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#1 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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Figured I would start this thread to catalog pictures and hunts on our family ranch in McMullen County over the course of the 2017/18 hunting season.
A few years ago we tried to take out as many native does as we could and bought some bred does from various breeders. We took our bottom end bucks off the property and left some of the best of the best of the natives that we had running around. We had pretty good genetics to start with but we are trying to increase our top end by "fluffing up" our does with improved genetics. The original does had fawns that are now 4 years old. We just started running cameras recently and some of our bigger deer have finally made an appearance. We have not gotten much rain at all this year and it's really dry and hot. The deer are tearing up the protein and alfalfa but starting to show some really nice growth. We won't be taking many (if any) this year but will be taking a decent number of does in order to keep our population in check. Here are some pics over the last week or two. Known 4 yr old ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Nice 4 yr old ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Really like this guy ![]() Cool light colored fawn ![]() ![]() Photo from this morning. Lots to be excited about and hopefully they will continue to pour it on over the next few months. ![]() Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Last edited by TildenHunter; 07-14-2017 at 01:21 PM. |
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#2 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: llano- Uvalde
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Amazing deer
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#3 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Tomball
Hunt In: Mcmullen County
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I wonder how long it would take to tunnel from our place to yours??
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#4 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Texas
Hunt In: Texas
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Very impressive. Lots of big frames and splits. Love it.
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#5 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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You don't know this but you are one of the reasons we started this venture
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#6 |
Ten Point
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Hunt In: South Texas
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Following!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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#7 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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Little double drop
![]() ![]() Only have an axis or two on the property but this guy is a stud. ![]() Nice blackbuck ![]() I don't know what to say about this guy. ![]() Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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#8 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Would still be a really cool cull |
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#9 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Looking good.
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#10 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sonora, Tx
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Man, I still wish I had my little lease in Tilden! That place was awesome!
Looks like y'all got a great place too! Very nice critters! Bisch Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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#11 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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I'm really not sure how old he is. I'll have to get eyes on him later this summer or early fall. Guessing he is 2-3. I think he will live one more year. Only thing that could get him shot this year is if he finishes with tines that go straight up and look like daggers. Would be a shame for him to kill a better buck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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#12 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Marking this thread like what your doing Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk |
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#13 |
Eight Point
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Duval County west of Freer
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Very nice. I will be following along.
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#14 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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I do not care about score as much as look. I just don't want to shoot him if there is a chance of pedicle damage. He obviously is capable of throwing a decent amount of bone. But more then likely he will still be ugly next year and then get whacked. We named him Barnacle Bill Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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#15 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: North Texas
Hunt In: Callahan
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Looks great.
Any plans to use DMP to help get the most out of your better bucks? |
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#16 |
Eight Point
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: China Spring
Hunt In: Bosque County
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Following!
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#17 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Boerne, TX
Hunt In: Searching..
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Awesome bucks! Following
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#18 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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#19 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk |
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#20 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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Yes. As a matter of fact we are about to start trying to go through the process to do a DMP pen. We are going to target our best buck and 20 does. Technically we could do 2 and shoot every doe we see outside of the pens each season but that sounds like a lot of expense and work. Ha. I think we are going to do 1 and see how it goes and we can always add one in the future if we wish.
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#21 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Aug 2013
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... let me show my ignorance
DMP pen? Edit: deer managment pen? Designated man pen... Some otheters but not pg13 Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Last edited by catslayer; 07-14-2017 at 03:25 PM. |
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#22 |
Six Point
![]() Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Richmond, TX.
Hunt In: Uvalde County
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WOW!! Nice pics.
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#23 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Tomball
Hunt In: Mcmullen County
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#24 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: North Texas
Hunt In: Callahan
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#25 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Waco
Hunt In: Texas
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Looking good! I like the younger buck with the solid white neck stripe too....
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#26 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk |
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#27 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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You can have a pen (minimum of 5 acres) and place up to 20 does and 1 buck in the pen. I think they have to all be in there by sometime in September and you can't release them until after the end of the season (I think). I am not up to speed on all of the regulations yet. We do have a pen in place and just need to get it certified. You then get a helicopter and he will net your 20 does and "breeder buck". That way you are ensuring that your buck of choice is breeding all 20 does as opposed to just the 2-4 that he would breed out on the ranch. Much cheaper then having deer in a pen year round and paying for feed, having to check on your deer year round etc. |
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#28 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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#29 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Waco
Hunt In: Texas
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DMP pens work great. Go through all your pics and find a couple of your best deer and have the heli guys target them as choices to put in the pen. Friend I work with in the panhandle has been doing DMP for a few years now and the results are incredible for size and overall numbers.
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#30 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Bucks look really great for their age. DMP is a great way to go. I would look at using my best 3 yr olds. Ranch I used to manage in La Salle started DMP in 2004 and they have continued now. They use a lot of pens on a larger ranch. It has done amazing things with the over all herd quality and upper end buck numbers. They will only re-use a buck the next year if his antler growth improves after using him as a DMP buck. If he falls off they do not use him again.
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#31 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Fantastic. Been a fun project to watch. Congrats on your program.
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#32 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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Thank you sir. I appreciate it. I have enjoyed your thread as well and it led me to wanting to start this one. I will try and take some pictures of set ups and of course more deer pics whenever I can. |
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#33 |
Eight Point
![]() Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: San Antonio
Hunt In: Atascosa County
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Hunter your deer are looking fantastic and your plan is definetly working! Congrats sir!
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#34 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Magnolia
Hunt In: The woods
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Y'all defineatly have some great deer. Your dad sent me some of those same pics yesterday. He showed me a little cactus type buck as well
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk |
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#35 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
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Cool stuff. Looks like it's coming together.
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#36 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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#37 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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There are certainly some small and odd deer mixed in. We are going to try and be patient and let most of our deer get as much age as possible and see what shakes out. But some of the deer are the strangest looking racks I have seen. |
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#38 |
Pope & Young
![]() Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arlington, Texas
Hunt In: Mason, Ellis and Dimmit counties
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Wow!
Can you define "fluff up?" I guess I'm asking If these are still considered native deer? Last edited by Fishndude; 07-14-2017 at 05:15 PM. |
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#39 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Magnolia
Hunt In: The woods
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This guy here
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#40 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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We tried to take out all of the does. But obviously that was impossible. We did take out the vast majority of them. We started with 24 bred does back in 2013. We left the best of the best of the native bucks. Some of them have bred the superior genetic does. We do not have any deer in our pens or anything so I have no idea what is native and what is not. Some of these deer I know are from our original bred does and some I have no idea on. With the exception of the does we purchased, everything else was born on the ranch. We won't be utilizing the pens in the future with the exception of trying to utilize the DMP pen program. Overall we have had a great success rate with introducing the non native bred does into our ranch. They are all Texas bloodlines. We are not scientific at all and didn't look at pedigree or any of that. We just said "We want 5 does bred to that buck". In hindsight we probably should of been a little more selective but it still has been an improvement. We are seeing better young deer then we ever have. We killed 5 deer between 180-190 from 2004-2015. Our mature trophy bucks were generally in the 150s with the occasional buck scoring up to 180-190 with a few 160, 170" deer sprinkled in. Our goal is to make those 180"+ deer a reality every year once we have a good age structure. I think we will bust the 200" mark soon if all goes as planned. Our goal is not to have 250" deer with crazy points going everywhere. If it happens, fine. Our goal is to jump that 150" trophy up to around 175" and get the odd buck here and there to be 200" plus. By bringing in does that were supposedly superior to our native herd, we hope we have begun the process of accomplishing that. It is getting very hard to tell who was already on the ranch and who came from the superior does though. Pretty soon it is just going to be an educated guess. At this time we have only killed 1 deer that was from an introduced doe. Everything else I have ever posted was on the ranch when we bought the place in 2004. Last edited by TildenHunter; 07-14-2017 at 05:21 PM. |
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#41 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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#42 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Sisterdale
Hunt In: Sisterdale and el dorado , Jeff Davis, refugio/sinton , San perlita
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Oh it makes me emotional to see some nice deer, with out a commercial attached to them
Can't wait to see the end result |
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#43 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Magnolia
Hunt In: The woods
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Call me crazy but I'd rather have a clean 175 than a youpon 250 |
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#44 |
Pope & Young
![]() Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arlington, Texas
Hunt In: Mason, Ellis and Dimmit counties
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Ahhhhh...ok I get it now. Cool plan. We all wish we could do what you're doing. Looks to be working
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#45 | |
Ten Point
Join Date: Aug 2013
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The first buck with the tag is the buck that was a 5x5 at 4 when we first used him. He was 6 in this pic and had been released. They caught him again to use for 4 or 5 yrs in a row IIRC. He scored in the 180's at 8 or 9 yrs old. The second buck is a buck that was caught and used last years after 12 yrs of DMP. The ranch has always tried to select the biggest framed typical 10's or 12's with spread since DMP was used. This buck was first used at 4 2 yrs ago the released and caught last year again at 5. Here is his score totals for 225+ gross at 5: 11 5/8 inches of abnormals IS 25 5/8 Beams 28 6/8, 29 1/8 G1 4 2/8,3 4/8 G2 12 7/8, 11 4/8 G3 13 7/8, 12 7/8 G4 11 3/8, 11 G5 4 4/8, 5 7/8 mass 36” + They caught several more bucks of this caliber to use as DMP bucks. It is really impressive to how far along the bucks have progressed in the 10 yrs since I have left. It is mind blowing to see the amount of impressive bucks of all ages. Last edited by texashunter56; 01-10-2018 at 10:01 PM. |
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#46 |
Pope & Young
![]() Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arlington, Texas
Hunt In: Mason, Ellis and Dimmit counties
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Good googly moogley!!! ^^^
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#47 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Aug 2013
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#48 |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: NRH, TX
Hunt In: McMullen County
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#49 | |
Pope & Young
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Houston
Hunt In: Tilden & Utopia
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That is about the prettiest buck I've ever seen Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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#50 |
Ten Point
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Powderly, TX
Hunt In: God's green earth
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Good gosh look at all the Bone!! Wow
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