Game Preserve in the Texas Panhandle

In 1997, Plaska Lodge went from a dream to a reality. Our very first season of operation yielded three Whitetail bucks scoring in the high 180’s and two Mule Deer following suit. Season Two and Three were no disappointments. Ecstatic hunters harvested Boone and Crockett Whitetail and Mule Deer during those two seasons. Plaska Lodge was gaining notoriety as a big buck destination for both species of deer. At this particular point in time, 196” was our personal best and no buck had been harvested off of our ranch that scored less than 157”.

Hunters were winning awards and authors were publishing articles in national magazines about the monster bucks of Plaska Lodge. This was both a blessing and a curse. Family land in our county that had never been leased was now teaming with hunters as deer stands and hunting camps littered the landscape. Years of strict management were in vain if a beautiful young 10-point wandered on to neighboring property. Just as the controversial barbed wire found its way into Texas as a management tool for livestock, it looked as though game fence would follow the same path for wildlife.

Plaska Lodge’s founder Oren Don Molloy began to make plans for something he never dreamed he would do. The following summer, him and his two very young sons set out to conquer Goliath, and build a high fence in some of the roughest, most rugged canyon country in the region. Four long, hot summers later, they shut the gates on some of the best genetics in Texas. The very next summer they began again on a totally different piece of property. The three of them had pounded every post and tied every wire and had endured every grueling second of it to protect the wildlife and nothing more. No animal inside these enclosures would ever have its life cut short by human hands again. Every buck would live to see its full genetic potential.

A portion of Plaska Lodge has been high fenced for over two decades, maintaining a nearly untouched gene pool with new genetics introduced only when necessary. With proper nutrition and the ability to let deer reach maturity, we consistently produce world-class trophies. There are no cross fences, no pens, and we do not release deer just to shoot them. This is not a canned hunt. The deer are wild and untamed, and there is no guarantee. We have two separate ranches under high fence. One is rough, rugged, breaks with deep canyons and it is home to white-tail, mule deer, aoudad, fallow deer, and scimitar oryx, while the other is thick bottom land full of cactus flats and mesquite that provide a sanctuary for white-tail, gemsbok oryx, axis, blackbuck, nilgai, and 8 different species of exotic rams. There is a total of just under 2,000 acres game fenced.

If you would still rather hunt open range, the trophy white-tail and mule deer genetics are still there as well. We have management plans that have been tested and proven over four decades, and are continually working to help improve the herd. There are thousands of acres to hunt with dozens of setups, and the deer are free to roam wherever they desire. Please just remember, although there are some monster bucks out there, we have no control over our neighbors.

Wildlife is our life. We don’t clock out in the off-season. This is what we do every single day. We’re blessed by God to care for a small piece of His creation and take great pride in being good stewards of the land. Every part of our management is thoughtfully planned and constantly refined to be the best it can be. When you hunt with Plaska Lodge, our goal is for you to leave with more than just memories. We hope you walk away with a deep connection to the land, a renewed love for the hunt, a few new friendships, and the trophy of your dreams.