Best Buffalo Hunting in Texas
Most people don’t realize that there are free-range buffalo, or American Bison, in Texas, but West Texas has some of the biggest buffalo bulls I’ve ever seen. My trophy free-range buffalo are huge and typically weigh 1500-1800 pounds. They are typically a herd bull or an old, solitary bull that is no longer part of the herd.
When we go buffalo hunting in Texas, we typically drive around until we locate the bulls and then we get out of the vehicle and the stalk begins. With sparse vegetation, no natural predators, and the size of these bulls it’s not that difficult to locate them, but it can be quite a challenge to get close enough for a shot while remaining at a safe distance. Despite their size, these bulls are extremely quick and agile and you’ve got to be careful on these hunts.
The demand is so high for my free-range buffalo hunting in Texas that I’m typically booked at least 2 years out, but I also have bison available on a high fence ranch in the Hill Country. This ranch is 11-1/2 square miles, so it’s not a small ranch. These bison have a lot of country to roam. Much like hunting bison in West Texas, we drive around until we locate the bison and it’s a spot and stalk from there. These are big bulls as well, weighing in around 1500-1700 pounds.
Because of the size of both of these bulls, 30 caliber rifles, or larger, are recommended on these hunts!
I’m on every Buffalo Hunt to provide my personal attention/service for your hunt, and to help ensure your hunt is an experience of a lifetime.
Bison Hunt Texas – Who is this hunt for:
Because of the size of these animals, and the amount of work involved once you harvest your buffalo, it’s best to only hunt one of these animals at a time if you are hunting free-range bison in West Texas. If we are hunting bison in a high fence, we usually have the people and equipment to make it easier to handle a big bison bull once he’s on the ground, but it’s still a good amount of work.
2 hunters would be the most I would want to take at one time and we would need to allow several days, typically only harvesting 1 buffalo a day, to give us enough time to care for each buffalo properly. Physically, these bison hunts aren’t very strenuous, but you will definitely need to be comfortable shooting a large caliber rifle off of shooting sticks and be able to get around on uneven terrain. If you’re an experienced bowhunter, you are also welcome.
Buffalo Hunting Texas – Prices: Starting at $6500
Trophy Buffalo Bull – $6500Daily rate – $325/hunter (Daily rate only required for my Hill Country ranch)Call for availability – 210-602-3118Deposit – $2500
Make sure to read my FAQs before you book. It has all the details about my hunts.
Included in all Texas Buffalo Hunts:
- Meals
- Lodging
- Guide
- Transportation around the ranch
- Field care of your trophy
- All of the meat, hide, horns and skull of your trophy
Not included in all Texas Buffalo Hunts:
- Valid Texas Hunting License (Non-residence 5-day Special Hunting License – Type 157 – $48)
- Transportation to ranch
- Drinks besides water and coffee
Additional services available for all Texas Buffalo Hunts:
- Non-hunting guests – $250/person/night
American Bison – Animal Specifics:
Buffalo, or American bison, stand 5-6.5′ tall and mature bulls frequently weigh close to a ton. Both buffalo bulls and cows have curved, sharp horns that may grow up to 2′ in length on mature bulls.
Their average lifespan is 12-20 years. When necessary, buffalo can run 40 mph. Buffalo are grazers and feed on grasses, herbs, shrubs, and twigs and regurgitate their food, and chew it as cud, before final digestion.
Buffalo Hunting Texas:
Buffalos are considered an exotic in Texas and can be hunted year-round, but because of their size, and thick, shaggy coat, it’s best to hunt them in the colder months from December through February. Because of their size, they have no natural predators and it’s typically not all that difficult to locate them. The trick is to get close enough for a shot but to remain at a safe distance.
A typical day starts just before sunrise with a quick, easy breakfast of coffee, fruit, breakfast bars, and pastries. After breakfast, we jump in the vehicle and drive around until we locate the bison. Once we locate the bison, we grab the shooting sticks and start stalking in to hopefully get a shot. The stalks typically aren’t that strenuous, but you definitely need to be able to walk around on uneven, rocky ground. We will hunt until mid-day when it’s time to take a break for a hearty brunch/lunch. After a short break mid-day, we’re back in the vehicle to resume the buffalo hunt.
Once we get a buffalo on the ground that’s when the work starts! If we’re hunting free-range buffalo in West TX and don’t have the equipment to get the buffalo in the air, it’s a lot of work wrestling a big bull around on the ground. If we’re in the Hill Country, we have the ability to pick the buffalo up with a tractor and get him back to the skinning area where we can lift them with a winch which makes the gutting process much easier.
The buffalo act the same in West Texas as they do in the Hill Country, so if you can’t quite get around as well as you used to, or you don’t want to make the drive all the way out to West TX, my 11-1/2 square mile ranch is a great alternative.
Buffalo Hunting Texas Packing List:
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With buffalo being considered an exotic in Texas you can hunt them year-round, but it’s best to hunt buffalo in the colder months from December through February. I typically wear a comfortable pair of boots, jeans and some depending on the temperature I’ll wear a wool T-shirt adding long sleeves and a jacket/coat in cooler weather. When it gets real cold, I’ll wear insulated overalls and a big insulated coat.
Here’s my suggested packing list:
- Valid TX hunting license
- Rain gear
- Backpack – a water bladder in your pack is helpful
- Comfortable boots/shoes
- Snake boots (I typically wear snake boots to keep the cactus/thorns/brush off my legs)
- Binoculars
- Jeans/Pants/Insulated Overalls (Lighter weight pants for the Spring/Summer and heavier weight for the Fall/Winter)
- Camo shirts: Long Sleeve Shirts & Insulated Long Sleeve Shirts
- Jacket/Coat
- Hunting Gloves
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick
- Insect Repellent Sawyer Permethrin
- Rifle & Ammo or Bow & Arrows
- Uninsulated & Insulated underwear
- Darn tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion socks are my favorite. They last close to forever!
- Comfortable camp clothes
- Personal Toiletries & Medicines
Also make sure to take a look at my recommended hunting gear list.
Bison Hunting Regions in Texas:
The only region in Texas that has free range buffalo, that you can hunt, is West Texas. There 11-1/2 square mile ranch where I hunt buffalo in the Hill Country is North of San Antonio about an hour. There is also a thriving herd in Caprock Canyons State Park, but hunting isn’t allowed there, unfortunately.
Bison are amazing animals and a great hunt, whether you are a beginner or an experienced hunter. Don’t wait too long, my Texas bison hunts fill up quickly and you should reserve your spot as soon as possible.
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