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WHITETAIL DREAM BUCKS UP-CLOSE

MASTERCLASS

Edited for site Lance Krueger Signature_

AT LAS RAICES RANCH 
NOVEMBER 18-21, 2024

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EYE-TO-EYE
UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL

By attending this 3rd annual Masterclass, you have the opportunity to photograph with Lance Krueger, one of the top-published whitetail deer photographers in North America. 

 

During this 3-day Masterclass over 4 days, Lance will teach a very limited number of people how he gets the up-close photos of the spooky, heavily-hunted whitetail bucks that are so popular on his social media channels, and have been published thousands of times on the covers and inside the largest national hunting magazines. 

 

Lance will host this in-the-field Masterclass for only six people at the legendary Las Raices Ranch deep in the South Texas Brush Country.  The waiting list to hunt this four-thousand-plus acres is measured in years.  But by joining this Masterclass, a few will get to skip to the front of the line, and experience the thrill of seeing and photographing the bucks of Las Raices at 20 to 30 yards, and at eye-level!

 

This slice of big buck heaven is located in the famed Golden Triangle, the hotbed of big buck production in the state of Texas.  Las Raices is known for using cutting-edge management practices implemented for the benefit of the 100% native Texas whitetail deer herd on this property, which yields multiple Boone & Crockett sized bucks (with some over 200”) most every year.  


Lance will teach attendees the techniques he's developed over the last thirty-five plus years from “up close and personal” experiences he's had with undisturbed, mature whitetail bucks.  Participants will then be able to practice applying what they learn on this large, big buck paradise.  They will have maximized opportunities to photograph the biggest bucks on this property, photographing them with the best light and backgrounds available at each spot, each morning and evening over three days.  Furthermore, they may also have the chance to photograph other wildlife where Lance's techniques will work as well. These may include wild turkeys, coyotes, bobcats, bobwhite quail, javelinas, and the many exotic bird species and other wildlife that call South Texas home. 

 

For three nights, participants will stay at the Las Raices Lodge, and enjoy family-style meals prepared by the ranch's deer camp cook.  From the lodge, all attendees will be just minutes away from matching wits with the biggest trophy bucks on the property.   


Between each morning and afternoon photo shoot, the participants will be taught Lance's techniques for how he gets his incredible closeups of mature, big-antlered whitetail bucks.  Each Masterclass participant will get a one-on-one, morning or afternoon sit with Lance in the field, where they will be able to watch him implement his photographic techniques, while being individually instructed regarding how to get the best shots. 

 

Those that attend this Masterclass will find that they will be able to take the knowledge of these techniques learned to later photograph or hunt the spookiest of whitetail deer and wildlife at close range wherever they live or travel around the world.  

How would you like to photograph:

Click on above photo for larger version of some Las Raices Bucks

MEET LANCE

Lance Krueger is one of the top whitetail deer photographers in North America.  He is a full-time professional photographer and outdoor writer who travels extensively photographing wildlife, hunting and fishing scenes throughout the U.S. and Canada. Lance's photographic coverage of the whitetail deer for 35+ years includes more states and provinces than any other professional photographer, and has photographically captured whitetail deer doing literally EVERYTHING whitetail deer do! Lance bought his first camera and telephoto lens when he was 16 years old in 1985, and started photographing the wildlife of South Texas near his hometown, where everything either "bites, pokes or stings ya." However, most of what Lance photographs now are trophy whitetail deer, wild turkeys, other game species, hunters and fishermen, while traveling across the United States and Canada throughout the year. Lance has hundreds of thousands of slides on file, and over 2 million digital images of wildlife, hunters and fishermen in action. Of all the species in North America Lance has photographed, his passion is photographing the biggest whitetail bucks he can find. However, he has photos of many other species which are published in the pages of the most prestigious hunting and fishing publications in North America, as well. As a student of hunting, fishing, and wildlife behavior, showing these subjects in an accurate light is a hallmark of Lance's work. Specifically, Lance attributes his success photographing whitetail deer to his lifelong study of the animal at close quarters. Much time is spent in blinds observing trophy whitetail bucks unmolested and going about their normal behavior on their level, at the close-range photography demands - something most hunters seldom get to experience. Lance has spent so much time with trophy bucks close up, that he usually knows what whitetail deer are going to do before they do it. Therefore, he is able to capture such awesome behavior and action in these incredible animals. Lance shares these seldom seen behaviors with hunters and wildlife viewers, bringing his subjects to life through his published photos, social media, and now through this Masterclass. His dedication, love and passion for whitetail deer, photography, and conservation have earned him high regard in his field. Now considered one of the top whitetail deer photographers in the world, Lance has had thousands of his photos appear on the covers and inside most of the national hunting and fishing magazines; as well as articles he writes for books and magazines. He is a Contributing Photographer for both Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines, and his photos have also been regularly published in most of the outdoor magazines in the United States including Sports Afield, Petersen’s Bowhunting, MossyOak Gamekeepers, Buckmasters, Deer & Deer Hunting, Whitetail Journal, Bowhunting World, amongst many others.  Lance’s photos have also appeared nationally and internationally in books, calendars, brochures, advertisements, websites, apparel, catalogs, products, packaging, artist renderings, and even billboards for some of the top companies around the world. His photos have won numerous first place prizes in several national photography contests. However, these days Lance has been asked to attend as a judge across the US rather than as a competitor. In addition, Lance has been the featured speaker at venues around the United States about his photography career and techniques, and to share his knowledge of the whitetail deer and their behavior. Through his innovative photography style and published work, Lance has created a high demand for his photography by supplying incredible images to his clients locally, nationally, and internationally.

ABOUT LAS RAICES RANCH

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Since the early 1990's, the Barrett family has owned Las Raices Ranch, and has used it as their getaway ever since.  The ranch is named after Las Raices Creek, translated as "The Roots" in Spanish, which runs through the 4,000+ acre ranch, and gives it the rich red sandy-loam soils in its mostly bottomland habitat.   With 30 years of record keeping and management of their 100% native whitetail deer herd, the Las Raices Ranch enjoys one of the best, purely native populations of whitetail deer in the state of Texas, right in the middle of the most coveted deer habitat in South Texas, the "Golden Triangle". The bucks of Las Raices have won many big buck contests, and at one time, the #1 and #2 highest scoring whitetail bucks in the state of Texas came from the Las Raices Ranch.  Over the last 30 years the Barrett’s have owned the ranch, the incredible habitat on this property has produced well over 100 bucks with antlers that measured over 170”.  Of those, at least 45 had over 180” of antler, 30 had over 190” of antler, and 15 bucks in the last fifteen years have had over 200” of antler.  As further testament to the patience employed by the Barrett’s, they allow the bucks on their property to realize their full antler potential by letting them live a long life and fully mature to at least 7 ½ years old before being hunted, though many stealthy bucks live far longer than that on this property.  The thick-necked brutes that call the Las Raices creek habitat home average weights of over 220 pounds, which is 70 pounds heavier than most South Texas whitetail bucks.  One Las Raices buck tipped the scales at 276 pounds which would make just about any Midwestern deer hunter proud!   Because the ranch is able to provide close encounters with large, mature whitetail bucks at reasonably high success rates, it has been able to grow large online followings by generating unique photographic content of exceptional animals. As can be seen from their social media pages, Las Raices is one of the best places in Texas to photograph BIG, native whitetail deer.

PHYSICAL LEVEL OF THIS MASTERCLASS
Easy

ITINERARY

DAY ONE: Monday, November 18, 2024 Participants arrive by 11AM to put their bags in their rooms before lunch ​ 12 noon: Lunch at the ranch lodge Instruction time after lunch from Lance Krueger ​ 3PM: Go sit out and photograph the Las Raices whitetail bucks and wildlife until dark ​ 7PM: Family-style Supper ​   DAY TWO: Tuesday, November 19, 2024 6AM: Grab-n-Go, Light Continental Breakfast and Coffee ​ 6:30AM: Go sit out and photograph the Las Raices whitetail bucks and wildlife ​ 10AM Big, Family-style Breakfast Midday Instruction with Lance ​ 1PM: Light Lunch Midday Instruction with Lance continues 3PM: Go sit out and photograph the Las Raices whitetail bucks and wildlife until dark ​ 7PM: Family-style Supper ​   DAY THREE: Wednesday, November 20, 2024 6AM: Grab-n-Go, Light Continental Breakfast and Coffee ​ 6:30AM: Go sit out and photograph the Las Raices whitetail bucks and wildlife ​ 10AM Big, Family-style Breakfast Midday Instruction with Lance ​ 1PM: Light Lunch Midday Instruction with Lance continued 3PM: Go sit out and photograph the Las Raices whitetail bucks and wildlife until dark ​ 7PM: Family-style Supper ​   DAY FOUR: Thursday, November 21, 2024 6AM: Grab-n-Go, Light Continental Breakfast and Coffee ​ 6:30AM: Go sit out and photograph the Las Raices whitetail bucks and wildlife 10AM: Big, Family-style Breakfast ​ Post-breakfast Wrap-up and final Q&A time with Lance ​ Departure

Photos below were taken by previous WHITETAIL DREAM BUCKS UP-CLOSE MASTERCLASS students:

Click on above photo for larger version

MASTERCLASS FEE INCLUDES

Lodging at the Las Raices Ranch Lodge for 3 nights

All meals from lunch on Monday, through breakfast after your morning photo shoot on Thursday

Non-alcoholic drinks and drinking water during workshop 

Exclusive ranch access, for only our group, over 4 days, for 3 full days of trying to photograph the trophy whitetail bucks of Las Raices Ranch


A Las Raices Ranch Guide will drop you off and pick you up before and after each sit


Individual Instruction, group teaching, and Q&A time by Lance Krueger

Multiple locations on the ranch for you to photograph from

Each participant gets a morning or afternoon in the field photographing one-on-one with Lance Krueger

MASTERCLASS FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Transportation to/from the Las Raices Ranch near Encinal, Texas


Alcoholic Beverages

(but bring your own for after the evening sits)


Items of personal nature

Gratuities for guides, cook and lodge staff

COST OF MASTERCLASS

$3,750 per Participant
(Double Occupancy)

All-inclusive Masterclass, open to only 6 participants
(minimum of 4 paid attendees for Masterclass to be held)

 

Three full days of education, instruction, and photography

(three afternoon photo sessions, and three morning photo sessions)

To book one of these 6 exclusive spots, click Register below.

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