LAKEVIEW LODGE MANAGED DEER HUNT

The Lakeview Lodge deer hunt is a controlled hunt managed with assistance from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Managed Land Deer Permits program (MLDP). Limited hunting is used to control deer populations, maintain a strong gene pool in the herd, and raise funds for maintenance at the camp. No other hunting is allowed during the year. A TPWD Wildlife Biologist supervises the annual fall deer count and analyzes the results to issue deer tags for use by the hunters participating in the annual managed harvest on the ranch.

Lakeview Lodge is part of the 2500-acre Sid Richardson Scout Ranch (SR2) located on Lake Bridgeport, 70 miles northwest of DFW airport.  Each year the Ranch closes the first weekend in November, Thanksgiving weekend, the second weekend in Decemberand the second weekend in January for a controlled harvest of deer.

The Lakeview Lodge Deer Hunt is an example of what proper game management can achieve. In 2009 the average weight of a full-grown doe on Sid Richardson Scout Ranch was approximately 60 pounds, and bucks were 80-100 pounds. In 2020 the average mature doe weight is now 100-120 pounds and mature bucks are 140-180 pounds. Through proper management the deer herd on Sid Richardson Scout Ranch is now far healthier. Scroll down or click here to see some of our Trail Cam deer photos.

Weekend Hunts

Weekend deer hunts include 6 meals from Friday night thru Sunday lunch and lodging at a Lakeview Lodge cabin or dorm. Heated cabins and dorms with hot showers are offered for your comfort. There are 22 blinds – a mix of box, quad and tree stands. Arrangements can be made to accommodate people with disabilities. The weekend hunts are limited to approximately 18 hunters, with guests. Lakeview Lodge offers hot meals each day and transportation to and from the blinds, if requested.

This year’s hunts may incorporate current Covid-19 protocols for hygiene, social distancing, masks, cleaning and sanitizing. For example, hunters in cabins will get a grill to cook their own big steak dinner at the cabin.

Our TPWD Wildlife Biologist has advised that we need to reduce the number of antlerless deer on the property. In order to prevent overpopulation and to increase the number of bucks available in the future, our prices are reduced for hunters who shoot an Antlerless deer first versus a Buck.

Hunting Fees:  Only 18 hunters are booked for each weekend. All hunts are rain or shine. We will place you in highly productive areas selected by experienced guides. While we cannot guarantee that you will harvest a deer during your stay, we do promise good food, good fellowship, and a weekend in the woods without any ZOOM meetings!

Based on tag availability the maximum number of whitetail deer that can be harvested by one hunter on a hunt weekend is 2 of which one must be antlerless.  

Option ONE: Buck only.   The cost is $600.00.  If the hunter wants to keep hunting and try to harvest an antlerless, then the 2nd deer tag will cost an additional $100.00 (for a total weekend cost of $700.00).  The additional fee must be paid before the hunt of the 2nddeer.

Option TWO: Antlerless harvested first. If an Antlerless is harvested first, the cost is $600.00 and the second deer, Buck or Antlerless is free, however if no Buck tags are available during the hunt, the second deer harvested must be antlerless. 

The above hunt options must be declared before the hunt begins and are dependent on the availability of tags.  If the number of tags is insufficient to cover the number of hunters in the field, then technology is utilized to accommodate the hunter who requeststhe harvest of a deer.  A text is used to request authorization to harvest the animal. Do not harvest unless authorization is received.   We cannot exceed the number of tags issued for Buck or Antlerless deer by the TPWD under the MLDP program. 

Hunters must ensure that an antlerless animal to be harvested does not meet the definition of a buck as defined in the TPWD Outdoor Annual.

NON-Hunting Guests fees:

Our staff will assist the hunter with processing the deer for transportation. “Processing” is defined as field dressing, skinning and quartering for transportation. Upon request, we will teach first-time hunters how to field dress/process their deer. All deer harvested must be brought to the ranch’s processing station immediately for weighting and measurements and issuance of a MLDP tag before the harvesting of the next deer.   

The wildlife management program is managed by our volunteer Wildlife of Management Committee with deer lease management and deer hunting experience.

Approximately 18 hunters are booked for each weekend and this is dependent on the availability of housing.

Other Services and Facilities

Location
Lake Bridgeport, Wise County, Texas

Hunts
Limited to approx. 18 hunters per weekend. Friday night (except opening weekend) through Sunday evening.

Stands
22 Deer stands are available.  Ground blinds, tree stands, and elevated platforms.  Stand locations are determined by first come, first served basis. If requested, transportation can be arranged to and from your stand. 

Lakeview Lodge Accommodations

GUIDELINES: