2021-22 east texas season

[Pstraw]

Deer were moving all day on my lease this past weekend. Had a buck chase a doe within yards of my popup blind, and another one followed a doe to a feeder but stayed back in the brush.

Sunday morning was a memorable one. I decided to hunt a stand about a half mile from camp where a thin strip of trees forms a natural funnel through a large clearcut. As soon as I could see without a light I started the walk from camp. The fog was thick with visibility of about 70 yards, and I took my time glassing the clearcut as I still hunted my way to the stand...slow and silent with the wind in my face. When I stepped out on the other side of the strip of timber, I saw the faint shadow of a deer standing on a rise in the field. Dropping to my knees I glassed him and I could tell he was a big one, just standing there watching the horizon. He turned away from me, walked a few yards, and scanned that direction for a few minutes. Then turned and did it again, walking in a square on that little knoll. When he turned the last time, he walked directly to me within 40 yards and I could make out his rack, heavy but nothing real impressive. His body was VERY IMPRESSIVE!!! Nose like a mule and a body like a stud horse...muscles bulging all over. He was probably the heaviest buck I ever saw in Texas. He spotted a distant doe and took off across the clearcut after her.
Even though I didn't kill anything, the thrill of stalking up on a very old buck made my weekend. That magical moment was satisfaction enough for me,
and the image of that old battle scarred warrior like a shadow in the fog will be etched in my memory forever.

I've had several of those encounters. You are correct that there is nothing more impressive than a magnificent buck silhouetted against the sky.

[jershua]

Is this year strange for you guys? Seems like a lot less buck activity so far. If yall agree, what do you think is causing it?

[drop dead fred]

Is this year strange for you guys? Seems like a lot less buck activity so far. If yall agree, what do you think is causing it?

I was just talking about this, the whole vibe feels different. I think the freeze stunted a lot of etx acorns in my area changing typical patterns, but my deer just seem all together different behavioral wise from the past decade


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Anvilheadtexas]

I have been saying this on my place in Polk County for last 2 seasons. Numbers are down in places guys. The old “they are in the acorns” excuse just does not hold water. I have the acorns, deer sightings are way down and your deer are not stacked in my hardwoods. That being said my place has produced 2 good bucks and a spike (live thread). We declared does off limits…which is easy to do because we are not seeing any. I am going to drag my East Tx Deer Numbers thread up after this weekend. Kind of curious to see what people say after this weekend.

[TXDUCKCUTTER]

Ruts a few weeks late for us, heavier activity is picking up . Same reports from surrounding counties, Looking forward to this weekend.

[Pineywoods]

I was just talking about this, the whole vibe feels different. I think the freeze stunted a lot of etx acorns in my area changing typical patterns, but my deer just seem all together different behavioral wise from the past decade


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep. I was just telling someone the same exact thing after this past weekend.

[Snowflake Killa]

I was just talking about this, the whole vibe feels different. I think the freeze stunted a lot of etx acorns in my area changing typical patterns, but my deer just seem all together different behavioral wise from the past decade


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Our place is really slow compared to the past. I watched a couple of deer eating sweet gum leaves while the corn piles up. They are eating the BFO pretty good but numbers are way down.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Native Texan]

I have been saying this on my place in Polk County for last 2 seasons. Numbers are down in places guys. The old “they are in the acorns” excuse just does not hold water. I have the acorns, deer sightings are way down and your deer are not stacked in my hardwoods. That being said my place has produced 2 good bucks and a spike (live thread). We declared does off limits…which is easy to do because we are not seeing any. I am going to drag my East Tx Deer Numbers thread up after this weekend. Kind of curious to see what people say after this weekend.

We are having our best year since 2008.

Three years ago, our doe numbers were so low we rarely saw them. Two years ago our neighboring lease made does off limits and we only took a few. Same last year. The number of young deer has rebounded in a big way.
Most members are seeing so many deer that they haven't killed any yet...no urgency as in recent years thinking it might be the only deer you see.

[Anvilheadtexas]

We are having our best year since 2008.

Three years ago, our doe numbers were so low we rarely saw them. Two years ago our neighboring lease made does off limits and we only took a few. Same last year. The number of young deer has rebounded in a big way.
Most members are seeing so many deer that they haven't killed any yet...no urgency as in recent years thinking it might be the only deer you see.

No doubt… I am sure my issue is local. But it seems more folks are scratching their heads. The problem is we never went hard on the does, so not sure where they all went.

[Gumbo Man]

My deer numbers are good and activity is excellent. Hunting my pipeline stand since the general opener the first 4 days I am seeing as many bucks as does so I’m happy with the ratio. Problem is I haven’t seen a single buck this season beyond 4 1/2 and that has me baffled. Haven’t seen any of the 4 year olds from last year.

[RockTippedStick]

My deer numbers are good and activity is excellent. Hunting my pipeline stand since the general opener the first 4 days I am seeing as many bucks as does so I’m happy with the ratio. Problem is I haven’t seen a single buck this season beyond 4 1/2 and that has me baffled. Haven’t seen any of the 4 year olds from last year.

I do not have any older bucks either. Kind of strange and I keep expecting them to show like years past but no luck yet. I have a 9 point that is 4-5. The one I was hunting last year has not shown up.

[Etxbuckman]

I will say deer sightings have dropped off precipitously since the windstorm dropped every acorn in Trinity County on the ground.

[jershua]

I have seen no new bucks on my cameras since the summer - like stagnant during the rut so far.

[Greenheadless]

The rut was later than expected, lighter than normal and pretty much done for us now.

Seems as if our mast crop is gone cause you can’t beat the bucks and does off the feeders and hand corn right now. They were feeding all day last Thursday thru Sunday. I saw one mature buck come to feed 6 different times on Saturday and fed for 30 minutes or more each time. They was HONGRY!

[Gumbo Man]

I sure wanted to be on the stand this morning because I have some of my best hunts during and after a good rain. The storm came through at the wrong time though with a lot of electricity and I don’t do lightening in the woods at all.