Nine Bar Ranch Blog
The Magic of Texas Hunting in December
As the days get shorter, the sun doesn’t set on Texas hunting. Here at Nine Bar Ranch, winter is one of our favorite seasons to explore our 12,000 acres in search of seasonal game. Read on to decide if this is the year you’ll enjoy the magic of Texas hunting in December.
Hunting for Winter Season Game
Novice hunters tend to think of fall and spring as the biggest hunting seasons in the state of Texas. However, the game available to hunt in fall is often still on the roster through late December and early January. This includes white-tailed deer and wild turkey. You can hunt doves in late December and while hogs are fair game year-round, you’ll find that they’re often more active and easier to find in the winter. Winter is also a great time to pursue game like sika deer if you’re hoping to bag one with hard antlers.
Enjoying the Quiet of Winter
In North Texas, we enjoy mild temperatures through most of December, with daytime highs of around 40 or 50 degrees. It’s also a remarkably peaceful season, particularly in wooded areas, where the leaves have fallen and the birds have gotten quieter. You may even see a bit of snowfall! After spending hours in a hunting blind, nothing is more comforting than returning to your Nine Bar Ranch cabin and enjoying a warm drink or a hot meal.
Bringing Home Christmas Dinner
Thanksgiving isn’t the only holiday meant for feasting. By scheduling a hunting trip for early or mid-December, you can bring home freshly caught meat for your Christmas dinner. There’s no better way to celebrate with family than over turkey or venison that you bagged yourself. Plus, things like homemade deer jerky can make the perfect stocking stuffer!
Hunting Alongside Serious Hunters
When you schedule hunting trips in the fall and spring, you’re hunting alongside just about every hunter, including new hunters and hobbyists, in the state of Texas. On the other hand, hunting in the winter presents unique challenges. For example, the weather can become harsher and more unpredictable. By this time of year, white-tailed deer are usually more suspicious and harder to bag. As a result, you’re bound to hunt alongside serious, experienced hunters when you schedule your trip to Nine Bar Ranch in December.
North Texas Hunting In October (Before the Rut)
October welcomes some of the best weather of the year to Texas and, with it, some great hunting opportunities! Many whitetail hunters miss out on good October hunting as they plan and prep for the November rut. And while October may not allow you to bag the trophy you have been dreaming of, there is still much to offer this month. Here are some tips on making the most out of your North Texas Hunting in October.
1. Hunt Conservatively
You will only get a few good hunts out of one spot before the deer sense they are being hunted in that area. If you spend October hunting too aggressively, you could risk losing buck activity in your promising hunting spots before November. October is a time to take it easy, enjoy the outdoors, and see what opportunities come along. Avoid hunting too heavily in places you plan to hunt during the rut.
2. Doe Hunting
Hunting does in October is a great way to build your confidence as you head into the rut. Some hunters can go the entire rut without tagging the buck they are after. Does, on the other hand, offer plentiful opportunities for success. From a conservation perspective, many areas need to have does thinned from the herd each year to maintain a healthy herd level. Does also produce high-quality, organic meat you can stock your freezer with. When we focus on the glory of the rut, we miss out on doe hunting.
3. Find a Good Food Supply
If you are just looking for a great day outside in the fall weather, you typically can’t go wrong with finding a food supply spot and setting up on the edge of the feeding area or on a heavy trail leading there. Does become more active during daylight hours in the fall so it is likely that you will find yourself in a target-rich environment. Two or three feeding spots could keep you busy for the whole month.
October can be a great time to experience North Texas hunting if you go into it with the right expectations. It is the perfect time for great weather, gorgeous scenery, and lots of action. With the right attitude, this can be some of the best hunting of the year.