Cotton Mesa Trophy Whitetail Ranch

Cotton Mesa Trophy Whitetail Ranch sits on 4,200 acres of prime Central Texas hunting ground, just one hour south of Dallas in Richland. Robert Gegenheimer started this operation in 1990 and has been a professional outfitter for 32 years. His son Stephen now runs it with him—a true family operation with serious infrastructure.

They specialize in Texas whitetail with a documented genetics program, but the exotic roster is substantial:

• •African & Exotic Species: Addax, American bison, aoudad, axis deer, blackbuck, blue wildebeest, Catalina goat, Corsican sheep, eland, fallow, four-horned sheep, gemsbok, Hawaiian black sheep, kudu, mouflon sheep, nilgai, pere-david deer, red lechwe, red stag, scimitar oryx, Texas Dall sheep, waterbuck, watusi, and zebra.

You can combine exotic hunts with whitetail or book them separately.

The six-bedroom lodge was built in 2010. Every bedroom has a private bath, TV with cable, and internet access. A professional chef prepares gourmet meals daily—one of the standout details that brings people back year after year. Alcohol stays out of the field for safety, but fine wines and drinks by the fire complement the homemade dinners once the day ends.

"We are so grateful to have this experience. We were welcomed with open arms and became family, including the other hunters. We are going home with beautiful animals and can't wait to return in the spring with family and friends!" — Will and Desiree

They also offer bass fishing—described in their materials as "some of the BEST bass fishing in Texas." If your group has mixed hunting and non-hunting interests, that's built in.

Over 60% of their business is repeat clientele, which tells you something about the operation. They're booking for spring/summer and fall 2026 seasons now. Current pricing is available on their website.