Last year I only saw a couple deer on my place in Camp County, TX. Didn't shoot any. When I talked to the local taxidermist, he said it was a bad year for deer. The first week of this season, I've not seen a single deer. I was talking to the taxidermist again and he said he hasn't seen one either and he has a larger lease, plants food plots and runs feeders. Years past he'd see 20 deer a day. He said the locals have been discussing it leading up to the season. "I don't see deer in the fields anymore like I used too". Seems it might be a really bad season for deer. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this in East Texas and any thoughts on the cause.

Scott,
FWIW, we had a place between Conroe and Clevland for 46 years so I know a little about east Texas. Between 2004 and 2007 I kept 3 game cameras out at 3 feeders 24/7/365. During that three year period, I had numerous pix of good bucks between 10 AM and 4 AM, coming to those feeders, but not one during the day. I'd see hogs, horses, cows, coyotes, fox, and crows, but no deer.

I'm currently hunting about 20 miles north of Uvalde Texas. In the last two months I've been in the stand all or part of at least 20 days either hog hunting or deer hunting before and during bow season. That includes last Friday though Sunday (morning and eve) for the rifle opener. I've killed one hog, missed one hog, seen a doe and two yearling at 150 yds. while bow hunting............





and saw one doe on the way to a stand last Saturday.

Out of 10 guys at our lease during opening weekend, one doe and one buck were taken and one hog was shot. It's like aliens have come to earth and beamed up all the wildlife.

Where we are, the deer have so much acorns and forbes for browse, they don't have to move.

I've talked to guys that hunt in Junction and in the RockSprings area. Same story.

Later in the year when the acorns have rotted things will probably be better, Our rut is usually the first or second week of December.

Do not despair. Remember, that's why they call it hunting and not shooting........



and you are getting to be afield.




And from this ol' farts perspective, that's better than working any day!

Good luck to you as the season progresses,

Best,


GWB

Thanks GW. I'm keeping the crows, squirrels, and raccoons well fed. There are a lot of predators on my place. It's clear I have hogs on my property, I should eventually get a shot on one this year.

You are right about hunting vs shooting. It usually comes down to one shot opportunity a year for me. I'll take a deer blind vs an office cubicle every day of the week.

Oh, I did get this yesterday morning with my 6.8 SPC. I was hunting the blind in the woods and she crossed the trail 20 yards in front of me. Was using 120 SST. This will be my last bobcat. I probably would have let it walk but it was just a snap shot, I didn't even think about it. That blind in the woods is fast a furious and you only have a second to make a decision. I prefer hunting the edge of the field but that feeder wasn't working. I already shot a really nice cat 2 years ago and had a full body mount done.

Acorns are the same at my place in Barksdale.....everywhere. Not even getting many picture at the feeders at night. Well....the piggies are showing up damn regular.

.

nice kitty and great photos.

Best,

GWB

Went out again over the the Thanksgiving weekend, didn't see one deer. I haven't seen a deer this season so far. Crazy.

I wonder if it's space aliens.
Two guys spent six days from a week ago today till last Saturday at our lease. They told me that between the two of them hunting morning and evening did not see one animal.
Quien Sabe.


GWB

I did see 3 fat raccoons eating my corn. At least something is eating it and it's not going to waste.

We've got plenty of deer, but they are on a very low pressured area (my ranch, didn't shoot any there last year). I've let 2 darn nice bucks walk, but may (probably won't) take the one I've seen 4 or 5 times if I see him again. He's a decent 8, really a 9 with a small kicker point on one beam, with medium mass and fairly high tines. While not what I would call a real trophy, he is a darn good deer for this area. I just think he'll be so much better if he makes it to next year. Of course, I've let many of them go to never see them again, too. Saw one other deer, which may be a real trophy, but he ducked into woods before I could really see anything but one tall tine, at least a big 8.

Up to very recently, I was seeing more bucks than does. I've probably seen 30 different bucks and, amazingly, only 2 spikes in the group. The Nov. rut is rapidly winding down, but bucks are still chasing as of today.

The older I get, the less I care about shooting anything but a really big deer and not too much about that. I tried to put Adam on the above 9 point when he was home for Thanksgiving, but, naturally, the deer didn't cooperate. Then he went duck hunting.

Hogs are everywhere. I have been holding off hoping a sick friend could come over and shoot some, but I'm not sure he's going to be able to make it, so starting shooting them a few days back. 3 so far, all in the 85 to 125 range, all given away. I used to rarely cut down on multiple hogs without killing at least 2 or 3, but I've been missing the runners, guess old age is catching up to me. Wait, scratch the "guess" part.

Lots of ducks, but mallards have not gotten here in any great numbers yet, maybe this front coming later this week will push some down. Woodies are everywhere, but the front may move them on South. They don't stay locally in these numbers for long.

Racoons taste good. Adam talked his mother into cooking some for him a few years back, darn fine eating and a good pest to remove, the more the better.

Re: Bobcats: I shot a big male a few years back, he was still alive when I got to him, I watched the life go out of his eyes as he stared at me. The loss of that wildness moved me. That was my last bobcat.

Gatogordo,

Good to hear from you. You know maybe it is hunting pressure on neighboring properties. I know the hogs are completely nocturnal in our area and I think they have moved on. I had hog signs all over my property around opening weekend, but I'm sure they go blasted the first few weeks of deer season on neighboring properties. The neighbor traps them. There also appears to be ducks coming in because the neighbors were blasting away on their pond last weekend.

I know I'm eatin up with coyotes because I hear them all over the place at night and find their scat everywhere. That could be contributing to the issue. I'll have to start trying to hit the coyotes hard but I don't think I'll make a dent.

The strange part remains the whole area seems to have a decline in deer. It's apparently the talk around town. I live 2 hours away but talk to the local taxidermist at least once a year. Last two years have been bad for deer but this season is worse.