Deer decrease this year?

[Lamar_TTU12]

I was at a buddies ranch in Sutton County and noticed a big decrease in deer sighting this weekend. Normally would see 15-20 deer each sit. They have not changed anything with their deer management program in 5 years. Are others noticing the same thing? I know the drought stunted the growth of most horns this year. Also the age class seemed much younger in general oldest buck I saw out of 30 was one 5 year old. Just curious if kind of statewide thing?

[Randell]

This has been the standard this year….acorns dropped later than normal. Some trees are still dropping. Typically I and others see piles of deer. This year not so much, cameras on feeders show deer walk by might eat for a short amount of time and move on, others just walk by heading to the next tee.

[W-O]

We have noticed a decrease in numbers in Mason County and one of the guys found 4 different deer carcasses a couple of weeks ago from the summer.

[AntlerCollector]

Numbers way down at my lease west of Eldorado

[droptine8850]

The drought killed a bunch of deer at my friends place around Rocksprings. Had water troughs going and feeders kicking but still saw a bunch of dead deer in the pastures.

[SmTx]

I've noticed a lack of dead heads in the back of pickups on my way home on Sundays.

[lilavidhunter]

Been hunting in San Saba County on the same place for 17 years. We Protein Feed year round as well as run several corn feeders. It was very common to see 7-10 deer per hunt, per person, almost every year until this one. Now seeing 0-3 deer per person.

We do not have near the number of deer as we have had in the past 17 years. We have found no dead deer or bones on our place.

[Redfeathers]

Went from having winter wheat ever year to cotton. When the wheat left the field, our numbers dropped a lot. This year coyotes got fat eating yearlings.

[Smart]

Our area (San Angleo) has had good rain the past two months so all the winter forbs and clover are popping after a year long drought. That's probably like choosing between cardboard and filet mignon. The deer are there, just not at our corn and protein feeders. I watched deer jump into the feedpens to get water and not even give the feed a second look. I'm glad to see mother nature doing her part... I bet next year "the numbers" will miraculously be back.

[Txhunter3000]

I just got off of the feeders and just sat in the woods and watched and the deer are still there.

[Drycreek3189]

Numbers in East Texas haven’t dropped, we just don’t see them at feeders. Plenty of acorns in the woods.

[narco1]

Same here in Gillespie County. Like others I believe it’s the acorn crop. Usually see around 20 deer each sit but now seeing 5-7.

[buzzbait]

No problem at our place in Gillespie
County.


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[doghouse]

About the same number of deer on my place in Mills county. Antler mass is down after the drought. The only thing we have noticed is we don't have a buck over 4.5 years old.

[txtimetravler]

Record bucks in 2-3 years.