Nine Bar Ranch Blog
North Texas Deer Hunting: A Step-by-Step Guide
From the moment you step out of your car and onto the soil of Nine Bar Ranch, you’ll notice a change in your mindset. Leave behind the hustle and bustle of modern living and come enjoy a North Texas deer hunting getaway. If you’re wondering what to expect or where to get started, here’s s step-by-step guide to your journey.
Step 1: Book Your Package
Whether you’re a seasoned hunter or a beginner just getting started, you can be sure that we have packages that everyone will enjoy. First things first: decide what time of year you’ll be staying with us and whether that coincides with any seasonal hunts. We offer hunts of a variety of game to choose from, including both local and exotic species. To name a few of our most popular hunts: Aoudad, Axis, Blackbuck Antelope, Fallow deer, Sika deer, Red deer, White tail deer, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Turkey, Hog, and Dove.
Step 2: Enjoy Your Accommodations
Our spacious lodges offer full kitchens, bathrooms, laundry appliances, and all the amenities you’ll need to ensure your comfort for the duration of your trip with us. Our lodgings at Nine Bar are able to accommodate both large or small parties. Lodge 1 offers three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Lodge 2 boasts two bedrooms and one bathroom. In addition to our lodges, all of our guests have access to our game room, party barn, and outdoor seating for relaxation when you aren’t in training, on the hunt, or cleaning your kill. One note: for the safety all of our guests and for the sake of your animals, we ask that no pets accompany you to Nine Bar for your stay.
Step 3: Hunt
You came here for the experience, and we can guarantee that this is one that you won’t forget. With more than 12,000 acres to explore, you’ll never have the same experience twice, even if you become a regular here! All hunts include guide service to help you navigate the ranch. The land is divvied up into 2,000+ acre tracts, each with varying habitats for the different animals on the ranch. The land is fully populated with our incredibly varied list of species. We have two natural creeks running through the property as well as water tanks to keep the animals evenly dispersed throughout the property.
Automatic rifles are not permitted at the ranch and if you have any other questions about what weapons are appropriate, we would be more than happy to answer them.
Step 4: Process Your Trophy
After a successful hunt, skinning racks and walk-in coolers are available to process your trophy. All packages include full-service care for your animal. Field dressing, skinning, and quartering are all part of the care of your trophy so you can take it home to enjoy. Another bonus of hunting with us is is that there are no trophy fees at Nine Bar Ranch.
Step 5: Relax and Unwind
As we are processing your trophy, you can put your feet up and relax and unwind in our cozy lodge. Enjoy home-cooked meals prepared in front of you. As weather allows, an outdoor fire pit is available to continue to enjoy the outdoor experience.
Step 6: Come Back Again and Again
Once you get a taste for North Texas deer hunting, you’ll want to return again and again. This is the experience of most clients who visit us – they quickly shift from customers to friends! Our family-run ranch makes you feel like you’re a part of our family, so we encourage you to come back for a visit as often as you like. With so many options for a hunt, you will never run out of places to explore and memorable experiences that will last a lifetime
Experience North Texas Exotic Hunting at Nine Bar Ranch
When you picture yourself on that dream hunting expedition, where does it take you? Perhaps you picture yourself trekking through the South African plains to find a greater kudu antelope. Maybe you envision going all the way to Australia, where the Asiatic water buffalo roam. What would you say if we told you that a North Texas exotic hunting experience might be just as mind-blowing as any trip abroad?
Nine Bar Ranch in Decatur has more than 12,000 acres of vivid scenery and vibrant hunting grounds, with at least 30 types of animals from around the world, and year-round hunting with no off-season. Of particular interest to those looking for new experiences, we have 2,500 acres fenced off exclusively for exotic game hunting.
At family-owned Nine Bar Ranch, we treat you like family, from selecting your perfect adventure to preparing your guaranteed, unique trophy – with no trophy fees. Depending on the animal you’re hunting, you can choose from our popular two-day overnight stays, or even longer excursions to hunt predators.
Expert education about each animal; experienced guides; delicious, home-cooked meals; lodging in our comfortable, clean, ranch-style accommodations; and skilled field dressing, skinning, and quartering of your animal are all standard in every package with us.
Of course, you’re here for the animals, and our game species will thrill even the most jaded hunters out there. For example, you can be sure to find some of these exotic offerings:
- Aoudad sheep (or Barbary sheep), originally from North Africa’s Atlas Mountains and Barbary Coast, first came to Texas in the late 1950s.
- The red stag is native to New Zealand, but it’s also available to hunt thousands of miles closer to home here at Nine Bar Ranch from mid-August to the end of February.
- The scimitar-horned oryx, once abundantly widespread in North Africa, can now be hunted year-round with us in northern Texas.
- Sika deer (or Japanese deer) are also available for year-round hunting. They usually grow from 25 to 40 inches tall, with amazing antlers of four to six tines per side, much like those of the elk.
Additionally, there are plenty of whitetail deer, doves, hogs, turkeys, and other more traditional game species here at Nine Bar.
You can even experiment with new and exciting methods of hunting. If you’re used to Stand Hunting or Spot-and-Stalk, you could try the African method and go for Safari Style. Bow Hunting, Rifle Hunting, Black Powder, and Handgun are some of the other options available. We’ll be glad to help you choose the most appropriate method based on the animal you’re hunting and the terrain you’ll be traversing.
Owned by the Waggoner-Sauder family, a prominent fixture in the Texas ranching community for decades, the historic, 100-year old Nine Bar Ranch is now a premiere hunting destination in northwest Texas, just 45 minutes northwest of Dallas/Fort Worth. We aim to provide you with the on-target experience of a lifetime, and we’re proud and pleased to help you find the best game in the area – even in the world. We’re looking forward to welcoming you to Nine Bar Ranch with our special brand of Texas hospitality when you come hunt with us!