Driscoll Ranch in S.Tx

[DBrasco]

Anyone ever hunt the Driscoll Ranch in south texas? Its a private lease and a friend was offered one of the spots for next year. Just curious if anyone has ever hunted it or knows if there are some good deer in there. Suppose to be 4-5k acres.

[Dave W]

The Driscoll Foundation has 33,000 acres between Freer and Hebronville. Is that it?

[DBrasco]

i dont think its between freer and hebbronville. Its i believe closer to benavides. The ranch they're hunting is approx 4-5,000 acres.

[Dave W]

The whole Driscol Ranch is arounf 30 K acres. It lies in a triangle from Hebronville to Benavides and then West to Hwy 16. FM 2295 is on the North and that goes through Benavides. Our pasture is on Hwy 16 just South of 2295.

The hunting has been slow. Our part was day hunted for a long time and they shot the #$@% of it. Its still in a rebuilding mode and the deer density is low.The good news is we know the neighbors and not a lot of game has been taken off it since. We have seen 2 good deer and the neighbor has seen 3. The other neighbor saw a lion on a dead doe last month. The terrain is very heavy brush. You have to hunt senderos. There are a lot of animals we will never see.

In short we feel it has a lot of potential.

Dave

[DBrasco]

:

question is...is it good enough to warrant the 5-6k a gun price tag? at that range you aought to be getting some good deer and an abundance of deer. If someone pays 5-6k a gun there should be lots of deer. Or at least have some monsters. I was told there are some monsters in there.

[Dave W]

Yeah we keep hoping.
Our overall population is down. They flew it last year and the biologist said even though they may have seen 20% of the animals there, they still wanted us to lay off taking does. He said they did see a couple of good ones. The problem has been the spring summer drought. It was bad. They pulled all the cattle off at one time.
The problem is that we have already put a lot of work into it with feeders, stands, housing etc. It is expensive to leave alll that work behind unless you are going to a sure thing. Our neighbors have been there 3 years and they have only taken 3 deer and they are staying.

[Jamie]

I border the Driscoll on one side....now I see why they cut a section of my high fence. Guess they needed some deer.

I rarely see a deer on their side of the fence...and those I've seen are junk.

[Dave W]

Jamie
Where are you at? Are you on 16 or the 359 side?
We have a bunch of illegals coming down the pipeline. Its nothing to see 2 or 3 groups. I heard they were considering high fencing the hwy to keep illegals and poachers out.

DEW

[JeffJ]

Jamie
Where are you at? Are you on 16 or the 359 side?
We have a bunch of illegals coming down the pipeline. Its nothing to see 2 or 3 groups. I heard they were considering high fencing the hwy to keep illegals and poachers out.

DEW

A high fence will not keep the illegals out and definently wont keep poachers out. Matter of fact I would reckon that a high fence would only encourage poachers.

[stxhunter]

Good luck in that area. There are some good deer in the area but not many. I would have to agree with the area having potential, but it will take a lot of work. Honestly though with the price tag of 5-6k per gun I would have to say he could find something way better for his money. Good luck on the decision making!!!

[catfish]

If you want to spend that kind of money I would take it to the Panhandle the deer up there are big bodied and big racked. My company has a lease up in collingsworth county and they have killed several over the past 3 years that field dress at 200lbs and have killed 3 bucks that score over 150. And if you like to turkey hunt to me there is no better place, might see 50-60 gobblers per group in the fall.

[Acuna]

Jaime,

Let me say that is a neighbor cut a section of a high fence on property I owned, there would be some SERIOUS, SERIOUS H___ to pay. I mean that is just WRONG!!!!!

Oh and to shell out 5-6 grand a year on lease... better have some good deer. Heck I could go on a guided hunt for that kind of jack and probably get a 150, so if I were paying the 5-6 grand in leases fees (plus corn and protien costs, travel expenses, stands, etc.) it better be pretty dang good! Most people I know who pay that kind of money for their leases have legitimate shots at 150-170+ deer.

Of course, that is just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[DBrasco]

:

hey jamie, is that driscoll pasture next to you called The Gilbert Pasture?

i agree that at 5-6k a gun it ought to have some good deer.