Escondido Whitetail Deer Breeding: Raising the Bar
As any native Texas hunter could tell you, whitetail deer hunting in Texas is serious business. The hunting industry accounts for millions of dollars in the state economy, from the southernmost tip of the valley all the way to the highest reaches of the panhandle. The industry grows each year as new hunters emerge to take their place on the many ranches and leases that cover the landscape.
The wild popularity of Texas whitetail hunting and the enormity of the state’s hunting industry have created tremendous demand for top-tier, trophy whitetail bucks. Hunters invest heavily in both time and resources for the opportunity to take that one buck, that one trophy of a lifetime. And in a state as large as Texas, with such a disparate range of terrain and corresponding antler sizes, shooting a trophy whitetail buck has never been a more desirable and elusive goal.
Accordingly, the Texas whitetail deer breeding industry has emerged as an essential companion to the hunting industry as a whole. The deer breeding industry has become a market force, specifically designed to meet the overwhelming demand for trophy whitetail deer. Deer breeders use the latest in scientific information and technology to safely and humanely cultivate a line of tremendous whitetail deer and are able to meet the genetic needs of any hunting ranch in the state.
Premiere Texas whitetail deer breeding facilities like the Escondido Ranch have benefited from years of experience as well as scientific innovations. The whitetail deer breeding process is now something of an art, a fluid combination of nature and nurture. The facilities themselves are now built to accommodate the specific conditions and goals of each deer breeding operation. This allows for a safe and streamlined breeding process while ensuring a comfortable and undisturbed habitat for the deer.
Every year, we learn more about the magnificent Texas whitetail and their unique genetic properties. Emerging science has brought to light the enormous impact does have on the genetic potential of a whitetail buck. Now known to contain more than 60% of the antler genetics, the importance of whitetail does in a breeding program has grown to rival that of the bucks themselves. Similarly, the depth and validity of a breeder deer’s lineage is now equally important in both the sire and does. This gives a significant advantage to deer breeding facilities like the Escondido Ranch, who built their programs on the foundation of a proven, documented doe population.
Our understanding of whitetail biology has led to massive breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of potentially devastating diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). The Escondido Ranch employs a staff of highly trained and equally experienced deer breeding managers to carefully monitor the health of the animals, giving vaccinations and other medical attention, and assisting reproduction specialist in the artificial insemination process.
At the Escondido Ranch, our deer breeding goals are designed to meet the demands of any ranch owner or commercial operation. Our artificial insemination (A.I.) program matches a powerhouse selection of the largest and most symmetrical bucks available in the market today with our pedigreed group of proven does, capable of producing world class 300”+ breeder bucks. Our natural breeding program accomplishes the same goals, producing stocker bucks ranging from 150” to over 250”, meeting demand from all areas of the whitetail hunting stocker market. Lineages of both our bucks and does are carefully recorded and DNA certified.
Whatever your needs may be, you’ve come to the right place. The Escondido Ranch is a family-run operation with a commitment to the highest standards in whitetail deer breeding. Our emphasis on pedigree and highly selective breeding ensure the quality of our trophy whitetail bucks and genetically superior does for years to come.
