When most St. Thomas students hit the snooze button over their breaks or weekends, there are a few students already up and moving. They have their boots on and are on the way to their favorite spot. Texas hunting has always been a part of the culture for some people in the St. Thomas community, as it is passed down through families, shared with friends, and talked about year-round. This year in particular has been a bright for Texas hunting.
Whitetail season has been full of success for several students who all have their own good stories. A few hunt in the flat brush-filled country of South Texas, others in the rocky and hilly West Texas, and some on family property. However, the rut brings the same excitement to everyone all over Texas.
Two students, William King ’26 and Luke Hubbard ’26 headed south to Three Rivers, Texas to hunt on a lease covered in thick brush all over the flat terrain. This ranch is leased by St. Thomas alumni and other current students sharing this great experience, but it takes immense patience to see the results return from all the hard work.
Luke Hubbard killed the biggest deer this lease has ever seen over Thanksgiving, a wide 14-point whitetail that spread quickly all over Instagram.
“We’d seen him on the camera a few times, but only once before in person,” Hubbard said. “Out there, we don’t get very many chances, so when he stepped out, buck fever struck immediately.”
Will King’s buck came a few days after Hubbard’s, after several days of seeing nothing.
“One morning, nothing was moving,” King said. “Then out came a mature buck from the thick brush. It’s crazy how fast a hunt can change, and that’s why I love hunting. You never know when something amazing might happen.”
While most rely on rifles, some choose to go the harder route, like Bailey Holub ’26, known to be a bow hunter in the group. Holub tagged his buck this year on his family farm from his personal tree stand. He has been perfecting this shot for years, and this buck walked out at the wrong time.
“With a bow, there is no room for error,” Holub said. “The wind and the draw, you can’t mess up a thing. This buck came across at forty-five yards, and I had to sit still for 2 minutes before I drew back when he turned broadside. That’s bow hunting, you have to keep your composure even when your heart is going crazy.”
Not every St. Thomas hunter likes to hunt deer. Students like Henry Tellepsen ’29 spend most of their time hunting birds, like ducks or doves, where the action is fast instead of requiring patience and silence.
“Duck hunting is such a good time. You’re calling, the birds are circling, and when they dive in, it is the best chaos ever. Dove season is even crazier because if you are in the right spot, it can be nonstop shooting; that’s why I love bird hunting, and I am not that big of a deer hunter,” Tellepsen said.
Between the deer hunters, bow guys, and bird hunters, this St. Thomas group represents almost all types of hunting here in Texas. Even though they hunt in different places and for different animals, the thrill of the hunt is what brings each of them together.
During the fall, pictures of bucks and spreads of birds circulated around the school. Everyone compared their animals to others’, talking about whose was better and who had more coyotes, javelinas, or hogs on their ranch. And with this season coming to an end, people are already talking about what they have in mind for next year and new plans for their respective ranches. Here at St. Thomas, hunting is not just something students take part in; it is something they look forward to all year, and something they will grow to talk about all their lives.
