Please Contact Ranch Management for updated Guidelines 

Our common goal is to allow fair game hunting with all of our hunters using safety to have fun. Our guidelines are a product of 25 years of hunting with this Ranch and, although many are “common sense”, all are very important. Attention to these are paramount and will keep everyone having the same opportunity to hunt some great bucks. Since we are MLDP, our numbers to harvest change every year, and thus your allotted animals will vary from year to year. I always anticipate a minimum 2 buck 2 doe, but our fly-over survey with our biologist will confirm this yearly. Your cost for the helicopter survey will be approximately $100 and collected sometime before the flight.

 

The West Slator requires water being hauled. The last visit was $300 to fill the 3k tank. I ask each West Slator hunter to donate $100 for this cost, payable to myself, as I will be responsible ultimately for paying or repaying the person who pays for the water. We will require a small payment for all hunters this year to help pay for our insurance. This estimated cost per hunter is about 45$. I will send a text when we need to renew. This is a requirement by the Ranch. No fishing the four tanks in the roller chopped area on the N. end of the West Slator.

 

     We do mandate early spring to early fall supplemental feeding. As your Ranch Manager, I will monitor and let all hunters be aware of their protein levels.  I reserve the right to keep supplemental feeding consistent at a cost to the hunter when needed. Cotton seed and/or protein pellets are our choices. During hunting season, a stationary corn feeder must be utilized to supplement and placed at the main blind. Protein supplementation is optional during the buck season.

 

 Fair hunting is accomplished by each hunter having hunting locations which are minimum half a mile from another hunter. Feeding this area is limited to “tailgating” 500 yards from your blind, as to not interfere with your neighbor. Of course we would love everyone to hunt together and share spots, but this is strictly up to each hunter. I would caution all to give written permission if you allow others to hunt your area, as word of mouth has caused issues in the past. You can put up another blind or tripod within your hunting area BUT it must be no farther than 100 yards from your main blind. This will not extend your feeding area because of the additional blind. All blind locations must be accessed by existing roads. Do not create a new road. Blinds must be off all boundary fences by 150 yards. No blind should be next to a cross fence such that if it collapses it will hit the fence. Also please stay away from “gap” fence gates as the Ranch helicopter pilot needs to land in those areas to manipulate the gate. 

 

Use caution on rainy days.  The Ranch takes offense to ruts left in their properties, so please do not drive off main gravel roads after a rain. It does not take long for roads to dry. Your attention to this is greatly appreciated.

 

 We also ask hunters to respect the hunting times if driving past another hunter's area. After 9am and before 3pm is the recommended time to drive around if you know no hunter is still in that area. Please do not drive by a blind too late or too early unless the hunter gives permission. Again, safety and respect for you and the other hunter is critical.  We therefore have a very convenient sign-in area for both ranches. We all must sign in and out per trip.

 

 Hunters on the East get 2 locations and hunters on the West get one location per paid gun.  Quail hunting is limited to your area only. We abide by all Texas Parks and Wildlife laws. If any one of us break any of these laws, I have been warned by the Ranch we ALL will be dismissed. If you do not know your laws for javalina, deer, quail, dove, ducks, Sandhill Cranes, etc., please take the time to learn if you plan on harvesting any of these species. We are asked to police ourselves, which means if you are concerned someone may be breaking guidelines or State Law, please notify myself or Mitch. Also, no night time driving unless coming from your blind or hauling guts. Speed limit on the ranch is 20mph. If you hit livestock, you will pay for the livestock. There is absolutely no night hunting. There is absolutely no subleasing. On the West, the "gut dump" is located immediately across from the coyote blind, just South of camp on the main road. The coyote blind is an old high rack on the West side and off the main road. On the East, it is at the downhill turn, to the left, off the Lodge tank dam.

 

A lateral AND head on view picture with the hunter and the yard stick (in both pics) is required of all harvested bucks BEFORE the buck and you leave the ranch. Include the head and neck on both pics.   Send pics to Brad, Mitch and Jerry Allen using the GroupMe app.

Harvestable bucks

3.5 year Old 7 point or less scoring 129” or less

4.5 year Old 8 Point or less Scoring 129” or less

5.5 year Old 8-9-10 point scoring 135” or less

6.5 year old Trophy scoring 140” or more. We prefer 7.5

  Any 8 point scoring 136” and any other buck scoring 140” or more is your trophy.  A 1” point counts as a point.  For example, a “ Main Frame 8” with 2 kickers is a 10 point, Not an 8 point.

 If you are not sure please have pics reviewed by Brad or Mitch BEFORE harvesting.   It is best practice to view and study a buck at least 30 minutes before harvesting.  Mistakes that have been made usually involve shooting a buck the first time the hunter sees it and not studying the buck or getting the correct help to judge the deer’s age. Save the jaw on all bucks.   Put your name and age on the jaw. Any deer that does not meet the above criteria will be confiscated by the biologist or other ranch personnel. Trophy buck season will be Nov. 3 - Jan. 20, 2019.

  No Loaded weapons in or around camp.  This includes pistols.  Please leave weapons in your truck, RV or room.  Do not drink alcohol and handle firearms.

  You are required to shoot 1 doe before you can harvest your Trophy. The ranch is required to shoot 75% of does before anyone shoots a trophy.  Do your part!

Cull bucks may be taken starting Sept. 29 (or when we get the MLDP tags)

Our Season will end Sunday Jan. 20, for ALL deer hunting.

 

 You and your guest must sign and keep on file a Ranch Hold Harmless Agreement. We start new every year.  All questions concerning anything about the lease will be handled by your Ranch Manager or Assistant Ranch manager, Brad and Mitch Hoke respectively. If we cannot answer your question immediately, we will get the correct answer for you.  Access to the Ranch must be noted by contacting Brad, Mitch and Larry 48 hours before arriving. Yes, all three, using GroupMe. Include the model, year and color of your vehicle along with your estimated arrival time and departure time.

 

Leave artifacts, plants, etc on the Ranch. Also, moving of hunting areas must be approved by Brad and Mitch prior to moving your blind. We use Google Earth maps to mark the locations and distance to other hunters. Anytime a deer is wounded, please contact Brad or Mitch. We have a great recovery specialist we can contact. Cost is about $300.

 

 Please review the MLDP tags and learn to fill them out properly. The MLDP log sheet is assigned to each hunter and will be your responsibility to fill out accordingly. It will be kept near the cooler to act as the cooler log as well. Any animal you place in the cooler should be on your MLDP log sheet. Please keep them in the mailbox on the West if you hunt the West, and filing cabinet on the East if you hunt the East.

 

Guest privileges are limited to one person at a time and the same guest may only hunt twice during a season. Immediate family is not considered a guest and may be with you anytime. Immediate family is defined as wife, husband, son or daughter. Guests are not to drive or hunt by themselves and must be accompanied by the hunter when in the pasture.

 

This year's MLDP season will start September 29. We will end our MLDP January 20.  This allows the Ranch time for its Youth Hunt with Texas Parks and Wildlife. We invite every hunter to our Hero Hunt the weekend before Thanksgiving. We always have a great meal Saturday evening and ask that you RSVP and bring a drink or dessert to share.  We invite you to assist with this as it is a great way to help our MLD program. Tags are donated by the Ranch MLD program, so if you have too many cull bucks or too many does in your area(s), let one of our Hero Hunters have a great time and take them on a hunt you guide! We work with Freer Deer Camp in support of deserving veterans. We started doing Hero Hunts in 2010 on the East Slator Ranch.

  Please note, no plastic corn bags on the East Slator. 4 wheelers are not allowed on either ranch but side by sides are fine.  Please keep below 20 mph on the ranch.

 

We hope all hunters have a great time with us on these remarkable properties; however, if for some reason you decide to leave our lease, the Ranch gives you until April 15th of that next spring to remove your valuables. Oftentimes we can help sell them to other hunters; however, due to arrivals of new hunters, we request this time limit. Anything not removed by April 15th will be assumed abandoned and will become property of the leasee, Dr. Brad Hoke.

 

Contacts:

Larry Brock : 210-912-3748 Ranch Security and Ranch Manager

Brad Hoke    : 361-815-2914 Lease Manager and Security

Mitch Hoke  :  830-214-4834 Assistant Lease Manager and Security

Jerry Allen  :  830-255-1465 Walker Ranch Biologist

 

Recovery Specialist: Wade Cornellias 361-660-4045 or 361-744-3019

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