Sonora TX 2017-2018

[BowSlayer]

Nice bucks and ram, y'all!

We're trying to decide what constitutes a "trophy" and what a management buck is on our place. Honestly, they'd all be management bucks and culls in most other areas of the state. I've had one trailcam pic of a 10pt (back in the summer). We have 1 mature 9pt that is a decent buck. Everything else is an 8 or less. Some of the mature 8s are decent (120-130 class deer. Some are little short-tined basket racks. There are a few crap rack mature 6s or other jacked up rack, no browtines, etc. obvious culls.

We'll have zero impact on the low fence genetics, regardless of which bucks we shoot. But our lease allows us 1 trophy and 1 cull each. I'm there for the axis mostly. But we'll shoot some whitetail too. What do some of y'all call a trophy or a management or cull buck in this area?

I just re-negotiated this with the landowner of our place last weekend. A "trophy" on our place is supposed to be 4 years old and more than 8 points. A "management" buck is any 8 point that is at least 3 years old. A cull is a buck with no brow tines, spike, or any deer that looks older than a yearling and has less than 8 points. There are so many "trash" deer on our place that we don't limit the "culls". Kids, grandkids, guests, inlaws, can all shoot a cull if they come out. We really need to remove LOTS of mouths from our property. I'm not a fan of "culling" young deer in most cases but out there it's necessary.

[88 Bound]

Same on our place as BowSlayer, except trophies are 10 points. Too many deer and plenty of trash to go around.

[Shane]

I wish we had a 10point on our 1,300 acres.

[WTN]

We’ve had good results by simply managing for mature deer. We take very few mgt/cull bucks and nothing younger than 4 1/2.

An old deer on a low fence hill country place is a trophy in my book regardless of score.

With natural mortality rates, neighbor harvest, etc., we try to get as many bucks to maturity as we can. We encourage shooting of doe over mgt/cull bucks. We don’t want everyone trying to find the largest mgt/cull buck they can find that fits into some points/age criteria. Many of those could be our future trophies.

[BrianG]

We’ve had good results by simply managing for mature deer. We take very few mgt/cull bucks and nothing younger than 4 1/2.

An old deer on a low fence hill country place is a trophy in my book regardless of score.

With natural mortality rates, neighbor harvest, etc., we try to get as many bucks to maturity as we can. We encourage shooting of doe over mgt/cull bucks. We don’t want everyone trying to find the largest mgt/cull buck they can find that fits into some points/age criteria. Many of those could be our future trophies.

We do the same thing.

[BowSlayer]

We’ve had good results by simply managing for mature deer. We take very few mgt/cull bucks and nothing younger than 4 1/2.

An old deer on a low fence hill country place is a trophy in my book regardless of score.

With natural mortality rates, neighbor harvest, etc., we try to get as many bucks to maturity as we can. We encourage shooting of doe over mgt/cull bucks. We don’t want everyone trying to find the largest mgt/cull buck they can find that fits into some points/age criteria. Many of those could be our future trophies.

We have way too many deer for that. I can't imagine only shooting mature bucks.... we are over-run with bucks as it is.

[Grant2]

I have a couple hunters on the ranch this week and they said the bucks are running hard. They are seeing 20 bucks every hunt and a lot are chasing does. I think the Bucks are ready, but not the does.

[Slew]

I wish we had a 10point on our 1,300 acres.

Sounds familiar!!! Every year I say man with all these decent bucks we should have some nice ones next year or two! Been saying that a long time now! Oh well! Beats the hell out of deer hunting N La!!!

[Shane]

Sounds familiar!!! Every year I say man with all these decent bucks we should have some nice ones next year or two! Been saying that a long time now! Oh well! Beats the hell out of deer hunting N La!!!

Yeah, and I knew that going in to this lease. I'm not there for whitetail. I'm there for the axis. I'll kill a couple whitetail just 'cause they're there. Still fun. But if I ever want to have a lease for trophy whitetail instead of axis, I'll move to a different area.

[jeffpg]

Yeah, and I knew that going in to this lease. I'm not there for whitetail. I'm there for the axis. I'll kill a couple whitetail just 'cause they're there. Still fun. But if I ever want to have a lease for trophy whitetail instead of axis, I'll move to a different area.

My sentiments exactly!

[daniel044]

Any updates from this weekend? Bucks running does yet?

[Saltyag15]

Any updates from this weekend? Bucks running does yet?

Bucks are definitely rutting. I had a nice 8 pointer come in on Saturday morning, but he didn't have much interest in corn. He was just chasing does. I got to watch him rake a tree and make a scrape, which was really cool. Sika are rutting as well. I was hearing constant bugling while in the blind. I was covered up with deer of all kinds on both of my sits on Friday and Saturday.

I had the biggest Sika I've seen on this property come in Friday evening. When he finally settled down to eat, I flung an arrow at him and whiffed...right underneath his armpit. I was sick. I then remembered that I had adjusted my one pin sight down to 20 yards because of the axis doe I was going to attempt to shoot. He was standing at 32...in the heat of the moment I forgot to adjust my sight. He would have been a wall hanger for me. I've replayed that shot in my head 100 times and I'm still really upset with myself. I'm heading back out there Thanksgiving evening for a few days. I'm hoping to get another crack at him.

[daniel044]

Bucks are definitely rutting. I had a nice 8 pointer come in on Saturday morning, but he didn't have much interest in corn. He was just chasing does. I got to watch him rake a tree and make a scrape, which was really cool. Sika are rutting as well. I was hearing constant bugling while in the blind. I was covered up with deer of all kinds on both of my sits on Friday and Saturday.

I had the biggest Sika I've seen on this property come in Friday evening. When he finally settled down to eat, I flung an arrow at him and whiffed...right underneath his armpit. I was sick. I then remembered that I had adjusted my one pin sight down to 20 yards because of the axis doe I was going to attempt to shoot. He was standing at 32...in the heat of the moment I forgot to adjust my sight. He would have been a wall hanger for me. I've replayed that shot in my head 100 times and I'm still really upset with myself. I'm heading back out there Thanksgiving evening for a few days. I'm hoping to get another crack at him.

That will make you sick! Well good luck next week. I am going to be out at our place Friday through Thanksgiving so I was trying to prepare myself for long sits if they are rutting.

[Saltyag15]

That will make you sick! Well good luck next week. I am going to be out at our place Friday through Thanksgiving so I was trying to prepare myself for long sits if they are rutting.

Good luck to you as well! The long range forecast is looking good from the end of this week through the Thanksgiving weekend, so there's no reason animals shouldn't be moving!

[bhamilton2]

Looking Toward Getting in Woods This Weekend

Good to know that Bucks maybe running does this weekend through Thanksgiving.