Gater,
I have lived in Dallas suburbs for 50 years and it took me a while to determine what worked best for me.
So far Gizmo and rockhawk have given you good advice, so here are my two bits:
Join either or both of the Dallas Woods and Waters Club and the Dallas Safari Club to make contacts and get to know folks and here they hunt.
DWWC just wrapped up an opening day dove hunt out at the Rivers West Ranch on the clear fork of the Brazos - big lodge is too big for just one person, but with 20 folks, it was affordable and fun.
Next week, a few of us are bound for Dalhart in the Panhandle for Pronghorn in an area where I have take a Texas record book buck; my first hunt there was with DWWC.
Also, WRT leasing land for a family or group to hunt. I did that on a ranch down near Comanche for 18 years. It was a great place to camp, picnic and hunt with my family, but when my kids went to college, I bought my own few acres out east of Dallas and retired there. I grew tired of maintaining a lease and my acreage, and began to use guided hunts for nearly all hunting - birds and big game. Texas has a plethora of such places and shopping around some is fun! I am not an outfitter, but know some good ones.
And there are the exotic ranches! An almost infinite selection of critters to hunt and remember that in Texas elk are exotics with no closed season! Cow elk taken on a day hunt ranch a couple years ago:
And a DWWC friend with his big bull water buffalo taken near Hondo:
And there is a neat place we go just north of the Red River to hunt feral boars with dogs! Great fun and they bring in the dead ones, clean them, cut them and drop into your cooler while you eat lunch!
Welcome home!!
