The Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas offers one of the greatest displays of hunting opportunities on earth, especially in Texas. No doubt you’ve heard of Lone Star whitetail deer and hog hunts, but Texas adventures include wide variety of game such as Rio Grande turkeys, exotics, mule deer, antelope, and other exciting game animals in a wide variety of hunting formats and terrains.
Last week I was fortunate enough to sample one of the state’s least known hunts for late season management deer. Since so many Texas ranches have managed deer herds, Texas Parks & Wildlife provides a special management season to keep populations in check and affect the genetics of the herds.
Two Rivers Ranch
I flew to San Antonio to sample this unusual deer season with a wild hog thrown in for good measure. Hunt Manager Morrison met me at the airport and explained the purpose of the hunt in the one-hour drive to the ranch. “We do our best to develop good genetics and we don’t want mature 8-point bucks to pass their genes onto future generations,” he said. You’ll have a guide with you to help age bucks you see so that you can take one of our bucks that will never develop into a true trophy.”
The CAMX Challenge
I was hunting as the guest of Paul Vaicunas, Vice President of Marketing for the Outdoor 
Group and he was quick to tout the advantages of the CAMX bow I’d be shooting on the hunt. At the recent Archery Trade Association show, I saw Vaicunas tie a rope to the CAMX and toss it repeatedly onto a concrete floor with zero effect on performance or accuracy. I had shot the CAMX previously, yet this was my first time to hunt with one.
We arrived in camp too late to hunt, yet just enough time to test bows and broadheads. I shot the new Slick Trick expandable with a two-inch cut and had the shafts touch a previous target point launch. A tight group followed at 40 yards from a rest and a 3-inch group at 60 yards off-hand, accuracy I attribute to a solid, no-creep trigger and sturdy bow construction.
First Morning Success
Four hunters were in camp and Vaicunas and I wasted no time, taking two good bucks in the first hour. His shot was 37 yards at a buck chasing a doe, while mine was at 23 yards on an old buck nearly 10-years old. The buck had large, double-acorn antlers, yet it’s body showed an animal in rapid decline, precisely the kind of whitetail this hunt is designed to remove. It’s backstraps took some pounding, but made the best chicken-friend venison I’ve tasted.
TX Hunting Potential Abounds
That afternoon I took a huge hog at 37 yards which created an incredible day, yet the kind of action you can expect in a state that literally bounds with game. Hunters can choose from free-roaming ranches such as the Two Rivers or high fence operations where game is more highly managed for large antler size or simply contained from roaming onto other ranches. Additionally, Texas ranches are known for quality amenities, sometimes luxurious with fantastic food and a vacation atmosphere.
SCI Has it All
Regardless of the hunt you have in mind, you’ll find it at the Safari Club International Convention. If you cannot attend, check out the on-line auctions where outfitters and rifle manufacturers donate their goods and services to support the SCI cause. www.showsci.org/
