About
Located in Edgar Springs, MO, Sacred Pursuit Ranch started as a desire to set up a private hunting preserve that would allow for the hunting of great animals while maintaining a spirit of fair chase. The plan to accomplish this is through the introduction of better genetics, more nutritious food and through proper age management of the deer. SPR is set up for private use and to allow the animals to better develop and maintain their natural protective instincts. At the inception of SPR, it was decided that the genetics from some specific breeders in New Zealand (Deer Genetics, Peel Forest) were among the best in the world and that those genetics should form the base of the herd at SPR. The genetics for the red deer used to initially stock SPR came out of stags and hinds from red deer that were 500” and higher for two or three generations. In other words, the deer at SPR come from among the top in the world. Come enjoy the unique experience of pursuing a wild, world-class red-deer in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.
Hunting
At Sacred Pursuit Ranch, you will find one of the top red deer herds in America. All of the stags are native-born and have developed defense mechanisms to survive. At SPR, you can find stags exceeding 450″. Whether it is a trophy stag, or a hind you are after, Sacred Pursuit Ranch is able to give every hunter an opportunity to pursue a harvest of a lifetime.
$250/day per hunter (price includes one night at the lodge, hunting guide, and processing the meat for travel or shipment)
$100/day per non-hunter
Stag harvest prices are according to the SCI score. The score breakdown is below. Please contact us for pricing
250″ – 300″ $3500
301″ – 350″ $5000
351″ – 400″ $6000
401″ – 440″ $10000
441″ – 460″ $10,500
The Lodge
Country themed and comfortable, our lodge is outfitted with 4 private bedrooms, 2 living rooms, kitchen, laundry room, and 3 baths. The views from the front and back porch provide a glimpse into the abundant wildlife at Sacred Pursuit Ranch. Feel free to grill out on the charcoal weber or watch some football on our 55″ Smart TV. Sleeps up to 12.
More About Red Deer
Mature red deer usually stay in single-sex groups for most of the year. During the mating season, called the rut, mature stags compete for the attentions of the hinds and will then try to defend the hinds they attract. Rival stags challenge opponents by belling and walking in parallel. This allows combatants to assess each other’s antlers, body size and fighting prowess. If neither stag backs down, a clash of antlers can occur, and stags sometimes sustain serious injuries. Dominant stags follow groups of hinds during the rut, from August into early winter. The stags may have as many as 20 hinds to keep from other, less attractive males. Only mature stags hold harems (groups of hinds), and breeding success peaks at about eight years of age. Stags two to four years old rarely hold harems and spend most of the rut on the periphery of larger harems, as do stags over 11 years old. Young and old stags that do acquire a harem hold it later in the breeding season than those stags in their prime. Harem-holding stags rarely feed and lose up to 20% of their body weight. Stags that enter the rut in poor condition are less likely to make it through to the peak conception period. Male European red deer have a distinctive roar during the rut, which is an adaptation to forested environments, in contrast to male American elk stags which “bugle” during the rut in adaptation to open environments. The male deer roars to keep his harem of females together. The females are initially attracted to those males that both roar most often and have the loudest roar call. Males also use the roar call when competing with other males for females during the rut, and along with other forms of posturing and antler fights, is a method used by the males to establish dominance. Roaring is most common during the early dawn and late evening. Check out the video below of a roaring stag at Sacred Pursuit Ranch.