East Tx Deer Numbers Thread

[Pineywoodkiller]

Really slow for us in rusk county. I think our issue is predators. Seeing way too many cats and dogs out there. Like way more than normal. Not sure what to do


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[Bear82]

Just because its MLD doesn't mean its being managed right. I used to hunt near Evant in the hill country and saw lots of good deer. The MLD ranch shot lots of deer and our numbers started going down. I got on the MLD ranch to try it one year. We saw 15 deer all year on 1000 acres. But they gave us like 30-35 permits. No wonder groups wouldn't last more than 1-2 years there.

If you count Kaufman county as East Texas I would saw the herd keeps growing. I probably saw 12-15 different bucks and 20+ doe on my 250 acres.

[ElfEyes]

I hunt the jasper newton county line. The last few years I've maybe seen less does than years past. This past season does numbers were way down. Normally we have multiple 2-4 doe groups all through the lease. This year I bet we didnt have 8 to 10 does total on 640 acres. We MIGHT shoot 3 deer a year on average and that's probably pushing it. In years past we wouldn't really start getting buck pictures until they busted out of their bachelor groups and started claiming areas. This year was totally opposite to that too with way more bucks than does. I found 2 sheds just spreading lime on our lanes. First we've ever found on our lease. The only thing I can think of is the lease next to us started planting spring food plots and pulled all the does off and the bucks migrated to ours. Jeff sturgis talks about this on YouTube. The only thing that concerns me is the lease next to us declared war on the does killing alot. We plan to add spring and fall plots this year to hopefully make sure the does have a chance and the bucks have more food to eat. One thing I'm confused about is I've had 3 different bucks that didnt put on hardly any inches in 3 years. Anyone have a solution to this?

[Anvilheadtexas]

This thread was getting interesting and suddenly died. I thought I would take a shot at bringing it back up. I am curious to see what other East Tx hunters have to say about deer numbers.

[Landrover]

Good thread. I have not hunted my places in east Texas (Smith and Bowie County) in about 5 years due to pressure/tresspassing from neighbors...……...feral dogs, night hunting, running dogs, etc. It was always something. I would ONLY have night pics for probably 3 or 4 years with tons of hogs. I moved out to the hill country and this is the first year that we are only getting young bucks, scrawny doe and tons of 7/8 month old deer. Nothing I want to thwack is coming to the feeders but they are going onto the greenfields. Just a odd year with a super bumper crop of acorns...…..I hope the last few weeks of MLD turns the tide.

[TheHammer]

Really slow for us in rusk county. I think our issue is predators. Seeing way too many cats and dogs out there. Like way more than normal. Not sure what to do


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My places have been the best I’ve seen in the last 3-4 years near the Panola county line, but I’m also seeing a ton of yotes, as well as stray dogs. Almost every day or 2 I’ll get pictures of one or the other.

Like I said 2016-to the present, I’ve had a great group of mature deer.

[Anthonysince94]

I hunt very small tracts of land in rains and van zandt county. Less than fifty acres. The last few years it seems I have typically have 8 - 10 deer that show on camera. As the season goes on you get bucks that show up but usually it's the same group of does and 2 or 3 bucks. It makes for really tough hunting. I havent taken a deer in two years and the herd still doesnt grow. I know my neighbors fill tags but enough to keep the herd from growing doesnt seem plausible.

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[doright]

It would be hard to make a blanket statement as east texas covers a lot of ground. I see plenty of deer but I also feed most of the year. One of the guys on the lease got off this year and griped about not seeing enough deer. He also didn't put any corn out until mid Oct. if that early. I will agree that loss of habitat has had a factor . One thing that must be considered is your neighbors. We can not control what they do. You may want to check with as many as you can and find out what it is like on their lease. Are they feeding , planting food plots that may draw your deer over to them or are they killing everything that is legal? The guy that runs our lease traps predators every year and that has helped a lot. He also lives on the adjacent property and keeps a close eye on the place. Overall I would say there is not a decline in numbers but again it all depends on where you are at. Keep in mind that every year there are more hunters in the woods which equals more hunting pressure . The more pressure you have the less deer you will see. That doesn't mean they are not there they just avoid the places where people are( feeders ) . Even old smart does will avoid them.

[Anvilheadtexas]

^ in regards to more and more hunters in the woods, that’s true, but the relevant point is there are more and more on smaller tracts of land and no one goes into the woods without the expectation of taking something. And our state makes it very legal and easy for most people to fill a doe tag or two. Again, we are talking east tx... other parts of Texas can handle a family lighting up deer on a 30 acre tract.

In regards to predator control, I get it, but does it make sense to declare free fire on does from Oct 1 to end of Nov and then scramble all February to kill coyotes to protect fawns... aside from the fact it feels good to help the deer and trapping coyotes is fun. It works to an extent (staying on them), but it’s the full on doe attack that could be the real issue.

[doright]

^ in regards to more and more hunters in the woods, that’s true, but the relevant point is there are more and more on smaller tracts of land and no one goes into the woods without the expectation of taking something. And our state makes it very legal and easy for most people to fill a doe tag or two. Again, we are talking east tx... other parts of Texas can handle a family lighting up deer on a 30 acre tract.

In regards to predator control, I get it, but does it make sense to declare free fire on does from Oct 1 to end of Nov and then scramble all February to kill coyotes to protect fawns... aside from the fact it feels good to help the deer and trapping coyotes is fun. It works to an extent (staying on them), but it’s the full on doe attack that could be the real issue.

I can remember when the landowner would have to go to the courthouse and get doe tags for his property. If you feel like there is not enough doe on your property then the answer is simple. Don't shoot them. I don't understand how the state comes up with the bag limits and restrictions that they do. I don't know how often they do a population survey or if they do any. I have to work with the tags they give me. I have killed one doe in the last 10 years but I am starting to get to many coming around may take another one next year. It sounds like you need to get the other lease members together and come up with a plan. Shoot or Don't shoot. Just because you have a tag doesn't mean you have to use it

[let-um-grow]

Polk/Tyler County on several thousand acres MLD. Numbers wise, I would say way down as far as what was seen. I dont usually 'hunt the corn' but even trying to target the deer on mast like i normally do was tougher as the ground was covered from the opener and still is(almost impossible to pattern especially with the pressure of pigs)....a few trees were still dropping late Dec. If the deer did target corn, it was an after thought and even only throwing a 2-3 seconds at a time corn was always on the ground in pens.

Interestingly, even the normal inventory of mature bucks on pre-season protein was way off...several deer that we didnt harvest in 18-19 didn't show. I agree with the others, fawn recruitment seemed lower also and I just feel the rising hog numbers are playing a part from a predatory perspective (I have no proof...just opinion).

[let-um-grow]

One other note, we actually shot several coyotes eating corn......not saying I haven't seen it before but never multiple times in one season.

Good thread...thanks for starting Anvil.

[Goodfellah]

I hunt the jasper newton county line. The last few years I've maybe seen less does than years past. This past season does numbers were way down. Normally we have multiple 2-4 doe groups all through the lease. This year I bet we didnt have 8 to 10 does total on 640 acres. We MIGHT shoot 3 deer a year on average and that's probably pushing it. In years past we wouldn't really start getting buck pictures until they busted out of their bachelor groups and started claiming areas. This year was totally opposite to that too with way more bucks than does. I found 2 sheds just spreading lime on our lanes. First we've ever found on our lease. The only thing I can think of is the lease next to us started planting spring food plots and pulled all the does off and the bucks migrated to ours. Jeff sturgis talks about this on YouTube. The only thing that concerns me is the lease next to us declared war on the does killing alot. We plan to add spring and fall plots this year to hopefully make sure the does have a chance and the bucks have more food to eat. One thing I'm confused about is I've had 3 different bucks that didnt put on hardly any inches in 3 years. Anyone have a solution to this?

I hunted a lease for over 30 years on that same county line off of 255. Starting around 2010 we started seeing fewer doe and hardly any fawns. We attributed this to the drought that was happening at the time. It doesn’t seem like the area ever recovered, I got off that place 3 yrs ago but they are still having the same issues. As I stated earlier in the thread, we are seeing numbers on my current place but our antler development is way down.

[Pineywoods]

My main place is in Houston County and I live in Polk County. I would say that last year on both places the overall deer numbers seemed a tad lower while quality has been on an upward trend. My hog numbers were way up last season which I think could have contributed to less deer being seen. Feeder activity in general was lower than I've seen in a decade. This I blame on the huge acorn crop and record browse.

[Anvilheadtexas]

I can remember when the landowner would have to go to the courthouse and get doe tags for his property. If you feel like there is not enough doe on your property then the answer is simple. Don't shoot them. I don't understand how the state comes up with the bag limits and restrictions that they do. I don't know how often they do a population survey or if they do any. I have to work with the tags they give me. I have killed one doe in the last 10 years but I am starting to get to many coming around may take another one next year. It sounds like you need to get the other lease members together and come up with a plan. Shoot or Don't shoot. Just because you have a tag doesn't mean you have to use it

Yes sir. I recall the doe permit days and the opinions the “old timers” had about using them. These were the guys who came up thru the 60s-80s and would talk about how it was a big deal to see a deer track.

In regards to me personally, I own my place in Polk County and have owned it for 13 seasons. It’s has been 150 acres (just bought 52 more in January that adjoins that was not hunted by anyone as far as I know). Historically we have taken on average 1 Buck and 1 doe. 2018 we took 1 buck and this year nada. Point is we are not hammering them. My immediate neighbors are not hammering them, but in the last several years the amount of sign and sightings has dropped. I am talking not only about during hunting season, but all year long. It seems as the trend has been over the course of the last several seasons... so it’s not about one year’s bumper acorn crop.

Quality is there. Def had two good bucks captured on camera although few pictures of them. One taken by big MLD lease neighbor and one was still lurking at 2am in late December.

I had several conversations with random people this season who talked about not getting a buck, but getting “their does” and it just got me to thinking. To your point, no there is no requirement to fill your tags, but too many people, it does not work that way. My theory is the on going open season on does and the substitution for doe harvest over buck harvest has gradually caused a decline in deer numbers in some parts of east tx. All other factors...coyotes, hogs, dogs, poachers etc are relatively constant. It’s our mind set on shooting does that has changed.