Opening morning deer rifle in Texas

[gcreekrch]

My uncle worked as a Govt predation hunter on that arsenal for decades, right outside of New Boston Tx. He killed and trapped 100s of bobcats, coyotes, feral hogs and armadillos and had authority/permission to hunt deer. Got lots of mounts hanging on his walls but no deer that large. The reason for armadillo extermination is that they would bury into the big dirt covered ammunition bunkers. Sister called me today to tell me about this deer and the young girl. Evidently, my uncle and his offspring are somehow either kin to her and her family or know them well.
I wouldn't know her if I met her on the street.

Both my parents worked at RRAD in WW2.


BUT, (there's always a but)

It is said, that everyone has a double or doppelganger...



View attachment 36730

I thought the same thing!

 

[tex452]

I had a good hunt on our Leon county place last weekend, I didn't see a lot of deer but I did see four different bucks, three of them were legal, and two were really nice, I let all of them walk.
I'm headed back there this evening to hunt for a couple of days with my grandson, then I'm headed to Coleman county Sunday to hunt for 3-4 days.
I don't do much shooting anymore, but I need a deer to make dried sausage.

 

[Brute 23]

We are going in the am here by the house. The cold front got them moving again. We are still green as can be and have acorns falling. There are some good dear this year but it's tough hunting, which doesn't hurt my feelings.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Family is here from R.I. Had a long drive with ice and wind, arriving around 11pm. Phil (nephew that lives with me), his brother and a great nephew went out this am. I have not been out at all. Just have not been interested in sitting in the cold. Hmm - old age - or 3 freezers are bulging full. Put 600# hamburger in last week.

 

[TCRanch]

Coming back from putting out bales a few days ago, I was in my Polaris & Mr TC was following in the tractor. Came around a bend and noticed a bunch of cows by the feed bunks, staring at something. Huge buck, just standing there. A solid 12 point but atypical, with one side perfectly aligned and the other, significantly shorter & wider with 2 tines pointing down. Wow!! Then I saw the doe, evidently taking a break by a tree just up the road. She started moving again and, of course, the buck followed. But they were still RIGHT THERE and didn't seem phased by my presence at all. Mr TC finally catches up to me and I started making "giant rack" hand signals. When we got back to the workshop, I was gushing about the buck, but he didn't see it. What?!?! He thought I was gesturing wildly about possibly a down cow in the draw and didn't even look in the right direction. And naturally, haven't seen him since.

 

[Ouachita]

Now I'm curious about "giant rack" hand signals . Pictures or it didn't happen

 

[tex452]

Our season has been slow.
I took a management 7 pt, one grandson got two bucks, one of the guys that hunt one of my places took a LH spike.
Numbers are down on my place in Leon and Coleman counties, Burleson County is about the same.
Some are saying the freeze a couple of years ago killed more than what was estimated, the two year drought throughout the summer and the explosion of coyotes are taking its toll on fawn recruitment.
I did pass on a nice buck in Coleman County also, but getting skunked while hunting is getting more frequent.

 

[greybeard]

Copperas Cove (East Coryell County Tx) is just over run with deer, but everyone I see is very small. Some streets, there'll be 15-20 in people's yards and vacant lots and on the street itself, dozens more. Mostly does but you have to be very careful when driving around at night.

 

[tex452]

Copperas Cove (East Coryell County Tx) is just over run with deer, but everyone I see is very small. Some streets, there'll be 15-20 in people's yards and vacant lots and on the street itself, dozens more. Mostly does but you have to be very careful when driving around at night.

We hunted on the other side of Kempner for fifteen years, good hunting, but the poachers were bad.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I skinned all I wanted too.
Two bucks in the freezer.

 

[Brute 23]

We are just now in prime time. Been rattling bucks all week in STX. No shooters yet.

 

[kenny thomas]

We are just now in prime time. Been rattling bucks all week in STX. No shooters yet.

Do you have a legal size they have to.be?

 

[Brute 23]

Do you have a legal size they have to.be?

No sir. It's actually a 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks, county. I never shoot that many. I take like one deer every 3-5 years. I like taking pictures and videos.

 

[kenny thomas]

No sir. It's actually a 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks, county. I never shoot that many. I take like one deer every 3-5 years. I like taking pictures and videos.

I ask because it seems like some areas of TX has inches of spread requirements. I always wondered how i could know the difference in a 16" spread and an 18" spread.

 

[Brute 23]

I ask because it seems like some areas of TX has inches of spread requirements. I always wondered how i could know the difference in a 16" spread and an 18" spread.

Yes sir, they do. Some counties have a 13" spread rule on whitetail. They went to a spread rule on mule deer in some counties I think, also.

It's not that bad. Basically the deer in those counties measure about 13" tip to tip of their ears. If you can see a little gap between the ear tip and the inside of the horns, you are good.

 

[4hfarms]

Past years, we have had deer out in the fields almost all year, but NOT this year. Have seen maybe a hand full. Very low numbers this year.

 

[greybeard]

We hunted on the other side of Kempner for fifteen years, good hunting, but the poachers were bad.

Wish they'd come into town. Dang deer ate every one of my watermelons and most of my yellow squash. They didn't touch the jalapenos tho

 

[greybeard]

We hunted on the other side of Kempner for fifteen years, good hunting, but the poachers were bad.

Between Kempner and Lampasas? Country gets rough out that way.

Most of the deer here in town (Cove) are coming off Ft Hood.

 

[tex452]

Yes sir, they do. Some counties have a 13" spread rule on whitetail. They went to a spread rule on mule deer in some counties I think, also.

It's not that bad. Basically the deer in those counties measure about 13" tip to tip of their ears. If you can see a little gap between the ear tip and the inside of the horns, you are good.

Personally I like the 13" rule, a lot of east Texas hunters don't abide by it , but it's east Texas.
Out in Coleman county there's no antler restrictions, but we still don't shoot young bucks unless it's something we think needs culled out, I wouldn't mind AR's out there, surrounding counties have them.

 

[kenny thomas]

Lower jaw of an old buck killed here. Any idea how old they will live? He had been seen for several years as a 10 point.