Spots filled. Interesting watching opinions guarded behind the security of social media. Lot's of misinformation out there and this forum is no exception. We appreciate all the positive emails received and the few posted here. Good luck all.
The link...four posts prior to your post.montanagriz said:
Wasn't this posted a couple of weeks ago or is this a different property?
Yep.Fiduciary said:
To the OP, you're going to get negative comments and you deserve them from anyone who has read the lease agreement. I won't judge your group's attempt to exploit random hunters, but soliciting fellow Aggies into this oligarchy is bad bull.
SanAntoneAg said:The link...four posts prior to your post.montanagriz said:
Wasn't this posted a couple of weeks ago or is this a different property?
O.G. said:Yep.Fiduciary said:
To the OP, you're going to get negative comments and you deserve them from anyone who has read the lease agreement. I won't judge your group's attempt to exploit random hunters, but soliciting fellow Aggies into this oligarchy is bad bull.
And lecturing this group, after a grand total of 3 post, on what it takes to grow trophy deer
Go to Texas Bow Hunter, lots of newbies there.
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Welcome to the Slator Ranches, West
This is a Trophy deer lease. All guidelines are set forward to justify the ability to grow Trophy deer. All trophy deer must be pre-approved by Brad, Jerry, and Mitch before harvesting. Our guidelines are a product of over 28 years of hunting with the Walker's and, although many are "common sense", all are very important. Attention to these are paramount. The Slator is also a working cattle ranch. Expect some interruptions from cattle, cattle work, fence building or a gauger driving by .
We anticipate a minimum 2 buck 2 doe per hunter, but our fly-over survey with our biologist will confirm this yearly. You will only get more tags if we have them and your non-trophy qualifies. If you make a mistake you might not get more tags. Your cost for the helicopter survey will be approximately $200.
We mandate early spring to early fall supplemental feeding. Cotton seed and/or protein pellets must be in place by March 1st through Aug.1st continually through that time period, or you forfeit the right to shoot your trophy. If you are not compliant then you forfeit the right to shoot a trophy deer. Once you are notified that you are not compliant you have a week to become compliant. Your trophy must be shot from your blind.
Blind locations must be a minimum half a mile from another hunter. Feeding this area is limited to "tailgating" 400 yards from your blind, so to not interfere with your neighbor. You can put up another blind or tripod within your hunting area BUT it must be no farther than 100 yards from your spot as marked on the map. 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 or be in the road. Also please stay away from "gap" gates as the Ranch helicopter pilot needs to land in those areas. Stay 30 yards from any Gap and do not put any blind or feeder in a cattle moving lane.
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. Do not drive past another hunter's area between 30 mins before sunrise to 9:00 AM or after 3:30pm to dark. 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 all must sign in and out per trip. When you leave the ranch, leave from the camp. Do not go to your hunting area and then leave.
West hunters get one location. Quail, Dove, Duck 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 can 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 to harvest 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 Brad or Mitch. Also, no nighttime 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.
A lateral AND head on view picture of the entire deer with the yard stick (in both pics) is required for all harvested bucks BEFORE skinning the deer. Include the whole body in at least one pic. Include the head, neck and shoulders, lying flat on both pics. Post using the GroupMe app before skinning the deer, within the first 2 hours of cleaning the animal. Post the jaw picture with name of hunter, lease member name, score, and age of deer according to video, not what you thought before the shot.
Harvestable bucks.
3.5 year Old 7 point or less
4.5 year Old 8 Point Only if scores less than 115"
5.5 year Old 8, 9, point or less Only if scores less than 125"
6.5 year Old 8,9,10 point Only if Scores less than 135"
7.5 8.5 year Old 7,8,9,10 point Only if Scores less than 135"
7.5 year old Trophy scoring 140" or more
Put another way You can't shoot an 8 or 9 point that scores 125" or more unless it is 6.5 or older.
Any 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.
There is almost no scenario where we should cull a buck with more than 10 points. You will need permission to harvest a buck with more than 10 points.
There are 5 characteristics that go into a trophy buck.
Tine length, Main beam length, Mass, # of tines, and width.
It is best practice not to harvest a buck the first time you see it. History plays a big role in the approval process. If a deer shows up for the first time it likely means it lives somewhere else and that hunter has chosen not to harvest. Sharing pics with the group is very helpful and encouraged.
Trophy Bucks- All Trophy deer must be approved before harvesting by Brad Jerry and Mitch. Text or Email good pics of the deer to Brad, Jerry, Mitch, If you do not follow the approval process then we have nothing other to go by but teeth. If the teeth show less than 7.5 you will likely be asked to leave the antlers and not return to the ranch. Post approved deer on GroupMe. This allows for anyone with history to chime in. This will help identify bucks others have chosen to let grow because of age.
Please give the deer and the process the respect deserved. Take the time to accurately score and age the deer. No Matter how big or small. We need to remove undesirable genetics from the bottom up, not the top down. You will be limited to only one non trophy 130". No non trophy deer scoring 120" or more may be shot before Nov. 15.
Guest buck fees. No fee for shooting a cull under 120". $250 fee for deer 120"-130". $50 per inch for every inch over 130" plus the $250. Broken tines will be figured into the total score of the buck. No fee for kids under 18, or your spouse for harvesting a management or cull under 130". The fees collected will go to support our hero hunt. Guest bucks need to be scored by Brad, Mitch, Jerry or assigned scorer before the antlers leave the ranch. Mistakes usually involve shooting a buck the first time the hunter sees it and or not studying the buck or getting help to judge the deer's age. You do not get to shoot a buck because he is the biggest buck you have ever seen. You harvest the deer based on our harvestable buck criteria only. Save the entire jaw on all bucks including your Trophy. 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.
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.
Trophy Season will not start until after the doe and cull buck criteria have been reached and only after Saturday Nov. 6, if and only if the doe and cull buck criteria are reached. Each hunter is required to do your part for Doe and cull buck harvest. The 2022 MLDP season will start Saturday October 2 .
The ranch is required to shoot 75% of does before anyone shoots a trophy. The ranch is required to shoot 10 cull bucks, 1/1000 acres before anyone shoots a trophy. Cull bucks and doe may be taken starting Oct. 2. Goal is to shoot all Culls before the rut Dec. 10.
Our Season will end Sunday Jan.15, 2023 for ALL deer hunting. We will not have access to the ranch from Jan. 16, through Feb. 6, 2023. . (This could change when TPWD post 22/23 Season)
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 respectively. If we cannot answer your question immediately, we will get the correct answer for you. Do not go to Mr. XXX or ranch personnel with questions about anything Ranch related. Access to the Ranch must be requested on GroupMe 48 hours before arriving. You need to include first and last name, and address of your guest on GroupMe. We will notify the Ranch. During the off-season it is crucial you request a visit as it is a request, not a notification.
Leave artifacts, plants, etc on the Ranch. Moving of hunting areas must be approved by Brad and Mitch prior to moving your blind. Anytime a deer is wounded, please contact Brad or Mitch. We have a great recovery specialist we can contact. Cost is about $400.
Please review the MLDP tags and learn to fill them out properly. The MLDP harvest 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. Each hunter will have your own folder.
Guest You are allowed one guest other than immediate family. Immediate family does not count as guest. Immediate family is defined as Husband, Wife, Son or daughter less than 25 years old.
Guests are not to drive or hunt by themselves and must always be accompanied by the paid hunter when in the pasture.
We invite every hunter to our Hero Hunt the weekend before Thanksgiving to help with the hunt.. We always have a great meal Saturday evening and ask that you RSVP and bring a drink or dessert. Tags are donated by the Ranch MLD program, so if you have too many cull bucks or borderline trophy 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.
4 wheelers are not allowed but side by sides ( UTV/ Ranger types) are fine.
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 1st to remove your valuables. Anything not removed by April 1st will be assumed abandoned and will become property of the leasee, Dr. Brad Moving into a vacated area will be by seniority and must be approved before moving. West requires water delivery. The last visit was about $300 to fill the 3k tank. Cost per hunter is approximately $100, payable to Brad , as I will be responsible ultimately for paying or repaying the person who pays for the water.
No fishing the four tanks in the roller chopped area on the N. end of the West Slator. Specifically, Cook and Fredrico.
West Community Blinds - See Map link. These blinds are to be used only by the hunters helping set them up, keeping them fed or donating $. Bill is heading this up.
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After you poop but before you flush, you must text pics to Brad, Jerry, Mitch and post in the GroupMe app.
1. You are getting hosed on water being brought in.Quote:
West requires water delivery. The last visit was about $300 to fill the 3k tank. Cost per hunter is approximately $100, payable to Brad , as I will be responsible ultimately for paying or repaying the person who pays for the water.