Deep East Texas Deer Season Report

[xman59]

saw two running across the back of my property when i came home from work one day,,, thats been it,,

[manwitaplan]

1700 hundred acres in liberty county and one spike killed. All shooter deer disappeared october 31 like usual. We held off on does waiting on weather and nothing happened. Deer numbers seem down and the hogs will be back second weekend of january like usual.

[curtintex]

I'm in Tyler County, between Woodville and Colmesneil. I have 680ac that we bought a couple of years ago. The area has some really good genetics and numbers. I know most of my neighbors and we share information on deer often. I have 10 different stand locations with both rifle blinds and bow stands. I have 6 protein feeders in pens that I feed January-August. I have 10 corn feeders that I feed September-December. I have 10 cameras that I usually run from about June/July through the end of the season. I have my eyes on the place year round and spend a lot of time there. I say all that because I really pay attention to numbers and quality and spend a lot of time and money trying to make it better.

Last season we were seeing some really good deer. I had several mature shooters on camera and the numbers of both bucks and doe were great. Saw deer just about every sit. I was after one particular buck that my neighbor ended up shooting and not finding late in the season, but I passed on multiple opportunities. I was about the only person that hunted despite it being available to my Dad, Brother-in-law and two Son-in-laws. My 10 year old nephew killed his first buck, a 8-9year old 9pt and the game warden's son killed a doe during the youth season. I was super excited about what was happening with the place. Ample cover, ample feed, ample water, good mixture of pasture and woods. There were a lot of good deer seen in person and on film.

Fast forward to this year....In February we had the freeze and then we had a super wet spring and early summer. 10 cameras out since July. I don't have a picture one of a fawn. Where I was seeing doe in packs of 8-10, now they're in groups of 2-3. The mature bucks that I do see will disappear for days at a time and not show up anywhere on camera. You used to could go for a ride on the Polaris and I could almost guarantee you that you'd jump a deer somewhere....seldom happened this season. I did have pics of a couple of good, young deer and a couple of old timers too, but the mature shooters went from seeing several to seeing a few. I made doe off-limits for anyone but kids, and strictly abide by only 5+ year old bucks rule.

What I am seeing MUCH more of is coyotes. Opening day of gun season, we saw 8 coyotes in the middle of the day and killed 3. I've never seen 8 yotes on 680 acres in a day before. One day I was running my 10 cameras. One was dead. Of the remaining 9, 8 of them had pics of coyotes at the feeders on multiple days and multiple times a day sometimes.

I think a couple of things...One, the freeze stressed the deer worse than I hoped. Some it killed and some it caused to miscarry. Two, my roving band of songdogs has deer movement jacked up. They're wise to the fact that the feeders attract deer and if it's good for us to hunt there it's good for yotes too. So when coyotes are frequenting an area, mature deer don't care too. Gotta kill a bunch of coyotes.

There has been no added pressure in our area. No logging. No drilling. Nothing to change the way deer act or move. But there is a distinct difference between the 2020 season and the 2021 season.

My neighbors are experiencing much of the same.

[BarW]

Saw about the same deer numbers as in past years but many more bucks than does.
I'll echo the no fawn pics and more yote pics.
Also something I've never seen is beauty berries were almost non-existent in my areas ( tyler, san augustine counties ) this year, I've seen down years but this year just none. Makes me wonder what other deer food sources were killed by the freeze that I don't realize.


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[Preacher Man]

Our numbers were up. We had a good fawn crop from last year and excellent fawn crop this year. Our legal buck numbers were down with only two “big” bucks seen and both got a pass. I killed a doe this year for the first time since 1987 because I’m worried about the carrying capacity of the land.

Our hog numbers are way down. I didn’t even see one this year. Coyote numbers we’re about average.

[Etxbuckman]

I do know the area where our farm is has had a coyote issue this year (or did). Haven’t seen or heard any in a while, fortunately.

I have wondered too if perhaps their population increased because there were so many dead or highly stressed out deer following the freeze and they had a lot more to eat.

On a related note, I have seen more bobcats this year on our farm than ever. No I’m not super worried about them being hard on the deer numbers, but I don’t particularly want more predators either.

[Capt.Bryan]

Liberty county. This year I had best deer numbers I have seen in years. 15-18 does and 6-8 bucks through season pretty regular all eating corn.

Typically I have good numbers up until early October and then they filter off to the oak flats. This year they never left and I did not see many under the many oak trees in my neighbors pasture. I assume acorn crop was weak or the high winds and heavy rains in October rotted them.

Killed a 4.5 year old 7pt that has been a 7pt the last 3 years on opening weekend and 1 doe. I am only hunting on q1 acres and have taken a couple of 140 class deer there but neighbor has set up a rodeo arena next to me. So mature deer are getting harder to come by.

[Anvilheadtexas]

And the general season is…. DUNZO. Since I have been done since early November I took a hike around my farm for the last hour of light. Pretty darn cold out there fellas! I did the old sneak up on several feeders, but did not see any critters. I did however check if you scrapes that were very active in October and oddly enough they looked like they had literally just been work this week! Despite low numbers I’m excited about next season!

[GarGuy]

Sat with nephew like David this evening. 11 bucks and 11 does. He killed a very old 8pt with almost no brows.

[Etxbuckman]

And the general season is…. DUNZO. Since I have been done since early November I took a hike around my farm for the last hour of light. Pretty darn cold out there fellas! I did the old sneak up on several feeders, but did not see any critters. I did however check if you scrapes that were very active in October and oddly enough they looked like they had literally just been work this week! Despite low numbers I’m excited about next season!

We should have an abundance of 4.5 - 5.5 year old bucks over the next couple of seasons if, and thats a big IF, mother nature doesn’t get psychotic again this year.

[Anthony_2011]

Nice went out to Sam Houston national forest and see a few doe and a spike never got a shot on him and today was the last day so took my boys out they were to cold to sit so I guess I did the right thing and left and went to the gun range to get them ready for youth!! Screw my hunt right lol!!!!!

[RedBear78]

Deer numbers low in Hardin Polk and Liberty countys for me.I don’t think I had a single mature buck on camera since October.Saw a shooter in Liberty and Angelina but couldn’t get a shot.Wife was able to shoot a couple doe and start her deer hunting career so that was exciting.Hog numbers were down every where I hunted.I sighted in the black powders this evening so we’ll try it a little longer.I enjoyed all the time in the outdoors this year but definitely ready to put this season in the book and get ready for next season.

[jjaimes]

Deer numbers were really low for me in Tyler county. Used to have a lot of doe and only a few bucks come in during October but these past two seasons have been odd. I will see bachelor groups of bucks all summer and during the season but no does only bucks throughout the season. I’ll see a few does at our neighboring property but only a group of 3 or 4 does. I’m going to feed year round this year to see what sticks around

[Native Texan]

I sat in the stand 34 times this season, mostly over trails and scrape lines. I saw a total of 42 deer while on the stand...32 bucks and 10 does. I saw no deer on 15 of the sits.

Lease members hunting mostly over feeders saw more does per buck than I did, but still way more bucks than does.

We killed 6 bucks and 4 does off of our 1400 acres, 2 eight pointers and 4 spikes.

We seem to be overrun with young spikes this season...more than we have ever seen. There had to be some does somewhere producing all those buck fawns last year.

I had my best season ever seeing and getting within bow range of mature bucks, despite constant logging activity. I didn't get a chance at any of my target bucks, but many of the ones I let walk sure got my heart going.

Until a few years ago we took 16-18 does each season. After the drought our numbers were way down so we cut back on killing does, as did the neighboring leases. We are seeing our numbers bounce back, but it took a few years.

Does have been hammered the past decade for sure. Antler restrictions increased the pressure on them, as many hunters killed the only legal deer they saw. Combined with excessive LAMPS permits and the thinking that eliminating does is always good for the herd, it's not surprising that overall numbers are down in many areas.

[Leon County Slayer]

Leon county. Deer numbers looked the same as previous years. Didn’t notice any changes other than my ability to shoot a deer.