2020-2021 Deer Season Game

Dear Hat Creek Members and Shawn,

The season has started and as you are aware we are a “MLDP”, Managed Lands Deer Program Ranch. Shawn’s survey yielded 10 more deer for us this year. Our allotments this year with the state and the ranch is 50 deer total, 25 bucks and 25 doe. We were going to bring on one more member this season, but Alex Klein has decided to not join this year. We have 7 paying members, so that means that each member is allowed to shoot 1 trophy buck, 2-3 cull / management bucks and 3 doe. The following should apply to the heard this year:

Trophy- 9 or 10 points or better 5.5 years or older (Please call Shawn or text a pic before you shoot if possible)

Management Deer- 8 point deer that are 4.5 years or older

Cull Bucks – spikes over 6 inches not having a curve making a main beam, 3 points 1.5 years or older, 5 and 7 points that 2.5 years or older and deer without brow tines.

Does – 3.5 years or older

We would like to kill 10 doe by Thanksgiving. We would like to kill 10 cull / management deer killed by Thanksgiving. The two ruts will mostly likely happen mid Oct and mid Nov. Let’s hold off on shooting a Trophy until Nov. 1st. This will allow those big boys to breed one last time.

The reservation portal is up and ready for you to use and sign up. Please try and entertain clients and employees during the week to make the facilities available for members and their families over the weekends and holidays. If you are taking a big group during the season please give me a heads up and we usually like to leave the last bedroom open for members. During the week this is never an issue.

Please have your guests sign the release forms. Also, if your guest will be taking a buck, you really need to sit with him to make sure he shoots the correct animal, have Shawn sit with him or at least have Shawn meet him before the hunt to review our harvest rules and exchange cell phone numbers to send pics. We know folks can make mistakes but the fewer mistakes we make the better deer we will have for years to come. Finally, after each trip we like to email all with camp needs and stories and pics of successful hunts.

I will be sending our waiver and the ranch waivers to you all this afternoon through DocuSign. Paper copies will be at the lodge for your guests.

Have fun and see you all at Hat Creek.

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Thanksgiving 2020

December 16, 2020

November 24, 2020 The girls and I had a great time during our annual Thanksgiving holiday hunt. Sierra took a really nice 6.5 year old 10 point and Missy made her first kill with a nice 4 point management cull. Although she was not too excited with the bloody face and she cried! I am pretty sure she is hooked.... Unfortunately, Avery made a couple of obvious misses and we called it quits. The lodge and grounds were in great shape and we had a blast shooting skeet, blowing up pumpkins filled with Tannerite and riding the buggy at night in search of hogs. Our last day was even better when we overlapped the calendar with Steve and his family. Great group of people. Everything at the club worked fine and I didn't see any need for repair. Before we left, the cooler was replenished and linen cleaned for the next group. Our kills were tagged and logged in the spreadsheet as well as the website. Thank you.

12-4 to 12-6 Wrap Up Notes

December 8, 2020

12-4 to 12-6 Wrap Up Notes

News Flash: Hat Creek is only ranch in Texas without a Hog

November 18, 2020

We had a good four days of good hunting, knocking down three bucks and three does. We removed a couple of the dreaded "Crab Claw" bucks from the heard so our future racks will be spot on! Hogs were no where to be found in the four days of Chamber of Commerce weather.

Hat Creek Work Weekend

October 26, 2020

Good afternoon guys. We had a couple of good days down at HCHC getting everything ready for this year’s season. After following Rod’s weekend, I believe we have most items complete. Yard and skeet range – grass cut with new mower (photo attached) Handgun backstop – old frame torn down and rebuilt (photo attached) Maintenance area cleaned and organized All buggies fueled up House and rooms cleaned (painter will be coming out to touch up) Blinds have all been cleaned, bug bombed and free of wasp. Doors latches and hinges lubricated and safety posters installed. All road signs that identify blinds or direction have been stood up with new stickers. High and low houses have been cleaned and re-stocked (we did not use the throwers on this trip) All interior and exterior burnt light bulbs have been replaced (fluorescent light under deer cleaning station has a burnt ballast and will need to be replaced) Items not yet completed: Furniture to be replaced (2 couches and 3 recliner chairs). Replace entire 4’ fluorescent above deer cleaning station. Replace 2 flood lights under maintenance cover. Touch up room painting and exterior doors. Stools at skeet gazebo are in bad shape and need to be replaced. A lot of deer activity throughout the lease – should be a great season. Currently working on an additional piece for the online calendar that will identify the deer count.