East TX vs. West TX leases

[JLivi1224]

If you can find a big lease in a proven county in East Tx with an existing management plan that uses age restrictions for buck harvest, I would choose East Tx. Check TBGA records and narrow it to a list of counties that consistently produce big deer then start your lease search. More than likely it will be a timber company lease that meets that criteria. If it's just a "deer lease" in East Tx and you have never hunted here, I have a feeling you will be disappointed for all the reasons listed. There are some good private "deer leases" here, but it would be hard to find one of those places going in blind. If you can't find a property that meets those qualifications in East Tx then I say go West.

Great answer.

[BuckBass79]

West Texas proud here for 10 years.

To me...a deer lease is about so much more than inches or lbs..... but West Texas has a nice amount of both. The entire experience is what I look for.

I like seeing deer... even if I don't trip my release all year on a "monster". I enjoy watching deer as much as I enjoy shooting them. I don't hunt to watch birds (turkeys are OK[emoji51].) Seeing deer is fun ...killing several deer a year is even more fun..

I love the people out west. They are a friendly bunch and laid back as a whole. The egos are checked at the gate.

I like the large leases and low members counts. I like leases where the deer herd health/numbers are more important than keeping the cost of the lease fee down. 7 hunters on 2400 acres of oak and mesquite is so much enjoyable than 25 folks on 800 acres of pines with 10 white oak trees. Less folks equals less problems and more deer for everybody.

I love the dry heat.... I also love the dry crisp mornings during winter. I love the lack of mosquitos and bugs in general. Rats and mice are also rare at our place.

I like all my **** to be there when I arrive at the lease. I like being able to leave stuff at my lease and know it's going to be there when I drive up. Hauling back what I have at my lease each trip would be a major PITA. Replacing it all because some methhead stole it would be even more of a PITA.

I like not having pictures of poachers and hog doggers. I like not having my hunt ruined by the guy on his 5 acres next door practicing for World War 3.

I love the smell of burning mesquite and ribeyes searing over it.



I hate..... the drive. .. especially on Sunday.

I hate 105 deg workdays in the summer.

I hated the 2010-2011 drought

My loves and likes far outweigh my hates though....

Did I say I love seeing deer?

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we have a winner.

[Filletem]

If you can find a big lease in a proven county in East Tx with an existing management plan that uses age restrictions for buck harvest, I would choose East Tx. Check TBGA records and narrow it to a list of counties that consistently produce big deer then start your lease search. More than likely it will be a timber company lease that meets that criteria. If it's just a "deer lease" in East Tx and you have never hunted here, I have a feeling you will be disappointed for all the reasons listed. There are some good private "deer leases" here, but it would be hard to find one of those places going in blind. If you can't find a property that meets those qualifications in East Tx then I say go West.

I'm glad you posted this pretty much what I wanted to say I just didn't feel like typing it out.

[Filletem]

I have hunted both and I have to say if you enjoy seeing deer just about ever time you go out then go west. If you enjoy fighting skeeters, seeing one deer a month maybe and it not being big enough to make it legal then hunt east. Yes there are places in ET that have more deer but most of those are taken. Yes I know there are big deer in ET too but if you go WT in the right areas you get the big bonus of exotics. Which you can hunt year round, taste better, and most have a lot more meat on them than a whitetail in TX ever dreamed of having. Also you can legally kill those pesky rattle snakes in WT. I live in Waller county and we are in the post oak savanna looking area, no pine trees, and we have a decent deer herd around the house but that mostly because not many folks hunt them. Growing up around there we rarely seen any deer. We got a place in Leaky and WOW we would see deer everyday. So its up to what you can afford or preference but for the shear fun of seeing lots of animals Id go west. Mason and Brady area have some good sized bucks and a few exotics running around plus turkeys. I sat on day and had 21 deer at my stand and only 3 were does. Of the bucks 6 were 4yrs old or older. You just do see that in ET getting on a lease.

I wish you would change your avatar, Every time I start reading a thread and your post pop up I get side tracked on that avatar and lose my place.

[sbushee]

I've never hunted ETX but have heard lots of horror stories about poaching and trespassing. I love the west and big open country. Harvesting a deer is just a bonus and not necessary for a wonderful outdoor experience.

[d_e_smith]

If you can find a big lease in a proven county in East Tx with an existing management plan that uses age restrictions for buck harvest, I would choose East Tx. Check TBGA records and narrow it to a list of counties that consistently produce big deer then start your lease search. More than likely it will be a timber company lease that meets that criteria. If it's just a "deer lease" in East Tx and you have never hunted here, I have a feeling you will be disappointed for all the reasons listed. There are some good private "deer leases" here, but it would be hard to find one of those places going in blind. If you can't find a property that meets those qualifications in East Tx then I say go West.

If a person lives in ETX and can't find that inETX, chances are pretty good they need to change friends.

[GarGuy]

If a person lives in ETX and can't find that inETX, chances are pretty good they need to change friends.

True. there are more and more quality places in east tx. Honestly, the deer are getting easier to kill as well. Prices are going up but a quality deer lease in East tx is very doable if you want to drop the cash.

[jshouse]

If a person lives in ETX and can't find that inETX, chances are pretty good they need to change friends.

Or just knock on the right doors.

[cj_sandman]

What are you calling west tx ???

San Saba, so maybe technically more western Central TX?

[HoustonHunter]

If someone hunting west pays $1,100 a year for full access on a 1,000 acre property with 8 other hunters and thinks it's better than my 55 minute drive ETX lease, let's compare WT harvest pictures.

I can guarantee I'll win this bet.

Did I mention I drive 55 minutes?

You guys bashing east, stay where you are. All this "no deer" hunting is a lot of fun!

[cj_sandman]

West Texas proud here for 10 years.

To me...a deer lease is about so much more than inches or lbs..... but West Texas has a nice amount of both. The entire experience is what I look for.

I like seeing deer... even if I don't trip my release all year on a "monster". I enjoy watching deer as much as I enjoy shooting them. I don't hunt to watch birds (turkeys are OK[emoji51].) Seeing deer is fun ...killing several deer a year is even more fun..

I love the people out west. They are a friendly bunch and laid back as a whole. The egos are checked at the gate.

I like the large leases and low members counts. I like leases where the deer herd health/numbers are more important than keeping the cost of the lease fee down. 7 hunters on 2400 acres of oak and mesquite is so much enjoyable than 25 folks on 800 acres of pines with 10 white oak trees. Less folks equals less problems and more deer for everybody.

I love the dry heat.... I also love the dry crisp mornings during winter. I love the lack of mosquitos and bugs in general. Rats and mice are also rare at our place.

I like all my **** to be there when I arrive at the lease. I like being able to leave stuff at my lease and know it's going to be there when I drive up. Hauling back what I have at my lease each trip would be a major PITA. Replacing it all because some methhead stole it would be even more of a PITA.

I like not having pictures of poachers and hog doggers. I like not having my hunt ruined by the guy on his 5 acres next door practicing for World War 3.

I love the smell of burning mesquite and ribeyes searing over it.



I hate..... the drive. .. especially on Sunday.

I hate 105 deg workdays in the summer.

I hated the 2010-2011 drought

My loves and likes far outweigh my hates though....

Did I say I love seeing deer?

This is pretty spot on how I feel

Thank you for all the responses, you guys have provided a great deal of information. I think I would like to make sure I see deer every time I go out. Not seeing deer isn't going to "ruin the experience" for me per se, but right now I've got two young kids who aren't old enough to hunt yet, and so my number of opportunities to go are pretty limited. Currently, I am in it for the meat as opposed to trophies. After reading all the responses, I get the feeling that I want to hunt central/west right now, and may be interested in hunting east later on when I have more time.

[myway]

If someone hunting west pays $1,100 a year for full access on a 1,000 acre property with 8 other hunters and thinks it's better than my 55 minute drive ETX lease, let's compare WT harvest pictures.

I can guarantee I'll win this bet.

Did I mention I drive 55 minutes?

You guys bashing east, stay where you are. All this "no deer" hunting is a lot of fun!

I went back and read the thread again and not picking up any bashing? I don't get the one is better than the other that's just silly and does not make sense. As several have mentioned they are different and I don't think anyone can dispute that.
Sounds like you have a nice place enjoy it. Living in DFW either way is 3-4 hours for me. The place I currently hunt is actually 5 hours but I think it's one of coolest places in Texas so that where I go.

[bollomb]

If someone hunting west pays $1,100 a year for full access on a 1,000 acre property with 8 other hunters and thinks it's better than my 55 minute drive ETX lease, let's compare WT harvest pictures.

I can guarantee I'll win this bet.

Did I mention I drive 55 minutes?

You guys bashing east, stay where you are. All this "no deer" hunting is a lot of fun!

Agreed. Let them stay after those pencil racked grey hounds

[Shane]

I've been saying for years, the only thing wrong with East Texas is the East Texans. So before the people from East Texas pile on for saying that, I'm an East Texan.

I finally got fed up with all the poaching, theft and trespassing. It was a constant battle. If you weren't there enough, people started to think you were gone and they'd treat the place like their own.

I love being able to hunt a place that I don't EVER have to worry about.

This is what keeps me from even considering a lease in East Texas. Just way too many of these types of stories on here every year out of East Texas. I'd rather pay double and drive twice as far if I had to in order to avoid that kind of mess.

[wloftis]

Personal preference...basically all depends on what you like in a hunting lease.

Any "bashing" or "comparing"....starting to sound like some are wanting to "compare shoe/hand size".

OP, good luck on your decision making, and best of luck to all this hunting season. Come on Sept. 30th!