Hunting In Texas!

Jim Chapman finally gets back out in the field after lockdown is eased in the USA, and what an epic hunt he had!

- Jim Chapman

With all the pandemic related lockdowns in the USA, and every state is different, it’s been tough trying to organise a hunt. Across the country, most game seasons will not open until September or August, which means it’s varmint or predators on the ticket. That’s fine with me, as this is some of my favourite hunting; jackrabbits in the south-west, prairie dogs in the northern plains, groundhogs in the mid-western farmlands … and predators everywhere … and outside of the occasional and sometimes violent thunderstorms, the weather agrees with my Southern California-bred constitution.

I spoke with my friends down in Texas, and although my frequent hunting partner, Chacho, would only be free toward the end of the week, our friend, Trent, told me to come on down to the his ranch and I could have the run of the property. The Huckaby family ranch is about 50 miles north of the Mexican border and comprises 50 sections of land (32,000 acres or 13000 hectares), it is big any way you measure it! The ranch is surrounded by likesized ranches that spread out over hundreds of miles – it takes a 50mile drive to get to the nearest town if you need anything.