I had the opportunity to get in touch with a game ranch across the border, the beautiful Las Cuevas Ranch. I am one of forty-two thousand people following them on Instagram and have been in constant awe over their whitetail paradise. They were gracious enough to be my first Q&A, and continue to impress me. Let’s jump right into it so you too can be impressed. If you’re looking for amazing whitetail hunting opportunities, I highly suggest giving Las Cuevas a call.
- How and why did the ranch start, and how long have you been operating?
How: We’ve always been very passionate hunters. We had been leasing a great ranch called Buena Vista for 7 years, until an American hunter offered to pay more and we had to leave. Since then we leased other ranches, but never one like Buena Vista. We wanted to buy a ranch. We got offered a ton of ranches, but we wanted one near Buena Vista, since it’s located in one of the best whitetail hunting areas in Mexico. Finally we got offered Las Cuevas (originally called “Tres Amigos”). Dad visited the ranch and instantly knew it was the one. It had been used as a cattle ranch for the last 10 years, meaning nobody hunted the property for that long, so it had a lot of big, old deer. It was the perfect way to start managing a whitetail ranch. We’ve been operating for 13 years.
Why: Because we love to hunt and spend time with nature. It started out as a hobby only. Never thought of the ranch as a business.
- Where is the ranch located and how many acres is it?
The ranch is 15,000 acres. It is located in northern Mexico, in the state of Coahuila, in one of the best whitetail deer areas in the country. Coordinates: [28° 4’45.28″N, 100°23’55.75″W]
- What type of hunts do you offer…gun, bow, whitetail, exotics, migratory birds, etc.?
No exotics. We offer only what’s native to the area. Only whitetail hunts. Quail, dove, and duck are included if you book a deer hunt.
- How many guides do you employ?
It is a family run ranch. So we are the guides ourselves. My brothers and my dad all guide. If we need an extra hand we will hire one or two more guides, but since we keep our hunts to a maximum of 4 hunters per date, we usually don’t need more.
- Can the prices be found on your website?
Yes, the prices can be found on our website: www.lascuevasranch.com
- Do you offer extracurricular activities in between hunting?
We do. We can varmint hunt, go bass fishing, do some bird shooting, drive around the ranch, or just have some drinks, etc… Anything the hunters want to do, as long as it is within our reach.
- What differentiates your ranch and operation from others?
I would say 3 things:
1) Ranch size and wild deer:
Nowadays anybody can kill a high scoring whitetail. You can go to Apple Creek Whitetails and shoot a giant buck for cheap. The difference is that the deer at ranches like ACW are tame, and so in my opinion it’s not really a hunt; it’s more of a shoot. Our deer are all native, wild bucks. We don’t harvest any deer younger than 7 ½ years old. It’s not easy to find a 15k acre ranch that consistently produces big, wild, mature deer.
2) The family:
We make our clients feel like they’re home! We are very family oriented. Our family is very close and we all get along really well. We’re very involved at the ranch during hunting season. We personally take the hunters from the airport in Laredo, TX all the way to the ranch. We take care of them during their stay. We guide them, cook, prepare drinks, light up the fire, take them for a ride, etc, etc… We’re always with them. Every single hunter, without exception, has told us how much they value that. At the end of the hunt we usually end up becoming friends and we keep in contact for the rest of the year.
3) Food and activities:
The food is amazing. Homemade and authentic. Everyone loves it. We use the grill with mesquite coal every single day of the season. There are a lot of things we can do at the ranch besides hunting whitetails, and it’s all included with the price of the deer. We also don’t charge for stuff like gun rental, ammunition, if you ask for a Cuban cigar, nice wines, etc… We like to take care of our guests.
- What is the largest whitetail buck ever harvested on your property?
It was harvested last year. A very typical buck with 18 measurable points, scoring 227” B&C Gross.
- What is one thing you want potential hunters/clients to take away from this?
To feel like it was a once in a lifetime trip. A “money well spent” trip. A trip that made them forget about any problems and gave them peace and happiness.
You can stay up-to-date with Las Cuevas by following their social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo. If this is the place for you, give them a call at (+52) 1 844 3508419, or shoot them an email at lascuevasranch@gmail.com.
