First post for me...
I have been reading good reports about the Double L Ranch near Victoria for a while now and I finally had the opportunity to go experience it for myself Tuesday night/Wed morning. My expectations were pretty high based on what other TBHers have said about their hunts there in the past, but I have to say that those expectations were blown away.
My friend and I moseyed down from Houston Tuesday afternoon taking our time and making stops at Prasek's for jerky and snacks and Wal-Mart for groceries. We got to the ranch around 7 and were greeted by the Lassmanns who said we would be going out around 7:30 for the night hunt. They showed us to the bunk house, which is not the Taj Mahal, but was just right for us. It made it really convenient that they provide clean bedding and towels so that you don't have to transport that stuff.
We got changed into our camo and then went and hung out with the Lassmann family in the cookhouse, which was nice. Pops was watching his Rangers and seemed pretty happy to have his son, daughter in law and granddaughter with him. The thing that is so striking about hunting at this place (and others have mentioned it in the past) is that the Lassmanns really do welcome you in and treat you like part of the family. They are by far the most gracious and hospitable hosts that I have ever come across. Just truly nice people who enjoy each other, care about you and want more than anything for you to have a good experience. And they work very hard to try to make that happen.
We went out to get on our night-hunting stands and it was immediately clear that this was going to be a good hunt. On the way to the stands we saw a LOT of animals - hogs, axis, BIG FALLOW, a few great whitetail and some rams. Pops joked that there were only 3 hogs on the place and when we kept driving and seeing more he would say those three hogs must have circled around on us cause there they are again. We later found out that there are ~300 hogs on the 300 acres. I like those odds. We got to our stands and the feeders went off at 8:30. It took about 2 seconds for the hogs to start coming in. I had a couple boars in the 125 lb range chomping down but didn't have a shot because they were on the edge of the light from the lighted feeder and while I could see them fine, I could not see my peep in the dark. I waited until another group came in and picked out a 40 lber right in the spotlight and let the arrow fly. They all took off and I could hear the pig squealing in the brush nearby and then thrashing around (it went about 30 yards). My friend shot at around 8:35. He had a bunch come in right after the feeder went off. While I waited to be picked up, I watched a parade of beautiful fallow and axis come to the feeder. It took a while for them to get to me because my friend's hog had run off and may have been part-bionic because it leaked good blood for 100 yards but then disappeared. They looked for a long time and felt terrible that they couldn't find it but eventually came to get me. Mine was right where I had last heard it. I was pumped. This was my first hog with a bow and first night-shot. I have only been bow-hunting for less than a year and have taken some whitetail doe, but no hogs until now. I know this may sound weird, but my favorite part of the hunt was the death-squeal.
We got back and took care of the hog at the cleaning shed where they had every imaginable tool you could possibly need to skin and quarter animals (Pops gave us some pointers since we didn't know what we were doing) and then went to bed.
The next morning we got up and got some breakfast. Pops had coffee waiting for us and took us out around 6:45. We were hunting the roads he was corning and just like the night before we had pigs coming in immediately. I was in a tripod hidden in some brush and it felt kind of like a video game with pigs moving through my shooting window. I shot a couple 50 lbers (I was looking for 40 - 50 lbers) and my friend shot over the back of one. That morning I saw every kind of animal you can imagine walk the road in front of me including 4 turkey. We recovered my hogs pretty quickly since they didn't go far and headed back to skin and quarter them. Janie offered to help and put us to shame with her hog-cleaning skills. Pops also had trapped a couple eater-hogs off a neighboring property to restock his ranch and I think he felt bad that my buddy didn't have anything to show for his hunt so he said he had a couple that were too small to put on the 300 acres and asked if my friend wanted them. We said we did and he rolled up with some hogs that are exactly the same size as the ones I shot, so the whole "too small" thing was just an excuse - that's the kind of guy Pops is - he just wants you to have a good experience. And we did. Janie hung with us for a good hour in the heat cleaning hogs and showing us how it is done.
I would expect a decent level of service for a high-dollar exotic hunt where they are going to make some money, but we were a couple of rookie hog hunters and the Lassmanns treated us like kings. I can't say enough about this place and that family. If you want a shot at a nice exotic or hog, this is the place to go. They have people coming in from all over the country and most of their business is from repeat customers. I can see why. I will definitely be back. As soon as I can.
I have been reading good reports about the Double L Ranch near Victoria for a while now and I finally had the opportunity to go experience it for myself Tuesday night/Wed morning. My expectations were pretty high based on what other TBHers have said about their hunts there in the past, but I have to say that those expectations were blown away.
My friend and I moseyed down from Houston Tuesday afternoon taking our time and making stops at Prasek's for jerky and snacks and Wal-Mart for groceries. We got to the ranch around 7 and were greeted by the Lassmanns who said we would be going out around 7:30 for the night hunt. They showed us to the bunk house, which is not the Taj Mahal, but was just right for us. It made it really convenient that they provide clean bedding and towels so that you don't have to transport that stuff.
We got changed into our camo and then went and hung out with the Lassmann family in the cookhouse, which was nice. Pops was watching his Rangers and seemed pretty happy to have his son, daughter in law and granddaughter with him. The thing that is so striking about hunting at this place (and others have mentioned it in the past) is that the Lassmanns really do welcome you in and treat you like part of the family. They are by far the most gracious and hospitable hosts that I have ever come across. Just truly nice people who enjoy each other, care about you and want more than anything for you to have a good experience. And they work very hard to try to make that happen.
We went out to get on our night-hunting stands and it was immediately clear that this was going to be a good hunt. On the way to the stands we saw a LOT of animals - hogs, axis, BIG FALLOW, a few great whitetail and some rams. Pops joked that there were only 3 hogs on the place and when we kept driving and seeing more he would say those three hogs must have circled around on us cause there they are again. We later found out that there are ~300 hogs on the 300 acres. I like those odds. We got to our stands and the feeders went off at 8:30. It took about 2 seconds for the hogs to start coming in. I had a couple boars in the 125 lb range chomping down but didn't have a shot because they were on the edge of the light from the lighted feeder and while I could see them fine, I could not see my peep in the dark. I waited until another group came in and picked out a 40 lber right in the spotlight and let the arrow fly. They all took off and I could hear the pig squealing in the brush nearby and then thrashing around (it went about 30 yards). My friend shot at around 8:35. He had a bunch come in right after the feeder went off. While I waited to be picked up, I watched a parade of beautiful fallow and axis come to the feeder. It took a while for them to get to me because my friend's hog had run off and may have been part-bionic because it leaked good blood for 100 yards but then disappeared. They looked for a long time and felt terrible that they couldn't find it but eventually came to get me. Mine was right where I had last heard it. I was pumped. This was my first hog with a bow and first night-shot. I have only been bow-hunting for less than a year and have taken some whitetail doe, but no hogs until now. I know this may sound weird, but my favorite part of the hunt was the death-squeal.
We got back and took care of the hog at the cleaning shed where they had every imaginable tool you could possibly need to skin and quarter animals (Pops gave us some pointers since we didn't know what we were doing) and then went to bed.
The next morning we got up and got some breakfast. Pops had coffee waiting for us and took us out around 6:45. We were hunting the roads he was corning and just like the night before we had pigs coming in immediately. I was in a tripod hidden in some brush and it felt kind of like a video game with pigs moving through my shooting window. I shot a couple 50 lbers (I was looking for 40 - 50 lbers) and my friend shot over the back of one. That morning I saw every kind of animal you can imagine walk the road in front of me including 4 turkey. We recovered my hogs pretty quickly since they didn't go far and headed back to skin and quarter them. Janie offered to help and put us to shame with her hog-cleaning skills. Pops also had trapped a couple eater-hogs off a neighboring property to restock his ranch and I think he felt bad that my buddy didn't have anything to show for his hunt so he said he had a couple that were too small to put on the 300 acres and asked if my friend wanted them. We said we did and he rolled up with some hogs that are exactly the same size as the ones I shot, so the whole "too small" thing was just an excuse - that's the kind of guy Pops is - he just wants you to have a good experience. And we did. Janie hung with us for a good hour in the heat cleaning hogs and showing us how it is done.
I would expect a decent level of service for a high-dollar exotic hunt where they are going to make some money, but we were a couple of rookie hog hunters and the Lassmanns treated us like kings. I can't say enough about this place and that family. If you want a shot at a nice exotic or hog, this is the place to go. They have people coming in from all over the country and most of their business is from repeat customers. I can see why. I will definitely be back. As soon as I can.
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