2015 Panhandle Rut/Hunting Report Thread

[LloydMcCoy]

Ours all have fawns. Most have twins. They are pounding protein right now. We have four feeders that they are eating five hundred pounds a week out of. The does look skinny and rough. Raising fawns must be tough on them.

What protein y'all feeding?

[Shane]

Supposedly the aoudad were released on the double mountains years ago. I have seen photos from a few different places in the area with them. If he is near the big HF place out of Rotan they have a little of everything.

Yep, there have been aoudad around there for a long time.

Opening weekend a couple weeks ago, Zach and I were headed west down I-20 between Trent and Sweetwater on our way to our lease in the Panhandle, and we saw a few aoudad right by the fence (low fence) next to the access road on the north side of the interstate. I've never seen any around there before. I figure they got out of a high fence somewhere near there.

[Jethro]

Public service announcement for any new Panhandle hunters and reminder of the obvious to the veterans, if you see a buck you like and you get a shot, take it!

Otherwise, it's likely that in the next month to month and a half, he will lose some, if not significant amounts of antlers. Usually by Thanksgiving, I'm seeing at least one or two bucks with an entire side cleaned off.

Those bucks are big and mean up there.

From the middle of November, to sometime around Thanksgiving, a lot of the racks really take a beating. At least in my neck of the woods.

Another thing to remember is the bad drought we had in 2011. I helped run the MLDP routes in Collingsworth county in 2010, 2011, and 2012 (I have seen the raw data for every year since then), and for all practical purposes, there was no fawn crop in 2011. Pretty much, the 4.5 YO age class is missing this year. There are a few around, and some 5.5 and 6.5+ as well. The 2012 crop wasn't great either, but there are quite a few more 3.5's than 4.5's for sure. And a whole bunch of 2.5's, because 2013 is when it rebounded. The fawn crop that year was pretty good.

So next year will be getting better again, and the year after that should be much better.

Anyways, just something to keep in mind.

[crek1311]

Yea up in Wheeler county the deer get really busted up around Thanksgiving. I hunted in December last year and saw plenty of mature bucks, but probably 4 out of 5 had significant points broken off.

As far as fawn crop goes, this is the best the herd has looked since 2011 when almost no fawns made it.

[talltexasshoote]

What protein y'all feeding?

Lyssy and eckels. The deliver from Poth, Texas. Out deer love it. Prepare to have them drain your feeders.

[Mudslinger]

Hopefully if we do not get rained out or flooded out, I will be going this weekend. My main target this weekend will be this little 8 followed by the crab claw 9 point. anyone care to guess the width of the 8 and his score and the score on the crab claw 9?
Wish me luck. This will be my first hunt this year!

[talltexasshoote]

That 8 is between 22.5 and 23.5 wide. Probably will score low 120s because of week brows. Stud of a deer. Hope he and the weather give you a chance.

[Mudslinger]

That 8 is between 22.5 and 23.5 wide. Probably will score low 120s because of week brows. Stud of a deer. Hope he and the weather give you a chance.

Me too! NWS is saying 100% on Thursday and 0% on Friday and 10% on Saturday. Our lease is a sandy loam and drains quickly so hopefully this holds up and I get a shot at him sometime this weekend.

[talltexasshoote]

Me too! NWS is saying 100% on Thursday and 0% on Friday and 10% on Saturday. Our lease is a sandy loam and drains quickly so hopefully this holds up and I get a shot at him sometime this weekend.

Should get the big boys on their feet. That last little rain front we had a couple of weeks ago, every one of our shooters was on camera. I don't know what it is about rain that gets deer moving.

[Coach W]

The 8 is 23-24" wide. The 9 is in velvet so I can't guess. Lol. I'm horrible at that.

I'm going coyote hunting around home this weekend if the rain doesn't get it too muddy to travel the lease roads. Still too warm for me. Was in the high 80's today. That's gonna keep all my deer showing at night. Lol.

[txpanhandle32]

Been busy an been awhile since i have posted but heres how my season is going. Ive saw this buck once but he winded me. 2 night agao he came in at 9:25 with all his horns attached and at 9:30 he came back and his left side all but his brow was gone. So the next day me and 2 buddys set out to find the left side cause i want to kill him!!! His left g2 measured 14 inches and g3 was 9inches i have him rough scored right now at 146 which is pretty good for an 8 pt his mass is his weak factor. But i still wont be able to pass him espcially since i have his left aide already.

[Mudslinger]

Here is the crab claw 9 in hard horn.

[kry226]

Man you guys got some stud bucks running around your places! I cannot wait to get out to my place and see what's shaking.

[Heron]

Thinking about broken antlers today and I was reminded of a series of pics my uncle took about 8 years ago. It was mid-October and he was visiting with a neighbor by his pasture. His neighbor pointed and told him it looked like he had a couple of locked up bucks over by his pond.

My uncle looked over and sure enough, there were 2 large bucks locked up. He and the neighbor and my cousins got a rope and pulled them out of the pond. One was a very nice 11 and the other was a large 9. Both had antlers so thick that breaking not occurred. The 9 had a broken leg so one my cousins got his bow and dispatched it. They had to saw off one of the 11's antlers which ran off after they got their rope and let it up. They took several pictures which were very impressive.

I remember thinking that it seemed early for the bucks to be fighting like that but the pics showed otherwise.

[talltexasshoote]

Here is the crab claw 9 in hard horn.

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That nine is cool. I like the way the g2 is melted into the 3 or forked. I'm not sure which. I'd shoot him in an instant.