Lampasas County Deer

[Ungawa]

Grant it I have only been able to hunt a few times this year, but I just have not seen as many or the quality of deer as in the past here at the place I hunt in Lampasas County.
Anyone else experience this?
Even my cameras prove it. Thx

[gekko man]

Same for me in Erath County.

I have had one mature buck (4.5 yoa) all season.

The buck population is down and won’t even meet the Antler Restrictions law.

I have fed protein and thrown corn all year. Put out protein last week and nothing has changed.

It’s bad when you pray for hogs roll in so you have a reason to bow hunt.

[Ungawa]

Yep all I see is 3 does, not even hogs.
I kinda wonder if the big flood we had here impacted the population, but you wouldn’t think it would. Very slow year. Good luck!

[Samson]

The big freeze was 4 years ago. To me that lines up with why we are lacking on 4 year old deer this year.

[flywise]

Not much on my place. I typically hunt in my back yard, 11 acres with unhunted ranch behind me, in the afternoons when I can't get to the lease or Ft. HOOD. Sat a few times and nothin like years past

[Slick8]

I have a friend I usually make a doe / axis hunt north of Lampasas who's saying the same thing. Not much at all to see of anything.

[Ungawa]

I have a friend I usually make a doe / axis hunt north of Lampasas who's saying the same thing. Not much at all to see of anything.

Just got back from lease two afternoons and one morning hunt, saw 2 does not big enough to shoot. I just don’t know kinda of a wasted seasons. Still sitting in the woods is better than being at work.

[murph62]

Same for me in Erath County.

I have had one mature buck (4.5 yoa) all season.

The buck population is down and won’t even meet the Antler Restrictions law.

I have fed protein and thrown corn all year. Put out protein last week and nothing has changed.

It’s bad when you pray for hogs roll in so you have a reason to bow hunt.

Same for us in Erath county. The weather has been so weird this year tho. I wish we could kill bucks up til Jan 15 th like in Oklahoma. We get no good cold weather late season hunts. I’m curious to see if anything shows up this week with a big cold front coming in.

[farlow]

We hunt north of Lampasas, about 11 miles away, and haven't seen nearly as many animals (except turkeys) the last 2 years. The 2 years of drought had a tremendous impact on wildlife. Usually in a week of hunting we will see 120-175 deer. The last 2 years we saw 15 total. I don't know if bluetongue was the culprit or they just left. Very disappointing.

[rladner]

having the same issues in San Saba county. I'm really surprised by the lack of hogs. Even at night, camera is not showing very many hogs. Jack rabbits are plentiful though.

[Krivoman]

We hunt north of Lampasas, about 11 miles away, and haven't seen nearly as many animals (except turkeys) the last 2 years. The 2 years of drought had a tremendous impact on wildlife. Usually in a week of hunting we will see 120-175 deer. The last 2 years we saw 15 total. I don't know if bluetongue was the culprit or they just left. Very disappointing.

I am a bit further north than you. Just NW of adamsville. The freeze hurt some, then the drought took the rest. I originally thought blue Tonge or something like that, only problem is I did not find any deer. And I looked. They just vanished never to be seen again. I personally think they left me during the drought to find some ag fields and died down there. This year was for sure better than last, but it still is nothing like it used to be. AS mentioned above, 2 years from now is really gonna suck when there are no bucks in the 4-7 year range due to no fawns for 3 years.

[farlow]

We are on School creek off of CR2200. Very small pools of water were left the summers of 22 and 23. All the old ranchers have died off and no one plants oats in the fall.

[gekko man]

Same for us in Erath county. The weather has been so weird this year tho. I wish we could kill bucks up til Jan 15 th like in Oklahoma. We get no good cold weather late season hunts. I’m curious to see if anything shows up this week with a big cold front coming in.

I put protein out last week hoping for a Hail Mary.

They are hitting it hard and I had a 4.5 yo 115” 8 point roll in. That’s the only mature buck I have seen all year.

I have culled so many 115” points with my bow that it was not even appealing to pull the string in him.

My buck has dropped in quality and age over the last 3 years.

[PondPopper]

https://www.texasbowhunter.com/discussions/forums/forum/topics/around-the-campfire/26995590-deer-mia

[Draco]

It had been a mostly average year for us. We live about 6 miles sw of town. The bucks did disappear on us and stay gone earlier in the season though. I think it was a lack of cold weather. I went all season and never had to put any additional cold weather gear on and I can't remember another year like that in quite a few. Here's a few from this year.