About Us
The Cactus Jack Ranch is one of the premiere low fence, native white-tail deer ranches in Texas. We boast some of the largest and most unique native deer Texas has to offer. We pride ourselves on our 100% native deer population with no introduced genetics or breeding operations. The ranch is located in the most prolific trophy buck producing zone of the famous south Texas golden triangle. The nutrient rich, red dirt supports a strong base of native brush that provides a nutrition foundation which is supplemented with protein and cotton seed. This nutrition coupled with an aggressive management approach allows our deer to reach their maximum growth potential at the time of harvest.
Our track record for producing giant native white-tail is unmatched. The ranch has produced 10 bucks with gross B&C scores over 200" including two that reached the 226" mark. And last season our top 18 bucks had an average score of 177" with one typical and one non-typical making the top 10 in the prestigious low fence, state-wide Texas Big Game Award program.
The Cactus Jack Ranch also has a rich history dating back to the early 1900s. The name of the ranch is derived from a previous owner, John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner who served as the 32nd Vice President of the United States. Today, the Cactus Jack Ranch is family owned and operated by the Wascom family with the help of close friends who share the same the passion for hunting giant native white-tail deer.
In an effort to share our passion with you, we have decided to offer a small number of exclusive package hunts for sale. If you are interested in purchasing a hunt, please contact by clicking "Contact" on the top right of this page. Additionally, if you enjoy our website see more at our Facebook or Instagram pages "Cactus Jack Ranch". A link to our Facebook/Instagram pages can be found at the bottom right of this web site by clicking the Facebook or Instagram icon.
The Ranch and Facilities
The Cactus Jack covers a total of 4850 acres approximately 40 miles North of the border town Laredo, TX. There are over 25 blinds located strategically across the ranch with some locations overlooking large oat patches that the deer flood in the early mornings and late evenings. Other wildlife you may see around the ranch include Javalena, Rio Grande Turkey, Coyote, Bobcat, and various types of native South Texas small game and birds.
Located on the ranch is a main house and a guest house which feature a pool, hot tub, porch, fire pit, basketball goal, running water, and two common rooms equipped with satellite TV. There is also a walk in cooler, skinning and cleaning rack, and rifle range included on the property which guest are free to use as needed. Photos of the facilities can be viewed under the "Photo Gallery" located at the top of this right of this page.
Our Family
Jerry Wascom
Owner
Jerry, an avid outdoors man, has been hunting and fishing from the moment he learned to walk. He fell in love with hunting in South Texas in the 1980s, and dreamed of owning a world class ranch in South Texas he could call his own. With much hard work and a little bit of luck, he was able to purchase the Cactus Jack and make his dream come true. While we have Jake Albritton (see below) Ranch Manager, Jerry is very involved in with the management process.
Jake Albritton
Ranch Manager
Jake graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Wildlife Biology. Before working at the Cactus Jack, he served as an intern at the esteemed Faith Ranch during the 2014-2015 hunting season. With a glowing recommendation, we hired him to take over as Ranch Manager for the Cactus Jack once his internship had concluded at the Faith. We couldn't be happier with our decision to hire Jake as he immediately delivered results on the job and fit right into family atmosphere we have at the Cactus Jack.
Jerry Straznicky
Member at Large
Jerry (AKA Straz)started hunting with his dad when he was 10 years old. He never imagined that all the campfires, good food, and great memories would lead to hunting the Cactus Jack. Straz helps with running the cameras and creating a database for us to keep up with the hundreds of deer that call the ranch home. During the 2016-2017 season, Straz switched to handgun hunting from rifle hunting and harvested his largest deer ever on the ranch. We are delighted to have such a great friend bringing a positive and hardworking attitude to the ranch!
Tim Skaggs
Member at Large
Tim has been hunting with the Wascoms for almost 2 decades across 3 different ranches. Like every member of the Cactus Jack Family, Tim has a passion for hunting and pursuing monster bucks. He also has a knack for fixing things: If something goes wrong down here, Tim is somebody who can fix it. Being located in such a rural area, you can't underestimate the value of somebody with that know how. Tim can be quiet at times but he has a great sense of humor, and we are lucky to have another fantastic friend as part of our team.
Robin Skaggs
Member at Large
Robin, just like Tim, has been hunting with the Wascoms for close to 2 decades and she has much experience to show for it. Not only is she a fantastic huntress, she also is a wonderful cook. She can shoot a deer in the morning and serve 2 to die for home-style meals for lunch and dinner in the same day (not to mention breakfast as well)! While she can pull a trigger, she is one the sweetest ladies you will ever meet. Robin will make you feel right at home with her loving demeanor and homey cooking, and we are blessed to have her as part of our family.
Michael Wascom
Member at Large
Michael (Jerry & Debbie's son), has been hunting since he could hold a gun. He grew up hunting South Texas with his father and grew to love growing and hunting monster bucks. Michael helps out by guiding hunters, managing the ranch social media and creating/managing the ranch website. He loves guiding people and sharing the ranch and memories with them. Michael also loves hunting, but gets almost as much pleasure observing and photographing big bucks. While he doesn't live in South Texas, the Cactus Jack is the place he truly calls home.
Lauren Wascom
Member at Large
Lauren (Jerry and Debbie's daughter) grew up hunting with her father in South Texas. As a little girl, she learned about whitetail biology, management, and harvesting. She has won best youth deer in Texas before and was a tremendous huntress. Though she has taken a pause in harvesting animals, Lauren knows big deer and she is an extremely effective scout. She enjoys viewing and photographing wildlife of all shapes and sizes, sharing deer stories, and spending time with family and friends at the ranch. Lauren typically spends her time at Cactus Jack serving as a scout to other hunters and loves finding new deer. Lauren's job and education currently has her living in Northern Virginia, but she always looks forward to any time she can spend at cactus jack ranch.