Should I be concerned?

[03GruntUSMC]

Well this year I jumped on my first ever deer lease here in walker county. It's a timber company lease and I have my designated area. My concern is that I have had a feeder/camera set up since June 1st with not a single deer on camera. This place is covered in hogs and I'm thinking this is why there are no deer. My question is do you think once the temperatures start dropping the deer will come? I guess I'm alittle upset because I really wanted there to be deer here. Coming from hunting public land and seeing very few deer I feel like I should start scouting the shnf now because I'd have a better chance of seeing deer. O well, at least there's pigs to shoot. Rant over

[Spearchunker]

No worries just yet. You must put a pen around the feeder to stop the pigs then deer will come, also is it green? If so deer prefer natural foliage to corn especially in heat.

[rossivey]

I dont think you should worry. Deer will show up sooner or later. Meanwhile, KAP!!!!

[bsimpson]

I hate to say it, but I would be worried too. If you have had a feeder up and camera for that long and still no deer......get plan B together now.

[lameduck]

Yes. What have the other guys been seeing?

[Raypo]

Deer leases are tough if you a bunch guys driving around and designated sanctuaries... etc... I would be concerned and might try some throw seed or something

[panhandlehunter]

I hate to say it, but I would be worried too. If you have had a feeder up and camera for that long and still no deer......get plan B together now.

Same here. Even if the pigs are thick, you should have at least had a deer stop by.

[HNT ETX]

I have hunted East Texas all my life, it is very rare in certain areas to kill a buck under a feeder, and knowing a little about Walker County, the hunting pressure and cover are very similiar to Polk County. I run feeders every now and then to have targets to practice on (hogs).

This year for example, I have a camera on a feeder and camera on a well used trail less than 80 yards from the feeder and since mid June I have three shooter bucks on the camera on the trail and only one little six point on the camera at the feeder.

The trail skirts an opening (where the feeder sits), and was established long before the feeder was there, but you would think that the bucks would walk the short distance to nibble on a couple peices of corn, but not a chance. I would NEVER consider sitting over a feeder as a number one option for killing a deer, especially a buck deer. You have nothing to be concerned about in my opinion, I doubt you have scratched the surface of what your area has to offer.

[03GruntUSMC]

I have hunted East Texas all my life, it is very rare in certain areas to kill a buck under a feeder. I run them every now and then to have targets to practice on (hogs).

This year for example, I have a camera on a feeder and camera on a well used trail less than 80 yards from the feeder and since mid June I have three shooter bucks on the camera on the trail and only one little six point on the camera at the feeder.

The trail skirts an opening (where the feeder sits), and was established long before the feeder was there, but you would think that the bucks would walk the short distance to nibble on a couple peices of corn, but not a chance. I would NEVER consider sitting over a feeder as a number one option for killing a deer, especially a buck deer. You have nothing to be concerned about in my opinion, I doubt you have scratched the surface of what your area has to offer.

Thank you,
This gives me hope and Im gonna try and place cameras on trails instead of relying on feeder. The feeders will be my KAP practice. Do pigs create game trails just like deer, how do I know what kinda trail to place the camera on. My place is very thick with pine trees and lots of pine needles on the ground and its almost impossible to make out tracks with as hard as the ground is right now.

[03GruntUSMC]

Yes. What have the other guys been seeing?

I haven't met any of the other hunters on the lease and haven't been able to communicate with them. Hopefully come season, I will be able to introduce myself at the deer camp and maybe get some advice. Its definitely a challenge hunting these pinewoods but thats why they call it hunting i guess.

[Timemachine]

I quit hnting timber company land a decade ago due to the lack of deer...or....should I say the overhunted area. The last straw was in Corrigan area when we went scouting the week BEFORE season and found where the "locals" had poached 5 deer just days before season opened.

I still hunt east texas timber but in an area that was protected for many years. Last year was a good year with 2 taken during bow and 3 more during the reg season.

[Spoken0313]

Look for a game trail and put your camera on it with a little hand corn

[HNT ETX]

Thank you,
This gives me hope and Im gonna try and place cameras on trails instead of relying on feeder. The feeders will be my KAP practice. Do pigs create game trails just like deer, how do I know what kinda trail to place the camera on. My place is very thick with pine trees and lots of pine needles on the ground and its almost impossible to make out tracks with as hard as the ground is right now.

Yes pigs create game trails, and they are typically easier to identify, by how heavily worn they are. Pig trails sometimes have mud on logs and brush about knee high, but they typically are heavily worn almost down to the dirt.

Deer trails are often more subtle and can sometimes be difficult to tell what you are looking at but once you find one and identify it, study it and you can pick them up pretty easy in the future, in pine straw it will be slightly recessed and you will be able to tell where it weaves around fallen trees and through narrow gaps. If you are having a hard time, find a creek and walk it until you find where a trail comes out of the creek and follow it up. It is worth noting that pigs will use deer trail and vice versa......as well as bobcats, coyotes, foxes, etc, etc......

When placing a camera on a trail, try to place the camera facing up the trail and put it on 3 burst every 3 seconds, this will allow you to get allot of pics on the trail, even still you may only get 20 pix in a weeks time. Try not to use flash cameras on trails, it is ussually up close and personal and they tend to jump out of their skin when a camera goes off in there face.

If you are hunting in an area with heavy pine plantation, find a stream management zone and look for Oak Trees, find one that is producing heavily and put your camera there, they should be easy to find now as squirrels have started cutting and you will find remnants on the ground. When I am hunting a spot like this, I seldom visit (even to set a camera), I only go directly in and out to hunt.

Next summer, it may be a good idea to go out in march or april and see who is hunting in you r direct vicinity, so you assure you are not getting to close to someone else, know your small area and dissect it.

[03GruntUSMC]

Yes pigs create game trails, and they are typically easier to identify, by how heavily worn they are. Pig trails sometimes have mud on logs and brush about knee high, but they typically are heavily worn almost down to the dirt.

Deer trails are often more subtle and can sometimes be difficult to tell what you are looking at but once you find one and identify it, study it and you can pick them up pretty easy in the future, in pine straw it will be slightly recessed and you will be able to tell where it weaves around fallen trees and through narrow gaps. If you are having a hard time, find a creek and walk it until you find where a trail comes out of the creek and follow it up. It is worth noting that pigs will use deer trail and vice versa......as well as bobcats, coyotes, foxes, etc, etc......

When placing a camera on a trail, try to place the camera facing up the trail and put it on 3 burst every 3 seconds, this will allow you to get allot of pics on the trail, even still you may only get 20 pix in a weeks time. Try not to use flash cameras on trails, it is ussually up close and personal and they tend to jump out of their skin when a camera goes off in there face.

If you are hunting in an area with heavy pine plantation, find a stream management zone and look for Oak Trees, find one that is producing heavily and put your camera there, they should be easy to find now as squirrels have started cutting and you will find remnants on the ground. When I am hunting a spot like this, I seldom visit (even to set a camera), I only go directly in and out to hunt.

Next summer, it may be a good idea to go out in march or april and see who is hunting in you r direct vicinity, so you assure you are not getting to close to someone else, know your small area and dissect it.

Thanks for the advice, Im gonna put this to use now.

[Man]

I have hunted timber company land for 6 years. Never shot anything under a feeder. Go put you camera's off of game trails or random funnel areas, and BAMM you will see your buck!