Michigan Sportsmen’s Web

A Texas motto is: “It’s like a whole other country.” Here in West Texas, it’s really “like a whole other world,” but a deer hunters paradise in every sense.  

Texas is home to the largest herd of whitetail deer in the United States and is estimated at over 4.5 million deer. The Lone Star State is also known for producing some of the largest trophy whitetail bucks in the country. So how can a hunting outfitter in West Texas boast to being the best kept secret in Texas? Lets find out. 

Meeting up with Dan Brinlee, of Brinlee Ranch Hunts, is warm, hospitable, colorful and Texas-friendly. He’s been hunting this area for more than 26 years, but he’s been a guide and outfitter for the last twelve. “We’re the best-kept secret in Texas,” Brinlee stated. “We tell others where the place is, and they say, ‘Where? West Texas?’ They can’t believe that there’s this much quality game here.”  

Located in Terrell County on the rugged western edge of the Edwards Plateau, Brinlee Ranch Hunts has over 60,000 acres of prime low-fence deer hunting habitat. Brinlee said by working with Texas Parks & Wildlife biologists they have developed a uniform deer age structure with an ideal 2:1 doe-to-buck ratio. The ranch holds one deer for every 10-12 acres. If you do the math, that’s around 6,000 deer. “Those are some really amazing numbers for a low-fence operation,” Brinlee stated. “Our number one goal is to make sure our hunt is an exiting, memorable, and successful experience for our clients.”  

“The ranch has plenty of trophy bucks that will score 150-160 B&C or better,” Brinlee added. “Only one guy in twelve years didn’t shoot a buck. He won the hunt and he was a real trophy hunter. He told me he wouldn’t shoot one unless it was a monster.”  

Brinlee has built up a solid clientele base that has about a 70 percent return rate. Many of his hunters are regulars from California. Brinlee says California hunters seem to really appreciate the amount of wildlife, the abundance of deer, and the quality of the bucks here. “The biggest problem is that they shoot the first buck they see and then later see a nicer one,” Brinlee said.  

Experienced guides such as Kenneth Self and Harlan Hinds have incredible records on guiding hunters to deer. Hinds is 80-for-80 with buck hunters over the past three years.

If you are truly thinking about booking a hunt in Texas, do not book anywhere else until you find out what Brinlee Ranch Hunts has to offer. You can contact Dan at info@brinleeranchhunts.com or go to www.brinleeranchhunts.com for more information.