East Texas hunting 2022-‘23 season

[Gumbo Man]

Originally Posted by AgHntr10

Attachment 1114149

Latest I have ever punched a tag in East Texas, just a broken up old man that I have passed twice in early November then had a close encounter around Thanksgiving where I almost shot him with both my daughters in the stand. On what was going to be my last hunt of the season, possibly the last ever on this piece of property, I decided it would be a fitting end to this chapter.

Fantastic. Congrats on the late season punch.

[AgHntr10]

Not a giant by any means but a mature East Texas bully of a deer. Every time we saw him he had broken more off. Riley my 6 year old has logged a little over 50Hrs in the stand with me this year. We shot that deer today from the same spot I killed my first deer 25 years ago. With any luck we will get to keep the lease long enough for her to get her first deer in the same spot, but if not we went out on a high note and will find somewhere new to keep it going.

[turkeyhunter1]

I was blessed to harvest this guy back on 12/15 up in NE Texas.

[NewBallCoach]

Nice bucks, and a great story

[JhuntsAlot]

Congrats guys.

Bummer about the broken beam. But still cool deer.



J

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

I would like to know how you guys pull in deer like these. I never see deer on my place in Harrison County. I guess there is too much pressure with the hunting leases and neighbors.

[Etxbuckman]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

I would like to know how you guys pull in deer like these. I never see deer on my place in Harrison County. I guess there is too much pressure with the hunting leases and neighbors.

You can't kill deer like this if the "ya' cain't eat da horns" folks keep shooting them when they're legal but 3.5.

[Low Fence]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

I would like to know how you guys pull in deer like these. I never see deer on my place in Harrison County. I guess there is too much pressure with the hunting leases and neighbors.

All of my properties are small. 40 acres or so. On 40, I MIGHT hunt and penetrate 5-6 acres. The rest is off limits. I probably average 1 gun hunter per 15-20 acres. But they blow them off their property by 2nd weekend. I hold the deer, but still don’t mean they are huntable. I only
Hunt when it’s perfect and usually get 4-5 sits per property a season and I feel they are done

You can’t hunt small property the same as large tracts. And even then big land is useless if it’s getting stomped through weekly and offers no safe zone

[jshouse]

Had a cool one show up last week that I haven't seen since late summer, if that beam wasn't broke off he might be in trouble...he has been all over the cam every dang morning too lol





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[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Originally Posted by Low Fence

All of my properties are small. 40 acres or so. On 40, I MIGHT hunt and penetrate 5-6 acres. The rest is off limits. I probably average 1 gun hunter per 15-20 acres. But they blow them off their property by 2nd weekend. I hold the deer, but still don’t mean they are huntable. I only
Hunt when it’s perfect and usually get 4-5 sits per property a season and I feel they are done

You can’t hunt small property the same as large tracts. And even then big land is useless if it’s getting stomped through weekly and offers no safe zone

Mine is about the same size. All I ever do is run 2 corn feeders year round.
1. Should I continue to run the corn feeders or should I shut them off after season?
2. Should I try protein?
3. Should I burn the property or let it grow? It is pines with a lot of underbrush. A tornado in 2017 wiped out most of my hardwoods and the underbrush and briars are so thick you cannot walk around in it.

[Low Fence]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Mine is about the same size. All I ever do is run 2 corn feeders year round.
1. Should I continue to run the corn feeders or should I shut them off after season?
2. Should I try protein?
3. Should I burn the property or let it grow? It is pines with a lot of underbrush. A tornado in 2017 wiped out most of my hardwoods and the underbrush and briars are so thick you cannot walk around in it.

I honestly can’t remember the last time we wasted a minute hunting a feeder. If deer want corn near me they are less than 200 yards from it at any time. They know it’s dangerous…. Cause everyone of them has a hunter near by.

Us Texans are under a false notion that you have to kill a deer with its mouth full of something we introduced. They are a glorified goat. They don’t need what we put out, and in heavy pressure they got all that anyway and avoid it

[Gumbo Man]

Originally Posted by jshouse

Had a cool one show up last week that I haven't seen since late summer, if that beam wasn't broke off he might be in trouble...he has been all over the cam every dang morning too lol





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Stud buck right there. I love the palmation. Hopefully you can get him next year.

[Gumbo Man]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Mine is about the same size. All I ever do is run 2 corn feeders year round.
1. Should I continue to run the corn feeders or should I shut them off after season?
2. Should I try protein?
3. Should I burn the property or let it grow? It is pines with a lot of underbrush. A tornado in 2017 wiped out most of my hardwoods and the underbrush and briars are so thick you cannot walk around in it.

Low Fence makes a solid point concerning sanctuary areas to provide a safe place for the deer once the pressure of hunting season arrives. And you must be completely disciplined in never entering these areas other than to retrieve a deer if necessary. A controlled burn will always benefit wildlife by providing fresh Forbes and browse that is natural as well as beneficial for wildlife. Will be intrusive for a while but the rewards will be proven in short order. I won’t get involved in the “ No need for feed” argument. Good luck with your future development sir.

[jshouse]

The feeder thing has stumped me for years as well, but I don't think deer "know" there is a hunter watching a feeder therefore they steer clear of it. We have pics of big A deer standing underneath them every year, but I do feel like a mature buck will prefer a corn pile.

I took mine down on the "west side" of that place in October because of lack of pics, and started getting buck pics immediately. then I get that "east side" feeder going to see what was on that side of the creek and a couple of my biggest bucks are under it.

Maybe take 1 down and compare what you see between the feeder and the corn pile.

[Low Fence]

I won’t say feed is “bad”. Problem (in my area, and growing state wide) is frequency. More than 1 feeder per 250-300 is too much. But few have hat much land much less per hunter. So you have 40-100 acre blocks with 3 feeders…. And those overlap with the neighbors doing the same…. And there neighbors doing the same. We put up a feeder cause the neighbors do it. We have become our own worst enemy in most private hunting land in Texas as a whole

Go to large ranches with 1 feeder per 500-1000 acres. It’s insane when a feeder goes off

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Thanks for all the advice. Maybe I will pull 1 feeder. I hunt a pipeline that runs the length of the property and I have 1 feeder to my West and 1 to the East on the pipeline.

[ElfEyes]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Thanks for all the advice. Maybe I will pull 1 feeder. I hunt a pipeline that runs the length of the property and I have 1 feeder to my West and 1 to the East on the pipeline.

Why don't you share a satellite image of your property to see if others might have suggestions on how they might make some changes to how they would setup. I know the guys that hunt pipelines on my lease sightings drop off considerably as season goes on.

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[Gumbo Man]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Thanks for all the advice. Maybe I will pull 1 feeder. I hunt a pipeline that runs the length of the property and I have 1 feeder to my West and 1 to the East on the pipeline.

I don’t see this as a problem at all. I’ve done the same thing on pipelines with great results. I think that your problem is that your property really has nothing to offer wildlife other than cover. The best habitat for deer,IMO, is going to be abundant natural vegetation and cover with water close by. Supplemental nutrition does nothing but enhance the overall appeal for the wildlife to want to stay on or close to your land. My real reason for feeding protein year round is to have healthy does so that they are in the best shape they can be in during fawning season. Especially after. When your does are healthy you should notice more twin fawns resulting in a better herd number wise. I hunt 6500 acres of mostly timber with 7 other hunters. Some areas have been thinned and some haven’t resulting in underbrush like you have described that offer absolutely nothing to deer other than cover. But that’s where your supplemental feeding and food plots come in to play for enhancement giving the deer everything that they need to stay in the area. We will be doing some burns this coming year to open up some new areas that are only beneficial to hogs right now.

As Kyle has mentioned earlier, pick your stand locations wisely so you can get in and out with minimal intrusion. Preferably on one side of the property. All properties are different and deer act and react differently on each property. What works for me may not work for the next guy so I hope none of this has been misinformation. But developing a great property takes time, effort, total commitment and discipline. Good luck sir.

[AgHntr10]

We are only about 700 acres but I think what helps us is an area right in the middle that’s about 185 acres that nobody touches. We hunt the edges but other than a couple of lanes going down into it is pretty much untouched.
We also have a good mixture of habitat from fresh clearings to 35-40 year old plantations with lots of elevation changes.

[Gumbo Man]

Originally Posted by AgHntr10

We are only about 700 acres but I think what helps us is an area right in the middle that’s about 185 acres that nobody touches. We hunt the edges but other than a couple of lanes going down into it is pretty much untouched.
We also have a good mixture of habitat from fresh clearings to 35-40 year old plantations with lots of elevation changes.

Sounds like a nice place. Hopefully you don’t lose it.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Originally Posted by ElfEyes

Why don't you share a satellite image of your property to see if others might have suggestions on how they might make some changes to how they would setup. I know the guys that hunt pipelines on my lease sightings drop off considerably as season goes on.

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Not sure if you can understand what this is.

My stand sits at the bottom of the l in pipeline. The pipeline crosses the tram there. The small blue line running North/South is a creek where it is growed up in underbrush. The two track is a trail we keep bush hogged each year.

[ElfEyes]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Not sure if you can understand what this is.

My stand sits at the bottom of the l in pipeline. The pipeline crosses the tram there. The small blue line running North/South is a creek where it is growed up in underbrush. The two track is a trail we keep bush hogged each year.

I assume all the properties around are just big blocks of woods just like yours? How's the hog population on your place? You said you haven't seen a deer this year, is that while hunting or are you actually not getting any pictures either? If all the properties around you are just like yours, you have to set your property apart is what Grant Woods preaches. It looks like you enter the property on the southern border close to the middle?

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[Snowflake Killa]

Originally Posted by AgHntr10

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Not a giant by any means but a mature East Texas bully of a deer. Every time we saw him he had broken more off. Riley my 6 year old has logged a little over 50Hrs in the stand with me this year. We shot that deer today from the same spot I killed my first deer 25 years ago. With any luck we will get to keep the lease long enough for her to get her first deer in the same spot, but if not we went out on a high note and will find somewhere new to keep it going.

Congratulations Kent

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[NewBallCoach]

Had a good season, saw deer in 90% of my sits, and multiple deer in 78% of those sits, just never saw the buck I was after. Made the decision 3 days ago to take a spike that showed up almost everytime I went and had shown up the 2 sits before I made that decision, he never showed after that lol. Kicking myself a little for not taking one of the 13 different doe I saw this season early on but that's ok. I will just have to fish more to keep meat in the freezer.

Anyways, what's yalls favorite seasonings for tag soup?

[NewBallCoach]

Had a good season, saw deer in 90% of my sits, and multiple deer in 78% of those sits, just never saw the buck I was after. Made the decision 3 days ago to take a spike that showed up almost everytime I went and had shown up the 2 sits before I made that decision, he never showed after that lol. Kicking myself a little for not taking one of the 13 different doe I saw this season early on but that's ok. I will just have to fish more to keep meat in the freezer.

Anyways, what's yalls favorite seasonings for tag soup?

[drop dead fred]

(5) 5.5 mature etx bucks ya love to see it! The East kids are wrapped!


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[Etxbuckman]

Good grief. Of course you and Tony got great bucks, but Todd got a helluva deer too.

Congrats to all of you!

[Quackerbox]

My son has hunted since Thursday afternoon and my wife went to camp Saturday afternoon. They're both sitting this morning.

While a couple bucks have shown on camera, they haven't seen much. Son's been hunting a food plot with some hand corn and wife been just about everything

Good news is one buck that was Mia all freaking season came back

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[drop dead fred]

Originally Posted by Etxbuckman

Good grief. Of course you and Tony got great bucks, but Todd got a helluva deer too.

Congrats to all of you!

Yes sir was a fine year in the pines for us


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[Low Fence]

Finished the season on a last minute Hail Mary with wind conditions and just getting back into town. Saw 1 monster doe and what I’m assuming was her fawn. If any of the shooters become patterned in next 2 weeks I’ll let bee bop try his luck.

[Sippy]

We had a relatively slow season. About 2/3 way through the doe tags at this point.

1 target buck killed, 1 I can't get a picture of (suspicious), and 1 off the don't shoot list... oh well, here's to another year of managing people more than deer

[Gumbo Man]

Wow. That second picture just about put my eye out. Was he the one on the do not shoot list? And if so why. Age or continuing genetics or both? Helluva deer.

[Sippy]

Originally Posted by Gumbo Man

Wow. That second picture just about put my eye out. Was he the one on the do not shoot list? And if so why. Age or continuing genetics or both? Helluva deer.

4.5 year old. Thats a deer i want to kill at 6.5+

We have a problem with killing the top end deer at 4.5

[Low Fence]

Originally Posted by Sippy

4.5 year old. Thats a deer i want to kill at 6.5+

We have a problem with killing the top end deer at 4.5

My neighbors prefer them at 2.5-3.5. Lol. The 110” rack looks more impressive on a 70# body…..

[Quackerbox]

Originally Posted by Low Fence

My neighbors prefer them at 2.5-3.5. Lol. The 110” rack looks more impressive on a 70# body…..

You hunt closer to me than I thought

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[Gumbo Man]

Originally Posted by Sippy

4.5 year old. Thats a deer i want to kill at 6.5+

We have a problem with killing the top end deer at 4.5

I don’t blame you. It seems that some repercussions are in order. I’d be smoking pizzed.

[Sippy]

Originally Posted by Gumbo Man

I don’t blame you. It seems that some repercussions are in order. I’d be smoking pizzed.

I have been, it won’t change anything especially when it’s family.

Next year extra measures are coming… hopefully

[Gumbo Man]

Originally Posted by Sippy

I have been, it won’t change anything especially when it’s family.

Next year extra measures are coming… hopefully

Ouch. That’s a tough one my friend. Hopefully it’ll all come together without a family feud.

[MASTERS]

Originally Posted by Sippy

4.5 year old. Thats a deer i want to kill at 6.5+

We have a problem with killing the top end deer at 4.5

Managing deer in the deer woods.....piece of cake would almost do it for free!

Managing people in the deer woods.....no thanks it don’t pay enough!

[Anvilheadtexas]

It’s a wrap. I was lucky to get to hunt my property and thankful for that. I did have a chance to take the one good buck we were watching, but passed. Hopefully we get to find his sheds. Numbers are down fellas in my corner of Polk County (it’s not as easy as too many acorns), but we hope to change that this year with some timber cuts. We also have some other off season projects planned. In the end, this season was a disaster, starting with my neighbor and his motorcycle hitting a great deer thst we watched all summer. Already excited for 2023/24!

[Hix]

Well I still have 3 buck tags left,
one of my targets (an old 10) has daylighted 3 times since i left for work.
Looks like ill be hunting the last 4-1/2 days of muzzleloader trying to make something happen.

Seems like most of my mature bucks never left for very long this year and I didn’t have any new good ones show up really.
Usually my home place is crawling with new bucks l, sometimes a dozen with pass through. And even my 1700 acre farm had about 8 decent mature deer and that’s it. Crazy year.


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[jshouse]

I ate some tag soup again, my oldest son got a tank of an old buck we were targeting and my youngest still has his eyes on a mature 8pt that we hope to kill one night this week.

All our targets made it though and should make for a heckuva year next year, especially if we get some rain.

[jshouse]

Originally Posted by jshouse

need some help guys... in january we are going to be looking to purchase around 80-120 acres of recreational land within 2-2.5hrs of rockwall. probably somewhere between nacadoches up to the red. we are looking for a spot to take my boys on the weekends and possibly retire to in 8-10 years.

in a perfect world you would come in the gate off a county road and it would fall off into a nice big hardwood bottom with a creek or 2, maybe a pond, a couple meadows and have water and electricity. electricity is a must, or at least be close. and mature bucks in the 140s or better if i am dreaming

we check the listings everyday, but if you guys know of, or hear of anything, let me know...thanks

Still looking.... We are going to check out 2 or 3 places next weekend

[Etxbuckman]

So to expand my thoughts and observations a bit more concerning the war of does, especially as it relates to east TX:

I have irrefutable proof right now that (some) bucks are still chasing, still fighting, and apparently still trying to breed. Biologists have been trying to sell us on the idea that a tighter buck to doe ratio would mean a more noticeable, but more concise, rut period. This in theory would help bucks particularly by shortening the period of greater stress, but evidently somebody forgot to tell the bucks in east TX, at least around me, because they're still going.

[GarGuy]

Originally Posted by jshouse

I ate some tag soup again, my oldest son got a tank of an old buck we were targeting and my youngest still has his eyes on a mature 8pt that we hope to kill one night this week.

All our targets made it though and should make for a heckuva year next year, especially if we get some rain.

My non hunting cousin just bought a property two years ago in the area you described that exactly meets the description. He has flipped property in the past. Price range?

[axisbuck]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Thanks for all the advice. Maybe I will pull 1 feeder. I hunt a pipeline that runs the length of the property and I have 1 feeder to my West and 1 to the East on the pipeline.

E tx Pipelines are good early or rut but as the boom boom starts they avoid using it atleast during shooting times. May be see where they enter/leave the pipeline and corn pile 50-100yards inside and hang a cam and you might be pleasantly surprised.

[jshouse]

Originally Posted by GarGuy

My non hunting cousin just bought a property two years ago in the area you described that exactly meets the description. He has flipped property in the past. Price range?

thanks for the info sir... we are looking to stay under $425k or so.

[Greenheadless]

Originally Posted by Etxbuckman

So to expand my thoughts and observations a bit more concerning the war of does, especially as it relates to east TX:

I have irrefutable proof right now that (some) bucks are still chasing, still fighting, and apparently still trying to breed. Biologists have been trying to sell us on the idea that a tighter buck to doe ratio would mean a more noticeable, but more concise, rut period. This in theory would help bucks particularly by shortening the period of greater stress, but evidently somebody forgot to tell the bucks in east TX, at least around me, because they're still going.

This is the time of year some doe fawns tend to get big enough to come into “season”. We see a mini rut/new broken antlers (if they haven’t dropped them)/new scrape activity every year at this time.

We also have bucks, like all years, that have started to drop horns.

[dirtybay]

Some impressive deer on these pages. Been tough in my area near Toledo bend. Still haven’t seen the mature bucks we had on camera before season. Passed a few good 4.5s though. Shall see if they start coming back around now that it’s getting late season and things are much more quiet and with less acorns.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Originally Posted by axisbuck

E tx Pipelines are good early or rut but as the boom boom starts they avoid using it atleast during shooting times. May be see where they enter/leave the pipeline and corn pile 50-100yards inside and hang a cam and you might be pleasantly surprised.