Yankee needs advice!

[Bowhunter4l1fe]

Ok, here is where i need advice. This year is my very first year hunting Texas in my life! I am from the Buckeye state and have had to learn a TON over the years about hunting whitetail in the VERY steep jagged terrain in the foothills of southern Ohio. Mind you, we do have some property that has some nice quality deer, but i still mostly hunted public land there, as i will be here. There is just SOOOOOO much of it there, why not!!! With this said, this is a very humbling experience to say the least. I went out to LBJ over the weekend and stepped foot on the property for the first time with a climber on my back and a bow in my hand. I saw a ton of sign and what i THINK is a prime location. But i honestly have no clue what a prime location in Texas is. Back home, this would have been great. Super thick stuff surrounded by briars in every direction. Acorns so thick you wouldnt believe it. It was raining acorns on me the entire time i was in the stand. But,.......I think i may have actually been in their bedding area, but i didnt see any sign that they have been laying anywhere in there. Would you guys hunt this? Or would you try to find an edge of a field in a wooded tree line? I did end up leaving a camera, so next time i go out i will know a little more, if it doesn't grow legs in the next two weeks. I know these seem like very novice questions, but trust me, we arent in Ohio anymore uncle Toto!!! lol This may very well be my only hunting season in Texas and i just want it to be a productive one, so any advice from the southern hunters would be a huge help!!

I grew up here hunting South Texas and the edge of the Hill Country. About 8 years ago I started hunting Southern and Western Ohio, and was as lost as you are now when I got up there. Prior to my first trip to Ohio I had never hunted anywhere with a tree big enough to climb, let alone hunt out of, and had no idea what I was doing. You are on the right track. I am afraid that the acorns make it tough, because you have a much tougher time patterning them heading to/from feed to the bedding area. That said, if you have found a good bed, set a few cameras on trails heading in and play the wind on those trails. You'll get an arrow in one. Good Luck, and welcome to Texas!

[Fordtough68]

I grew up here hunting South Texas and the edge of the Hill Country. About 8 years ago I started hunting Southern and Western Ohio, and was as lost as you are now when I got up there. Prior to my first trip to Ohio I had never hunted anywhere with a tree big enough to climb, let alone hunt out of, and had no idea what I was doing. You are on the right track. I am afraid that the acorns make it tough, because you have a much tougher time patterning them heading to/from feed to the bedding area. That said, if you have found a good bed, set a few cameras on trails heading in and play the wind on those trails. You'll get an arrow in one. Good Luck, and welcome to Texas!

Exactly! This is why I'm worried about the spot. I don't feel like I'm in a transition, more in the feeding zone. Hopefully I'll get some pictures in the following weeks and I'll know more of what I'm dealing with. Heck, there may be deer there all day long for all I know lol. I'm just torn between uprooting and finding another spot, or hanging out and not seeing anything.

[GTRH8R]

Lol.....I live in Texas now. I didn't find anything in the way of water anywhere nearby. But as for food, I'm smack in the middle of it. I was actually getting worried that when it was raining acorns all day that they would hit my stand and make a bunch of noise.

Oh, then welcome to the greatest place in the US. I think you might be onto a spot. I like funnels by water and food sources. Without seeing the rest of the map of course...

[kalebrown]

welcome to texas! I grew up here but this is my first year to hunt and it's on public land at that so I'm kind of in a similar boat

[Fordtough68]

I was reminiscing about where I used to hunt and looked it up on Google earth. Just for a reference, here is a picture. I could find and pattern the deer here like it was second nature! When it's all flat, that's where I run into problems! Lol now you can see why, these hills were darn near vertical!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[Fordtough68]

welcome to texas! I grew up here but this is my first year to hunt and it's on public land at that so I'm kind of in a similar boat

I wish you the very best of luck! Where will you be hunting this season?

[Fordtough68]

Oh, then welcome to the greatest place in the US. I think you might be onto a spot. I like funnels by water and food sources. Without seeing the rest of the map of course...

Do you hunt LBJ as well?

[Fordtough68]

I grew up here hunting South Texas and the edge of the Hill Country. About 8 years ago I started hunting Southern and Western Ohio, and was as lost as you are now when I got up there. Prior to my first trip to Ohio I had never hunted anywhere with a tree big enough to climb, let alone hunt out of, and had no idea what I was doing. You are on the right track. I am afraid that the acorns make it tough, because you have a much tougher time patterning them heading to/from feed to the bedding area. That said, if you have found a good bed, set a few cameras on trails heading in and play the wind on those trails. You'll get an arrow in one. Good Luck, and welcome to Texas!

Where do you hunt in Ohio? You may be near where I'm from up there. We're you hunting public up there?

[krtnorris]

In Ohio hunt in McConnesville in Morgan county. Where did you hunt in Ohio?

[Fordtough68]

In Ohio hunt in McConnesville in Morgan county. Where did you hunt in Ohio?

Jackson and Scioto counties. Specifically Jackson and Sciotoville.

[Fordtough68]

Good catfishing in McConnelsville!!

[Froggy]

Hills = funnels in Ohio.

Gullies = funnels on the LBJ. The LBJ Grasslands were acquired by the federal government under authority of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937. Poor agricultural practices led to many families abandoning homesteads and much of the topsoil washed away. Many of the deep gullies were once old wagon roads. Some of these gullies have created isolated pockets of public land that are prime spots to ambush an old buck.

Find some areas on the LBJ that are cutoff from easy access by the public that adjoin private land. Google Earth is your friend.

[Fordtough68]

Hills = funnels in Ohio.

Gullies = funnels on the LBJ. The LBJ Grasslands were acquired by the federal government under authority of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937. Poor agricultural practices led to many families abandoning homesteads and much of the topsoil washed away. Many of the deep gullies were once old wagon roads. Some of these gullies have created isolated pockets of public land that are prime spots to ambush an old buck.

Find some areas on the LBJ that are cutoff from easy access by the public that adjoin private land. Google Earth is your friend.

Extremely good information! this exactly what i was needing to hear! I've google earthed till I am blue in the face lol. A LOT of that makes perfect sense from what i have been seeing! Thanks for putting two and two together for me!

[kalebrown]

I wish you the very best of luck! Where will you be hunting this season?

Thank you, and you as well! I've got a few places in mind. For deer I think the closest place is Sam Houston NF. Gum Slough in Liberty and a couple places in Jefferson county for pigs, small game, etc...

[Fordtough68]

Ive put in for a bunch of draws, but it's not looking good on those right now. I'm hedging my bets and putting all of my eggs in one basket. I don't have enough time between work and family time to do more than one place.