TEXAS

Place: Laredo, TexasLocation: 27.5061° N, 99.5072° WTrophy: WhitetailOutfitter: Abe Lincoln Ranch

The South Texas brush has always been known as one of the meccas for large trophy whitetail bucks. The Lincoln ranch is no exception with large bucks being taken every year.

Getting there:

Laredo International airport has many flights to and from Dallas every day. Once in Laredo the ranch is short 2-hour drive away. A 4-wheel drive truck is a must because half the drive is on dirt roads.

The Hunt:

This is not a high fence ranch and all of the game on this ranch is fair chase.

The hunt starts with strategically picking a couple of spots on your designated pastures on the ranch. Once your spots are chosen you have to camouflage the ground blinds to the best of your ability. Now that the blinds are in position the hunt is on. In Texas you are allowed to bait the deer with corn and other feed type products. With a couple of scoops of corn and a lot of time in the blind you will see plenty of animals. On an average morning hunt I would see 2-3 bucks and 2-3 does all coming to eat some of the corn and then continue on.

The rules of the ranch are:

1. Bow hunters only

2. You are allowed to shoot one trophy buck (Minimum 130B&C gross score)

3. If below 130 B&C it is a $2000 fine

4. You are also allowed to shoot one doe and one cull buck.

5. You can take as many hogs as you want.

Weather:

Laredo is classic South Texas desert weather with cold nights and mornings with warm weather in the heat of the sun. In the middle of the day it gets hot enough to be wearing a t-shirt in the blind while at 6:30 AM having my jacket zipped up to stay warm.

Essential Gear:

Leather chaps (everything has thorns)

Comfortable Chair

At least 2 blinds to set up multiple spots