From the Texas Hill Country to Africa (Someday)

unam.atx said:

Hello everyone, I’m joining from Central Texas.

I’ve been reading the forum for quite a while and finally decided it was time to join. Hunting has always been about much more than harvesting a trophy for me. I’m fascinated by the entire ecosystem: habitat management, wildlife behavior, native plants, water, soil, and how all of those pieces fit together. I spend much of my free time working on our small ranch. I enjoy the process just as much as the hunting itself.

My fascination with Africa began long before I ever thought about taking a hunting trip. Growing up in Asia, I devoured anything I could find on the topic like Death in the Long Grass by Peter Hathaway Capstick, Heart of the Hunter by Edison Marshall, and just about everything written by Jim Corbett. Those authors painted a picture of wild places and remarkable people that captured my imagination.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve sometimes wondered if I was born too late, whether the great days of exploration and adventure had already passed. Reading this forum has reminded me that while the world has changed, the spirit of adventure, respect for wildlife, and commitment to conservation are very much alive. It may look different today, but perhaps that’s exactly as it should be.

Outside of hunting, I enjoy history, photography, and introducing my son to the outdoors. My hope is that he develops the same curiosity and respect for wildlife and land stewardship that those books inspired in me many years ago.

I’m looking forward to learning from everyone here and hopefully contributing along the way. Best -

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deewayne2003 said:

@unam.atx

Welcome to the forum, I lived in Austin for a decade and was constantly frustrated with the lack of hunting opportunity that I had while living there; McBride's was my oasis of sound minded thought in Austin.

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unam.atx said:

Thank you. Yes unfortunately we have very little public land. McBrides sold to investors.

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unam.atx said:

Thank you. Yes unfortunately we have very little public land. McBrides sold to investors

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vati said:

I am from South Africa; a few years ago, I visited Fredericksburg, where I had a wonderful time. A local guide showed me historical sites—specifically those related to the Comanche—that I found very interesting. I also drove to Fort Parker, near Waco. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Texas.

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Muskox said:

I think there is plenty of public land in Texas, hunting it is another matter.

If you consider our over abundance of public land in New Mexico, almost 60% of all land in New Mexico is owned by the public.

We can bird hunt, hunt coyotes and that there is some OTC bear, mountain lion and turkey hunting.

Everything else is on a draw.

In 5 years of New Mexico residency I drew 3 tags. 1 javelina, 1 Coues deer, 1 bull elk killed nothing tried like hell.

In Texas during the same time I drew 3 tags on Public.

Saw lots of bears when the short season was closed.

Coues we ran out of time.

Elk was a bust.

Public land in Wyoming where the population is lower yes. Public land where competition is still. It's ok, but I'd rather pay to hunt somewhere else.

Private Land Doe Hunter!

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hcrobertsonjr said:

Welcome. You know FTW Ranch? Was out there a few years back and learned how to shoot out to 1,000 yards. Cool place. Thinking around 12,000 acres. they have African game on the ranch to hunt.

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unam.atx said:

Now that’s neat. Would love to have a spot where I can reach out and try 1000yds. There was a place called Best of the West near Liberty Hill but I heard it closed down.

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hcrobertsonjr said:

Yes, they are great people. They cater a lot to the military where they train on the ranch. They have different courses set up with a dangerous game course for double rifles. I hear they have even longer ranges than 1,000 yards. You should look them up.

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Mtn_Infantry said:

If y’all are talking about who I think your are it’s Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnett. They’ve got ranges past 1000yds and have 1000yd moving target range. You’ll wanna chat with Clay (former seal) about shooting there.

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FTW Ranch Great Hunting and World Class Training

The FTW SAAM team is a dedicated group of professionals with backgrounds in US Military Special Operations & World Wide Hunting. We are focused on wildlife conservation.

ftwsaam.com

unam.atx said:

Hello everyone, I’m joining from Central Texas.

I’ve been reading the forum for quite a while and finally decided it was time to join. Hunting has always been about much more than harvesting a trophy for me. I’m fascinated by the entire ecosystem: habitat management, wildlife behavior, native plants, water, soil, and how all of those pieces fit together. I spend much of my free time working on our small ranch. I enjoy the process just as much as the hunting itself.

My fascination with Africa began long before I ever thought about taking a hunting trip. Growing up in Asia, I devoured anything I could find on the topic like Death in the Long Grass by Peter Hathaway Capstick, Heart of the Hunter by Edison Marshall, and just about everything written by Jim Corbett. Those authors painted a picture of wild places and remarkable people that captured my imagination.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve sometimes wondered if I was born too late, whether the great days of exploration and adventure had already passed. Reading this forum has reminded me that while the world has changed, the spirit of adventure, respect for wildlife, and commitment to conservation are very much alive. It may look different today, but perhaps that’s exactly as it should be.

Outside of hunting, I enjoy history, photography, and introducing my son to the outdoors. My hope is that he develops the same curiosity and respect for wildlife and land stewardship that those books inspired in me many years ago.

I’m looking forward to learning from everyone here and hopefully contributing along the way. Best -

Click to expand...