Hunting Lodge in Texas Hill Country: Ketterman vs. Joshua Creek

If you’re weighing a hunting lodge in the Texas Hill Country, two names come up often: Ketterman Ranch near Burnet and Joshua Creek Ranch near Boerne. Both sit in the same stretch of central Texas. Both offer guided hunts and upscale lodging. But the two properties are built around different ideas of what a hunting trip should feel like, and that difference matters more than most comparison charts let on.

This guide breaks down how each ranch actually operates, so you can match your trip to the hunting lodge in the Texas Hill Country that actually fits it.

Quick Answer

Ketterman Ranch is a private, members-only retreat on 1,228 acres between Marble Falls and Burnet, built around exotic-game hunting and full-property exclusivity for small groups. Joshua Creek Ranch is a public, reservation-based hunting resort near Boerne that has operated since 1990, known for upland bird hunting, sporting clays, and a broader mix of seasonal activities. If you want a private, buyout-style hunt with a small group, Ketterman fits. If you want a long-running lodge you can book directly without membership, Joshua Creek fits.

Location and Access

Ketterman Ranch sits about 10 minutes south of Burnet and 20 minutes north of Marble Falls, roughly 90 minutes from Austin or San Antonio. The property runs along County Road 340, and despite the seclusion, it’s close enough to reach a store in about 10 minutes.

Joshua Creek Ranch is near Boerne, where Joshua Creek meets the Guadalupe River, northwest of San Antonio. It’s a similar drive distance from the city but sits in a different pocket of the Hill Country, with river frontage as the defining geographic feature.

Neither location is hard to reach. The real question is what each setting is built to support once you’re there

Access Model: Private Membership vs. Open Reservations

This is the biggest structural difference between the two properties, and it shapes everything else.

Ketterman Ranch operates as a private, members-only club. The ranch occasionally opens to corporate retreats and invitation-only groups, but day-to-day access runs through a limited number of annual memberships. When you’re on the property, you’re typically not sharing it with unrelated guests.

Joshua Creek Ranch has been open to the public by reservation since 1990. It also runs a membership program with savings and perks, but you don’t need to join to book a hunt. This makes Joshua Creek easier to try on short notice, while Ketterman trades that flexibility for a more controlled, private experience.

Game and Hunting Style

Ketterman Ranch focuses heavily on exotic-game hunting in Texas The ranch has introduced more than 40 exotic species onto its 1,228 acres, and current offerings include animals like Texas deer, Corsican sheep, Black Hawaiian sheep, dama gazelle, elk, fallow deer, greater kudu, gemsbok, axis deer, springbok, and turkey. Guests may also spot non-hunted species like zebra, bison, ostrich, camels, and giraffe while on the property. Guided hunts are tailored to the guest, whether that’s a first hunt or a seasoned exotic-game pursuit.

Joshua Creek Ranch centers on upland bird hunting — quail, pheasant, and chukar — supported by guides and trained dogs, plus European-style driven pheasant shoots and mallard duck hunts. It also offers in-season whitetail deer and turkey hunting, year-round trophy axis deer hunting, and two 10-station sporting clays courses. Fly-fishing for rainbow trout runs November through May, and hunting season overall spans September or October through March.

In short: Ketterman leans toward exotic big game in a private setting. Joshua Creek leans toward wingshooting and a wider seasonal calendar of hunts, with bird dogs and clays as a core part of the identity.

Lodging and Amenities

Ketterman Ranch’s Main Lodge runs 14,000 square feet with luxury guest suites, and the broader compound includes three guest lodges, a pool, roughly seven acres of lakes, pickleball and tennis courts, a skeet range, a fitness center, and a game room with billiards and classic arcade games. Total capacity runs up to about 50 overnight guests, and rates typically bundle in meals, non-alcoholic beverages, and amenities.

Joshua Creek Ranch offers lodge-style rooms and suites plus four private ranch houses, including a 5,000-square-foot house on the Guadalupe River that sleeps up to 18. Guests get two full-service bars, gourmet dining through Cypress Lodge, complimentary wifi, satellite TV, and rooms with stone patios and fire pits. The ranch has also picked up Orvis-Endorsed Wingshooting Lodge of the Year honors, including the title in 2018.

Both properties clearly invest in the stay itself, not just the hunt. Ketterman’s amenities skew toward a resort-style compound for a private group. Joshua Creek’s skew toward a long-established sporting lodge with a strong dining and bar program.

Group Size and Privacy

Because Ketterman operates as a members-only retreat with a capacity around 50 guests, groups on the property tend to be smaller and more contained — often one group with exclusive or near-exclusive use of the grounds. This matters for corporate retreats in the Texas Hill Country, family hunts, or anyone who wants the ranch to themselves rather than sharing it with strangers booked the same weekend.

Joshua Creek, being open for public reservations, can host multiple parties across the property at once, alongside events like weddings and its weekly summer Steak Night. That’s a different kind of energy — more of a working sporting resort than a private estate.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Which One Fits Your Trip

If you’re planning a corporate retreat, a family hunt, or any trip where you want the whole property to yourselves, Ketterman Ranch’s private, members-only model is built for that. It also fits hunters chasing a wide range of exotic species in one location.

If you want to book a trip without joining a membership, or you’re drawn to upland bird hunting with dogs, sporting clays, and a lodge with three decades of track record, Joshua Creek Ranch is the more accessible option.

Neither is a downgrade from the other. Both are a legitimate hunting lodge in the Texas Hill Country worth considering — they’re just built for different kinds of hunters, and the right pick depends on whether you value private exclusivity or open access with a long operating history.

Booking, Season, and What to Expect

The two ranches also differ in how a trip typically comes together.

At Ketterman Ranch, because the property runs on private membership, a first-time visitor usually connects through a corporate retreat, a private group booking, or an introduction from a current member. The upside is that once you’re on the property, the schedule bends around your group — hunts, meals, and activities like pickleball or the fitness center are arranged for your party specifically, not shared with a rotating set of strangers. Wildlife offerings shift with availability, so it’s worth calling ahead to confirm which species are currently on the market before locking in a hunt.

At Joshua Creek Ranch, booking works more like reserving a stay at any established sporting lodge — you can call or book directly for open dates. The ranch runs on two seasons: hunting season, which stretches from roughly September through March or April depending on the game, and a spring/summer resort season built around sporting clays, fly-fishing, and river recreation. Axis deer hunting runs year-round, so it’s an option even outside the main season. Because pricing for most reservations wraps in lodging, meals, and guided field access, first-time guests get a fairly predictable all-in cost, with extras like ammunition, gun rentals, and alcohol billed separately.

If you’re new to booking a hunting lodge in the Texas Hill Country in general, that difference is worth sitting with. A membership-based property rewards return visits and long-term relationships with the land and staff. A reservation-based lodge rewards flexibility — you can show up for a single weekend without any ongoing commitment.

Dining and Off-Hunt Experience

Neither ranch treats the hunt as the only reason to show up.
Ketterman Ranch’s Main Lodge is built around a great room with stone fireplaces, a bar, and lake views, and the broader property leans into resort-style downtime between hunts — tennis, volleyball, a fitness center, and a game room for evenings when nobody wants to be outside. Meals are typically included in the rate, which keeps the day-to-day experience simple for a private group.

Joshua Creek Ranch puts more weight on the dining program itself. Cypress Lodge serves as the main restaurant, and the ranch runs two full bars — the English Cocker Pub and Shooters Cantina — alongside a weekly Steak Night through the summer resort season. For guests who see a good dinner and a stocked bar as part of the trip, not just a break from it, that’s a meaningful point in Joshua Creek’s favor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ketterman Ranch open to the public?

No. Ketterman Ranch is primarily a members-only club, though it occasionally hosts private corporate retreats and invitation-only groups outside its membership base.

Does Joshua Creek Ranch require a membership to book a hunt?

No. Joshua Creek Ranch has been open to public reservations since 1990. It also offers an optional membership program with added perks and savings.

Which ranch is better for exotic-game hunting?

Ketterman Ranch is the stronger fit for exotic game, with more than 40 species introduced across its 1,228 acres, including kudu, gemsbok, axis deer, and various sheep.

Which ranch is better for bird hunting?

Joshua Creek Ranch is built around upland bird hunting, with guided quail, pheasant, and chukar hunts using trained dogs, plus driven pheasant shoots and duck hunts.

How far are these ranches from Austin or San Antonio?

Both properties sit roughly 90 minutes from Austin and San Antonio, in different parts of the Texas Hill Country.