tuthdoc on hunting east texas

[HeavyG]

Does anybody know where the thread is that John wrote on how to hunt east texas? It might have been a response to another post. I've read it before and thought I saved it but I've tried searching and can't find it anywhere. I need a refresher I can't seem to find a good buck. Thanks

[Tuffbroadhead]

here is one of them..

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...ad.php?t=64027

[HeavyG]

Thanks the one I am looking for is more of a "how to" hunt east texas.

[Landrover]

ttt..........i would like to read that also! Tuthdoc was a good man!!!

[sweldo73]

I don't have the link to the original thread, but here is one of his postings that I saved about hunting in East Texas.

Posted on Sunday, June 04, 2006 - 10:27 am:

________________________________________
I grew up in east Texas, at least part time. we had 52 acres around Votaw/Segno/Holly Grove. there weren't many deer and the hunting was mostly with dogs. We mainly hunted squirrels, but over the years I learned a few things that helped me.

They rut earlier. You should see scrapes and rubs all through October and the latter part of September. By the third weekend of October, you should see bucks running does. Get out there with your Thermacell and get after them.

Like was said above, hunt midday. I've seen far more deer during the 10 to 3 time period. I don't know why and don't care. I just know they tend to move a lot during those hours. It's probably due to the deer adapting to the times when most hunters head in from the morning foray.

Look for rub concentrations. I'm not talking about the one here, one there rubs. I'm talking about goind down trails and hitting an area where it seems every rubbable tree has been worked. From my experience, you're near a bedding or loitering area. Pull back a little to where you can get in and out easily, try and find a trail or an area that's a little more open leading into that area, and set up.

Look for old tram roads or semigrownup logging roads, especially if they're off the beaten path and not getting truck or ATV traffic. By the third weekend in October, every limb hanging over the "road" should have a scrape. If it does, set up overlooking that "road".

Find the right tree. Not every tree with acorns is going to be used equally. find the ones where there's lots of caps and not many acorns. Lots of cuttings mean the squirrels are big on that tree. find the right tree and you're in business.

Deer are basicly lazy. they use the easiest path if allowed to do so. This part of Texas allows you to home in on trails. If you find a good trail through a thicker area, the deer will most likely use that trail. Set up watching it.

Little isolated fields in the middle of thickets can be gold mines, especially if they don't have easy access or where ATV's can't go. Deer like to run their does in the most open area they can find to keep them under control. If it's thick and you find a good sized "lost" field, set up on it.

I very seldom used corn. Not because I think I'm a better hunter without it, but because it wasn't necessary most of the time to concentrate my deer. It also seemed to turn off spots that had a lot of activity as if they knew that corn meant human. I don't think they reason, but I just didn't have much success with corn. Never used a feeder, but that might have helped in some of the easier to get to areas.

Also, I took my same ideas as to what a good deer was into the woods. I passed a lot of deer that I could have easily shot, some pretty good ones. I don't buy into the idea that it doesn't have to be as big on public land to be a trophy. For me, a trophy is a mature deer, regardless of where I hunt. I get within 20 or so yards of a deer, I've done my job. I don't HAVE to kill it. I guess it's a sign of getting old. One of these days, when the East Texas crowd decides that it wants to kill big deer, maybe they'll start letting the youngsters walk. When that day comes, East Texas will rival the south for monsters. However, generations of year round, around the clock hunting where buck, doe or embryo are killed will be a tough nut to crack.

One of my best set-ups in East Texas was a mecca for three days. There was an old road that led to a pipeline. It wasn't used much, but did have a little ATV traffic. When the road was made, it looked like the dozer had turned around a few times and made a little short "off shoot". going back into that finger, I found a few rubs at the end of it. I followed a trail back in a ways and the rubs got thicker and closer until I got to the edge of a real thick area. The trail went in, but only a deer or hog would be able to follow. I didn't need to. The deer were coming out of that thicket and following the more open area to the back of the finger and hitting the road they'd fan out. there was a big red oak right off the road with a shot to the finger. I set up a lock on. When the season opened, I started hunting the tree as soon as fresh rubs cropped up and scrapes started appearing. During the middle of the day when I was the only one out, I had deer chasing doe everywhere. I drew on a 130 class 8 just out from my tree in the finger, but I was hunting a 150 class 10 that I had seen a few times. One buck county meant killing the 8 finished my year. The 8 and several small bucks ran does everywhere. I was watching them chase when I heard a bellow below my tree. Those of you that have heard a mature buck bellow know the sound. I looked down and there was my 10, under my tree. I couldn't get drawn quick enough and he was gone into the doe ruckus. I never got that deer and he was probably poached, but it still stands out as one of my most exciting hunts. I did what I needed to do to get close. He just won that time.


Tuthdoc

[Vantage Point]

Good read thanks for saving and sharing.

[White Falcon]

Remember!!
The good people!

[donfish84]

Thanks for sharing. Excellent read. Wish I was around in his posting days.

[spreadneck]

Man, that is the East Texas Gospel right there. I wish I could have sat around a campfire and listened to that man (note pad and pencil in hand). I hunt the public land in Sabine county and we use alot of the same methods and look for alot of the same sign he has mentioned. Good Stuff!

[HeavyG]

ttt

[DaveC]

Great thread.
I took TD's sticker up an East Texas tree this year for a doe, pig & coyote kill.

[RJK70]

I never got to read his threads much but you can tell that man knew his business from that read.

[WCB]

Yep, John Lee knew a lot about hunting, pop-ups, feeding deer, JAG and NCIS...
Still have a TD sticker on my truck and bow