East Texas hunting 2022-‘23 season

[Low Fence]

Beautiful cape on an awesome buck. Congratulations to him

[Pstraw]

Congratulations to your son!!

[hogslayer78]

Originally Posted by EastTx

My son got a nice one this afternoon.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Beautiful buck! Congrats to your son

[Hayek'sPupil]

Originally Posted by Pineywoods

Right there with you in Houston County. Usually the last weekend of bow season to around the opening of the general season is the most active year to year on our place but this year has been a dud. Usually we have less acorns. With a bumper crop, the does don't have to move far from their bedding area to eat and can lay back down in cover. Does staying in cover and not having to come to feed areas being hunted translates to bucks not having to come far out of cover. I think this is the issue on our place. I have NEVER seen this many acorns on the ground in the woods. The timing of the last couple of big fronts dropped a ton of acorns right at the time of peak rut activity.

Hunt near Grapeland in Houston County as well and this is 100% accurate for us. Time to break out the hang and hunt setup and go into the thick cover.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

Houston county busted loose this weekend. Bucks running doe all day long. Every buck I saw was a buck I had never seen. Never saw a regular. Heck I had a young 8 point chasing my truck down the side of a road.

[Quackerbox]

Originally Posted by E.TX.BOWHUNTER

Houston county busted loose this weekend. Bucks running doe all day long. Every buck I saw was a buck I had never seen. Never saw a regular. Heck I had a young 8 point chasing my truck down the side of a road.

Polar opposite for us. Dad and I hunted daylight to 10-11 and back out at 230 till dark. Wife sat 12 hours or so between sat and sun. I never saw a buck, she saw a forky and my dad saw the same 8 twice. Meanwhile does sat in food plots un molested.

From 5a-9a cell camera sending pics of does on food plots. One buck cruised by and he didnt seem entertained. Same buck passes that came 3x a day

[NewBallCoach]

Yesterday evening sat in Henderson County. 6 doe, 1 spike (literally only had 1), small 7 point not legal, and had a buck come in right at dark and too late to do anything, couldn't tell how big but my mind was telling me he was a bruiser lol. The spike and the 7 were harassing 3 doe and the last buck came in with 2 doe. Can't get in the stand again until probably Wednesday evening. Hoping it's still active.

[Etxbuckman]

Yesterday morning was the most fun I've had in the woods and not pulled the trigger. From daylight to 11 I saw no less than 10 bucks, all running wide open. One buck was probably the biggest overall buck I've ever seen in east TX, including 12" brow tines. He would've been 20"+ wide and going on the wall buuuuut...he'd broken his left main beam off just past the brow tine, so I let him walk.

My dad killed a stud of a 9-point yesterday evening though, and even being 2 weeks into the prime part of the rut still went 185 lbs. on the hoof.

[AgHntr10]

I hunted Friday-Sunday AM and had a great time in the woods, I used to be a last weekend of October guy but it seems the Veterans day time frame has been better and better for us the last couple of years.
Friday prior to the front I saw two full on step for step chases by mature bucks, one I am familiar with and have passed a couple of times now split brow 9pt. The second one I didn't recognize from any TC pics and didn't have enough time to get the camera on him and shoot but he was a good one.
Saturday morning and afternoon had the resident young bucks harrassing the does then a pretty good 4-5 year old 8 walked right past them to eat corn in the pen. He was broken off right past his left G3, back legs were soaked and black all the way down so he may have just been worn out and recouping.
Then Sunday morning started off slow with a couple of single does and small bucks. One of the does had a buck probably 4 with real long bladed brows follow her exact tracks about 20 mins behind her. Good mass and charcheter with those brows, looking forward to see what he might turn into. Then about 8 o'clock my number 1 came out alone feeding on hand corn, by the time I got the ear muffs on my daughter and camera moved to that window he was feeding away from me, waited until he turned but still hard quartering away. Watching the video he took a step back and turned his body right as I squeezed off. Pretty disgusted with myself for taking the shot angle I did and missing at that. Only silver lining is it was a clean miss and as I set on the couch yesterday afternoon he walked in front of a cell camera 10 yards from where he stood yesterday morning so maybe I will get another shot.

[jershua]

Originally Posted by hogslayer78

Beautiful buck! Congrats to your son

Awesome buck! Congrats for him and you.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Congratulations to all successful hunters so far. I hunted 7 sits on my place in Harrison county this past weekend and did not see 1 deer. I don't know what the problem is. I run 2 corn feeders year round on a pipeline. I cannot get off the pipeline because all my neighbors hunt plus a big deer lease to my South. I always hope to catch one crossing.

[Landrover]

Originally Posted by drop dead fred

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

wow......i likey.

[gigem95]

Originally Posted by EastTx

My son got a nice one this afternoon.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Nice deer!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NewBallCoach]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Congratulations to all successful hunters so far. I hunted 7 sits on my place in Harrison county this past weekend and did not see 1 deer. I don't know what the problem is. I run 2 corn feeders year round on a pipeline. I cannot get off the pipeline because all my neighbors hunt plus a big deer lease to my South. I always hope to catch one crossing.

I don't know about your place, but on mine they are not hitting any corn or protein. They are hitting food plots and cleaning up the tons of acorns that are currently on the ground. My guess is there are some good oaks around and that's where they are at, maybe they will spoil soon and come back. Good luck!

[Greenheadless]

Originally Posted by NewBallCoach

I don't know about your place, but on mine they are not hitting any corn or protein. They are hitting food plots and cleaning up the tons of acorns that are currently on the ground. My guess is there are some good oaks around and that's where they are at, maybe they will spoil soon and come back. Good luck!

This.

I went from 500lbs per month per protein feeder to 25lbs per month per feeder since season started. And they prefer protein over corn.

[Javelin]

Well I am back in my ground blind at the free place. Last two days school has been canceled due to no water. Didn’t find out till 6 am yesterday and opted to not hunt because I would not have made it in till almost daylight. Well shooter showed up at 10am. Just my luck. Today however I got in stand at 6. Just hope the wind doesn’t get me. It’s a bit iffy and non existent. Here is to hoping he comes back in. I am doing it Indian style with a recurve I got from jerp a month ago. Been shooting every day and I am confident I can make the shot. Corn is at 10 yards. Pretty morning so far. Cool but not cold. Real quiet considering I am hunting close to lots of houses. It’s way different than my lease which is 6,000 acres surrounded by another 20k of timberland

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Originally Posted by Javelin

Well I am back in my ground blind at the free place. Last two days school has been canceled due to no water. Didn’t find out till 6 am yesterday and opted to not hunt because I would not have made it in till almost daylight. Well shooter showed up at 10am. Just my luck. Today however I got in stand at 6. Just hope the wind doesn’t get me. It’s a bit iffy and non existent. Here is to hoping he comes back in. I am doing it Indian style with a recurve I got from jerp a month ago. Been shooting every day and I am confident I can make the shot. Corn is at 10 yards. Pretty morning so far. Cool but not cold. Real quiet considering I am hunting close to lots of houses. It’s way different than my lease which is 6,000 acres surrounded by another 20k of timberland

Any updates?

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Originally Posted by Greenheadless

This.

I went from 500lbs per month per protein feeder to 25lbs per month per feeder since season started. And they prefer protein over corn.

I've never fed protein. I thought it is not worth the cost on 30 acres. But I have thought about corn/soybean mix.

[Landrover]

Originally Posted by EastTx

My son got a nice one this afternoon.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

That's beyond nice....wowzer!!!

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Low Fence]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

I've never fed protein. I thought it is not worth the cost on 30 acres. But I have thought about corn/soybean mix.

I feed both and went from 150-200 pounds a week in corn soybean mix… to about 4-5 pounds a week

Corn….. across all my properties 5 fees stations Less than 5 pounds a week go to deer

Protein…. They cruise by once in a while but completely stopped eating it 2-3 weeks ago

[Etxbuckman]

Originally Posted by Low Fence

I feed both and went from 150-200 pounds a week in corn soybean mix… to about 4-5 pounds a week

Corn….. across all my properties 5 fees stations Less than 5 pounds a week go to deer

Protein…. They cruise by once in a while but completely stopped eating it 2-3 weeks ago

The way things are going I'm considering picking up the individual kernels by hand and bagging them up to dump back in the feeders. LOL That is if the corn stalks that're growing don't generate enough ears to use.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Originally Posted by Low Fence

I feed both and went from 150-200 pounds a week in corn soybean mix… to about 4-5 pounds a week

Corn….. across all my properties 5 fees stations Less than 5 pounds a week go to deer

Protein…. They cruise by once in a while but completely stopped eating it 2-3 weeks ago

Is it the acorns?

[AgHntr10]

Originally Posted by Javelin

Well I am back in my ground blind at the free place. Last two days school has been canceled due to no water. Didn’t find out till 6 am yesterday and opted to not hunt because I would not have made it in till almost daylight. Well shooter showed up at 10am. Just my luck. Today however I got in stand at 6. Just hope the wind doesn’t get me. It’s a bit iffy and non existent. Here is to hoping he comes back in. I am doing it Indian style with a recurve I got from jerp a month ago. Been shooting every day and I am confident I can make the shot. Corn is at 10 yards. Pretty morning so far. Cool but not cold. Real quiet considering I am hunting close to lots of houses. It’s way different than my lease which is 6,000 acres surrounded by another 20k of timberland

Good luck! Did the deer from the trespassing picture ever show back up?

[Javelin]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Any updates?

Sat till 11am this morning. Never had one come in. Had to run to town and got back in stand later than I wanted. Got in around 315. Let’s hope something happens. This is my last hunt here on my free spot till next week. Friday evening I head to camp to try to wack a couple slick heads. Hopefully I get that done by Monday then I have all week here to get one laid down with the Indian bow

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Originally Posted by Javelin

Sat till 11am this morning. Never had one come in. Had to run to town and got back in stand later than I wanted. Got in around 315. Let’s hope something happens. This is my last hunt here on my free spot till next week. Friday evening I head to camp to try to wack a couple slick heads. Hopefully I get that done by Monday then I have all week here to get one laid down with the Indian bow

Good luck.

[Low Fence]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

Is it the acorns?

Everything really. If they want an acorn…. Bend over and pick one up

If they want greens… no need to travel to a food plot, with drought conditions we had then rain everything is a putting green

Want corn…. There’s a feeder every 40 acres to choose from now that general season started

[Greenheadless]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyRetired

I've never fed protein. I thought it is not worth the cost on 30 acres. But I have thought about corn/soybean mix.

I was commenting more to the fact, the deer are not coming to feeders.

They are hoovering the acorns.

[Javelin]

well I sat till dark yesterday and got blanked again. Funny deer on my angelina county place are not coming to corn at all but my polk county place 8 miles as the crow flies they are hammering it all day long.
The tresspassing buck did show back up one time, but him and all but one of my other shooters have gone missing for about 3 weeks now. Hoping its the acorns. I did have one shooter yesterday come in at 10am or so.

[Bayouboy]

Originally Posted by Javelin

well I sat till dark yesterday and got blanked again. Funny deer on my angelina county place are not coming to corn at all but my polk county place 8 miles as the crow flies they are hammering it all day long.
The tresspassing buck did show back up one time, but him and all but one of my other shooters have gone missing for about 3 weeks now. Hoping its the acorns. I did have one shooter yesterday come in at 10am or so.

Back nibbling corn at Renfro. Still hitting alfalfa in a big way. Mostly does and young bucks. The big bucks are chasing hard and look run down. I have seen a number of bucks with busted antlers.

[TxHamJello]

I had days of corn piling up under my feeders, assuming due to the acorns. Now all of that has been eaten. But, still not seeing much come in during daylight hours. On camera I have some coming in at night to eat . . . All the alfalfa was eaten as well, but I think it has been the does I'm seeing. Watched them for days on end expecting some bucks to follow, but nothing . . .

[AgHntr10]

They are still hitting our corn pretty hard, mostly hand corn/road feeders but going to the feeders as well.

[Etxbuckman]

I had hogs show up at a feeder for the first time in almost a month last night. While I sure don't want them around it may be a sign that the acorns are getting thin in some places.

That's good because I've got a roamer I need to come home. We have a date in December.

[Marsh Bandit]

The Good Lord blessed me with one heck of an old piney woods bruiser opening weekend of rifle. It’s not very often that you get to put your tag on an 8.5 year old free range buck.
Our neighbor and lease manager first saw this guy back in 2019 and knew he had potential to be something special. 2020 he got a pass to grow and last year he broke his main beam so he got another pass. He showed up again this year beginning of October at the neighbors and had a target on him but was to wise to show himself during daylight. About 2 weeks ago I started getting pics of him over at my stand and have hunted him with my bow almost every day the wind was right since then. Opening morning of rifle I even slept in (that’s like sleeping in on Christmas lol) to wait on the wind to shift to my favor. Once the wind got right at about 2:30, I slipped into my stand and an hour later “Great 8” stepped out to give me chance.
Thank you God. Thanks to the good group of neighbors that let these bucks grow. And a huuuge special thank you to my lovely wife for supporting me and my hobby that I have so much passion for.

[GarGuy]

That a Houston Co stud? Congrats!

[Marsh Bandit]

Originally Posted by GarGuy

That a Houston Co stud? Congrats!

No sir. Trinity county. Thank you!

[Pstraw]

Outstanding buck there. Congratulations!!

[Ginja Ninja]

Biggin’!

[Etxbuckman]

Marsh that is a GREAT buck congratulations.

By sheer coincidence I came here to mention that I let an absolute hammer of a buck walk this morning, and I did it because his main beam was broke off just past his brow tine on his left side. That one really hurt, but I know I would’ve been angry at myself if I would’ve killed him.

[preaux40]

New visitor at the feeder . .

[aggiehunter3]

Originally Posted by Marsh Bandit

The Good Lord blessed me with one heck of an old piney woods bruiser opening weekend of rifle. It’s not very often that you get to put your tag on an 8.5 year old free range buck.
Our neighbor and lease manager first saw this guy back in 2019 and knew he had potential to be something special. 2020 he got a pass to grow and last year he broke his main beam so he got another pass. He showed up again this year beginning of October at the neighbors and had a target on him but was to wise to show himself during daylight. About 2 weeks ago I started getting pics of him over at my stand and have hunted him with my bow almost every day the wind was right since then. Opening morning of rifle I even slept in (that’s like sleeping in on Christmas lol) to wait on the wind to shift to my favor. Once the wind got right at about 2:30, I slipped into my stand and an hour later “Great 8” stepped out to give me chance.
Thank you God. Thanks to the good group of neighbors that let these bucks grow. And a huuuge special thank you to my lovely wife for supporting me and my hobby that I have so much passion for.

Awesome deer and story. Have you put a tape on him yet? Curious how long his main beams are…congrats on a great buck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Low Fence]

After piecing puzzle pieces together last week. I made a mental plan to use north wind and set up where the doe would walk right under me! Already have an awesome tree on ridge but wind was wrong and I’ve been seeing every animal swinging waaaayyy wide scent checking. If thermals are good I’m good but evening hunts are brutal

Picked a tree this morning and planned to hunt till noon-1:00ish. Before 8:00 I hear steps and I’ll be &@$% “Big Jim” at 25 yrds. But he didn’t walk ridge he crossed it…. He walked right under my current platform. First time I’ve seen him in person in 4 years or so. Incredible. Hour or so later 3 doe came breaking brush running too me and past me on same trail he was on, just opposite direction. Hit a hay field and I lost site…. Nothing followed

Climbed down about 10:30 or so and moved a whole 15 yards… why I didn’t pick this tree this morning I’ll never know. It’s absolutely perfect in every way and I could have killed every single deer I’ve seen all season on the property from it

Now we wait some more….

[ElfEyes]

Originally Posted by Marsh Bandit

The Good Lord blessed me with one heck of an old piney woods bruiser opening weekend of rifle. It’s not very often that you get to put your tag on an 8.5 year old free range buck.

Our neighbor and lease manager first saw this guy back in 2019 and knew he had potential to be something special. 2020 he got a pass to grow and last year he broke his main beam so he got another pass. He showed up again this year beginning of October at the neighbors and had a target on him but was to wise to show himself during daylight. About 2 weeks ago I started getting pics of him over at my stand and have hunted him with my bow almost every day the wind was right since then. Opening morning of rifle I even slept in (that’s like sleeping in on Christmas lol) to wait on the wind to shift to my favor. Once the wind got right at about 2:30, I slipped into my stand and an hour later “Great 8” stepped out to give me chance.

Thank you God. Thanks to the good group of neighbors that let these bucks grow. And a huuuge special thank you to my lovely wife for supporting me and my hobby that I have so much passion for.

Congrats, I saw him on Texas buck registry. He really is awesome. I love his frame

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

[Low Fence]

This tree is Mo betta anyway. Red oak I was in this morning sucked! Lol

Great buck, congratulations!

[Snowflake Killa]

Originally Posted by Low Fence

This tree is Mo betta anyway. Red oak I was in this morning sucked! Lol



Great buck, congratulations!

Shoot something

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Marsh Bandit]

Originally Posted by aggiehunter3

Awesome deer and story. Have you put a tape on him yet? Curious how long his main beams are…congrats on a great buck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He actually taped out at 131”. Beams were 20 & 21”. 31.5” of mass. A few us thought he would have about 10 more inches on him from the trail pics. He only weighed 120 lbs on the hoof! So his trail cam pics were a bit deceiving. No one in the area (talked to quite a few neighbors) had pics of him during the summer so I don’t know if he ever ate any protein feed. Heck Even on the hand corn he would only stop for one bite and leave and the day I got him he walked right past it. He’s just been rolling into the area every October. This year he chased a doe about 1 mile further east than he should have lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Greenheadless]

That definitely is a heck of an old warrior. Congrats!

[Etxbuckman]

Is it a requirement to live in rural east Texas that you have dogs that must stay outside and bark incessantly at everything? And if you go outside you must yell and be as loud as possible?

Seriously. I thought murders of crows were annoying.

[ElfEyes]

Originally Posted by Etxbuckman

Is it a requirement to live in rural east Texas that you have dogs that must stay outside and bark incessantly at everything? And if you go outside you must yell and be as loud as possible?

Seriously. I thought murders of crows were annoying.

The dogs are guarding the broke down cars, but sometimes they distract the meth cooker and he can't concentrate.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

[Low Fence]

The buck I was on last night is still in area! On camera after midnight 200 yards away from where I was!!

Main Event showed up about 3:30!!!!!! Been gone for weeks

Since then it’s been non stop text. I’ve got more pics and daylight pic’s already TODAY than I have the entire month

Of course I can’t go today…. But will try and sneak bee bop into his ground blind. He has a legit shot at main event!

[CWendling]

I wont be able to go until Friday, but starting to see the bucks coming to feeders again. As well as a ton of coyotes. In 3 yrs ive had a couple coyote pics. In the last 2 weeks, ive been getting multiple per day. Even jumping into feed pens to eat corn