South TX semi-guided/tresspass fee???

[wisconsinteacher]

My buddy and I are looking for a semi-guided/tresspass fee hunt in south Texas this spring or next.  When you start the Google search, there are a ton of places but most are guided or have feeders.  We are wondring if there are any places you recommend for a Rio hunt with no feeders?

[Gooserbat]

Feeders are what makes Texas, Texas.  You don't have to hunt over the bait but without it all the turkeys would be on the neighbors.

[J Lacey]

Stay clear of Paul Moore with hill top ranch/hunting club. He will take your money and drive away never to be seen again. Those feeders will keep the birds on the spot your hunting rather than the next ranch over. 

[GobbleNut]

Feeders are what makes Texas, Texas.  You don't have to hunt over the bait but without it all the turkeys would be on the neighbors.

Unfortunately, this is all too true.  Of course, depending on where you end up hunting, you might find situations where you can actually turkey HUNT, rather than just SHOOT turkeys whose habits are totally conditioned to feeders.  However, if you are a real "purist" that disdains the idea of hunting feeder-conditioned turkeys, good luck finding a location like that for Rios in Texas. 

[bigriverbum]

Would numbers just be unhuntable statewide without feeders?

[GobbleNut]

Would numbers just be unhuntable statewide without feeders?

No, there is plenty of good turkey habitat in Texas.  There would be lots of turkeys regardless of the use of feeders there.  However, turkeys quickly learn where their easiest vittles are available and end up staying close to them, assuming the other ingredients of water sources and roosting habitat are there.

Landowners have learned that in order to keep turkeys (and other game) on their properties, they have to keep up with their neighbors in terms of feeding their birds.  Your neighbors feed turkeys,...and you don't,...the turkeys end up staying on the neighbors place.  Simple as that.

The exception to that rule is if the other two ingredients,...roosting habitat and water sources,...are not present, but it is pretty rare for those not to be present on properties with reasonable turkey habitat.  Rios are very adaptable in where they will roost.  I've seen them roost in all sorts of places,...sometimes only six or eight feet off of the ground.  Water sources are generally not an issue either.

The bottom line is that feeders are the norm in Texas,...and you have to deal with them quite often if you want to hunt there.  It's frustrating as heck for those of us that disdain hunting under those conditions, but "it is what it is".

Now, if all the landowners in an area decided to stop with the feeders, the turkeys would all scatter out naturally into the areas with the best habitat and go back to exhibiting "natural" behaviors and movements.  I'm just not sure how many places like that still exist in Texas. 

[Tail Feathers]

Just because they are there don't mean you hunt near them.

[GobbleNut]

Just because they are there don't mean you hunt near them.

While I agree with this statement to some degree, I have personally hunted multiple places in TX where it was physically impossible to avoid hunting turkeys whose movements were not governed by feeder numbers and locations.  When you have to have a debate with yourself about where you can hunt to avoid feeders, that can be frustrating.

I have also hunted a couple of places where feeders, although present, could be reasonably avoided, as well.  I suppose my point is that, unless you know the property you are signed-up to hunt well enough to know that feeders will not present a problem, you are kind-of at the mercy of those unfavorable "feeder" conditions that you might encounter on the property you end up choosing to hunt.   

In addition, I know of a couple of people that signed up to hunt a TX ranch,...and found out once they got there that they were REQUIRED to hunt over feeders.  Bottom line is, if you are going to hunt TX, make sure you get a clear picture of what to expect where you are hunting. 

[zeke632]

I was invited to hunt in Texas on a ranch with several thousand acres. My buddies had already booked it and had room for 1 more hunter. When we arrived and spoke to the ranch manager/outfitter ? we learned that we were limited to a portion of one section of land. So if you do decide to hunt down there, ask if you are able to move around or if you're stuck in one area.
The rancher was a perfectly nice guy...just wasn't a turkey hunter. He told us where the feeders were located and didn't really understand the idea of why anyone would want to call to a turkey.