East Texas hunting 2022-‘23 season

[Tshelly]

East Texas hunting 2022-‘23 season

I think any attempt to measure your deer herd with this style of season and all the acorns is a losing cause. I have a place on the brazos river. I could put a camera out on a corn pile that would last 3 days and have 500 pics. This year my camera is taking 10 pics a week. This place usually has 5-8 mature buck on cam. I have one this year. This example is across the board similar on places I hunt


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[jbhlsu]

I think any attempt to measure your deer herd with this style of season and all the acorns is a losing cause. I have a place on the brazos river. I could put a camera out on a corn pile that would last 3 days and have 500 pics. This year my camera is taking 10 pics a week. This place usually has 5-8 mature buck on cam. I have one this year. This example is across the board similar on places I hunt


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100% on this.....

[Snowflake Killa]

Those seeing a decline in deer numbers has alot to do with fragmentation and fire. When fire gets ignited in 2022 it gets extinguished rather quickly, typically. 25 years ago almost every farmer/rancher burned their places generating great habitat. Now those same 3,000 acre farms are 300 ranchettes that frown on burning. Alot of fertile soil has been the subject of subdivisions. I agree with coyotes and even pigs effecting populations. There is no doubt. I just think not enough attention is being given to the fire/fragmentation aspect of things. This is a very generalized statement of course and is not specific to any county or region in particular.

They burn the hell out of our place and our numbers are down. 15000 acres so your thinking is not it

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[Snowflake Killa]

To me, a lot of this is heat related. Let the cold weather come, and the deer will be back.

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[Gumbo Man]

To me, a lot of this is heat related. Let the cold weather come, and the deer will be back.

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I approve this message.

[JhuntsAlot]

To me, a lot of this is heat related. Let the cold weather come, and the deer will be back.

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So a question for those with leases in other wildlife management districts. Is this same thing happening there?

I have seen more deer on camera this past summer than I have this hunting season. On camera or on the handful of sits I have done.





J

[Quackerbox]

Those seeing a decline in deer numbers has alot to do with fragmentation and fire. When fire gets ignited in 2022 it gets extinguished rather quickly, typically. 25 years ago almost every farmer/rancher burned their places generating great habitat. Now those same 3,000 acre farms are 300 ranchettes that frown on burning. Alot of fertile soil has been the subject of subdivisions. I agree with coyotes and even pigs effecting populations. There is no doubt. I just think not enough attention is being given to the fire/fragmentation aspect of things. This is a very generalized statement of course and is not specific to any county or region in particular.

We have owned our place since 1970. The only fire its had or any of the surrounding 10k acres was when the house my grandparents built burnt to the ground. Even that only took 7-8 acres of pasture, house and two barns and very little brush/trees

Im more inclined to trust in the below......that being said even though Ive been on the same dirt for 40 years I cant remember deer numbers like this since the 80s. Long before AR and poachers were as thick as flies on a cow ****

I think any attempt to measure your deer herd with this style of season and all the acorns is a losing cause. I have a place on the brazos river. I could put a camera out on a corn pile that would last 3 days and have 500 pics. This year my camera is taking 10 pics a week. This place usually has 5-8 mature buck on cam. I have one this year. This example is across the board similar on places I hunt


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[Anvilheadtexas]

To me, a lot of this is heat related. Let the cold weather come, and the deer will be back.

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I disagree but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Eventually it’s going to turn cold….. maybe mid December? But at some point it’s going to get cold and stay cold or at least not climb back up to 75 like it is today…..but I can’t imagine a cold snap magically, making all the deer just reappear like that especially in mid December when it becomes traditionally, the most difficult period of the general hunting season to see deer. It will be interesting to see what happens between Christmas and the end of the season because that’s when they typically is a uptick of activity (second “rut”)

[Anvilheadtexas]

I think any attempt to measure your deer herd with this style of season and all the acorns is a losing cause. I have a place on the brazos river. I could put a camera out on a corn pile that would last 3 days and have 500 pics. This year my camera is taking 10 pics a week. This place usually has 5-8 mature buck on cam. I have one this year. This example is across the board similar on places I hunt


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My measurements are based on paying close attention to my deer heard for about 7 years and is not based on only fall (deer stand observations) when bumper crops of acorns could affect things. My observations are based on in your face downward numbers, 12 months out of the year.

In regards to everybody’s conclusion about the acorns…. Shouldn’t there be people who hunt acorns flats reporting seeing crazy numbers. I am lucky enough to have 300 acres to hunt and I do have a few areas that have a decent amount of hardwoods…. There does seem to be more sign in the hardwoods than in past years, but it’s not like you see deer every time you go in those hardwoods…. And keeping it real, it doesn’t seem as if my acorn trees are throwing off the millions of acorns like everybody else’s seem to be.

[Tshelly]

My measurements are based on paying close attention to my deer heard for about 7 years and is not based on only fall (deer stand observations) when bumper crops of acorns could affect things. My observations are based on in your face downward numbers, 12 months out of the year.

In regards to everybody’s conclusion about the acorns…. Shouldn’t there be people who hunt acorns flats reporting seeing crazy numbers. I am lucky enough to have 300 acres to hunt and I do have a few areas that have a decent amount of hardwoods…. There does seem to be more sign in the hardwoods than in past years, but it’s not like you see deer every time you go in those hardwoods…. And keeping it real, it doesn’t seem as if my acorn trees are throwing off the millions of acorns like everybody else’s seem to be.

They don’t have to go to acorns flats when every tree in the thicket has them and they are very dispersed. Not knocking your past deer numbers but the acorns have completely shut down every place I hunt this year.


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[Tshelly]

They don’t have to go to acorns flats when every tree in the thicket has them and they are very dispersed. Not knocking your past deer numbers but the acorns have completely shut down every place I hunt this year.


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This is over 8 to 10 properties that it’s shut down. Plus mentioned above La Niña years suck heat wise. Hunt those couple days around each big cold front for better luck


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[Etxbuckman]

I had a deer on camera in daylight at one of my feeders today for the first time in 3 days. I was shocked. LOL

I know the acorns are killing us right now, but lets not forget they can and will eat just about anything else that grows in east Texas. I still believe the numbers are way down over just a few years ago, but also believe trying to hone in on one oak tree is futile.

[AgHntr10]

They don’t have to go to acorns flats when every tree in the thicket has them and they are very dispersed. Not knocking your past deer numbers but the acorns have completely shut down every place I hunt this year.


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100%
We had a good early rifle season but it has slowed down drastically since Thansgiving. My best guess based on what I have seen around my house is the acorns were behind due to the drought, then the late rains helped them finish out and they fell later than normal. Combine the late acorns with the lack of hard freezes to knock back browse and they don't have to move much at all right now.

[ElfEyes]

I would say not all acorns are the same either. I walked 5 miles total last Wednesday on public land and could've literally filled a drum full of whiteoak acorns and didn't jump a single deer. The very next day I shot my buck on my lease and he was slam full of water oak acorns. Some corn and some white oak acorns but the vast majority was water oaks.

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[Texas452]

My measurements are based on paying close attention to my deer heard for about 7 years and is not based on only fall (deer stand observations) when bumper crops of acorns could affect things. My observations are based on in your face downward numbers, 12 months out of the year.

In regards to everybody’s conclusion about the acorns…. Shouldn’t there be people who hunt acorns flats reporting seeing crazy numbers. I am lucky enough to have 300 acres to hunt and I do have a few areas that have a decent amount of hardwoods…. There does seem to be more sign in the hardwoods than in past years, but it’s not like you see deer every time you go in those hardwoods…. And keeping it real, it doesn’t seem as if my acorn trees are throwing off the millions of acorns like everybody else’s seem to be.

Same with my place in Leon County, I’ve been observing numbers since I bought it in 2016, numbers are way down.