Approximately what year did it all start?

[Big pig]

I think the first big S TX contest (Muy Grande ?) caused a shift in trophy buck hunting. And inches of Antlers. Even though I was hunting baby little deer on our family leases I kept up with those wide, brush country bucks in the contests. Thanks to Joe Doggett and Bobcats Brister of tge Houston Post newspaper
And was envious of the lucky hunters who had those leases.

BP

[TexEnv]

Reading these comments has been memory lane for me; awesome post. I was born in 1991 and started going to the deer lease with my dad, uncle, and cousins when I was probably 5. Most of the equipment was homemade stuff for us. I remember building a box blind and a homemade spin feeder with help from a neighbor that was an electrical engineer in the Navy. Dad wore original Realtree coveralls and Justin work boots. Lots of cold weather stuff was from the thrift store or garage sales my grandmother would pick up. Skinned deer with a Buck 110 folder. Camp was no running water in a rigged up old hay barn. We got a window unit AC for the camp for free we found in the newspaper classifieds. Looking back it was super basic and low budget by today's standards but some how seemed a lot more fun. I think money and the internet/social media influence has changed it. It's commercialized deal now. I did a report once in school on deer hunting and remember finding an article that said deer hunting was a $60 million a year business in the Texas economy and this was back in 2012. I think there's a lot of pressure to keep up with jones so to speak that we get from social media. I watch youtube a lot and see guys in basic clothes, less than state of the art gear, out shooting deer on public land with their buddies and look to have a lot more fun with it than I do now spending thousands a year to try and kill a trophy. Some of these guys have only been hunting for a few years. They shoot deer I might scoff at then I catch myself thinking man, horns and inches didn't use to matter, it was the experience and comradery. There's some guys going back to a more grass roots approach to hunting and it's refreshing to watch.

[kevin nicholls]

Cool post AC.I started losing interest in hunting because it just wasn't like it used to be. The last couple years I've changed that. I got off my lease and I hunt a friends property for free. It's small but I have it all to my self. I don't put up a feeder until I've killed a deer, I just use it to kill hogs. I don't use trail cams. I arrowed a nice doe this year already, just hunting a trail. You can laugh, it's ok, but the past couple years I've been hunting in blue jeans and a brown sweat shirt. Hunting is what we make of it and how we each enjoy it. I enjoy doing it my way, even if I don't succeed. I hope however you do it, you have a good time. Just keep getting out there, we're not going to live forever.

[SCREAMINREELS]

I can't believe no one has mentioned "Corn Bottles" as feeders yet. We would fill up a 2-liter bottle with corn and throw them out. The deer would kick them around and shake out a little corn. I made a hanger out of a piece or rope so I could carry 4 at a time. Times definitely have changed!

My dad still does this. I thought he invented it when i was little lol. Also would fill a burlap sack with corn and hang it. Stab it a few times and deer would eat out of it/what falls out.

[Werk]

Late 90s for me. Used to go to daycare during the summer. Daycare was a 5000acre vegetable farm in Bauxite Arkansas. Family friend owned the farm, and I used to work during the day sorting vegetables on a line after the workers picked all morning. Got to fish a nice pond on lunch, and could hunt cull deer on the farm in the evening when I was done working. Never got paid for it in money, but Id gladly take the same deal again as an adult. That was all rifle and I owned 1 camo t shirt.

Picked up bird hunting early 2000s in stuttgart arkansas.

Shot a bow for a while but never hunted with it. Kept bird hunting once I got out of the military, quit rifle hunting because it was no longer a challenge.

Bow hunted in California near Mt Shasta for black bear. And then started hunting public land whitetail again when I moved back to texas. Its about meat to me now. And earning it. I don't own a bunch of Sitka. First new bow in 6 years this year. Grabbed a new climber for less than a hundred bucks and live 40 minutes from where I hunt. Grabbed one nice jacket in wool for the cold spells. I think this is how I will continue to hunt for the rest of the time Im doing it.

[Anvilheadtexas]

Outstanding replies on this thread. I’ve enjoyed reading all of them.

Thank you for kicking it off. It’s a good read.

Just in… TP&W announces old school hunt. Hunter must wear blue jeans and flannel. Heating devices limited to toilet paper in coffee can soaked in alcohol. Firearms restricted to open sighted 30-30s. Tree stands allowed as long as old railroad spikes are used as foot pegs and scrap lumber as shooting platform. Harvest restrictions = deer must be brown.

[Death from Above]

No pictures as a kid…anyone that was brave enough to break out a camera and capture evidence was not invited back…

[James]

Great thread. I pray that my 1.5 year old son gets to hunt a little like I did growing up one day. Texas is on a different level from other states. I think there is a reason that the first page around the campfire has ten threads about kansas and none about texas.

I have hunted 8 different states the last few years and Texas is the only one where you need to spend thousands, ask for permission to shoot one, then have a dentist examine his teeth and everyone in camp still be ****** off at you.

There is a reason more and more Texas hunters leave every season to go out of state. I luckily found a lease with a good happy medium for me. I will NEVER be apart of a place like the last one I was on. Very Sad when you think about it.

[Anvilheadtexas]

Great thread. I pray that my 1.5 year old son gets to hunt a little like I did growing up one day. Texas is on a different level from other states. I think there is a reason that the first page around the campfire has ten threads about kansas and none about texas.

I have hunted 8 different states the last few years and Texas is the only one where you need to spend thousands, ask for permission to shoot one, then have a dentist examine his teeth and everyone in camp still be ****** off at you.

There is a reason more and more Texas hunters leave every season to go out of state. I luckily found a lease with a good happy medium for me. I will NEVER be apart of a place like the last one I was on. Very Sad when you think about it.

We have brought it on ourselves.

[Landrover]

Lots of great memories indeed but I’ll have to say overall, it’s better now.

Thanks for saving me having to type alot! This is definitely the heyday of deer hunting. Quality and numbers are UP!

[88 Bound]

Let’s put it into perspective from a quality standpoint. From the time you described, deer (especially bucks) were hard to come by. Now you can kill a 140 just about anywhere if you do your part. I’ll take today’s deer quality over the 70’s, all things considered.

[SmTx]

Let’s put it into perspective from a quality standpoint. From the time you described, deer (especially bucks) were hard to come by. Now you can kill a 140 just about anywhere if you do your part. I’ll take today’s deer quality over the 70’s, all things considered.

This you? lol

[Mike D]

Approximately what year did it all start?

Let’s put it into perspective from a quality standpoint. From the time you described, deer (especially bucks) were hard to come by. Now you can kill a 140 just about anywhere if you do your part. I’ll take today’s deer quality over the 70’s, all things considered.

This kind of makes several points on here. If your only concern is antler size it could be argued it’s better. But some aren’t obsessed with how much bone in on their head. They don’t like the way it is and is headed for different reasons and Texas is leading the way.

It’s become so expensive that it well on its way to being a rich person’s sport. My son for example can’t afford a typical deer lease in Texas and he makes decent money.

I’m going out of state next year and it will cost significantly less to hunt there than it will in Texas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Meatcutter]

1968 with my uncle.

[flywise]

Thanks for saving me having to type alot! This is definitely the heyday of deer hunting. Quality and numbers are UP!

For those that can afford it