Around the corner

[Calman]

Deer season is just around the corner here in texas. I was just wondering what y'all's thoughts since of this terrible drought. Are they gonna be plenty or scarce? I'm getting a few on my feeders but don't think they are as plentiful as last year. And also this years fawns look to be a lot smaller than they should be.
Maybe it's just me.
What y'all think?

Cal

 

[TexasBred]

Cal keep a feeder out year round just to watch the deer and turkeys. (I dont' hunt them). They're really consuming some feed now. Have too ponds that still have a little water in them but they seem to be having a harder time finding water than food. Some actually come to the water tanks. Have found skeletons of two fawns in the woods. I've only seen one 8 point bucks and others are smaller and not very well developed at all.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Cal I haven't put corn in the feeders for a few years now. They seemed to be hog magnets. May and June were the months I fed heavy back when I was feeding.

Fawns look bigger for some reason or another. 8 doe have been hanging out in the pecans on the upper side of the flood plain all summer. Started seeing their fawns a while back.

Saw one buck this year. Moderate horn. Too old for me to eat. I like them about 18 months old. Horns aren't my thing in cattle or deer.

Bow season is less than a month out. Don't think I will limit out during bow season this year. Thinking of just taking two young 'uns all season.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Deer season is just around the corner here in texas. I was just wondering what y'all's thoughts since of this terrible drought. Are they gonna be plenty or scarce? I'm getting a few on my feeders but don't think they are as plentiful as last year. And also this years fawns look to be a lot smaller than they should be.
Maybe it's just me.
What y'all think?

Cal

Cal I have planted food plots for years and of course this year it didn't make. Planted about 500 dollars worth of seed maybe 25 cents came up. Put the camera's out last week getting about 25 to 30 pics a day at all hours. The deer are not on a typical 12 hour cycle they are coming and going all hours they are hungry. Lot of does coming in with no fawns this year. The scary part is most of the sorry ass deer hunters will fill up a feeder hunt one or two weekends and never return to fill it. A lot of deer are going to starve to death this winter as we have no acorn crop. Planted the fall food plots yesterday since we got a little rain. The racks have been tremendous or the sorriest things you have ever seen, the crap heads from Houston will shoot the wall hangers and leave the scrubs to breed the does. They are going to come into the feeders this year. Should make for some really great season's in the future.

 

[Caustic Burno]

PS Cal I think the state should outlaw rifles this year and you can't hunt within a 150 yards of a feeder with anything. Make only a shotgun or bow legal this year. I hate a sorry ass deer hunter they are the most unethical of all hunters IMO. Boy that would rip their britches if they actually had to hunt and not shoot.

 

[highgrit]

I like to hunt about anything, deer hunting over bait is great. We have persimmon trees that are loaded, they have been fertilized and trimed around for years. It's easy pickings even with a bow, but who wants to mess with cleaning deer in this heat. I haven't seen much for antlers this year maybe it was to dry? We see 10+ deer every day from the house, but the bucks aren't showing up for some reason. We feed corn year round and mix soybeans in the spring and summer. I can see a sorry ass, unethical poacher... but hunters need to stick together.

 

[Caustic Burno]

This where you and I disagree. I can give you many examples. Then come's the sorriest part of all they kill just to kill. When they drive up in a 60,000 dollar truck that seldom leaves asphlat, with a 10,000 dollar ATV. Now you have to be wearing your designer camo, to drive your atv to your box stand. Can't walk in because of being scared of the boogie man. When you come out from the morning hunt you ask did you shoot one naw I shot a bobcat, armidillo,possum or something. This is when I loose it, if that animal wasn't destroying property or livestock it has just as much right to live. Ran into a fellow next my place one morning as I actually went to investigate what all the shooting was about, he was shooting squirrels with a 30-30 and walking off. :mad: :mad: They paid a lease fee and feel they own everything around and have to shoot something to brag about at work next monday. The part I love the best is he will have a 2000 rifle with a 1000 dollar scope he shoots off the range maybe 5 times a year and a fifty cent pocket knife he carries every day, first words will be this is my new rifle and I can't wait to try it out. There are a lot of good ethical, respectful hunters, I know that. I get to deal with all the crapheads and they are plenty I throw off the lease over the year's. Being the president of a large hunting lease it would surprise you as hard it is to replace a good member when they have to replaced. We had a waiting list for years, when the older generation of hunter started dying off was when the problems started. The guy that applies that has a record of moving around I won't even consider him 9 times out of 10 he is trouble and has moved because he got kicked off. After years of dealing with this maybe I am soured more than usual. A man will break every one of the 10 commandmnent's over a dollar,land deed, woman and a white tail deer.

 

[highgrit]

Your right about the deer and the 10 comandments. We don't lease our land out, but I sell 2-3 day hunts. I don't put up with shooting just to shoot, thats what the range is for. There are lots of people that had no one to teach them anything about the woods or water. Some folks just don't know right from wrong when it comes to mother nature. We were blessed to have family and friends to learn from and mentor us since we were young. We need to recruit as many hunters, gun owners as possible to our sport....Or should I say way of life or we are going to lose it. Yes were going to fight for our rights and way of life, but were going to need lots of help.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Your right about the deer and the 10 comandments. We don't lease our land out, but I sell 2-3 day hunts. I don't put up with shooting just to shoot, thats what the range is for. There are lots of people that had no one to teach them anything about the woods or water. Some folks just don't know right from wrong when it comes to mother nature. We were blessed to have family and friends to learn from and mentor us since we were young. We need to recruit as many hunters, gun owners as possible to our sport....Or should I say way of life or we are going to lose it. Yes were going to fight for our rights and way of life, but were going to need lots of help.

Cousin and I were planning on booking a hunt over in Ga. couple years ago. We both have Degenerative Disc Disease, thanks grandma can't outrun your genetics. He went in for neck surgery and has had paralysis in his left arm ever since.
So my hunting partner from youth is messed up. I am messed up and won't let them mess with my neck. We both now have what I call geriatric deer stands, the day's of me hanging off the side of a tree like a hoot owl with a bow are over. If I can't get one in range of number 1 buckshot and drop him in his tracks where the tractor can pull up to him I ain't shootin. Last years buck was at 18 steps. Secondly if my youngest son isn't here I ain't hunting anything larger than a squirrel to clean or pick up.
So my old cousin and I :bs: each other about when we get frisky again were going to Ga. deer hunting.
He calls our Kawasaki mules Redneck Hoverounds.

 

[gimpyrancher]

The place where I started hunting over 30 years ago is still a happy place in my memory. I can't really hunt there anymore. But I still go there during the season for what I remember. Then another pickup truck drives buy with a large cloud of dust trailing behind and the cab has three, extra cab has 2 and in the back there are 6 or more people in the back. Most holding one of those old foreign military rifles that run on special ads for $100. A little while later I hear what sounds like a full blown war. Then it stops just as suddenly. This usually happens nearby where I decided hours before to sit and watch. Off season, I used to do some year round surveying the area. I know there are a few still around but I haven't seen one in this place in 5 years. Even the squirrels have disappeared.

Gotta get out of CA.

 

[Calman]

PS Cal I think the state should outlaw rifles this year and you can't hunt within a 150 yards of a feeder with anything. Make only a shotgun or bow legal this year. I hate a sorry ass deer hunter they are the most unethical of all hunters IMO. Boy that would rip their britches if they actually had to hunt and not shoot.

Cb I totally understand what you are saying. But on the other hand if this we're to happen I probably wouldn't get to enjoy eating deer meat.I've done got too old and crippled up to actually hunt deer anymore.I have to rely on a feeder and deer coming in to it rather than hunt them like I used to.
However I only harvest what I can eat and not the racks.I have several good racks on the wall and it would have to be at least a 12 pt or better for me to shoot it.I have a nice 12 point 24inch spread with nice even antlers.10 up and 2 down.I usally will take out a couple of older does every year.
I have more deer shot with a camera while sitting in the blind than with a rifle. I love to watch them come in. But I also love deer meat.

Cal

 

[Calman]

Cal I haven't put corn in the feeders for a few years now. They seemed to be hog magnets. May and June were the months I fed heavy back when I was feeding.

Fawns look bigger for some reason or another. 8 doe have been hanging out in the pecans on the upper side of the flood plain all summer. Started seeing their fawns a while back.

Saw one buck this year. Moderate horn. Too old for me to eat. I like them about 18 months old. Horns aren't my thing in cattle or deer.

Bow season is less than a month out. Don't think I will limit out during bow season this year. Thinking of just taking two young 'uns all season.

Boogie you are right on the hog magnets. But I do get to lower the hog population every year also. Although you couldn't hardly tell it. :)

Cal

 

[Caustic Burno]

PS Cal I think the state should outlaw rifles this year and you can't hunt within a 150 yards of a feeder with anything. Make only a shotgun or bow legal this year. I hate a sorry ass deer hunter they are the most unethical of all hunters IMO. Boy that would rip their britches if they actually had to hunt and not shoot.

Cb I totally understand what you are saying. But on the other hand if this we're to happen I probably wouldn't get to enjoy eating deer meat.I've done got too old and crippled up to actually hunt deer anymore.I have to rely on a feeder and deer coming in to it rather than hunt them like I used to.
However I only harvest what I can eat and not the racks.I have several good racks on the wall and it would have to be at least a 12 pt or better for me to shoot it.I have a nice 12 point 24inch spread with nice even antlers.10 up and 2 down.I usally will take out a couple of older does every year.
I have more deer shot with a camera while sitting in the blind than with a rifle. I love to watch them come in. But I also love deer meat.

Cal

I understand it has become more challenging try it with a walkin stick in one hand and a pump shotgun in the other.
I have got this down to a fine art the walking stick is on a leather sling so when I bring the shotgun up it is hanging from my wrist. I limp off in the woods find a good white oak flat and sit on a folding chair I had toted in before season. Like I said I ain't shooting unless one of the boys are here to do the tote out of the woods. Oldest grandson loves to hunt with Paw Paw he is in HS if we are squirrel hunting and Rube trees over the hill I tell him to go get that one. I don't worry about getting to far off when he is with me as he will trot back and get the mule. Thats the reason I always schedule one of my epidural's for my low back in Sept. Can't this year due to surgery next week so it will be the middle of October this year.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Cal I just went and pulled the game camera's doesn't look good. Eight bucks four does and one fawn coming into one food plot. One buck is nice 14 to 15 inch spread three young ones with nice rack's and four of the most messed up racks you have ever seen. The fawn crop took a big hit.

 

[cowman]

The acorns killed us lasy year. Couldnt buy a deer. This year is looking good. Now if we can get the neighbors to stop shooting every scrub around, we will be ok.