South Texas Hunters Thread 2019

[TildenHunter]

Well I planned to take my time and hunt into January but I was presented with an opportunity this morning I couldn’t pass up.

He’s a 10 with kickers off both his G2’s! We scored him at 166 7/8”! 180 pounds and I’ve got him at 6.5 years old.

He’s a buck we haven’t seen in camera. With the rut beginning to show signs and low fence some new deer are showing themselves.

So I am camp cook and guide for the rest of the season.

I am beyond happy and this is my best whitetail by a long way!!

The best part is my 5 year old son was in the blind with me and actually spotted him first. My wife and 3 year old were in camp and got to join in on the recovery of the deer and pictures.

It’s only been a few months but I am hooked South Texas!!




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Not sure how I missed this when you posted but congrats! That is a heck of a buck and it appears you got yourself a heck of a good lease. McMullen Co is often overlooked but there are some great bucks down there! Congratulations.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

What do you guys use to pull in deer to your sets? Plain ol regular corn or do you mix it or use flavored corn?

[sotx]

I use plain old corn. For attracting deer to a set up I have found that you need four key ingredients. First a place/set up that holds deer or funnels deer. second third and fourth are a corn feeder, protein feeder and pen around said feeders that is round and 40' diameter minimum and the bigger the pen the better. At most of my set ups I have two corn feeders going. One in a pen and one without a pen. The penned feeder gets used by deer 10 to 0ne over the un-penned feeder. This is my observation. I am not sure why this is but it is. My fellow bow hunters on my lease with no pens on their feeders see a lot less deer than I do or the other guys with penned feeders. I am not saying this is the only way or the best way, I am just saying this works for me.

[tmurray]

What do you guys use to pull in deer to your sets? Plain ol regular corn or do you mix it or use flavored corn?

For me, it is simply pouring the corn to them via the road feeders. As SOTX stated, we too have our best luck at feeders with a BIG pen around them, but the thing that works best for us is having a regular presence and laying the yellow brick road every time we are there. I typically go through 10-15 bags of road corn per weekend and that is all dropped at/near the same 5-6 blinds. My deer much prefer road corn. I've got regular deer at a couple spots that have never once been on the camera at the pen, but I see them every sit on the roads.

[STX_Shooter]

Real nice deer congrats fellas.

[Black Ice]

For me, it is simply pouring the corn to them via the road feeders. As SOTX stated, we too have our best luck at feeders with a BIG pen around them, but the thing that works best for us is having a regular presence and laying the yellow brick road every time we are there. I typically go through 10-15 bags of road corn per weekend and that is all dropped at/near the same 5-6 blinds. My deer much prefer road corn. I've got regular deer at a couple spots that have never once been on the camera at the pen, but I see them every sit on the roads.

I feed 50 lbs per hunt per blind when I am there.

Every once in a while if it’s slow and I hunt the same blind in the afternoon I’ll not put out corn but 90% it’s 200 to 300 lbs per day depending on how many hunters.


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[tmurray]

I feed 50 lbs per hunt per blind when I am there.

Every once in a while if it’s slow and I hunt the same blind in the afternoon I’ll not put out corn but 90% it’s 200 to 300 lbs per day depending on how many hunters.


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Exactly, never seen one choke to death

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Thanks guys. I see big bucks being killed in South Texas and to me it just looks like a bunch of brush. It does not look like there is much for deer to eat. I thought maybe yall were adding something to the corn or feeding something else besides corn.

[sotx]

For me, it is simply pouring the corn to them via the road feeders. As SOTX stated, we too have our best luck at feeders with a BIG pen around them, but the thing that works best for us is having a regular presence and laying the yellow brick road every time we are there. I typically go through 10-15 bags of road corn per weekend and that is all dropped at/near the same 5-6 blinds. My deer much prefer road corn. I've got regular deer at a couple spots that have never once been on the camera at the pen, but I see them every sit on the roads.

Yes this [emoji106]


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[STGS]

Thanks guys. I see big bucks being killed in South Texas and to me it just looks like a bunch of brush. It does not look like there is much for deer to eat. I thought maybe yall were adding something to the corn or feeding something else besides corn.

Most of that brush is high in protein and very tasty most of the year.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Most of that brush is high in protein and very tasty most of the year.

Thanks for the info. I had no idea.

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[STX_Shooter]

I know a exact date can’t be predicted on the STX rut but based on past years when would y’all say peak rut hit? I’ve heard mid December I’m hearing late December. I’m hunting out of Starr County.

[Black Ice]

South Texas Hunters Thread 2019

I know a exact date can’t be predicted on the STX rut but based on past years when would y’all say peak rut hit? I’ve heard mid December I’m hearing late December. I’m hunting out of Starr County.

If you hunt next weekend until Christmas you won’t miss it.


Opening weekend I saw a few young bucks fighting but no chasing and as many as 15 bucks at one stand per hunt. This weekend I saw no buck fights but the bachelor groups have broken up with the middle aged deer and the young bucks still showing up together. Had some 3 and year olds starting to chase does off corn and one 4 year old running does semi hard.

I think the next two weeks will be pretty good.


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[STX_Shooter]

The reason I ask is because I don’t think I’ll be able to get to the lease till the 21st.

[Black Ice]

South Texas Hunters Thread 2019

The reason I ask is because I don’t think I’ll be able to get to the lease till the 21st.

I’ve moved my hunts around and it always seems to be the week before or after I hunt. Peak rut seams to happen from the 14th to 28th depending on what week I don’t hunt lol.

According to my schedule you should be fine.