East Tx vs Hill Country Deer Debate

[HogHunter34]

I’m born, raised & still live in East Tx. I’ve always wondered how the deer population in the hill country & south Tx is so much more in quantity & buck quality vs East Tx numbers & quality
I know not all counties in the hill country have real big bucks but in general you see more deer & better quality vs East Tx. Don’t get me wrong there are pockets of areas in East Tx that produce nice bucks especially your river bottom areas

My main question is how are there so many more deer in the hill country but less natural food sources to sustain them?

My wife & I stayed in a B&B outside of New Braunfels and there were deer everywhere roaming around like herds of cattle. I saw more in one setting then I will see an entire season here in East Tx
However the terrain there was rocky with cacti & shrubs not many mature trees

Compared to East Tx where we are plentiful in oaks dropping acorns, pastureland & agricultural areas, natural berries, persimmons, etc

What sustains the deer in the areas that looks like a rocky desert?

In for the debate….

[lmartin5]

In for this...

[lovemylegacy]

That my man is an age old question that is still to be answered.
SETx in my opinion has better quality than Edwards Plateau area.
S Tx, thats a different animal altogether.

[SwampBuck]

Deer in hill country are smaller bodied for one.
I would say lack of predators but really the only predator they lack that east Texas had or still has is the spot light.

But, I’m not entirely sure why the numbers in the hill country are the way they are. It’s not from lack of trying to thin them I can tell you that. Years ago something like 10% of the United states whitetail deer population was in the edwards plateau area alone. Now I’m sure that number has changed since the 80’s and 90’s but for whatever the reason, there’s plenty there number wise.

[Larryf250]

My 2 cents having hunted Alan of the areas mentioned
East texas has monsters but the biggest difference IMO is “ranch” size.
Most in the hill country and south texas are larger on average than east texas. Less hunters per acre. Far less pressure 24 hours a day. When we hunted east texas I heard gunshots and atv’s all hours. Not so in other parts of the state.

The deer are in east texas they just adapt to their world. No feeders and move largely at night.

Like I said just my opinion.

[Sleepy]

In my opinion it is density of population (civilization) and density of hunters.

More habitat to live in due to less population of people and larger tracts of land with less hunters per acre.

[Drycreek3189]

It’s only part of the year, but when live oaks are loaded there are many, many acorns on the ground. The rest of the year they must eat rocks !

[Death from Above]

East Texas quality can rival anyplace out there if they get some age on the herd.

As to the numbers…it is because more spotlights are sold in East Texas.

[Gumbo Man]

Predation and over hunting is what hurts ET population IMO. Large timber tracts that have sufficient cover and nutrition are leased out with 1 hunter per hundred acres all wanting to fill there tags. And then there’s the exceptions where large tracts are managed properly and not over hunted allowing the numbers to be sustainable with proper supplemental feeding. As for as quality, native ET deer can hold they’re own compared to ANY other region when allowed to reach they’re full potential.

[tps7742]

This should get interesting later through the evening.

[tps7742]

Predation and over hunting is what hurts ET population IMO. Large timber tracts that have sufficient cover and nutrition are leased out with 1 hunter per hundred acres all wanting to fill there tags. And then there’s the exceptions where large tracts are managed properly and not over hunted allowing the numbers to be sustainable with proper supplemental feeding. As for as quality, native ET deer can hold they’re own compared to ANY other region when allowed to reach they’re full potential.

This is a very good summation imo in the above attachment.

Closing the season for running dogs was one of the best thing that has helped from my simple world. Even though the hunting ethics have improved in East Tx we are a long way from being where they need to be. I “was” one of those generations if it’s brown it’s down. I can remember growing the deer numbers were very scarce some years.

[Throwin Darts]

Every east Texas lease I see posted.

“400 acres. Looking for 26 hunters at $1k per spot”.

Might be a piece of the puzzle

[Muddy Bud]

I think a lot has to do with the hunting culture in the area you hunt. If you hunt in an area where if it’s brown it’s down, then you will probably never have good deer numbers or quality regardless of the region. There are parts of South Texas that have tons of pressure on small acreage and if you see 5-6 deer a season your lucky.

If you are selective with the animals you take and can get your neighbors on the same page, deer will be allowed to get to their full potential. I don’t know what deer eat in the piney woods that is a consistent source of protein, but I’m sure their are some thing they survive on other than acorns. In South Texas the brush is short and extremely high in protein, and with deer being mostly browsers the nutrition is right in front of their noses all year long depending on rain.


High deer numbers is not always a good thing. Dense deer populations often restrict forage, therefore creating poor quality specimens. I believe this to be the case in alot of the hill county. Keep numbers in check, let them mature and provide good habitat and you’ll get what your looking for.

With all this being said based on my observations over the years, East Texas has in my opinion moved up to a good steady production of good quality bucks in the last 10-15 years. So it maybe turning around up there.

[Traildust]

I always heard there was a lot of inbreeding in East Texas. ymmv

[HogHunter34]

Good points & I agree on hunting pressure & the spotlight masters keeping numbers down in East Tx

What’s the thoughts on natural food sources sustaining the deer population in the hill country & areas that are rocks & lack of nutrition?

I agree with DryCreek there are areas with thick live oak groves & deer love those softer live oak acorns