Throckmorton Area

[sroswat]

I'm got an opportunity to get on a lease just NW of Throckmorton and I'm looking for any feedback on the area?

[Shallowater]

Depends on what ranch. I leased out there for sevral years. You should see good numbers and with proper management you could have a legitimate shot at 160-170' deer. The lease that we vacated a couple years back was still producing 145-150" deer in the middle of a terrible drought.

there is high variability in the ranches though. Some are more open and some are good and thick with mesquite.

PM me the ranch name and I can get you more info. Lots of buddies still hunt out there.

[Fmjag64]

I grew up hunting out that way in Throckmorton and Albany area and I loved it. If hunted responsibly, that area can produce some very big deer. We hunted with family friends on privately owned working ranches though so that being said, I think a lot would have to do with how the lease you're looking at is ran.

[walker1983]

My .02...
Generally, I think Shackelford and Throckmorton counties will grow a 150'' deer every 1000-1500 acres and a 160''+ every 10000 acres. That assumes they make it to maturity without getting shot as 3 and 4 yo 10pts.

Many of the ranches run a hunter to 500 acres or less. The highest deer densities are usually found on places west of 283 on a Baird - Albany - Throckmorton line in the rolling mesquite country.

I would check out the appraisal district, and make sure your potential lease is not surrounded by a bunch of smaller tracts. A section might look awesome, but if its surrounded by a half dozen small tracts, that may be a red flag.

[txwhitetail]

Big range of quality up there. Do your homework on the ranch and neighbors.

A lot of the big deer you hear about up there came out those earlier years when leasing started getting popular up there. Seems to have cooled in general up there the past several years. Lots of hunters and drought haven't helped.

I have a couple cousins on a large ranch up there and 150" is a great deer even with their supplemental feeding and management program. They have neighbors overloaded with hunters stacked on their fencelines. They have pretty much decided that deer reaching 150 are shooters as most deer 130-140 range regardless of age that leave the ranch are shot.

[freestylest22]

Walker1983 said it best. I've seen pics of 160"+ deer and couple 170" taken from a place I hunted West of Throckmorton. This is on a big place with very low pressure surrounded by big places.