Alrighty Gang, I guess I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be. Bring on the overwhelming number of emails now. WAIT!!!!!!!Please read this in full before you start bombarding me.
Date: Feb 18-23, 2008
Place: Odessa, Texas
Price: $625
Airport: Odessa(no pick-up available)
Vehicles? You are required one.
Hunting license: #157 $45
Camping only: water, electricity, and skid-o-cans
provided. No showers available
Guided: No-your success is up to you.
Game: 2 javelina, unlimited hogs, varmits, lots of rabbits, bobcats($100 kill fee).
Game skinning: not included in fee
Food: Bring your own
BBQ-Pit: Small but available
Corn: available at ranch
Ice: bring your own
Meat processing: you will need to deliver to processor yourself or handle your own meat at ranch. Cooler available. Meat house-Odessa
Ranch map: yes
GPS: Required for each hunter(saving grace)
2-Way Radios: Required of each hunter
OK, now that those details are ironed out I'll explain details. This is a do=it-yourself hunt just as it is every year. Sweat Vets always help the new guys. Your success is totally up to you. This ranch is absolutely enormous and you will need to be self suffecient if lost, stuck in the sand, etc. Please know that you are able to survive on your own if a situation were to occur. The ranch is 97 sections(65,000 acres) and you will need to find your own game and hunting locations. I suspect you will hunt in three or four man groups like every year. There is an abundance of game on this ranch but it is somewhat featureless in nature. One end of the ranch looks like the other end except the ends are 25 miles appart. I also have a few smaller ranches that we may also use to keep travel to a minimum. No worries, I'll get everyone started in the right direction.
Please remember, this is the only hunt of the entire year that I don't allow kids(under 18), wives, or girlfriends. Sorry but that's the way Charlie and I originally designed this hunt and due to the occasional graphic nature of the night-time camp scene, it's a good thing! :D
Also, as the years have passed this hunt has changed slightly from what Charlie and I intended. This is a gathering simply for the comaradrie and a way to meet your fellow Tradgang member. If you are geared for the hunt or the kill only please book one of the other hunts. This one is about the gathering,about the campfire, and about the long awaited quenching of our thirsty souls after a year at rest..... If you shoot some game that will simply be icing on the cake. You will likely shoot something but I don't want anyone upset if you don't. I simply cannot help guide when I'm balancing a mountain of daily duties.
Plans at this time are to have a vending cook available and cooking hamburgers, tacos, etc. I'm still looking for that cook so until then you'll be required to feed yourself. My suggestion would be a full camp buffett where everyone throws out their meats and wine and everyone share. Just an idea that I've seen work.
OK, I'm typed out but I'll keep adding as we go. Once your deposit has arrived you'll be allowed into the TXS08 Forum where you can discuss sharing rental cars, hotels, etc.... Every year there are lifetime bonds formed and friendships that last forever. Many of these bonds are formed through the preparation and the travel to and from this event. Charlie and I look forward to meeting all our new friends and sharing camp once again with all our old ones. See you guys in Texas! We'll surely share some Texas Sweat! CK