We have arrived back in Alabama from our first-annual “Dream Hunt.” The trip was a blessing and a great success. We left out for
Sterling City, Texas on December 25th at 10:30 PM. This made for a grueling start to the trip but was worthwhile because it afforded us
extra time in the stand. After a short sixteen hours, we arrived at the ranch. We were greeted with warm welcomes and a warm meal of
Texas-style rotel that was prepared by Jeff, one of the guides at Concho Valley Outfitters, who proved to be as good of a chef as he was
at guiding for trophy whitetail. We unloaded the truck and spent the evening enjoying the ranch and working out a gameplan to bag
a trophy whitetail.
The hunting started the following morning in true Texas fashion. We had an incredible amout of deer around the stand before
daylight and throughout the morning. This was a trend that continued every time we went to the stands. There was not one trip to the
stand that produced less than 20 deer. It was an overwhelming experience to see the the quantity and quality of deer on this ranch.
This is a direct result of quality deer management. We were able to spend some time with the owner of Concho Valley Outfitters, Scot
Hall, talking about his management programs and how he is able to produce so many monster bucks. He explained to us the importance
of supplemental protein feeding and the management of buck-to-doe ratio. After spending just five days on the ranch, there is no doubt
that his program is working.
The hunting is not the only special entity at CVO. It is located in a remote part of West Texas on a 15,000+ acre ranch. It is one of
those places where you can look in all directions, as far as the eye can see, and only find the natural beauty of God’s creation. I can say
with confidence that there is no better place to clear your mind and find an escape from the rush of society.
If you have an appetite, make sure you bring it with you. To say that we were “well fed” while on the ranch is an under statement.
We were served three meals a day that would rival any “resort style” setting. We enjoyed an array of food ranging from mesquite-
fired ribeyes to fried catfish. It is our finding that CVO is not only a world-class outfitter but also culinard of sort for fine dining.
Our honorary guest this year was Chase Lusk. Chase is a three-time cancer survivor. He has undergone chemo-therapy, radiation,
and surgery in his battle against cancer. Chase has a love for life and an appreciation that many of us will never know. It was a honor
and a blessing to have experienced this trip with him and the excitements that were entailed. He hunted for five days and encountered
many good bucks. The last day we were hunting, he had a chance at a 140 class 12 point buck. Scot gave Chase the green-light on the
buck but extended him the offer that if he was not completely satisfied with this buck that he could come back in October for another
chance at something bigger. After careful consideration, Chase accepted Scot’s offer to come back in October and try again.
When this trip became a reality, the only thoughts I had were of harvesting a trophy buck. I will not say that I am happy that we did
not come home with the buck that we drove to Texas to find. Rather, I will admit that it was bitter-sweet that we did not bring home
that Texas monster. The lesson that I learned is that it is not the hunt or the harvest, it is the experience that is so important. This was
truly the trip of a lifetime and I am steadfast in the pursuit to come in October.