JACK COUNTY YOUTH DEER HUNT  

This hunt began in 1973 on the Yates Ranch with J.C. Romines as the total coordinator in conjunction with The Masonic Home of Fort Worth. This was a Saturday Evening hunt only. Yates Ranch was sold in 1978 and the new owners did not want to host this event so  J.C. Romines, a Texas Game Warden for Jack County, ask Ed Stewart if he would allow five young boys to hunt for deer one afternoon on his ranch. Most of them were orphans and had never been on a ranch much less on a deer hunt. That afternoon they hunted with five guides from Jacksboro and nine Game Wardens in attendance.

    With the sponsorship of The Northwest Texas Field and Stream Association of Wichita Falls, Texas, this has become an annual event. We have grown to be a two-day hunt now with over 50 boys, a bunkhouse, a kitchen, indoor restrooms and two six-man gun ranges. It is held the first Saturday & Sunday in December. On Saturday morning, the North Texas Field and Stream Association transports approximately forty boys from the Wichita Falls area to the main camp site, which is located on the Ed Stewart Ranch. Ten boys from the Jack County area are added to this number. With the help of several area ranches we now have access for that weekend to over 50 thousand acres for the boys to hunt on.

      The Game Wardens conduct a Hunters Safety Course for the boys and their guides, license them and operate the gun range for the boys before they go to the stands.

     Ronnie Smith of Jacksboro and David Shoop of Wichita Falls are the coordinators for this event. For more information or if you are interested in  volunteering for this hunt, please call 940.567.2123 or 940.723.4565 or send us an email 

     The public is invited to come eat on Saturday night chicken fried venison steak with all the trimmings or chili and beans.

From start to finish, a fun time is had by all. Many of the youth and their guides form life-long friendships.

At the gun range.

Email us