Poaching the King Ranch | How We Got Away With It

Ernie Butler spent years hunting the most remote parts of South Texas—running boats, dirt bikes and miles of open country around the King Ranch and Kennedy Ranch while trying not to get caught.In this interview, Ernie tells the stories firsthand.He explains how he and his friends hunted the King Ranch in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, how they used boats to move along the coast, and eventually started using dirt bikes to cross the massive salt flats near the Land Cut. He describes carrying deer out on motorcycles, getting stranded miles from civilization, being chased by game wardens, and watching one of his friends get arrested.At one point, a game warden who couldn't catch Ernie offered him a job: a horse, a .30-30 rifle and $600 a month to help catch other poachers.But the hunting stories are only part of this conversation.Ernie describes some of the biggest South Texas whitetails he ever encountered, the freedom of hunting a part of Texas that was almost completely isolated, and the close calls that eventually made him walk away from poaching.He also tells some strange stories from deep inside the King Ranch and Kennedy Ranch—including old maps showing graves in places where almost nobody went, stories of a disappearing ranch rider, unexplained voices, and a bizarre cow carcass he found in the brush that looked like it had been perfectly cut open.This is a firsthand account of South Texas hunting history from a man who lived it.Topics covered: King Ranch, Kennedy Ranch, South Texas deer hunting, Texas whitetail deer, poaching, game wardens, Baffin Bay, Port Mansfield, Land Cut, dirt bike hunting, commercial fishing, shrimping, South Texas hunting stories, and the strange history of the Texas coast.#KingRanch #TexasHunting #SouthTexas