Spread Oaks White-tailed Deer and Wild Pig Opportunities

Welcome to the great outdoors at Spread Oaks Ranch! In addition to a morning waterfowl hunt, your Spread Oaks Lodge hunting season package includes an afternoon hunt with the option to take one doe and an unlimited number of wild pigs. You’ll hunt from one of our deer and pig blinds along the Colorado River floodplain and its river bottom hardwoods and savannahs.

Pre-Planning – Your Responsibility: For Spread Oaks Ranch to deliver the quality you expect from your experience, we need your help with planning. Prior to your arrival, simply advise how many in your party will be hunting wild deer and/or pigs, what their goals are (i.e., good rack, doe for the table, etc.), and/or how many are going to be archery hunting. This helps us plan equipment, transportation, and hunting locations.

It also helps if we know who if bringing their own rifle and/or bow. Not planning on bringing either? Spread Oaks Ranch has five scoped bolt action rifles chambered in .243, .270, .300, and .308, and 10-point crossbows. You are also welcomed to bring your own optics, rangefinder, and eye and ear protection, although our guides can provide these for you. 

Spread Oaks Whitetails. Populations of white-tailed deer are plentiful, and they have great age and genetic structure. But remember, this is Matagorda County ­– not West Texas! Still, our native river bottom bucks will be 4.5 years and older and typically weigh over 160 pounds. Management bucks, in contrast, are those that do not exhibit our desired genetics and the cull criteria will be communicated by the ranch staff before the hunt or handled in the field if you are hunting with a guide.

Our season on whitetails does runs from late September through about mid-January, but bucks that have not dropped their antlers are still game into February. We hunt from blinds that are spacious and comfortable, from box blinds that seat three individuals to portable “pop-up” blinds. Archery hunting is done only from pop-up blinds, and usually in close cover.

• Whitetail Pricing. The opportunity to shoot one doe at the ranch is part of the hunting season package. All whitetail bucks 130” or less are priced at $500. If rack is >130” we use standard high fence pricing: 131 to 139” @ $2,000; 140 to 149” @ $3,500; 150 to 159” @ $5,000; 160 to 169” @ $5,500; 170 to 179” @ $6,500; 180 to 189” @ $7,500; 190 to 199” @ $8,500; racks greater than 200” priced at $10,000. Pricing for bucks is the same for both river bottom “low fence” and high fence deer.

• Guides. Let us know in advance if you prefer a guide. You’ll pay a $100 guide fee per hunt. Staff will help you decide who, if any, in your group will need a guide, and the option will help not only with safety but to ensure that the “right” deer is harvested. Experienced hunters can certainly elect not to use a guide for either deer or hog.

• Cleaning. Our $100 cleaning fee includes skinning and quartering your harvest, then reserving it for you in the walk-in cooler until your departure. We can also provide a cape and can help with delivery of trophies to a local taxidermist.

• Transportation. If you wish to take your venison with you, please bring your own cooler. When you are ready to check out, you will drive to the barn where a guide will load your cooler. It is possible to ship your harvest on your behalf, but it is really expensive. Please let us know in advance so we can provide a quote.

Spread Oaks Wild Hogs. The river corridor that is Spread Oaks Ranch has a long history of wild pig hunting, and their abundance and size is legendary. Afternoon hog hunting from blinds is part of our core package pricing. What you need to know:

• The ranch always guides inexperienced hunters. Our guide fee is only $100. If you are experienced and prefer a self-guided hunt, let us know.
• There is a cleaning fee of $100 for up to 3 hogs that includes quartering and packing in customer provided cooler(s). Pickup at the end of your stay is the same as for deer.
• Note that, if you advise us that you are shooting hogs but are unable to resist a buck, there are a host of additional fees. Why? Because we are part of the Texas MLD (Managed Land Deer) program, and we follow the program rules. So, in addition to the $500 buck fee and our antler pricing, there is an additional $500 add-on fee for explaining it Texas Parks & Wildlife!

During the months of February through the end of August, we offer night-time thermal and infrared hog hunting. For safety reasons, thermal hunts are made from a blind. You are encouraged to bring your own gear, although we can provide up to four suppressed AR-15s with Trijicon MK2 thermal scopes. Cost is $300 per person and includes guide, weapons, and ammunition plus a $100 cleaning fee per hog/up to 3 hogs.

Do not hesitate to contact Ged Durham (info@spreadoaksranch.com) or by phone at (979) 429-3026 if you have any questions. Your questions make it easier for us to provide you with the hunt of a lifetime.