In the HC there isn't as good of browse available for the capacity of the land. goats and sheep prefer to eat the same things as WT as do a lot of exotics. In some places the axis are beginning to outnumber them. if you look around when driving through the HC and the oaks look like parkland, its due to overgrazing.
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Hill Country Deer vs. South Texas Deer?
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Originally posted by trophy8 View PostYes absolutely with the same genetics.
There are 200” deer killed every year in the hill country.
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It's not that the HC can't produce huge bucks comparable to south Texas deer, but it's the fact that you have to artificially supply the supplements on a continuous basis to KEEP producing quality deer in the HC as compared to south Texas.
Stop feeding the supplements on those HC deer and the body size and antlers will also decline back to what the land can naturally produce.
Take the same size ranch in south Texas that is natural without any supplements, and a HC ranch the same size, the deer on the south Texas ranch will be bigger period.
Growing large deer in the HC, you better be in it for the long haul and have deep pockets.
Personal experience here:
I hunted a ranch where the deer were typical HC deer, and after a few years a supplemental feeding program was started and the deer would rival anything that south Texas could produce.
New management took over and they reverted back to natural land management, no supplemental feeding and cedar removal and the deer reverted back to typical hill country size deer of a little better than average size and antlers, but still nothing like a south Texas deer.
All this was observed personally over 17 years of hunting the ranch.
I'm now hunting south Texas low fence with no supplemental feeding and yes, the deer are bigger in body, and larger racks than a natural hill country deer.
Location, location, location!Last edited by Jimbo47; 12-26-2020, 04:46 PM.
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Originally posted by Burntorange Bowhunter View PostThis is just incorrect.
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Really your sure of yourself? This deer is over 200+ pounds. I have been managing this place for only 4 years so yea it happens. We have shot a few over 200+ so yes age, water and food = big deer!
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Originally posted by Grant2 View Post
Really your sure of yourself? This deer is over 200+ pounds. I have been managing this place for only 4 years so yea it happens. We have shot a few over 200+ so yes age, water and food = big deer!
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkLast edited by panhandlehunter; 12-26-2020, 04:28 PM.
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Originally posted by panhandlehunter View PostGreat deer no doubt, but what did he score 160ish? There are guys on my lease that would pass that deer. Those deer are a dime a dozen on a good south Texas place, that’s the difference between hill country and south Texas. Not trying to diminish what you’ve done or anything, just pointing it out.
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Originally posted by Grant2 View Post
Really your sure of yourself? This deer is over 200+ pounds. I have been managing this place for only 4 years so yea it happens. We have shot a few over 200+ so yes age, water and food = big deer!
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