(FORTUNE Magazine) – Real execs, take heart: Touchy-feely corporate outings may get elbowed aside in favor of a more aggressive form of bonding--the executive hunting trip. And what better corner of the country to shoot 'em up in than the Lone Star State, where hunting has long been part and parcel of doing business. That's because Texans love to hunt, and since there's lots of time to talk while you stalk your prey, hunting can help forge relationships. "I can't visit with you right now because I'm fixin' to go sit in a deer blind with some people," Sid Terry, chairman of Alamo Title of Harris County in Houston, told FORTUNE. Asked if it was business or pleasure, he replied, "Both."

In fact, in the good ol' days, a lot of the big Texas companies owned their own ranches. But along came the '80s oil bust, and thousand-acre playgrounds were among the first things to go. "Owning a ranch is pretty expensive," says Meredith Cullen, owner of the ultraposh Cullen Ranch outside Dallas. "But now that the oil companies are making money again, they want to hunt, but they don't want to tie up all their funds." (Exxon, in fact, may be one of the few that still own their own ranch; Pennzoil sold its ranch to Ted Turner last year, and Maxus Energy--successor to the old Diamond Shamrock--also got rid of its spread a year ago.)

Cullen took advantage of the situation and opened his 2,000-acre property in September. Rather than cold beer after colder duck blinds, visiting executives are outfitted head to toe by the pro shop (including a brand-new Beretta and ammo) and guided by hunting pros and bird dogs. What you aim at is your choice: sporting clays, bobwhite quail, pheasant, chukar, or mallard ducks. At day's end there are six plushy rooms, a huge vintage wine selection, and a cigar bar. As one Texas businessman put it, "Once you've experienced the Ritz, it's hard to go back to Motel 6." You pay for the privilege: Rates run up to $1,000 per night per hunter.

The 25-year-old Cullen, who comes from Texas oil money, isn't the only one with the idea of marketing upscale shooting experiences. Two of his main competitors are Hawkeye, a hunting club in East Texas, and Joshua Creek Ranch, outside San Antonio. Both are doing extremely well; neither will discuss numbers, but both are heavily booked for the season. And not just with Texas oilmen either: The ranches report sightings of high-tech execs, Japanese guests, and (gasp!) women.

--Erin Davies