Q&A with B&B
 

You always arrive the day prior to you hunt and depart the day after. IF you fly in, we do however ask that you arrive between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It's 2 to 2-1/2 hours to the ranches and due to the wildlife population in these areas travel can be quite treacherous.

If you are driving in, try to get to the ranch(es) prior to sunset for the same reasons that are listed above. Deer seem to prefer the shoulders of the road in the twilight hours.

Will you pick us up at the airport? If so, is there a cost?

Yes, we offer an optional airport pickup at the rate of $250.00 for a round trip per vehicle. This is not a per person charge; it is the flat rate. However, in order for us to pick you up at the airport, you MUST ARRIVE AND DEPART Midland International Airport between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to qualify. Otherwise, you will need to rent a vehicle.

When booking your flight, please be aware that depending where you are traveling from there may not be any direct flights into MAF; you may have to hub into another major airport depending on which part of the country you are flying in from.

If you will visit the “links” page you will gain access to the websites of airlines, rental agencies, etc. that provide service to MAF.

How difficult is it to fly into MAF with weapons?

For information on restrictions regarding the transportation of firearms out of your home state please check with your local airport/airlines. We do not have that information. However, we can tell you that the authorities at MAF are very much accustomed to seeing firearms so there are generally no delays in or out of the airport.

How difficult is it to transport meat out of MAF?

As for the meat, if you freeze it on the ranch you must put it in a plastic trash bag and after it’s inspected by the airlines, you will need to duct tape it close. There is a restriction that does not allow for wet or dry ice on commercial flights. We will not ship your meat for you, but you do have the option to stop by a UPS/Fed Ex shipping facility on the way back to the airport.

If you do not want your meat we will donate it to the surrounding communities. The local area is a depressed area and the meat will be given to those who can not provide enough for themselves.

Are you the actual outfitters or are you a booking agent?

We are the actual outfitters. It is a family owned and operated company. Bucky is the outfitter and senior guide. Leesa is the head cook and one or more of our sons guide for us.

How many other hunters will be at the ranch? What is the maximum number of hunters that you'll take?

Although we typically will not take more than 8 at a time, we can accommodate up to 10. If you do bring 8 to 10 hunters (does not include non-hunters) be sure and ask about our big game contest! Or if you book 10 hunters you get an 11th free for either the following year or you can divide the savings up. It’s your choice – big game contest or automatic savings.

Too, if you bring 8 to 10 hunters and no one has booked for those same dates, we can close the ranch down for your group only. Whether you are conducting corporate hunts or planning a family reunion, we’ve got the hunts for you. Oh, and we welcome families.

Can I split a package with my child?

Absolutely, an adult may SPLIT a package with their child/children under the age of 17. If you do decide to split a package then we waive the non-hunter fee. We do not, however, let husbands and wives split one.

Do you offer any discounts or incentives?

Absolutely. Although we don't give new hunters discounts, we do offer incentives for our loyal customers. Once you’ve hunted with us we want you to tell your friends about us. Word of mouth is and always be the best form of advertising for any company. What that means to you is that for every hunt that we book as a result of you, we will give you 10% commission in either the form of money or a discount on your next hunt. For example, if “Fred and Mike” both book a package number 1 @ $2650 each, that is a total of $5300 worth of hunts. Your commission would be $530. See how easy?

Instead of offering discounts to get your business, we offer you an incentive to keep your business. That’s why we don’t use booking agents. They want something for nothing; you get rewarded for your patronage.

When to your season run?

Whitetail season opens the first Saturday of November and we hunt them through the 31st of December. Mule Deer opens the Saturday after Thanksgiving and runs through the 2nd Sunday of December.

Spring turkey season in Crockett County opens mid-March, but the better hunting is going to occur around the 1st of April, which is when we start our hunts. It closes the last Sunday of April.

When should I book? How much is required to reserve the hunt?

Whenever you know you want to hunt. We typically sell out year after so. We require 1/2 down per person in advance to reserve your hunt(s). We will take verbal bookings, but we will only hold those reservations for 10 days pending arrival of the deposit.

What forms of payment do you accept? And when is the final balance due?

We accept checks, money orders, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and good old fashioned cash. Again, deposits are due at the time of booking. The final balances for Whitetail and Mule Deer are due October 1 prior to your hunt. Spring turkey balances are due upon arrival at the ranch. We do invoicing so you'll know exactly how much is due and when it's do.

What if I have to cancel my hunt? Do you give refunds?

Deposits are non-refundable but are transferable for up to one year to the original depositor only. They may not be applied to someone else's balance. However, depending on the circumstances this rule may be waived.

What will the deer typically score?

The average Whitetail buck will score between 120 and 140, although many larger ones have been harvested. We have taken a 154, a couple in the 160 range and a 170 class buck was harvested 2 years ago. The average Mule Deer will score around 150 to 155 with average spread of 22” to 28”.

What’s the key to hunting in Texas ?

Patience, patience, patience. THE deer may walk out the first 5 minutes of your hunt or the last 5 minutes of your hunt. We believe that the trophy is in the eye of the hunter. Our hunters average seeing anywhere from 8 to 15 DIFFERENT bucks per hunt! This is from yearling bucks up. That gives you a big variety to choose from and makes for great future hunting, too!

Do you allow non-hunters? If so, what is the charge for them? If I bring my wife and/or family will we have to share a room with strangers?

Non-hunters are welcome, as are children and spouses; however this is based on availability. The price for non-hunters is persons 12 and older at the rate of $150.00 per day; children under 12 will cost an additional $100.00 per day. This covers their meals and lodging.

We make a point of keep husbands and wives in their own room. Worse case scenario is if we have 2 sets of husbands and wives they will all be in the same room. That has worked out so very well in the past! Meet as strangers; leave as friends!

And husbands and wives stay at the ranch with Bucky and Leesa. It makes it easier for the woman/women coming into the ranch knowing that there is another woman there!

Are your ranches like what most people believe to be a "typical man hunting camp"?

No way. In all the years that B&B Outfitters has been in business we've not had any debauchery going on! We cater to a classy group of hunters and would welcome each and everyone back! Women and children are more than "safe" hunting with B&B!

What do your packages include?

All of our PACKAGES include:

All meals
Lodging
Guides
Care of Game (by law all we can do is quarter, but you are welcome to bone it our yourself)
Transportation while on the ranch
Mount Preparation and delivery to local taxidermist

What do your packages NOT include?

Packages do not include:
Hunting License (B&B are license dealers through TPWD – can be purchased on site)
Tobacco Products
Alcohol Products
Coolers for your meat

IF you bring tobacco and/or alcohol products, please remember this is a 4 day hunt! Depending on which ranch we are hunting it can be anywhere from a 60 mile round trip to a 100 mile round trip to the store. If one of our employees has to make that trip you will be charged extra!!!! So plan ahead!!!

Do you have a firing range to sight in my gun or bow?

Absolutely, in fact we highly recommend it even if you are driving in. The climate here is dry and can affect the accuracy of your weapon. If you get to the ranch after night fall, we highly recommend that you either don't fire your weapon on your 1st morning hunt or you can use one of ours at not additional charge. We'd rather you be safe then sorry.

When is the best time to hunt?

From opening weekend to closing weekend we’ve been 100% successful. There’s always a 100% opportunity. The rut typically kicks off during the full moon towards the end of November. By the time you get into mid- to late December, the hunting just keeps getting better and better. Towards the end of the season (late December early January) you’ll be getting into the bigger bucks coming down from the mountains and out of the canyons. Most of your mature doe will be bred and the bucks are hungry for both doe and food! This can be very beneficial for those hunters that prefer stands and tripods.

What are the legal hunting hours?

Legal hunting hours are 30 minutes prior to sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset on all of our hunts. We’ll keep you advised daily as to those times.

Do you have to wear Orange ? Do you have to have your license strapped across your back?

The answer to both is no. Since these ranches are all privately owned, you are not required to wear orange. In addition, there is so much hunting land that it’s unlikely you’ll even hear your “neighbor” shoot, let alone see them

It is state law, however, that you have on your person your license, your hunter’s ed card (if applicable) and a picture ID (if over 17) with at all times hunting. On the rare occasion that we are visited by the local Game Warden, they will ask for these items. If you don’t want a warning or a ticket, then we strongly advise to adhere to the law.

Do Whitetail and Mule Deer co-habitate?

Absolutely. In fact, you’re likely to see both at the feeders! The Whitetail bucks do interbreed with the Mule Deer doe. The Mule Deer buck is not aggressive enough to cross with the Whitetail doe. Our standing joke is they breed instead with the Jack Rabbit and voila! You now have a Jackalope!!!

We provide each of our hunters a “how to spot the difference” printout showing the identifiers of both the Whitetail and the Mule Deer. There is also one posted inside each blind. Do the check before you pull the trigger. We do not Mule Deer hunt on two of our ranches so a mistake is always a costly one.

Are the Rio Grande Turkey difficult to hunt?

Yes and no. We'll put you near the feeding/watering or roost areas. You'll hear and/or see them. However, you don't want to call them too often or too aggressively. Your guides will be more than happy and willing to instruct you in both technique and calling.

How about the Javelina? Are the hard to hunt?

No, the Javelina is very easy to hunt. They are perfect for small caliber rifles or bows. They can smell pretty good, but not see very far. With them, too, it's all about shot placement.

I've heard that Javelina are no good to eat and that I can shoot as many as I want?

No to both. There is a state imposed legal limit on harvestingJjavelina. The limit is 2 per person per license year. Any rancher, guide or outfitter that tells you different will be telling you to break the law.

We will prepare Javelina for you when you are in camp (as we will be more than happy to prepare any game you harvest). All we ask is that you at least stay open minded and try it. If you don't like you'll never have to eat it again! However, if you do, we are more than happy to give you recipes!

What kind of meals can you expect?

Breakfast usually consists of burritos, sausage biscuits, et al. We try to keep it portable for those that are not into eating breakfast but want something to take with them in case they get hungry.
Lunch ranges from cold sandwiches to stew to hamburgers to hotdogs. You’ll eat something different each day. Chips, soft drinks and water all supply 24/7 to all of our hunters.
Dinner, our favorite meal can consist of:
Spaghetti with Surf and Turf Sauce (a B&B recipe)
Wild Game Night (venison, turkey, Javelina – you kill and we’ll grill it!)
Smoked Brisket with all the trimmings
Meatloaf
Beer Can or Grilled Chicken
Please let us know at your earliest possible convenience as to whether you have any special dietary needs/restrictions.

What towns will you be near?

The closest town to our Mule Deer ranch is Bakersfield , TX with the ranch being located approximately 16 miles south.

Our Whitetail ranch is near the towns of Sheffield and Iraan , TX . We’re located approximately 3-1/2 west of San Antonio ; 2 hours south of Midland/Odessa.

Where do you stay and what kind of lodging and what does it include?

We have housing on all of our ranches, so you are only minutes away from your hunting area. Typically they are 2-3 bedroom and 1-2 baths. We provide all bed and bath linen, pillows and blankets.

Our primary ranch (Whitetail only) sports a huge living/dining area, a serving room (buffet style) and an enormous screened in front porch with sofas, chairs and tables. We are usually blessed with good weather so this provides a great place to relax and enjoy the day!

On our mule deer ranch it’s a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house. Unless you are bringing a group of 6 or more, we won’t take more than 5-6 at a time. Too crowded after that. The cook and guides stay in the other house.

The turkey ranch, though not as glamorous still possesses a charm of it's own. It's nearly 130 years old, and has been compared to Lonesome Dove, but it's very comfortable, very clean and has running water, flushing toilets, working showers and a/c and heat!

Regardless of the ranch or the lodge, we provide EVERYTHING except for your gear and weapons! We can even supply the guns and/or bows if you'd like!

What kind of gear do I bring?

Bring clothing you can layer. It can start off cold and end up being warm. Even in December and January we can see temps in the 80’s as easily as we can see it in the single digits and teens. Although we typically don’t see a lot of snow, we have had 6 inches or more. So please bring clothing that handles either type of weather, preferably clothing that can be layered.

What kind of camo do you recommend?

Even in the winter time we have a lot of green around, so bring camo such as Mossy Oak Break-Up or Obsession; Realtree’s Advantage Hardwoods Green or Advantage Timber. Dickies (the work gear people) added camo to their great clothing line a couple of years ago. They introduced an exclusive pattern developed by CamoWest and the legendary Wayne Carlton call CamoWest Vanish Hybrid. It made one of its debuts on the ranch when Dickies (who has hunted with us for 10 years) did their annual hunt. It’s a tremendous pattern for our area. We are sponsored by all three companies and can find their links on our website.

How do you purchase your hunting license?

You have a couple of options here. If you are driving in, you may stop at a local sporting goods store or Wal-mart. You will need a Type 105 Non-Resident General Hunting License – valid to hunt any legal bird or animal (including deer). Stamp endorsement requirements apply. The most common endorsements are an Archery Stamp Endorsement (Type 135) and/or an Upland Game Bird Stamp Endorsement (Type 157 which includes Turkey ). That should be all you need. If you are younger than 17, the only license necessary is a Youth Hunting License (Type 169).

Please note the statement below as it does apply to ALL license sales:

*Your social security number is required to be collected for the purpose of child support collection enforcement under Texas Family Code, Section 231.302 and Federal Statute 42 U.S.C.A. 666. Additionally, under 42 U.S.C.A. 552a Section 7, the “Privacy Act,” TPWD must notify the customer that the disclosure of his/her social security is (1) mandatory, (2) required by 42 U.S.C.A. 666, (3) will be used for governmental child support enforcement, and (4) licenses will not be issued without this information

Or you may opt to order your required licenses and/or stamp endorsements online through the TPWD via http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/licenses/online_sales but please remember, this is a state facility – please allow plenty of time for them to arrive. The license for a deer hunt or a turkey are not for immediate use since they require tags. If you do purchase them over the internet be sure you understand what you must do in order to obtain those tags should you try to only use your receipt that is provided at time of purchase. For more information you may contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) TX LIC 4 U (1-800-895-4248) between 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday (CST).

Or you may purchase them through B&B Outfitters onsite. We have been a license dealer for the Parks and Wildlife since 2003. Upon booking with B&B Outfitters we will provide you with a hunting license form that includes all the necessary information required for issuance. While TPWD accepts some credit cards (not Am Ex), B&B accepts MC, Visa, Am Ex, checks, money orders and cash. You may purchase them in advance or you may wait until you arrive (this is ONLY if you are hunting the ranch where the machine is located).

Please note: While it is not a requirement to possess Hunter’s Ed Certification in order to obtain a hunting license in the State of Texas , the following information is what the law is in the State of Texas :

Every hunter (including out-of-state hunters) born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must successfully complete a Hunter Education Training Course. Minimum age of certification is 12 years. You must carry your proof of certification and some other form of id on your person while hunting in the State of Texas .

Certification simply means that someone between the ages of 12 and 17 CANNOT hunt without an adult present unless they are certified. Otherwise an adult must be present within normal voice control.

How will you be hunting?

We have ground box blinds, tower blinds (5’), tripods and pop-up blinds. While it is perfectly legal to hunt over feeders and corn, you may opt to spot and stalk or try safari style. Normally all hunts are semi-guided (2x1 or sometimes up to 4x1) however if you want to have your own guide then this must be booked in advance. There is no additional charge for this service nor do you have to utilize the 1x1 the full time. All that we ask if that you take care of the guide that is providing this service.

Can you bring an ATV or 4-wheeler?

No. This is for the safety of the hunter as well as the safety of our wildlife. These ranches are working goat or sheep ranches so we prohibit off road vehicles other than our pickup trucks. Besides, this part of Texas is filled with draws, canyons, and rather treacherous areas. It’s for your own protection.

What can you expect on your hunt?

The typical hunting day consists of an a.m. hunt and a p.m. hunt. Whether you spot and stalk, hunt safari style with one of our guides, or choose to sit in a blind, you can usually expect to see anywhere from 5 to 15 or 20 bucks per hunts. This includes young bucks, too. We do ask that in order to maintain a healthy herd that you limit your harvest to mature bucks only. If you’d like to stay out all day, then we’ll pack you a lunch and have meeting/checkpoint times. That way if you should harvest an animal early, you won’t have to stay out all day with it.

The average shot from one of our blinds is 100 or more yards. Our blinds have the distance to the feeder noted in each of them.

Although you never have to touch your animal, if you do decide to gut it yourself, we ask that you drag it at least 100 yards or more from the feeding area. We’ll be more than happy to do the gutting for you. If you are planning on mounting your animal and are desirous of your own taxidermist doing the work, please make plans on shipping it directly prior to leaving the ranch (if you are flying), otherwise you will need to take it with you. Time constraints do not allow us to ship for you.

What type of weapons can be used?

Rifle (cal. .243 and up), hand guns, archery, shotgun (turkeys) are acceptable. We do not, however, allow mechanical broad heads(unless you are using a fast shooting bow such as PSE's X-Force) or ballistic tipped shells at all. We’ve lost too many and/or wounded too many animals with these types of ammunition. And we will check.ou

Ballistic tips are good ONLY if you are stretching one out 250+ yards. But in this area of Texas you shots tend to be closer. Plus, these animals are tough; very tough. It's very typical to see your animal peppered with cactus quills. They have to be tough to live in this environment.

We will be at the Eastern Sport Show in Harrisburg PA Feb. 7-15, 2009 (Our 6th year in the same location) – Main Hall Booth 4223

For you convenience we accept MC/VISA and AmEx. A deposit equal to ½ down is required to reserve your hunt. Deposits are non-refundable but are transferable for up to one year to the original depositor only. They may not be applied to someone else’s balance.
 

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Absolutely no ballistic tip ammunition is allowed on any of our ranches. You may use fixed broad heads or any other time of shell that is legal in the harvesting of game animals. You may use mechanical broadheads ONLY IF you are using a fast shooting bow such as the PSE X-Force. Varmints do NOT include Jack or Cottontail Rabbits. Varmints include bobcat, mountain lion and coyote only.