So here's the deal. I might have the opportunity to hunt on a 1000 acre lease in Jim hogg county. I haven't scouted the lease yet, but from google earth it looks like a 1000 acre pasture couple miles off highway 16. I would like some feedback from some hunters on here who have hunted this area please. The reason I would like some feedback is because I am hunting in webb county and the lease right now is pretty good and the only way I would leave is if it is a upgrade to what I have now. My lease now is only 100 acres and it's just my dad and I which is awesome, however 1000 acres sounds pretty convincing.

well ta start with its been fully pasturised, tis hard ta tell the difference between the & the rest of the crap, extreamly long horns mixed in with a few bumsteers ops their i go again typing out-load i'm not i'm postaddic i've been tested, here comes one of the doc's now atv recomended rubber boots a must

I don't know. Things might be great on the 1000 ac or not. A bird in the hand is very valuable to me. However 1000 acres is very enticing compared to 100!

Cost difference?
Will still be hunting with dad?
Know anyone on the 1000 acre lease? Info from last season what kind of deer, management program, High Fence etc.???

Lots of things to consider.

Edited to add Im not an expert.

Check the ranch out really good.

The hebbronville area can be good, it can also be bad.

It will vary from ranch to ranch

My buddy hunts on 3k acres in bruni and he has a ton of deer and plenty of bucks up to 150"

Cost difference - the 1000 acres will only cost 250 dollars more than what I'm paying
It will be 7 hunters total, my dad included. I work with one of the guys and it will be his uncle, son, and my friend. From my understanding it is completely low fence and has not been heavily hunted the past 4 years.

Bruni is where I currently hunt. Harvested 3 bucks this year, but the biggest was probably 130"

If all that info is true then I would jump all over it.

Only other thing to consider for me would be the longevity of both leases? Have you been on the old one for year? Will the new one be one that will be available for years to come? Would be a shame to lose a good long lasting lease for one season on the other place.

Our lease currently is our first year and the owner wanted us to keep it for several years to come. We had great results and letting several young bucks walk thinking we will be back next year. The 1000 acre lease is unknown about the years following the first year. That's why I'm extremely confused of what to do.

Bird in the hand. Great results, landowner wants a long term deal

Could you afford to do both?

.....atleast for one year? Just to make sure the 1000 acre deal, and the people that are on it, is worth marrying yourself to.

I could afford both, but I prefer to invest all my time and energy into one place.

Good leases are hard to come by, and great leases are few and far between!

It would be hard giving up a good lease for greener pastures that you know nothing about.
You have to understand it is open for a reason. Someone hunted it before, and if not I'd be even more skeptical. Posible sale pending, or a thousand other reasons.
Try to questioning some locals likea at the nearest feed store, or small cafe in the area.

From what I was told the ranch was hunted by the owner and his son. The owner passed away couple years ago and the son is the owner now. He lives in San Antonio and hardly has any time to go down there and hunt. So this would be the first year it will be leases

sounds like u've got a good investment in lease ya have, could spend extra money on feed & food plots hunting two leases at once is hard. What ever U decide best wishes

What is the owners last name?

Not sure

7 hunters on a 1000 acres is a lot in that country. That would be a concern for me. I wouldn't want to hunt more than 4 or 5 hunters at most.

I've hunted off of 16, in Jim Hogg Co. for several years. With good management it's possible to get bucks well over 150.

I'd ask to spend some scout time after the season to see what you see. Then make up your mind.

How far south of hebbronville were you hunting? Also why do you recommend less hunters in that area? I don't like many hunters either because I preach how important hunting pressure effects the deer, but is it more open and less cover for deer?

On my Webb Co lease we allocate one trophy buck per 300 acres, sometimes less deer on bad years, this has given us a good supply of bucks without shooting out the place or being over run with deer. I wouldnt have 6-7 folks on 1000 expecting to take a trophy every year, now if they're ok with shooting management/cull deer as their buck for the year then you may be ok. All of this is assuming you have a healthy herd to start with, and not even discussing neighbors.

Weather 100acres or 1000acres theirs just a small % of land the deer gonna navigate

I hunted on the La Mota ranch, down by Randado. I'll be back on that lease next year. I base my opinion of hunter numbers on our game surveys (helicopter) and biologists input. Every ranch will be different and based on many factors. Our lease was well managed, with a good age structure, a good doe:buck ratio, good genetics and good numbers overall. Even still, you can probably only expect one or two true trophies (over 150) to every section (640 acres).

If you pile 7 hunters on 1000 acres and depending on guest policies, you cannot expect everyone is going to bag a trophy each year. You might get lucky with deer coming off of surrounding property but there shouldn't be any realistic expectation that all 7 hunters will bag a 160 class buck. 120-130 class bucks shouldn't be a problem. If you're ok with that, then by all means, jump on it. Especially if the price is right.

As an example, we just picked up another 1500 acres that had been locked up in a long term lease until this season. We're only adding 4 hunters to that new acreage.

Im with LP. There will likely be plenty of deer for the 7 hunters to shoot, but a small number are going to be going after "trophy" bucks, the rest will be shooting management/cull bucks and does. The acreage just wont support enough trophy deer. The problem is going to come when every hunter shoots the biggest buck they see and the lease turns into a 1000 acres overrun with does and nothing but bucks that are too young/small for anyone to consider shooting.

good thread, Best Wishes

Yeah I totally agree about trophy deer to management deer on a 1000 acre property. I am just seeing it as that I have a better opportunity to harvest bigger and better bucks with a decent management in place vs a 100 acres. I have read that Jim Hogg hunting is improving and getting just as good as webb county. I just wanted to hear some feedback from hunters on this forum.