2020/2021 east texas hunting thread

[GarGuy]

Great post Tony. Longer version of what I posted earlier. TO add one point that gets lost.The absolutely best times for buck cruising is just before the first group of does pop and just after they go out. Yesterday I had a doe in full heat. She had one huge old bruiser glued to her and a couple young bucks circling around. The old deer bedded in a small thicket with her..

Once again.. I think lots if folks confuse peak buck cruising with peak of breeding.

[Greenheadless]

It’s the same conversation year after year lol.

The rut is a bell curve of does that cycle every 30ish days until they are bred. MLD properties in Trinity county show the earliest fetuses are bred October 10-12 every year. Does this mean the rut is going on now?? Yes it does... but the majority of does are not in. It’s a slow climb to its peak in early November for most of the does at the top of the bell curve. The bell curve again happen in late November to early December on does that weren’t bred or does with fawns that’s are just now ready, this again happens in late December early January. But now most does have been covered. Then late season starts 6 month old fawns does coming to weight and coming in heat.

Does a buck chasing a doe mean the rut is on??? Not necessarily. You got to think. These guys get some booty once a year. Pretty much from the time they peel out of velvet til they loose horns they are thinking about it. Little bucks are the worst (example: highschool and college boys) When you see an old man out there staying step for step with a doe like a cutting horse. You know it’s on.


Taking everything in context. Yes does are being bred right now. Is this the peak of the rut? No. I’ve personally watched bucks top a doe as early as October 15th. To me the peak for my hunting area (walker, Montgomery, Houston, Polk) is late October to early November.

North American whitetail says November 15th is the number 1 days for most does bred in the US.


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Great summation.

And to add, I personally do not like to hunt the peak of the rut, but the 2-3 weeks leading up to it (pre-rut).

This is the time buck are on their toes the most cruising, getting outside of their comfort zone and home ranges. This is the time of the year you see the most bucks and bucks you don’t see any other time of the year. The downfall is the fact they get really hard to pattern at this time.

Once the peak happens, the bucks tend to lock down and are not traveling as much.

On our property, we are in that 2-3 week time that I love!

[Greenheadless]

Great post Tony. Longer version of what I posted earlier you add one point that gets lost.yhe absolutely best tines for buck cruising us just before the first group of does pop and just after they go out. Yesterday I had a doe in full heat. She had one huge old bruiser glued to her and a couple young bucks circling around. The old deer bedded in a small thicket with her..

Once again.. I think lots if folks confuse peakbuck cruising with peak of breeding.

Spot on.

[drop dead fred]

2020/2021 east texas hunting thread




Per TPWD


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[Greenheadless]

Per TPWD


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Yep, it gets interesting when your property transects two zones and you have to factor this in as well:

[gander]

I don't think many, if any of y'all are hunting as far south and east as I am. I have been running cameras for the past 8 years, and a lot of cameras. Both of these pictures are from early to mid September. Both of these deer are mature, 6+ year old deer that I have watched on camera for 3-4 years each. In the set of pictures it's alot more obvious that he is rutting, but the other shows a buck mouth wide open chasing. He did that for almost 48 hours in front of that camera in the area. I have deer bust complete beams in half every year weeks before bow season even starts. For the most part, the majority of my deer will be rubbed out of velvet before the first of August. I agree there are second and even third "ruts", but for the specific herd that I am hunting, the heavy stuff happens from mid September and might go until mid October if I am lucky.

[Tshelly]

I don't think many, if any of y'all are hunting as far south and east as I am. I have been running cameras for the past 8 years, and a lot of cameras. Both of these pictures are from early to mid September. Both of these deer are mature, 6+ year old deer that I have watched on camera for 3-4 years each. In the set of pictures it's alot more obvious that he is rutting, but the other shows a buck mouth wide open chasing. He did that for almost 48 hours in front of that camera in the area. I have deer bust complete beams in half every year weeks before bow season even starts. For the most part, the majority of my deer will be rubbed out of velvet before the first of August. I agree there are second and even third "ruts", but for the specific herd that I am hunting, the heavy stuff happens from mid September and might go until mid October if I am lucky.

Coastal deer are know to rut early. I don’t really consider them East texas. Like mentioned your local dictates the dates. And it’s really tough where the coastal and east texas deer meet like liberty county, etc.


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[Tyrex750]

I was at the lease in hardin county Sunday morning and had a spike chasen a doe all over the pipeline

[gigem95]

Coastal deer are know to rut early. I don’t really consider them East texas. Like mentioned your local dictates the dates. And it’s really tough where the coastal and east texas deer meet like liberty county, etc.


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I experienced the same when I used to hunt southern Waller County. Much earlier rut than a lot of folks think.


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[Qban]

All this rut action got my productivity @ a minimum!
Ready to let arrow fly this weekend!!

[Greenheadless]

I experienced the same when I used to hunt southern Waller County. Much earlier rut than a lot of folks think.


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Surprisingly, the same for a property I used to hunt just outside of Hallettsville.

By the time the archery opener came, it was the tail end of the rut.

[HighwayHunter]

I don't think many, if any of y'all are hunting as far south and east as I am. I have been running cameras for the past 8 years, and a lot of cameras. Both of these pictures are from early to mid September. Both of these deer are mature, 6+ year old deer that I have watched on camera for 3-4 years each. In the set of pictures it's alot more obvious that he is rutting, but the other shows a buck mouth wide open chasing. He did that for almost 48 hours in front of that camera in the area. I have deer bust complete beams in half every year weeks before bow season even starts. For the most part, the majority of my deer will be rubbed out of velvet before the first of August. I agree there are second and even third "ruts", but for the specific herd that I am hunting, the heavy stuff happens from mid September and might go until mid October if I am lucky.

I hope you shot that big 8!


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[lovemylegacy]

Coastal deer are know to rut early. I don’t really consider them East texas. Like mentioned your local dictates the dates. And it’s really tough where the coastal and east texas deer meet like liberty county, etc.


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I was on a lease off of HIWAY 12 between M'ville and Deweyville, deer rutted pretty early. Dead bucks would start being seen on the hiway in Sept. Usually before bowseason started, but there was some that came in heat in Nov also. The South border of our lease was the Orange, Newton County line. Didn't see to much rutting activity in Dec, bucks were usually ganging up about mid Dec.

Im so excited, Im gonna get to do some hunting....here we are in mid Oct and I have only been one time. Vacation starts next week and Im off for a month!!!!!

[Anon1118]

Finally took the plunge and got a cell cam. Its been working pretty good with only 25% signal and today hasn't sent anything since 4am. You fellas know of any aftermarket antennas or sumn to increase the signal strength? Cell receptions pretty bad on my lease

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[drop dead fred]

Finally took the plunge and got a cell cam. Its been working pretty good with only 25% signal and today hasn't sent anything since 4am. You fellas know of any aftermarket antennas or sumn to increase the signal strength? Cell receptions pretty bad on my lease

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Not sure your brand of camera but covert sells a booster antenna


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