“Our ranch is a family-centered environment.  We strive to provide exotic hunts to fit everyone’s pocketbook from non-trophy animals to record class animals.” — Rising Star Ranch

CURRENT SPECIALS: From now until the end of March, Rising Star Ranch is offering a 10% discount on all Trophy Fallow Hunting Packages to visitors of AAE!!  Also, they would like you to know that they still have Scimitar-horned oryx hunts available for a limited time!!

Rising Star Ranch values its high standards when it comes to sportsmanship, knowledge, good camaraderie and harvesting trophy animals at affordable prices. Count on fantastic animals and first-class hunting at Rising Star Ranch. They look forward to making your experience unforgettable and welcoming you to become a part of their family and friends.

For more information on Rising Star Ranch, including species available, hunt prices and facilities, visit the Rising Star Ranch AAE page.  To book a hunt, contact Rising Star @ 713.253.9299.  Also, be sure to visit their website @ www.RisingStarRanchTexas.com!

This year’s WwW Hunts will be offered in the Spring as well as the Fall and be FILMED for upcoming episodes of the outdoor Tv show “Stars of the Hunt”!

These events are limited-spot engagements that should not be missed!  Ladies, this is your chance to get away, be pampered and filmed hunting some of the finest exotics Texas has to offer!  The ranch you’ll be hunting is loaded with over 1200 record-class exotics, ranging from addax to zebra with accommodations that are second to none.

Hunt Schedule & Pricing:

Hunt #1: May 17-20 – limited to 6 spots (only 2 spots currently available)
Hunt #2: Aug/Sept (dates TBA) – 6 spots available

Fees for WwW hunts are only $150/day, which include lodging, meals & guide services (and a few “extras”), plus the trophy fees of the exotic(s) that you decide to go after and harvest.

For more information or to reserve your spot on the hunt(s), contact Donnie Briley of Briley Outfitting @ (325) 374-6867.  To learn more about hunting with Briley Outfitting, visit their revamped website @ www.brileyoutfitting.com.

The Bahia Game Ranch, located near Brenham, Texas is the newest addition to our growing list of reputable exotic ranches and outfitters — all set on leading you to that trophy of a lifetime!

Bahia Game Ranch is ideal for bow and/or cross bow hunting! The animals that call Bahia home receive the highest in nutrition and health care. This East Texas game ranch produces some of the best trophies in Texas!

Located just north of Brenham Texas, on FM 390 W (also known as the Bahia Trail), Bahia Game Ranch is located half way between Austin and Houston in beautiful rolling hills. Bahia Game Ranch offers some of the finest animals and genetics available for stocking and hunting alike. The species that are available are:

Axis Deer, Blackbuck, Fallow, Grant’s Gazelle, Impala, New Zealand Red Stag, Nyala, Nile & Red Lechwe, Sable, Scimitar-Horned Oryx & Whitetail Deer.

For Bahia hunt pricing, please visit the Bahia Game Ranch AAE Page and contact Norm Teegardin for more information or to schedule a hunt.

Spring Creek Ranch is located just outside San Angelo, near Mertzon Texas. The ranch is 1,455 acres low fence with one side bordering Spring Creek. This area is known for producing good Whitetail Bucks. The ranch is home to plenty of Javelina, Turkey, Feral Pigs and offers great fishing on the creek.

Cross Oaks Ranch is located in the Texas Hill Country just outside Brady. This beautiful ranch is 1,135 acres game fenced. It has been managed to produce Whitetail Bucks scoring 150-200+ gross. Also on the ranch are Trophy Blackbuck, Axis, Texas Dall Sheep, Turkey, and Feral Pigs!

Hunt Special - Cross Outfitters is currently offering a 15% discount on Free Range Bowhunts for Whitetails and Texas Dall Ram Hunts.  Find out more on these specials here.

To learn more about hunting with Cross Outfitters, including pictures and hunt packages, visit the Cross Outfitters AAE Page or contact Jason Cross @ (325) 617-2550.

Lindsey Creek ranches implement strict management programs that allow them to grow the biggest trophy animals possible.  They consistently offer some of the finest exotic hunting in Texas on four different ranches, consisting of over 30,000 acres, to hunt low and high fence exotics. From deer that score in the 130′s to the 180′s to exotics that consistently qualify for the record books, Lindsey Creek is your place!   

With nice lodges on all of their ranches, the LCR can accommodate the individual hunter or corporate groups up to 10 people. Lodges feature 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, full kitchen, pool table, and big screen TVs. Their hunts are all inclusive and can be tailored to any hunter.  They include meals, lodging and a guide at all times. Hunts are often conducted from box blinds, sitting over food plots, or safari style hunting. Their individual hunting ranches range in size from 2,500 to 3,500 acres…all prime hunting habitat.

To find out more about hunting at Lindsey Creek, including packages & pricing, visit their AAE Outfitter Page or contact them @  830-563-9387 to book your next hunt!

After 4 hours of classroom training near Hobby Airport in “the first Professional Helicopter Hog Hunting Safety Course in the nation that is specific to hunters who would be hiring a helicopter service to hunt feral hogs,” reporter Sonia Smith goes out on her first aerial wild hog shoot, AR-15 in hand — near Knox City, with the same helicopter pilot who took Ted Nugent on a 30-plus pig run back in March. A new law effective September 1 allows sport hunters to rent helicopter gunner seats for hog or coyote kills, but the rush has already begun. Cedar Ridge Aviation’s Dustin Johnson tells her he’s scheduled 30 flights so far, “including one for a group of ATF agents from New York.” [Texas Monthly; course info; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Cedar Ridge Aviation

Nestled in the rolling hills of Elgin, Texas, 45 minutes east of Austin, Texas, Eight Point Ranch is close enough for convenience but far enough for the peace and quiet.  Offering some of the finest animals and genetics available for stocking and hunting alike, the Eight Point Ranch has scoured the state of Texas to collect some of the finest genetics available and the quality of animals speaks for itself.  The EPR offers hunting for trophy whitetails as well as over 30 species of exotic game.

If you’d like to experience exotic game hunting at it’s finest, then Eight Point Ranch has some of the best Texas exotic hunts you’re likely to find. When you visit the EPR ranch you can expect to hunt trophy quality exotics of the highest caliber.  Frequently the animals that are hunted qualify for the record exotic books.  You will find many record book animals available for hunting year round.  Both gun and bowhunters are welcome!  The EPR caters to corporate groups and individuals alike.  At Eight Point Ranch, their goal is to make your visit memorable!

Eight Point Ranch has some of the finest lodging available for hunters and photo enthusiasts alike.  They offer 3 meals a day for our guest — no one ever leaves hungry.  Check out the photos and pricing on our ‘Accommodations’ page.  They have recently added on to the available lodging.  Six more rooms, with an additional 11 beds, have recently been added to better accommodate their guests.  EPR now has amenities to handle all your Corporate Group hunting retreats.  Our game room area has a new pool table, shuffle board, card table and cable TV and a wet bar.

To find out more about the Eight Point Ranch, including pics and pricing, visit the EPR ‘Find A Hunt’ page.  If you’re looking for more information on EPR available genetics, see their ‘Stock Your Ranch’ page.  Be sure to also visit their website @ www.EightPointRanch.com if you have questions about booking a hunt or stocking your ranch with their amazing genetics.

Now’s the perfect time to head out and harvest a huge trophy fallow at Porter’s Exotics Ranch in Flynn, Texas!  Many of the mature fallow at Porter’s are gold medal caliber! The bucks have just come out of velvet, are hard-horned and ready to be hunted this year!  The ranch is currently offering a (pre) deer season fallow special:  Fallow buck hunts at Porter’s are normally $2,500, but for a limited time, they are knocking off $700 for anyone that mentions they found this special on AAE!  With that discount, you can harvest ANY trophy fallow buck on the ranch for $1800*!  Wow!  Don’t miss out on this exceptional chance to harvest a gold medal fallow in Texas!

*Price includes lodging and guide for a 3-day hunt.

Contact CP Wade @ 979-587-1024 to book your hunt today!

Trip Barber's 172" DDO Whitetail

There are many reasons why subscribers, and hunters in general, pick up and flip through the pages of the Journal of the Texas Trophy Hunters magazine each month.  Some like finding out the latest hunting news, seeing the newest gadgets or reading the informative articles on hunting in this country.  Most readers, however, will tell you that the feature they really enjoy about the magazine are the hunting stories submitted my actual hunters about their exciting adventures afield.  It’s not too often that, while thumbing through these articles, you come across a familiar name or picture and think to yourself “Hey, I know them!”

That, however, was exactly the case in a recent article in the ‘Spotlight on Texas Trophy Hunters’ section of the Sept/Oct 2011 edition of “The Journal”.  There, below a story entitled “That’s What You Come to South Texas For”, was the name of a familiar author – Wes Mundy.

Wes is the owner/operator of Double Diamond Outfitters.  His outfit offers some of the finest hunting around for whitetails, pronghorn, elk, mulies, turkeys & exotics…all over the lonestar state & Mexico.  A great hunting guide, and even better guy, Wes and his outfitting service were the very first outfitter to join our Exotic Hunting Directory back in 2009!  Getting to know Wes since has been a true pleasure.  He often lets us know what’s new in his world, keeps us up-to-date on new ranches he’s aquired the rights to hunt and share with us pictures of his hunter’s successes.  We remember seeing the amazing 172″ S. Texas whitetail in pics, post hunt!

Below is the story of the hunt for this incredible buck, through the eyes of the person aiding in making it all happen.  You can also find the story in the latest TTHA magazine, on newsstands now.  For more information on hunting with Double Diamond Outfitters, visit their AAE page, go to www.huntdoublediamond.com or contact Wes @ 210.602.3118.

Now That’s What You Come To South Texas For [Full Story]

by Wes Mundy, Double Diamond Outfitters

Like most hunters across South Texas, I anxiously awaited the start of the 2010-2011 whitetail season.  With record rainfall starting at the end of 2009 and continuing into the summer of 2010, range conditions couldn’t have been better for antler growth.  It was going to be an awesome season and being the owner/operator of Double Diamond Outfitters I was going to be fortunate enough to get to spend almost every day of the season chasing whitetail.

After a short 2-day break for Christmas I was headed back to the Pearl Ranch, 5500 low-fenced acres between George West and Freer, to meet Roger Baber and his 14 year old son Trip and guide their hunt for the next few days.  I was really excited to be hunting between Christmas and New Year because you just never know what you will see when you are hunting the rut in South Texas, especially on a low-fence ranch.

As we started our hunt on the afternoon of December 26^th, the weather was cool and overcast with a light north wind, perfect hunting conditions for South Texas.  We were hunting a big 9 point that we had seen several times.  We estimated it would score in the 160s.  The big 9 never showed, but Trip was able to harvest a great management buck and get the hunt off to a good start.  Over the next couple of days we kept hunting the big 9 point, but he never showed himself so we decided to move to a different part of the ranch and see if we could locate some of the other big bucks on the ranch.

With cool, overcast conditions and the rut we decided to go to the blind early Tuesday afternoon.  We loaded my Jeep Scrambler and started the 15 minute drive.  Everything was perfect until we were 150 yards from the stand feeding one of the senderos when I realized I forgot my binoculars.  I couldn’t believe it!  I didn’t have time to drive back and get my binoculars and wasn’t much of a guide without them.  Luckily I remembered we had an extra pair of binoculars at the other house, which was much closer to the blind we were hunting.  While dropping Roger and Trip off at the blind I noticed a couple of does down one of the senderos but didn’t think much of it since we see resident does fairly often in that sendero.  After getting the binoculars I raced back to the blind and noticed Roger waving out one of the windows of the blind.  I thought he was just looking at the does and wasn’t very concerned, but then I noticed the closer I got to the blind the more frantic the waving became.  There had to be something in the sendero, so I got out of my Scrambler, told Brutus (my lacy pup) to stay in the bed of the Scrambler and eased up to the edge of the sendero.  Easing up to the edge of the sendero I saw 1 of the biggest native TX bucks I’ve ever seen.  It was following a couple of yearling does.  He was an absolute monster!  We had to figure out a plan, and fast.  I ran back and turned off my Scrambler, told Brutus to stay one more time and ran back to the sendero.  Belly crawling back into the sendero, I had to get far enough into the sendero to get a good look at the buck and be able to age/score him, not get seen by the does or the buck, and hopefully be close enough to communicate with Roger and Trip.

The buck was quickly closing the distance to us as he pushed the yearling does down the sendero, but he wouldn’t turn broadside so I could age him.  I had him rough-scored at 167” and knew a buck that big had to be 6.5+ years old before we would shoot him.  As he closed to within 100 yards I was finally able to age him at 6.5-7.5 years old and knew we had to take this buck and quickly.  With the buck inside 100 yards and the does at about 80-90 yards, I was trying to hand signal to Roger what I thought the deer scored and that he was old enough but we were having some communication issues.  As the buck approached another sendero, which lead to the feeder, we finally were able to work out the communication and I heard Trip flick the safety off on his rifle.  When the buck turned to step back towards the does he paused just long enough for Trip to fire.  Unfortunately, having quickly acquired a bad case of buck fever, Trip shot over the buck.  Luckily the buck wasn’t sure where the shot came from and ran closer to us, across to the other side of the sendero and stopped to look back to see what happened.  That was all the time Trip needed for a second shot; this time he found his mark.

The buck was hit, but he didn’t drop and ran into the brush.  It looked and sounded like a good hit, but until we recovered the buck we were all pretty nervous.  Luckily we had Brutus and he had stayed in the back of the Scrambler while all of this was going on.  Roger and Trip came down from the blind as I was putting the GPS collar on Brutus.  We gave the buck a few minutes to expire, and then we were off to hopefully recover him.  We found where the buck was standing when Trip shot him and we quickly got Brutus on the blood trail.  It didn’t take him long to find the buck and once we caught up to Brutus and got our hands on the buck we all breathed a sigh of relief.

This buck was a monster 12 point and there was no ground shrinkage, in fact just the opposite.  This buck got bigger the more we looked at him.  I scored him for the Texas Big Game Awards and he gross scored 171-4/8” and was 7.5 years old!!!  Now that’s what you come to South Texas for!!!

We are pleased to announce that Rising Star Ranch has join the AllAboutExotics.com ‘Find A Hunt’ directory as a great family-focused option for your next exotic hunting adventure in Texas!

Located on private property in Kosse, Texas; which is west of Centerville, and southeast of Waco.  It’s relaxing atmosphere, views of beautifully placed ponds, and the abundance of wildlife are sure to make your hunt a memorable adventure.  Also, it is situated among oak covered rolling hills, heavily wooded areas, as well as open pastures.  This combination of cover offers a challenging hunt no matter which exotic species is hunted.

Owner Brent Henry (left) w/ a hunter's nice axis buck from Rising Star Ranch

“Our ranch is a family-centered environment.  We strive to provide exotic hunts to fit everyone’s pocketbook from non-trophy animals to record class animals.  Rising Star Ranch is perfect for the weekend hunter or for corporate hunts. We welcome the novice to the experienced hunters and we encourage you to bring your family and friends.  Here, at Rising Star Ranch, we believe that our children are important for the future of hunting.  Rising Star Ranch is proud of the animals we have to offer and we welcome hunters any time of the year.” — Rising Star Ranch

Whether it is your first experience hunting exotic game in Texas or if you are a seasoned hunter, RSR strives to offer you the ultimate hunt and successful experience.  They work hard to accommodate most any hunting need. You may choose to hunt with a rifle, pistol, muzzle loader or a bow from the following hunting styles: spot & stalk, safari style, or still blind hunting.

Rising Star Ranch values its high standards when it comes to sportsmanship, knowledge, good camaraderie and harvesting trophy animals at affordable prices. Count on fantastic animals and first-class hunting at Rising Star Ranch. They look forward to making your experience unforgettable and welcoming you to become a part of their family and friends.

For more information on Rising Star Ranch, including species available, hunt prices and facilities, visit the Rising Star Ranch AAE page.  To book a hunt, contact Brent Henry @ 713.253.3335.  Also, be sure to visit their website @ www.RisingStarRanchTexas.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/risingstarranch.