Services
Hunting
At Thunderbird, duck hunting is our primary focus, but we also offer hunting for geese, dove, cranes, snipe, rails, hogs, and private marsh fishing along Matagorda Bay.
To ensure top-notch hunting, we emphasize two key principles: creating and maintaining excellent habitat and managing hunting pressure.
Our unprecedented harvest numbers for the past few seasons and their progressive statistics speak for themselves:
2022/2023 Season
9,500 birds – 21.2 birds/4-man blind
Club early teal highest record of 1,895 birds
Club first split highest record of 3,033 birds
Club second split highest record of 4,349 birds
Club entire season record of 9,277 birds
Club highest record of 75% of all groups shot full limits for early teal
Club highest record of 87% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for the first split
Club second highest record of 63% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for the second split
Club highest record of 73% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for the entire season
2021/2022 Season
7,000 birds – 18 birds/4-man blind
Club early teal second highest record of 1,470 birds
Club second split second highest record of 3,317 birds
Club second highest record of 61% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for early teal
Club second highest record of 55% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for the second split
Club second highest record of 61% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for the entire season
2020/2021 Season
8,000 birds – 18 birds/4-man blind
Club early teal record of 1,693 birds
Club first split record of 2,605 birds
Club second split record of 3,692 birds
Club record of 74% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for the first split
Club record of 55% of all groups shot full limits on ducks for the entire season
On a busy Saturday, we have 15-20 groups hunting, with 50% of our properties rested. We hunt one group per pond, limiting each pond to 1-2 hunts per week, only on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Our club size is ideal—large enough to rest waterfowl and rotate members, yet small enough to feel personal.
We provide a variety of duck blinds, including portable and permanent options, ensuring you hunt where the birds are. Our management plan adapts to any conditions—droughts, floods, or stalled migrations—ensuring consistent results year after year. In fact, our unguided hunts often outperform guided ones.
If you’re after a well-organized club with plenty of ducks over your decoys, Thunderbird is the place for you.
Habitat & Information
At Thunderbird, we know that quality habitat, not just acreage, is what truly attracts waterfowl.
Our meticulously managed habitats ensure birds have ideal conditions for feeding, resting, and roosting throughout the season. Proper water levels are critical: too deep, and birds can’t feed or rest; too shallow, and aquatic plants die. We use deep-water wells on all properties to maintain optimal conditions, ensuring our ponds thrive even during droughts.
Located southwest of Houston, between El Campo and Palacios, our properties lie in a key migratory corridor. With half to the north and half to the south of our lodge, drive times to ponds range from 5 to 40 minutes, with several ponds within walking distance.
We treat our habitats like gardens, continuously managing water levels, planting food, and controlling weeds. This careful stewardship pays off with consistently full straps for our members. With four decades of experience, we adapt to nature’s challenges to deliver outstanding results year after year.
In addition to superior habitat management, we provide invaluable support to our members. We scout properties bi-weekly, sharing findings through our newsletters, including harvest stats, top techniques, and migration reports. Members also receive detailed maps and expert advice to maximize their hunting success.
Our commitment to quality and information ensures every member has the best possible hunting experience. The effort we put into this is reflected in the satisfaction of our members—season after season.
Fishing
Marsh fishing at our coastal properties is world-class, especially from late summer into fall when equinox tides bring in clear water, baitfish, and a variety of game fish.
Our private marsh, fed by two large culverts, is often called “the best little fishing hole on the coast” by local Game Wardens. Fall is prime time for redfish, with limits being common and the occasional 20-30 pounders making an appearance. You might even find yourself catching so many reds that you’ll “cry uncle.” Trout also thrive in these conditions, with strong, clear waters yielding specks over 24 inches each season. Flounder fishing is equally rewarding, with large slabs often caught in both spring and fall.
Other species include black drum (up to 50 lbs), sheepshead, gulf trout, whiting, and croaker. Drop a few crab pots in summer or early fall, and you could end up with a bushel of big blue crabs.
For kayak enthusiasts, the marshes offer great opportunities to explore skinny waters and fish for tailing redfish. The area is also rich in birdlife, including wood storks, roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets, black skimmers, brown pelicans, and secretive rails.
The Lodge & Off-season Extras
A Thunderbird membership includes free lodging and access to our serene 50-acre grounds.
Enjoy peaceful surroundings with large oak trees, evening geese flying overhead, deer in the back pastures, and migratory songbirds. Relax with Friday night cocktails on the porch or gather around the fire-pit with fellow members.
The lodge, our central hub, sleeps 25 across five bedrooms and offers all the comforts of home: satellite TV, a fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms, two living rooms, a dining room, and a covered porch. The headquarters also features bird cleaning facilities, BBQs, a workshop, washer/dryer, RV pads, private cabins, ATV stalls, and storage lockers (limited availability, additional fees apply).
Opening weekends often include club-hosted dinners like Oyster-fests, Shrimp & Fish Fries, and Crawfish & Crab boils.
With your Thunderbird membership, enjoy year-round activities. From September to March, hunt birds including teal, dove, ducks, geese, and snipe. The rest of the year, use the lodge for retreats, BBQs, family gatherings, clay shoots, dog training, marsh fishing, hog hunting (limited), kayaking, and wildlife observation. Our properties are flooded for eight months annually, supporting waterfowl and other bird species, with water available from late July through April for bird migration and dog training.
There’s always something to do at Thunderbird!
