East Tx Deer Numbers Thread

[JLivi1224]

MLD is bad for the overall hunting in TX period. The biologists are pencil whippin’ counts and fluffing survey numbers to sell more licenses. Extended season combined with the overall management approach being more prevalent(ie. letting younger bucks walk, and takin does for freezer fillers , has lead to a drastic drop in does. A hail of arrows/gunfire upon them! . “I’m gonna take my does..... “

MLD - We’ve been sold a bill of foods. Change my mind.....

HEY!!!!! You MLD lovin’ mugs! ^^^^.

[Anvilheadtexas]

^ okay Let me restoke this thread and reply to the MLD comment from Justin. MLD does have a goal to have a piece of land carry less deer than that land could actually carry that being said if you’re on an MLD club and you exercise the plan you will eventually see less deer, but I guess better deer? Oddly enough I found myself visiting an old friend at the red oak hunting club in Trinity County this weekend. Our visit took place in a box blind under the guise of a doe hunt. First off I thought it was crazy that it was February 1 and if I wanted to I could have shot one of the two does that walked out . I respect my friends opinion he’s very dedicated to deer management and he said my theory on the harvest is not accurate and he explained that the red oak having 4000 acres would only shoot the maximum of 25 this year. I believe if I decided to shoot Saturday night, I would’ve been shooting doe number 22?

He did agreed that the season was off even for their club in terms of big bucks and also said that they no longer see huge wads of does like they did years ago? I tend to agree 25 does and for thousand acres does not seem like an over harvest?

In the end I decided to watch the does and a spike that eventually came out and visit with my buddy ....after starting this thread there’s no way I would’ve shot a doe in February. Great visit, great hunt and I don’t have to deal with a dead deer!

[Tshelly]

East Tx Deer Numbers Thread

HEY!!!!! You MLD lovin’ mugs! ^^^^.

I do agree. I hope with the new $300 fee for the MLD program that the state is able to allocate more biologists. I heard an interesting fact on the radio the other morning. Twenty years ago the MLD program consisted of about 800 properties and 2 million acres to today where it is 12,000 properties and 28 million acres. I can see where tpwd could have become overwhelmed at some point.

I do believe the system is flawed. We just took over 6800 aces that has been shot out for the last 40 years with over a 100 members on it. We are on year two of the mld program and were allocated 54 doe tags. To be honest if we were to kill 54 does we would have almost no deer left. They have no feel for the property or it’s current carrying capacity, state of the property, etc. hopefully it gets better in the future.

I can totally see and know of mld leases that really set back their properties years by shooting the mandatory doe tags given and not seeing the positive recruitment of fawns in the years to follow.

I also heard red oak was down because of all the logging active they received this year.


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[Anvilheadtexas]

^ boy they did cut Red Oak! My friend could not tell reason why. He did say he saw very few deer in October now hunting. He isn’t a hack either. He knows how to see deer. Plot thickens I guess?

[Greenheadless]

^ okay Let me restoke this thread and reply to the MLD comment from Justin. MLD does have a goal to have a piece of land carry less deer than that land could actually carry that being said if you’re on an MLD club and you exercise the plan you will eventually see less deer, but I guess better deer? Oddly enough I found myself visiting an old friend at the red oak hunting club in Trinity County this weekend. Our visit took place in a box blind under the guise of a doe hunt. First off I thought it was crazy that it was February 1 and if I wanted to I could have shot one of the two does that walked out . I respect my friends opinion he’s very dedicated to deer management and he said my theory on the harvest is not accurate and he explained that the red oak having 4000 acres would only shoot the maximum of 25 this year. I believe if I decided to shoot Saturday night, I would’ve been shooting doe number 22?

He did agreed that the season was off even for their club in terms of big bucks and also said that they no longer see huge wads of does like they did years ago? I tend to agree 25 does and for thousand acres does not seem like an over harvest?

In the end I decided to watch the does and a spike that eventually came out and visit with my buddy ....after starting this thread there’s no way I would’ve shot a doe in February. Great visit, great hunt and I don’t have to deal with a dead deer!

It is usually suggested that all does are taken in October. If you are still taking does in February, while perfectly legal under MLD, you are doing yourself a disservice.

[Anvilheadtexas]

I thought I would bring this thread up again. After last year’s season we had a pretty good conversation about East Tx deer. To be specific the topic was in regards to overall numbers and NOT antlers. My premise was there seemed to be fewer deer on and around my place (Polk Cty) (by evidence of lack of sightings prior to, during and immediately after the deer season. Responses were mixed, some folks agreed they saw less deer, others saw normal and then others had convinced themselves that certain conditions made it possible for the deer to just not be seen last season (aka the acorn assumption).

The thread, if you go back and look was pretty good. Nobody yelled or screamed or called anyone out... despite varying degrees of opinion! I’m kind of curious to see what everybody is seeing as we start inching closer and closer to October.

I’m again feeling a little iffy on my prospects in regards to numbers of deer on my place in Polk County. I did not see the deer in February or March when one would typically see them (long after all those acorns are gone and they have to finally show themselves) and I definitely have not seen a ton of deer this summer bumping around my place (and with the whole pandemic I have been up there more than usual). Hogs are still there and I am sure that’s part of the problem in certain parts of my land but it’s not the entire problem.

In regards to numbers in East Tx what are you seeing so far on camera and live sightings. I am curious.

[futureagg]

East Tx Deer Numbers Thread

We seem to have a reduced number of does, but our bachelor groups of small/decent bucks seem to be rampant.

Edit: Houston County
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[JLivi1224]

We seem to have a reduced number of does, but our bachelor groups of small/decent bucks seem to be rampant.

Edit: Houston County
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Your first sentence is where this convo is headed. And rightfully so in my opinion.
I personally feel That a true disservice is being done by lack of effort on the deer surveys on a lot of these MLD places. I even believe they’re being pencil whipped in some cases, and leading to an improper amount of does being taken.

How many times have y’all heard, “oh I’m just gonna take my does”. Or something of the like.....

[Easttxbowman]

Not sure on my actual numbers but being on the road a considerable amount of time in east Texas, the fawn crop this year is unbelievable. They are what seems like everywhere. Twins are common and triplets aren't unheard of.

[lovemylegacy]

Right. Based on what I saw all summer (the lack there of) and the weak showing of does in the first week of rifle season (I did not spend any real time bow hunting this past Oct), I too pulled the plug on shooting a doe and generally discouraged guests. Really did not matter, we just kept seeing very young bucks only (if any deer at all).

Steve, you care about this resource and so do I. As we make that conscious decision to pass on does there is that guy down the way or across the county who either does not know any better or maybe just doesn’t care and he is taking his does.

It’s a cumulative effect. Let’s give it another season or two. We all will be fishing in November. Lol.

Good thread

I find it humorous that we now are talking about doe the way we once talked about bucks.

The more things change the more they stay the same

[futureagg]

Your first sentence is where this convo is headed. And rightfully so in my opinion.
I personally feel That a true disservice is being done by lack of effort on the deer surveys on a lot of these MLD places. I even believe they’re being pencil whipped in some cases, and leading to an improper amount of does being taken.

How many times have y’all heard, “oh I’m just gonna take my does”. Or something of the like.....

I can say that I hunt on about 100 acres of old family land and my grandfather shot 1 doe last year, but I have no clue unfortunately on how many were shot around us...

We have no MLD places around us.


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[Anvilheadtexas]

Good thread

I find it humorous that we now are talking about doe the way we once talked about bucks.

The more things change the more they stay the same

It is bizarre right! But it’s also part of the reason to bring up the topic. Earlier in our lives we would got the stink-eye from old-timers at the club if we dared to fill out a doe lamps tag. Fast forward 30 years and it has totally changed. And the funny thing is as one guy is icing down “his two does” the next guy over is trying to figure out how to trap coyotes so they won’t eat fawns.

[Marsh Bandit]

Anderson county, Montalba area. Numbers of deer have gotten better every year. We don’t kill a lot of does and I don’t think the neighbors do either.
Like most, I remember 20 years ago not seeing a deer all weekend. Now some afternoons I can watch 40.
Furthermore, I believe we need to shoot more does now to balance the herd and our new doe season for the county proves it.

[JamesM]

Following. Great thread.

2019-2020 season was only my 2nd year hunting north Hardin county so I don’t think my input would be very accurate just yet. Lots of doe and spike killing going on around me.

[Bayouboy]

MLD is not the only thing that has folks hammering does. So does the 13" rule. If someone has to pass on a number of young bucks.... They eventually want to get some meat in the freezer. Can't blame anyone for that.