Hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation have been a way of life for many Texans since the beginning of this great state. With each new hunting season, hunters flock to the fields and forest in pursuit of their favorite quarry. Whether you hunt to put food on the table, for the excitement of the chase, or for the relaxation and pleasure of being in the field on a crisp autumn day, hunting continues to be a popular pastime for many Texans.

With hunting season opening on September 1, 2023, we are excited to get this hot dry summer behind us and look ahead to the fall and winter. We have a strong outlook for dove this year, with mourning dove counts coming in 44 percent up over 2022 at 28.3 million dove, and white-wing dove up 20 percent over 2022 with 11.7 million doves. Teal season kicks off next in mid-September. Most waterfowl outlook reports are not out yet, but we do know the breeding numbers of ducks counted in May of 2023 is up slightly over 2022, which was a really good year. The drought conditions in the Hill Country and other parts of the state will continue to be an issue for wildlife but the late winter, early spring rain that much of the state received has helped the whitetail deer populations and conditions this year over 2022-2023, which was a really bad year for whitetail.

Texas has a long history of hunting and it can be argued that Texas is the birthplace of modern wildlife management and conservation. Texans can be proud of the fact that our state has long been a visionary with farming and ranching techniques, and throughout the past 100 years, Texans have managed the land to be productive while conserving and nurturing vital habitat for wild game. Abundant wild game is almost taken for granted in modern-day Texas, but there was a time when the bounty of Texas wildlife was at serious risk. Throughout the 19th century, wild game was abundant in South Texas, but by 1910, deer and wild turkey populations were almost completely eliminated. Thanks to pioneers of game management like Caesar and Alice King Kleberg, who were instrumental in developing the first policies of wildlife management in Texas, future generations of hunters will benefit from ample quarry throughout the state. 

As the Outfitter for The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch, I have access to a myriad of resources to arrange hunts and guided hunts. From a network of leases and properties to personal relationships with guides for dove, duck, hog, quail, turkey, sandhill crane hunts and a lot more, I can help arrange any type of native or exotic hunt in Texas. Most importantly, I’m available to take your children or grandchildren on hunting trips. If life is too busy or if the thought of organizing a hunting trip is daunting, this is a service offered to our members with the Club. I have enjoyed passing on my hunting heritage to my own children, and the time I spend with them in the field is some of the best quality time I’ve shared with them.

We have some amazing hunters at Cordillera Ranch. If you’ve lived here, you are bound to know a few. Tap into their vast knowledge of experience, and ask them what their hunting interests are and how they became hunters. We all have different experiences and interests, but there is a common denominator with us all and that’s the love of getting outdoors with others who share our interests.