Pecos and surrounding counties 2020-2021 thread

[KactusKiller]

Its our first yr to hunt this far west and would like to get some area info. How are your deer looking specifically mule deer? Our main reason for joining this lease was for the chance to spot and stalk deer especially mule deer. A chance to hunt some open land by glassing rather than sitting in a bow blind starring at a feeder.
Tips for hunting this area and hunting reports by all that hunt out west are welcome and encouraged.
Like most our place was extremely dry during the summer until the rain in september. Now deer have backed off feed and water troughs but I'm thinking they will be back if we don't get some more rain soon.
What do yall feed to get mule deer on camera? I have been throwing some alfalfa and last trip tried a little chaffay. We will see how it goes. Don't plan to hunt off feeders much but trying to get some pics to see what we have.

Good luck to all!

[Spearchunker]

Tuned in!

We just picked up 12K in Hall Co with mule deer. Pretty far from you though. We made our first visit 3 weeks ago and now have 14 feeders going and towers up. We have very little history on the place, so its been nerve racking learning so quickly.

I was told mule deer don't hit feeders, that BS. All my feeders are getting mule deer action with a few legal bucks.

We have so much to learn. Deer are hammering our feeders, but not too many bucks. Hopefully cold and rut changes that. But so far nothing to get exited about. This place has 30 water stations, and our numbers are very high. Just cant find any big boys.

We assume and been told the whitetails like the bottoms and mules like to open range.

I am thinking we start looking closer at the water stations. Its dry and we need rain. Plan of setting cameras on them soon.

Sean

[KactusKiller]

Tuned in!

We just picked up 12K in Hall Co with mule deer. Pretty far from you though. We made our first visit 3 weeks ago and now have 14 feeders going and towers up. We have very little history on the place, so its been nerve racking learning so quickly.

I was told mule deer don't hit feeders, that BS. All my feeders are getting mule deer action with a few legal bucks.

We have so much to learn. Deer are hammering our feeders, but not too many bucks. Hopefully cold and rut changes that. But so far nothing to get exited about. This place has 30 water stations, and our numbers are very high. Just cant find any big boys.

We assume and been told the whitetails like the bottoms and mules like to open range.

I am thinking we start looking closer at the water stations. Its dry and we need rain. Plan of setting cameras on them soon.

Sean

Pretty much the same I have seen so far. Mule deer will hit feeders but not as much as whitetail especially bigger bucks. I have had alot more luck getting pics off water troughs as far as bucks go. Good luck this season.

[Leddy]

Where abouts in Pecos County?

If South, in triangle of FS, Sanderson and Marathon, odds of getting into some elk are good.

I had a place east of 285 in the middle of FS and Sanderson and had a few elk come through time to time. Mule deer #s have seemed to drop as the white tails move in. Best spots for us to get mule deer pics was water.

They are there just got to go get them. Glass Glass glass.

The more you spot the easier it will get.

[spread5150]

The mule deer bucks at our place so hit the feeders but it’s not like clockwork. I have better luck feeding the roads.

It’s true our mule deer would rather stick to the flat hill tops or flat open range then be down in a bottom.

Been shy on javalina the last few years.

[KactusKiller]

Near Iraan, what y’all are saying sounds pretty close to what I’ve seen so far

[Tom]

cottonseed

[eradicator]

cottonseed

Yep. We used to load up on cottonseed when we hunted SE of Stockton. Stands in the morning/evenings, high rack/spot and stalk during the day.

[eradicator]

Near Iraan, what y’all are saying sounds pretty close to what I’ve seen so far

Where abouts near Iraan? I hunted SE of Stockton for several years. We bordered DR Horton. Had good mule deer and avg whitetail. Just got back on a new place close to Iraan. Our whitetail are better than better mulies(quality wise). Big, beautiful country and it will get in your blood if you have never hunted out there before. Quality glass is important as I'm sure you well know. Hopefully yall have a nice windmill holding tank to swim in!

[tex4k]

Down there it gets spotty at best, one day you'll see mule deer everywhere you look, next thing you know you can't find one to save your life. It just depends, I've had the best luck glassing greasewood and blackbrush flats whether they're on top of the hills or down in the valley, drive the ranch and find those areas and check them periodically, or set up your feeder on the edge of one of these flats. That was our experience chasing them along the northeastern area of Liveoak Draw over in Upton County.

[txtrophy85]

Hunted for several years between Alpine and Ft. Stockton. No feeders/blinds it was all spot and stalk. Some of the better mule deer in the county, very few whitetail but we did see them from time to time. Also had a big increase in the numbers of elk from 2014 to last year.

As mentioned, some days you are covered up in deer other times you can go days without seeing much. 2nd week of season was usually better than the first.

Glass gravely ridges morning and evening when they come out of bottoms to feed

[eradicator]

Hunted for several years between Alpine and Ft. Stockton. No feeders/blinds it was all spot and stalk. Some of the better mule deer in the county, very few whitetail but we did see them from time to time. Also had a big increase in the numbers of elk from 2014 to last year.

As mentioned, some days you are covered up in deer other times you can go days without seeing much. 2nd week of season was usually better than the first.

Glass gravely ridges morning and evening when they come out of bottoms to feed

Yep. After the big fire, the elk spread like crazy

[KactusKiller]

What is considered a good “trophy” in that area near Iraan? 120-130, 130-140?
We seem to have a few more WT than MD.
We are west of Iraan

[KactusKiller]

Anyone have any LDP from WT and MD taken in pecos co in recent yrs.

[eradicator]

pm sent