Anyone hunt Shelby County?

[Txjourneyman]

What can you tell me about the deer population? Poachers, thieves, etc. I just got on another east Texas timber lease. After the last one I was on I was reluctant to do it. But, my wife wanted to spend a bunch of money so she and the girls could go visit her dad in Vegas. That left my lease budget hurting. My hunting buddy Josh found a place near Center. Dues are only $550. 10 members hunting just over 1200 acres. The other members are all older gentlemen that hunt on logging roads and pipelines, they don't go IN the woods. The manager told Josh and I all the hardwood timber bottoms are ours to hunt. This property has a lot of deep creek bottoms. After walking the place for just a couple of hours I'm pretty excited about it. We found several rublines from last year and the main creek through the property still has water. I felt particularly good about a high traffic creek crossing with a great tree 15 yds away. On our way back out we jumped up a buck that looked to be 3 1/2. hard to tell with him in velvet and running the way he was.
The lease is 8 miles from Josh's house and 2 1/2 hours from mine Oh well, it looks promising. I'm glad I got a new camper that is selfcontained. No water or elec. in camp. Glad I have a generator too!

Oh, and tomorrow morning I'm going to the bank and opening a savings account. It will get all of my side job earnings and all other miscellaneous earnings. next year i'll try again to get off a timber lease and on to a place with deer and turkeys.

[Eason]

Sounds like you found a nice place. I hunt some family land in Shelby County, and it has come along way in the past 15 years. Knock on wood, we haven't had anything disappear or caught any poachers, but who knows what goes on when we aren't there. One thing we do have going for us is family members who live close to the property are able to keep an eye on it for us. As with anywhere in East Texas, you can kill good deer, but you will have to work for them. Let me see if I can find some pics from last year.

[elliscountyhog]

Congrats, sounds like one of the unusually uncrowded east tx leases, so it could be a pretty awsome place and a great price.

[Txjourneyman]

Yeah, knowing my buddy Josh he will be out there almost every day since its so close to him. That is a help.
and ECH, the manager told us our 2 spots were the first openings they have had in 6 years.

[Eason]

We didn't kill any of these, so hopefully they are still running around. The dates are wrong, these were actually in August of 2010. We saw all of them except the bigger 10pt and the big 7pt. This is low fence and smaller than your place as well.

[awatsonjr]

Nothing wrong with east Texas timber leases I've seen better deer in east Texas than in the hill country. Bigger bodies better horns etc. And by the way we do have turkey in east Texas.

[Txjourneyman]

Nothing wrong with east Texas timber leases I've seen better deer in east Texas than in the hill country. Bigger bodies better horns etc. And by the way we do have turkey in east Texas.

you are right and I didn't mean to run E.Texas down. Just had a bad experience on the last place I was on. As far as turkeys go shelby Co. doesn't have a season anymore. TPWD has closed the season in several counties for Eastern Turkeys until they have a more sustainable population.

Eason those are some good looking deer. I hope they live off of 7 a few miles west of Center!

[cantexduck]

We had a place behind west saddle shop for 18 years. Deer were far and few. Biggest was low 140. I did get a nice 130 ten when I was 19 or so. Lots of cats,coyotes and poachers. I love the piney woods.

[Nova]

Is it a mld club?

[Txjourneyman]

No, we don't have MLD.

[sqiggy]

Send Spud a PM. He grew up in Shelby Co. Still has family there.

[Firecuss]

Use to hunt Shelby and Panola Co. Very nice deer. I have two of them on my wall. Lots of cats, coyotes for sure. Poachers Yes we had them and we had stuff disappear. Wish you the best of luck and hope this economy has not made things worse as for as stealing.
Very nice Deer Eason

[whitetail adict]

My dad lives in center and my grandpa was post master there for 40 years. Good deer at my dads and getting better. Btw there are thieves in every area and poachers. Hunted there for a long time. Killed my first 10 or so deer in center. Lots of memories there.

[Shortbow]

I know both Lip and Curedog hunt some in Shelby Co., I am just down HWY 87 in north Sabine Co. I am gettting good action on a Trophy Rock right now. The bucks are visiting them fairly regularly. May be worth trying to get some early photos.

[Txjourneyman]

Thanks!