Smart Ranch Exotics
This is my annual rat and roach report!
On the weekend of July 27th, myself and 3 other hunters were invited to a complimentary hunt at the Smart Ranch, near Kerville, TX. The invitation came from the ranch manager/owner and started out as a business meeting, of sorts, to see if our group could provide effective advertising for the ranch.
Some pertinent facts:
The huntable portion of the ranch is about 600 acres.
That 600 acres is high fenced on two sides, effectively making the ranch free range.
On the ranch website, they claim to have many different species of exotics, including axis, fallow, blackbuck, and hogs.
The ranch accepts hunters 7 days a week.
On another of the ranch owner’s websites, he boasts “if you don’t see deer, I’ll change my nameâ€.
So, I make the 5 hour trek to Kerville for a much anticipated hunt. When we all arrive, Dave takes us on a tour of the hunting area. We see a few groups of axis, all at distances of more than 80-100 yards, and all hightailing it as soon as they see the truck.
We make our way back to “camp†to get ready for the evening hunt.
Friday evening, I sat in a hang on tree stand overlooking a feeder. I saw one whitetail doe that came in, looked directly at the stand, ate for about 2 minutes and then went on her way.
Saturday morning, I sat in a ladder stand next to a road. The night before, Dave’s “ranch†truck ran out of fuel, so the road feeder was on that truck, in another area of the ranch, so there wasn’t even any corn to stop the deer IF they did come through. As he dropped me off, he said “watch that fence back there, the axis usually travel that fence lineâ€. Yeah, that’s all good except the fence is about 100 yards away and we’re BOW hunting! That morning, I saw a whitetail doe and 3 whitetail bucks. Although the ranch is “covered†in axis, according to Dave, I still haven’t seen an axis while on the stand.
Saturday evening I sat in a box blind overlooking a different feeder. Two lonely whitetail doe came by, looked at the box blind, looked at the feeder, and went on their way. Now we’re up to 12 hours of hunting time, and still not a single axis.
The box blind was the most comfortable blind that I had hunted, so I chose to sit there again Sunday morning. This time, I saw a huge jackrabbit. Now we’re up to 16 hours of hunting time and I still haven’t seen an axis, or any other exotic for that matter.
I chalk it up as a learning experience, thank Dave for the hunt, and we head home. Yesterday, I decided to visit one Dave’s 57 websites and find an advertisement for the Smart Ranch that has the guarantee (that you read in the beginning of this report). Since I didn’t see any deer (I don’t count the whitetail because they’re not in season) I simply asked since I didn’t see any deer, when was he going to change his name. Pretty simple question, so I thought! My post was promptly deleted! Wanting an answer, I start a new thread and try to keep it short and sweet. The thread was locked and soon after, all but my original post were deleted … then I was banned! The thread doesn’t make much sense without my posts, but if you care to read it, here’s the link.
I re-registered, to try to get an answer, and I was banned again! I now have an IP ban, on the very site that he calls a “fair, balanced, and unbiased forumâ€, AND he calls me a liar and a coward! What a joke!
Here’s my point to all of this.
The Smart Ranch is too small to be effectively run as a self sustaining low fenced exotic hunting ranch. The owner will run hunters through there like cattle at an auction ring, over hunting the small parcel and driving the animals out to neighboring ranches. All the while, he’ll tell you that he’s not in it for the money, but for the thrill of the hunt. The sales tactics used by the Smart Ranch are deceitful, at best, and totally dishonest.
I know some of you will say ... "it was a free hunt, what are you complaining about?" ... yeah, it was free for me, but I'm just trying to keep "paying" customers from wasting their hard earned money.
This is of course, my opinion, so you can take it for what it’s worth.
If you enjoy watching birds and rabbits, visit the Smart Ranch.
If you want to see exotics, drive on past!
In my best Marvin Zindler voice
Texas Taxi …. Eye … witness … news!
On the weekend of July 27th, myself and 3 other hunters were invited to a complimentary hunt at the Smart Ranch, near Kerville, TX. The invitation came from the ranch manager/owner and started out as a business meeting, of sorts, to see if our group could provide effective advertising for the ranch.
Some pertinent facts:
The huntable portion of the ranch is about 600 acres.
That 600 acres is high fenced on two sides, effectively making the ranch free range.
On the ranch website, they claim to have many different species of exotics, including axis, fallow, blackbuck, and hogs.
The ranch accepts hunters 7 days a week.
On another of the ranch owner’s websites, he boasts “if you don’t see deer, I’ll change my nameâ€.
So, I make the 5 hour trek to Kerville for a much anticipated hunt. When we all arrive, Dave takes us on a tour of the hunting area. We see a few groups of axis, all at distances of more than 80-100 yards, and all hightailing it as soon as they see the truck.
We make our way back to “camp†to get ready for the evening hunt.
Friday evening, I sat in a hang on tree stand overlooking a feeder. I saw one whitetail doe that came in, looked directly at the stand, ate for about 2 minutes and then went on her way.
Saturday morning, I sat in a ladder stand next to a road. The night before, Dave’s “ranch†truck ran out of fuel, so the road feeder was on that truck, in another area of the ranch, so there wasn’t even any corn to stop the deer IF they did come through. As he dropped me off, he said “watch that fence back there, the axis usually travel that fence lineâ€. Yeah, that’s all good except the fence is about 100 yards away and we’re BOW hunting! That morning, I saw a whitetail doe and 3 whitetail bucks. Although the ranch is “covered†in axis, according to Dave, I still haven’t seen an axis while on the stand.
Saturday evening I sat in a box blind overlooking a different feeder. Two lonely whitetail doe came by, looked at the box blind, looked at the feeder, and went on their way. Now we’re up to 12 hours of hunting time, and still not a single axis.
The box blind was the most comfortable blind that I had hunted, so I chose to sit there again Sunday morning. This time, I saw a huge jackrabbit. Now we’re up to 16 hours of hunting time and I still haven’t seen an axis, or any other exotic for that matter.
I chalk it up as a learning experience, thank Dave for the hunt, and we head home. Yesterday, I decided to visit one Dave’s 57 websites and find an advertisement for the Smart Ranch that has the guarantee (that you read in the beginning of this report). Since I didn’t see any deer (I don’t count the whitetail because they’re not in season) I simply asked since I didn’t see any deer, when was he going to change his name. Pretty simple question, so I thought! My post was promptly deleted! Wanting an answer, I start a new thread and try to keep it short and sweet. The thread was locked and soon after, all but my original post were deleted … then I was banned! The thread doesn’t make much sense without my posts, but if you care to read it, here’s the link.
I re-registered, to try to get an answer, and I was banned again! I now have an IP ban, on the very site that he calls a “fair, balanced, and unbiased forumâ€, AND he calls me a liar and a coward! What a joke!
Here’s my point to all of this.
The Smart Ranch is too small to be effectively run as a self sustaining low fenced exotic hunting ranch. The owner will run hunters through there like cattle at an auction ring, over hunting the small parcel and driving the animals out to neighboring ranches. All the while, he’ll tell you that he’s not in it for the money, but for the thrill of the hunt. The sales tactics used by the Smart Ranch are deceitful, at best, and totally dishonest.
I know some of you will say ... "it was a free hunt, what are you complaining about?" ... yeah, it was free for me, but I'm just trying to keep "paying" customers from wasting their hard earned money.
This is of course, my opinion, so you can take it for what it’s worth.
If you enjoy watching birds and rabbits, visit the Smart Ranch.
If you want to see exotics, drive on past!
In my best Marvin Zindler voice
Texas Taxi …. Eye … witness … news!
Thanks for the heads up. Good, fair, honest report if you ask me. 
)
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