Lack of deer

[quarterback]

Very slow where we hunt in San Saba County. I think a lot of deer died this past summer from the drought and extreme heat. I have yet to kill a deer this season. And it ain't for lack of effort.

[GarGuy]

Those bucks are still around. They will have an extra year of age next year.

[tps7742]

My does are showing up for hand corn better than they are at the feeders. Just curious if anyone else has this happen at their lease. This is Mills county.

The few folks I have talked to up here are saying the deer started showing up to the hand corn and feed troughs but feeder activity is very minimal. I was driving in last night from Houston and the highway right of ways had numerous deer around 10 ish.

[DaveC]

Always the case on my current and previous lease.

It's funny when they are chowing on hand corn then hear the feeder go off , pivot their attention towards it then come right back to the hand corn.

[PondPopper]

Those bucks are still around. They will have an extra year of age next year.

This right here^^^

[PoppinPiggies]

Deer start to get scarce every year at the end of the season on our place, start hunting the food plots a lot more. That being said by the time we do the population survey going into next season it shows there was no major die off or anything. We also got more MLD tags this year so hopefully the extra mouths removed will help compensate for the range conditions after the drought

[Man]

I have a theory as to why all yall folks in south tx especially along the border are not seeing many dead deer along the road this year.

[CoolHandLuke]

What’s odd at our place is usually toward the end of Oct thru the season we have rubs everywhere and Fresh. Hardly any.

[Paycheck]

Very slow in Hamilton and Lampasas County. Had my brother from Louisiana come hunt. tried to get him on any legal buck. Hunted 5 days hard and no buck. Did end up with a doe the last hour. Been on this lease 8 years and never had it this bad.

[BigL]

Slow at my feeder in San Saba but numbers are still there. I watched 5 doe walk past my feeder yesterday. The 2 nubbing bucks are the only ones interested in corn.

My trailcam shows a lot less activity than it did earlier in the season. But since i had numbers in Nov, i dont think there was a die off over summer. Plus this is a working cattle ranch, always food and water available.

Once acorns started to fall, the numbers at the feeder dropped and never returned. I think the late rains and warm temps, everything greened up so they have plenty of natural browse to eat. I hunt right on the edge of a creek and open field and the field is solid green with clover everywhere. Mix in the full moon and I bet that field is full of deer at night.

[BigL]

It's been a pretty mild winter in central TX, which doesn't help. Also, the entire 1.5 y/o cohort pretty much doesn't exist due to drought.

I disagree. That's all I'm seeing are 2.5yr old and younger bucks. Gets frustrating when I go wanting to shoot a doe but then seee 5 or more young bucks and no doe

[tps7742]

I read back through this thread again. About the time we think we have them figured out. Bam!

[Big pig]

I disagree. That's all I'm seeing are 2.5yr old and younger bucks. Gets frustrating when I go wanting to shoot a doe but then seee 5 or more young bucks and no doe

Lucky you having a fawn crop last year

iMHO dies avoid feeders where you have a bunch of young rutting bucks.

I hand feed my house does while the bucks dominate the two feeders near the house.

[PondPopper]

Lucky you having a fawn crop last year

iMHO dies avoid feeders where you have a bunch of young rutting bucks.

I hand feed my house does while the bucks dominate the two feeders near the house.

Doe will absolutely vacate feeder areas that are over run with bucks during the rut. We see the shift in numbers from pre rut to rut every year.
Cameras don’t lie.

[cvanbrunt]

same for us in Jack county