Best Fallow Deer Hunting in Texas

Fallow deer hunting in Texas has become one of the more common exotic hunts in the state and if you’re looking to hunt a giant fallow deer you’ve come to the right place!

I hunt fallow deer on several different ranches, but my ranch that consistently has the best fallow deer hunting is 3600 acres in Real County. This ranch has some of the biggest fallow deer I’ve ever seen and with a hundred + fallow deer on the ranch, you will see numerous giant bucks to choose from while fallow deer hunting. My average fallow buck harvested on this ranch will score “Gold Medal”. This ranch has also produced several huge fallow bucks, both typical and non-typical, that have made the TGR Top 10 All-Time record book. Like most ranches, spotted fallow deer are our most common color phase but we also have a good mix of white fallow deer as well as chocolate fallow deer.

Most of my fallow deer hunts in Texas are done by a combination of safari-style hunting and spot and stalk hunting, but I will also hunt out of blinds as necessary.

Fallow Deer Hunts Texas – Who is this hunt for:

Fallow deer are considered an “exotic” in Texas and there’s no closed season on hunting exotics in Texas. This means you can hunt them year-round, but the best time for fallow deer hunting is from September through December, which is when the fallow bucks are going to be hard antlered. You can still hunt fallow deer in January and February, but the bucks have been through the rut and there’s a risk that they might have broken points or rubbed points.

Fallow deer meat is also some great venison and with them becoming hard antlered in September it’s a great way to kick off your fall hunting season and fill your freezer with some great organic protein. With the 3 color phases of fallow deer; white, spotted and chocolate, and unique antler configurations they make beautiful mounts.

All of these things combine to make fallow deer hunting an excellent option for the novice hunter looking for an exciting way to kick off their hunting career or the experienced hunter looking to hunt a different species and add a little variety to their fall hunting calendar.

Pricing will vary greatly depending on the size/age of the fallow deer and the size of their antlers, or the palms on their antlers. It takes 5+ years to get the wide palms (6” +) typically seen on the big fallow deer found in Europe and New Zealand, so they are understandably more expensive than the young fallow deer that only have 2-3” palms.

Base price is for single occupancy Daily Fee/night. The trophy fee is additional.

Included in all Fallow Deer Hunts Texas:

• Meals

• Lodging

• Transportation around the ranch

• Field care of your trophy

Not included in Fallow Deer Hunts Texas:

• Valid Texas Hunting License (Non-resident Special 5 Day Hunting License – Type 157 – $48)

• Gratuities

• Transportation to ranch

• Skinning, caping, quartering of your trophy

• Drinks besides water and coffee

Additional services available for all Fallow Deer Hunts Texas:

• Non-hunting guests

• Skinning & quartering of your trophy

• Caping & freezing hide for transport home

Fallow Deer – Animal Specifics:

Fallow deer are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Asia Minor and were imported into Texas in the 1940s and can now be found in 93 Texas counties. They come in 3 different color phases: spotted, white, and chocolate, and are a very beautiful deer species.

Fallow bucks typically have palmated antlers, with multiple points on each side, and my big mature “Gold Medal” fallow typically weigh about 250+ pounds in September and about 200 pounds in November and December. Fallow does are smaller and typically weigh 100-125 pounds.

Fallow deer bucks are also the only deer to have an Adam’s apple. Having very few natural predators, and their natural resistance to disease has allowed the fallow deer to flourish in Texas. Fallow deer are primarily browsers, but they also consume forbs and woody browse. The meat from fallow deer is a darker red meat than some of the other exotics, like axis, but very delicious.

Fallow deer rut from late September through early November with the peak of the rut being October. During the rut, fallow bucks become very aggressive and grunt (or make a croaking sound) at each other and wander around looking for receptive does and trying to gather up a harem.

Fallow Deer Hunting:

Most of my fallow deer hunting is done with a combination of safari-style hunting and spot and stalk. We drive around until we locate a nice herd or nice buck, and then try and stalk into position for a shot. With a lot of my fallow deer hunting occurring in the Fall/Winter months, when natural food sources are more scarce, I’ll also hunt out of blinds overlooking feeders or a natural food source.

A typical day of fallow deer hunting begins before daylight with a quick easy breakfast of coffee, fruit, pastries, and breakfast bars. After breakfast, we load up in my Jeep and head out in search of fallow deer. If we are planning to sit in a blind hunting fallow deer we get settled in the blind before daylight to let things calm down for the morning hunt. f we are hunting safari style we drive around until we locate a big fallow and then the stalk begins.

We typically hunt until about 9 or 10 when we head back to the lodge for a hearty brunch/lunch mid-day. Early in the afternoon we’re back in the Jeep searching for a big fallow deer or heading to the blind allowing plenty of time for everything to calm down for the afternoon hunt. We’ll hunt until dark and then head back to the lodge where we will enjoy a great dinner hot off the grill and the chance to re-live the day’s events before heading to bed to do it all again the next day.

Fallow Deer Hunting Regions:

Fallow deer can be found in the Texas Hill Country, Edwards Plateau, and South Texas, but the majority of my fallow deer hunting occurs in the Hill Country, around Kerrville. If flying, San Antonio International Airport is the closest major airport and from there it’s typically less than a 2-hour drive to any of my ranches.

Fallow deer are amazing animals and a great hunt, whether you are a beginner or an experienced hunter. Don’t wait too long, my Texas fallow deer hunts fill up quickly and you should reserve your spot as soon as possible.