PETE DENNEY'S BRUSHY HILL TROPHY BOWHUNTING RANCH

Archery Hunting at Brushy Hill Ranch

Brushy Hill Ranch offers bowhunters, year-round, some of the most affordable "fair chase" trophy whitetail, turkey, wild hog/boar, exotic, small game & varmint hunting in Texas! One of the biggest bow-only day lease ranches in Texas, bowhunters at Brushy Hill enjoy the freedoms, challenges and rewards of self guided (and semi-guided) hunting on nearly 13,000 acres of mostly low-fenced typical South Texas terrain. Hunters are free to set up almost anywhere within their assigned pasture, and in any manner they want- within ranch rules! There are no pre-set stands on the ranch. In addition, "Spot & Stalk" hunting is permitted during off-season hog hunts and whenever all the hunters in a pasture agree. Hunters are required to abide by the rules posted on the Rules page of our website.

Hunting on a large day lease like Brushy Hill can be very different than hunting other types of properties. Because the game on a day lease ranch see hunters on a regular basis, year-round, they can be very smart. This means some hunters' usual tactics may need to be modified, slightly, to improve their odds for success. Most importantly, blinds/setups need to be well hidden. We strongly recommend hunters take the time to 'brush in' their blinds/stands as thoroughly as possible. Since many hunters don't have the time to scout the ranch prior to their hunt, and the size of the pastures present so many possibilities, we'll be happy to advise you on areas of your pasture where we've seen the most activity.

Semi-Guided Hunts

All hunts at Brushy Hill are normally self guided. However, semi-guided and fully guided hunts (Whitetail deer, hogs & turkey) can be arranged for an additional cost. If you are interested in a semi-guided or fully guided hunt, please let us know when you book your hunt- so arrangements can be made in advance of your arrival. Our guides require a minimum of 7 days advance notice; but prefer to know at least 2 weeks in advance- this gives them time to scout and prepare specifically for your hunt. We want you to have the very best hunt possible at Brushy Hill!

For specific information on semi-guided and fully guided hunts, please call/text our ranch manager and head guide, Nick Anderson, at 512-587-8651. Or you can email him at: BrushyHillGuide@gmail.com

No Trophy Fees!

Brushy Hill's 'No Trophy Fees' policy means just that- once you pay for a day's hunt, you are entitled to shoot ANY animal of legal harvesting size, even if it's a world record Whitetail, without worrying about having to pay a "kill fee." This is just another aspect of the ranch that makes hunting so affordable and seperates Brushy Hill Trophy Bowhunting Ranch from other day leases and hunting ranches. Another big difference between Brushy Hill Bowhunting Ranch and other hunting operations is the "No Bag Limit" on wild hogs. Any time you hunt at Bushy Hill you're entitled to shoot all the hogs you want, regardless of the size(s)! Hunters are required to abide by all rules and regulations of the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife and ethical practices for harvesting game.

Wild Game Hunted At Brushy Hill Bowhunting Ranch:

Whitetail Deer - We have a very large and healthy whitetail deer population that produces bucks up into the 170+ inch Pope & Young range; but the majority of the deer regularly taken at Brushy Hill are between the 120 inch and the 150 inch P&Y classes. We see 170" and larger deer on the ranch every year, but these old bucks are very smart and no hunter has been able to take one yet! The current ranch record is 168 1/2".

Rio Grande Turkey - The ranch has a lot of large Rio Grande Turkeys. Hunters regularly take turkeys with 10" & 11"+ beards!

Wild Hogs - Brushy Hill Ranch also has a very strong population of wild hogs- a mix of European/Russian boar and feral hogs. Hunters regularly take take hogs of all sizes up to approximately 250 pounds with occaisional 300+ pounds hogs taken by some lucky hunters.

Axis Deer & other exotics - Axis deer and other exotic animals have been seen on the ranch occaisionally and some hunters have harvested some great ones. Exotics are not stocked on the ranch and the ones found are all free-ranging animals. All exotics may be taken year-round and are considered a "bonus" included in the price of your whitetail, turkey, wild hog or combination hunt.

Predators - Bobcats & Coyotes - Brushy Hill Ranch has an abundance of bobcats and coyotes! Bobcats are found in every pasture on the ranch, but the majority of our bobcats are found in the River Pasture. All of our pastures have large numbers of coyotes! Not many hunters come specifically to predator hunt, but they are a great bonus to any hunt! Any predator (except the endangered Jaguarundi) on the ranch may be taken with any hunt you book, if the opportunity presents itself. However, "calling" predators is prohibited.  In addition to bobcats & coyotes, mountain lions/cougars are occaisionally sighted and may also be taken at no additional charge!

Small Game - Small game is everywhere at Brushy Hill Ranch; and may be taken as a part of any booked hunt. Racoons are a particular problem- constantly raiding feeders and stealing corn. Feel free to help us with this problem! Please leave the porcupines alone, though- we don't have a lot of them and they're just so entertaining to watch!

Wildlife Management:

Brushy Hill Bowhunting Ranch, in an effort to provide high quality whitetail deer hunting year after year, employs a whitetail management program. Hunters are required to abide by a few simple & easy-to-follow management guideines when hunting whitetails:

Legal "shooter" bucks - MUST have branched antlers with a MAIN BEAM INSIDE SPREAD of AT LEAST 14 inches, regardless of how many points. Hunters are strongly encouraged to harvest only mature bucks. Passing on young, barely legal, bucks is the best way to assure good deer for future years. A $750 ($1000 for bucks 12" or less, inside spread) replacement fee for shooting a under-sized buck will be due immediately. Hunters are not allowed to field judge a "cull" buck. Any suspected "cull" buck must first be described, or shown on video (preferably), to game management in order to obtain special permission to harvest the animal.

Legal "shooter" Spikes - MUST have TWO un-branched antlers AT LEAST 7 inches long, each. These spikes DO NOT count as your buck(s) included in your hunt; but they do count with the State of Texas and must be properly tagged. Hunters are encouraged to harvest these long-horn spikes to help us with managing the herd and improving the genetics on the ranch.

Does ALL season long! - During the current whitetail season does may be harvested, and hunters are encouraged to harvest does. We are hoping to reduce the number of does in our herd to improve the overall health of our whitetail population. If a hunter mistakenly harvests a nubbin' buck, a $1000 replacement fee will be due immediately. In addition, a nubbin' buck will count as a hunter's buck. So, when shooting at a doe, hunters are expected to check for nubs before pulling the trigger - we strongly encourage hunters to bring and USE binoculars for just this reason! It can be difficult to see the bumps on a nubbin buck in those last few minutes of legal shooting light.So, PLEASE use binoculars to ensure you are shooting at a doe and not a nubbin' buck!

The current rules, along with an explanation and helpful illustrations, can also be found on the "Rules" page of the website. Violations of the management rules, and minimum harvest requirements, will result in a $750 or $1000 (depending on the animal)  replacement fee that is due immediately.

Feeders & Corn:

Brushy Hill currently maintains 53 active corn feeders, year-round, spread out among the pastures. Each feeder is set to feed every morning and every afternoon. Hunters are not permitted to hunt within 75 yards of any feeder during whitetail season. In addtion to the feeders, Brushy Hill spot "corns" nearly 50 miles of pasture roads daily (year-round), weather permitting. Hunters are permitted to set up anywhere along the corn route in their assigned pasture. For those hunters who do set up along the corn route, we will make every effort to 'corn' in front of their stands. However, it's not always possible to know exactly where every hunter is sitting. Hunters who want corn placed in a particular spot should put out their own corn, which can be purchased at the gas stations and feed store in Sabinal.

Terrain:

The terrain at Brushy Hill is as diverse as any ranch in South Texas with numerous heavily wooded (pecan & oak) creek and river bottoms, including 4 miles of the Sabinal River, high guahillo hills covered with the natural high protein food source as well as mesquite & cactus flats. In addition to the natural water sources provided by the creeks and river, the ranch has lots of water troughs and water tanks. As a working ranch, Brushy Hill has annual cultivation of high protein oats, coastal and hay grazer which supplement the natural food sources, resulting in improved antler growth. Roads in the pastures are all unpaved and in good condition; however, as with any ranch this size and with this many roads, there are some rough spots due to errosion. The primary roads, including the access to the camps and most of the corn routes are passable with any 2-wheel drive truck when they're dry. When it rains heavily a 4-wheel drive vehicle is often required. All of the main roads leading to the camps are wide enough to accomodate any size truck and trailer. Some of the more remote roads are fairly narrow and are more easily negotiated with smaller trucks and Jeeps. Each of the 6 pastures has its own character and combination of terrain. Below is a brief summarry of each pasture:

Hog Heaven North (front) - High guajillo hills, some whitebrush hills, heavily wooded oaks and some pecan trees, creek bottoms, guajillo & persimmon flats with mesquite & pear cactus, several large water tanks, water troughs and cultivated fields, with large whitetail and wild hog/boar populations! Some Turkey but plenty of small game & predators. Lots of long, straight roads that make for awsome 'spot & stalk' hunting of wild hogs! Accommodates up to 8 hunters at a time.

Hog Heaven South (back) - Huge guajillo hill (Pilot Knob) and rolling white brush hills,heavily wooded (oaks and some pecan) creek bottoms, mesquite flats with persimmon bushes & pear cactus, several large water tanks, water troughs and several very large cultivated (oats and hay grazer) fields, with large whitetail and wild hog/boar populations! Some Turkey but plenty of small game & predators. Lots oflong, straight roads that make for awsome 'spot & stalk' hunting of wild hogs! Accommodates up to 15 hunters at a time.

River Pasture - Heavily wooded (oak & cyprus) river bottoms with LOTS of water, pecan bottoms, several large cultivated (mostly oats) fields and some cactus & mesquite flats with large whitetail, rio grande turkey and wild hog/boar populations! Lots of small game and predators including a good number of bobcats. Accommodates up to 8 hunters at a time

Kreager - Lots of heavily (pecan, oak & mesquite) wooded creek bottoms, large pecan bottoms, rolling hills & valleys covered in guajillo and whitebrush, pear cactus & mesquite flats and several cultivated fields with numerous water troughs and large water tanks. The Kreager pasture hosts large whitetail deer, rio grande turkey and wild hog/boar populations plus axis deer on a regular basis! Lots of small game & predators. Accommodates up to 10 hunters at a time. The current ranch record whitetail (168 1/2") was harvested in this pasture.

Wil Rehm - Wide guajillo, persimmon & mesquite flats, two cultivated (mostly oats) fields with some wooded creek bottoms, several water troughs and a stock tank. The Wil Rehm Pasture hosts a strong whitetail population with lots of hogs- some of the biggest and best whitetail deer and wild boar have been shot in this pasture! Accommodates up to 12 hunters at a time.

Waver-Tree Pasture - Mostly covered in oak trees and cultivated fields with some heavily wooded (oak & pecan) creek bottoms and mesquite flats around the edges. Ranchero Creek runs through this pasture. The Wavertree provides some terrific trophy whitetail hunting, but is rarely hunted for anything else; even though there are some turkey and hogs in the pasture. This pasture has a number of feeders in it, but is NOT on the daily corn route. Accommodates 5 hunters at a time.

Equipment:

Hunters will need to bring all of their own hunting equipment- Brushy Hill Ranch doesn't supply any equipment. Please keep in mind that Sabinal, and our ranch, are fairly isolated so forgotten or broken equipment can be difficult to replace. Bringing extra equipment, a backup bow and/or a repair kit is not a bad idea. The closest bow shop (Oasis Outback) is in Uvalde- about a 30 minute drive- they close at 6:30PM Mon.-Sat. and at 4PM on Sundays. If at all possible, though, we recommend going in to San Antonio to Mesquite Archery. They are a first-rate, full service bow shop that really know what they are doing. Mesquite Archery is where we go to have our bows worked on.

Rattlesnakes & other dangers:

South Texas is the perfect habitat for rattlesnakes and we definately have our fair share of them. Hunters should be aware & cautious of them. Keep your eyes and ears open and watch where you go and you're unlikely to have any problems. PLEASE DO NOT KILL ANY "BLUE INDIGO" SNAKES! Blue Indigo snakes' primary food source IS rattlesnake and they are our best defense against rattlesnakes! Blue Indigo's are easy to identify because of their extremely shiny dark, almost black, color and iridescent blue shine. For more information on Blue Indigo snakes, including pictures to help you identify them, PLEASE CLICK HERE!
Brushy Hill Ranch, like most of South Texas, is covered with plants with sharp thorns and critters that will bite and sting. As the old saying goes, "everything in South texas will either poke, scratch, cut, bite or sting you!" So, it's important that hunters dress appropriately (i.e. boots with tough, thick soles & long pants & insect repelent) and use caution when hunting in the brush- to avoid getting poked, scratched, cut bitten or stung. Hunters should be cautious around the livestock, which can be unpredictable. Also, hunters should be extremely cautious around any wild animal that appears rabid. While rabies isn't prevalent on our ranch, any wild animal has the potential of becoming infected with the disease and, once infected they can become very unpredictable and dangerous. Please report any sighting of a rabid animal to Brushy Hill staff immediately!