My worst deer season ever. Rant.

[Dale Moser]

I'm surprised to read all these posts.

We had our best year ever in 23 years in Young Co....or our kids did. Last year was aweful, and I expect next year to suck, but I'm very thankful for the year we had.


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[Sika]

Worst season I can remember in the last decade. I shot my target buck the first week and he was the only deer on camera at that time.
It got worse later in October as the rains came. Had an uptick in activity in early December but deer movement has been practically zero since the last 2 rounds of rain. We aren’t even seeing them in the food plots.
The deer we have killed had layers of fat all over. Wet fall / winter and not enough hard freezes equal lots of good green food.

[kumathebear]

Same as stated above..at least for us excluding Dale, lol!

We hunt in the Robert Lee area and previous seasons were covered up in Deer, Hogs, but this year...well...TOO dang much rain, mud...more mud! But, we still have a TON of doves, quail, ducks....

Deer have not been coming to our feeders, too much grub from the rains and mild temps. Only two bucks killed and one Boar Hog (me last weekend) and this weekend..a TOTAL BUST! No one saw a buck and only two does 200 yards plus and spooked so no shots fired. I keep following the San Angelo thread and see the kills but not for us...got to see something to shoot. I'm the only "non-bow" hunter in my old age but the YOUNG guys have had the same results this season.

At least for me and most of our lease members...it's still the reason we spend the $$ and the drive times...Country, Campfires, no Traffic...."It is what it is."

Always next year, God willing!

[txwhitetail]

Slowest in the 7 years we have had our place. Lots of factors including basically droughted out all spring/last fall and huge fall green up this year. Only positive is deer are getting passes that may not normally.

As a side note I have a couple friends that are hunting the "panhandle" and they really think they are finally starting to see the overhunting of a lot of that area start to show. I hunted a large ranch in King/Stonewall counties in the 2000s and have surveyed a lot of country up there the past 20 years from the air. It doesn't do well with hunting pressure and high harvest rates from too many hunters. Couple that with drought conditions and it doesn't bode well.

[ByronB]

This was a very rough season as far as the number of deer seen where I hunt as well. I only arrowed one buck at the lease. Seems that way for many portions of the state. We even stopped shooting does. Just did not have many on camera. Plenty of green stuff for them to eat this season. We think the coyotes killed many of the fawns on the place as well. Time to start hunting them with a vengeance.

[Radar]

Been real tough, got a cull with my bow and that was about it. I was a little depressed earlier this year, but its hunting and not killing. I have a few exotic bow hunts planned this year.

[HYDRO_69]

I agree with everyone else, I haven't seen any shooters and hardly any deer for that matter. I wish I would have hand corned more away from the feeders. This will be the first year in 8 that I haven't shot one with a bow. Going hard at it with a rifle with in late season.

Don't feel bad. I always hand corn and they haven't touched that to much at all at our place. They are on all the new growth green stuff. I got frustrated by not seeing anything Saturday morning and was sitting in camp at 0900 in the camper....contemplating what I was doing wrong when 6 deer came out 20 yds browsing around my truck and another camper. In our area they have all they want to eat and are picking and choosing according to their taste buds.

[DUKFVR]

Same way on our place in SW San Saba county. Drought over summer hurt fawn crop and then rain came and food everywhere. We killed one nice buck and 3 does. Sightings were way down , but deer killed were in excellent condition. Hopefully, this rain carries into spring and summer. The deer herd could sure use it.

[joel45acp]

Very slow at my lease in Duval Co too. I managed just 1 javi with my wheel gun (1st pistol kill ever). Didn't see a single deer all season except on camera. Buying my own place now....lol

[PondPopper]

It was our worst season for WT in a very long time. Mature deer dissapeared by the end of October.. The company lease to our west on the other hand sounded like a shooting gallery though, the few times I made it up, and I'm sure that was a every weekend occurance knowing that group.. Always has been....
We sure need to build that high fence!!!!

[Texas8point]

We hunted from Thursday to Sunday and didn’t see many if any until Sunday morning


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[KNEE DEEP]

Worst year I’ve ever had in Colorado county. Been hunting my place 12 years and have never zeroed out on a hunt, bow or gun. This year I’ve seen 1 small 4 pointer and finally shot a doe last week. Corn piled up under feeders. Even hogs don’t show up. Acorns like you wouldn’t believe.

[roberts]

It was a very slow year for us as well. I did not see a mature buck or a cull buck all season. Nothing but young bucks. I may have saw a handful of does all year too. The rain we got back in October put too many groceries out for the deer. We had fun non the less.

[bowhuntz]

Same here. Shot a few does. First time in over 15 years I didn't harvest a mature buck.

[TKWeld]

Man we had a Great year in Tillman Co, Oklahoma. Two grandsons got a big * pt each and ole Grandaddy got an 11 pt. We were blessed this year.