends, own land in Missouri that I hunt, I hunt low fence deer leases here in Texas and hunt places I pay to hunt. I am not opposed to a weekend of grocery shopping with my bow at a not so fair chase, high fence place my friend owns. It's fun and adds to the freezer. I would not pretend to call that "fair chase".
                            When I'm paying a land owner/manager a sum of money to hunt I expect it to be a "fair chase" for the hunter as well as for the animals.

                            I went on a summer axis blowout hunt over ten years ago with a party I put together. I found the folks at the B3 to be very friendly and helpful on accommodations. They had over booked the camp house but did us right by bringing in some travel trailers. I found they had great populations of whitetail and blackbuck. I found their axis population to be less than advertised. I found their hands, when specifically asked for helpful information, not helpful. Rude even. I figured out later in the hunt they held pastures for people who had hunted there before but didn't show up until long after we arrived and told us those areas were taken. I've watched the reports over the years of only 3 to 10 animals taken on the scheduled hunts. On the hunt I attended I believe there was around 60 hunters and less than 10 animals killed or blood drawn on. To my recollection there was one blackbuck, one small axis buck and a couple of axis doe and an axis fawn taken but that was a while back so the numbers may be one or two off. To me that is a fairly low success percentage. I did get a nice hat and meal though for the $250 it cost for the hunt back then. The $50 for the lodging I got was a great deal. The lady of the house we stayed near was a darling and so nice.

                            First, because one pays a considerable some of money (which back then a few hundred dollars was to me) to hunt a place and doesn't see animals or get shot opportunities and is unhappy doesn't mean they are looking for a canned hunt. The investment in time, fuel, corn and effort adds to that cost. That was the only extra hunt I could afford in a two year period (outside of my land/lease) and I was very disappointed. I was the only member or my party to even see an axis while hunting much less have a shot. The one I had a shot at was a juvenile and I elected to pass. We found no working feeders to hunt near, the whitetails ate every kernel of corn you could put out and the only axis that any of the other guys in my group saw were driving back to camp at night. Now their population may have increased over the years and if so that is great but one bad experience has kept me and my party away from there since that one trip. In fact one member of my party, an older fella, has not hunted an operation like that since. He did start speaking to me after a couple of years though.

                            I have been tempted to go there again based solely on some of the positive experiences posted here by the members but I haven't gotten the bad taste of that one experience out of my mouth.
                            I am sorry you did not have a good a hunt as you expected, I hope you give it another chance. I have been hunting the Baker 3 for 20 years now and during that time there have been highs and lows for the numbers of various animals on the ranch.
                            I know that Bonnie is the sweetest and most honest person that I have ever dealt with on any day hunt. Over the years I have seen many things I liked and a few I didn't and I found that If brought to Bonnie's attention it was taken care of or explained why.
                            I have hunted a lot of day hunts but I feel that the price you pay and what you get from the Baker 3 is and honest price and honest hunt.
                            I hope you give them another try and have a great hunt.

                            Regards, Mudbone

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                              #15
                              Anyone go on the hunt this past weekend? I was out there... How did you all do?

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