Nine Bar Ranch Blog
Prepping for North Texas Hunting in Spring
The spring hunting season may not be as active as the fall months, but there are still ample opportunities to bag game including wild turkey, feral hogs, and Sika deer. If you’ve had your supplies in storage since last autumn, it’s time to break them out. Read on for our guide to prepping your supplies for North Texas hunting in spring.
Inspect Your Hunting Gear
You should always inspect and clean your firearm before each hunting trip, particularly if it has been in storage for several months. Oil any minor rust or corrosion and replace any damaged parts. Make sure all ammunition is dry and corrosion-free before bringing your firearm to your local shooting range to assess accuracy.
If you’re a bow hunter, inspect your bow for signs of wear and warping. Apply wax to your bowstring and tighten the bowstring if needed. Inspect your arrows and replace any damaged pieces.
Clean and Update Your Hunting Clothes
What you wear will impact both your comfort and your hunting success. In North Texas, spring hunting may only warrant the use of a base layer of moisture-wicking fabric and a light, waterproof outer layer. By early spring, we’re looking at a major return of foliage, so make sure you’ve got appropriate camo.
One of the most important things to update is your boots. Any dry rot, excessive wear, or external damage can make your entire hunting trip a lot less comfortable.
Put Together Your Hunting Pack
Having a hunting pack ready to go can make hunting trip preparation ten times easier. Any good hunting pack is going to include binoculars, a knife, a GPS, and a multi-tool, all of which you should check for damage. Next up is your bug and tick repellent and your first aid kit, which you need to restock with bandages and antibacterial wipes. If you hunt fowl, you may also want to keep calls stored in your pack.
Book Your Spring Hunting Trips
The last thing to do is start mapping out your hunting season. If you haven’t already, now is the time to apply for any applicable hunting licenses and permits, including the Resident Hunting License. Then, start looking into your North Texas hunting options. Here at Nine Bar Ranch, we have great spring hunting packages to choose from. Schedule your next trip now before we book up for the season.
North Texas Hunting in Winter
New hunters and hobbyists tend to flock to local hunting grounds in the fall, hanging up their equipment sometime in December. As a more serious hunter, you’re looking for opportunities to hunt year-round. Where can you go for North Texas hunting in winter? Nine Bar Ranch has you covered.
What Game Can You Hunt in Winter in North Texas?
It’s easy to assume that hunting is largely off the table in North Texas in winter because we reach the closed season on a lot of species. For example, the ever-popular white-tailed deer is off the table starting in early January and we don’t reach open season again until early November. That said, Nine Bar Ranch is home to a lot of game that has no closed season, meaning they’re available to hunt year round. Examples include:
- Scimitar horned oryx
- Sika deer
- Fallow deer
- Aoudad sheep
- Hog
In fact, this is a great time to bag game you might not always go after, like the exotic Aoudad sheep, and hone otherwise unused skills.
What Are the Benefits of Hunting in Winter?
Novice hunters tend to assume that the winter months are quiet because they’re not ideal for bagging game. The reality is that you may have a more successful hunt when temperatures drop because many species, including hogs and deer, become more active during daylight hours. Their focus is entirely on finding food, which becomes scarcer in January and February, which can also make them a little less vigilant. Reduced vegetation can also improve your sightline, whether you’re posted up in a blind or down on the ground. That said, winter hunting does present unique challenges that will make for a memorable trip.
What Should You Know Before Your Nine Bar Ranch Winter Hunting Trip?
One of the most important things to prepare for when hunting in North Texas in winter is the weather. While we’re rarely going to see extreme low temperatures, it can get chilly, particularly between sundown and sunup. Make sure that you’re packing layers with a focus on keeping your core, feet, and head warm and dry. When you come in from the hunt, you can enjoy spacious lodging and build a roaring fire inside your private quarters or out near our party barn.
To learn more about our North Texas winter hunting packages, contact us today and get your next trip on the books.