A good friend of mine and I acquired a small property this year to tinker with. It’s super close to my house (about 2.5 miles) and 98% wooded.... and thick.... and wet. We designed 5 fall plots and 3 summer plots that did well until July before burning up from drought. Fall plots look great and are being used quite a bit although we have a lower deer herd average we have a good age structure with several mature bucks. Main problem as with most east Texas land is surrounded pressure. One year around thanksgiving I counted over 20 rifle hunters in a 1.5 mile square. And being so fragmented meant nobody “keeps” deer.
Being first year I had no idea what to expect. I knew all neighbors and knew none hunted be any means but whatever feeder was on sale at Walmart and they start feeding about October. So I felt our planting and low pressure approaches would serve well.... then the fly by night oil company moved in and all went to &$&%. Plots destroyed, roads destroyed, feeders and stands relocated. It was a kick in the junk. The deer we were finally drawing were scattered like a covey if quail. In fact I hadn’t seen a deer with my own eyes since mid September. But cameras were showing some awesome bucks weekly... but all night pics. ............
Being first year I had no idea what to expect. I knew all neighbors and knew none hunted be any means but whatever feeder was on sale at Walmart and they start feeding about October. So I felt our planting and low pressure approaches would serve well.... then the fly by night oil company moved in and all went to &$&%. Plots destroyed, roads destroyed, feeders and stands relocated. It was a kick in the junk. The deer we were finally drawing were scattered like a covey if quail. In fact I hadn’t seen a deer with my own eyes since mid September. But cameras were showing some awesome bucks weekly... but all night pics. ............
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