Well right now in south Texas, you are either on a hot doe with lotsa action, or just go back to sleep.

GentrysMillTX10 said:

---

Checking in from western Hamilton and Mills counties…

Dad gum acorns. Everyone has winter wheat/oats/triticale. Heck the browse was even green a month longer than normal

The deer are starting to get more hungry but still one of the worst hunting years for me in a decade or so

---

Well good to know I'm not the only one

cupofjoe04 said:

---

We are in far northern Coryell Co as well. Been shockingly slow this year.

Last year there was a dip, and this year has been dramatic. We did have TERRIBLE flooding last year, and we have been wondering if that displaced or killed a lot of deer in our area. We have seen zero older bucks this year. The oldest is a 3.5, MAYBE 4.5 yo broken up 10 point, who isn't super big. Then a couple very small very young bucks, and a couple groups of does.

Our 300 acres, we have had years where you could easily see 50-60 deer most evenings. An average year, you are still seeing 30'ish deer and a couple mature bucks most sits.

This year, we see the same group of does in each area, which a couple spikes/scrub bucks roaming. Occasionally see that broken up 10 pointer.

I know the drought has taken a toll the last few years, but this year is BAD.

Lots of turkey, though!

---

Where about are you located ? The floods have vans through our area too

We hunt on 1200 acres in northwestern Blanco county and it's been a terrible year for us, but our hunting has been on a steady decline for about 10 years. I am not sure where the good deer have gone. Every year we will see decent to good bucks and think next year will be better when they get a little older and then it's like they vanish.

Our property has a wet weather creek that runs through it but it's been dry for probably 5 years now. I think that has impacted our ranch. With only cattle troughs to supply water, I think they have moved to more water.

Mine are all nocturnal. A few little guys coming out in the day

TFAAGG said:

---

Mine are all nocturnal. A few little guys coming out in the day

---

Same. When I was hunting last week in Comal County, I saw three deer within 10-15 mins either side of legal shooting light at night or in the morning. Based on our cameras, they were moving around a lot between about 9:30pm and 3am last week. Now that I am back home, they are showing up more around 9-10am and 5-6pm on the cameras we have over water features. Axis we have had around previously are still AWOL though.

Erath, would go days without deer on camera. Not the norm, years past we might go one day without a deer pic.

Same. Llano county checking in. Seen some but let a few go and now regretting that decision with the season coming to an end.

Some of the older and smarter ones are still running nocturnal. Just got a notification for this guy about an hour ago…10:25pm.

I must have seen 500 of them on the road sides this evening driving from Iraan to Mason. Suckers were every where.

MouthBQ98 said:

---

I must have seen 500 of them on the road sides this evening driving from Iraan to Mason. Suckers were every where.

---

They were very active overnight per my cameras. Most night time activity I've seen in a couple months. I'm in the stand now but not sure it's going to do much good

cupofjoe04 said:

---

We are in far northern Coryell Co as well. Been shockingly slow this year.

Last year there was a dip, and this year has been dramatic. We did have TERRIBLE flooding last year, and we have been wondering if that displaced or killed a lot of deer in our area. We have seen zero older bucks this year. The oldest is a 3.5, MAYBE 4.5 yo broken up 10 point, who isn't super big. Then a couple very small very young bucks, and a couple groups of does.

Our 300 acres, we have had years where you could easily see 50-60 deer most evenings. An average year, you are still seeing 30'ish deer and a couple mature bucks most sits.

This year, we see the same group of does in each area, which a couple spikes/scrub bucks roaming. Occasionally see that broken up 10 pointer.

I know the drought has taken a toll the last few years, but this year is BAD.

Lots of turkey, though!

---

My lease is in Baylor county, and all we are seeing is spikes or small 4 pointers. Very few does at this time also. But like you, we cannot spit without hitting a turkey but I am fine with that, as we were sort of seeing a decline in those for a couple of years. So far out of eight hunters, we have taken one eight point, one old cull that was a 14 inch spike, and a handful of does. Still having fun though.

When I say I saw 4 does and 4 bucks this morning, it sounds good. Reality is I didn't see any of them longer than 20 seconds and none were within range. Just how this season has been going

Rattle.

Lease is south of Center City. First year on it. Talked to some old timers when we were in town in Goldthwaite this week who reported verbatim what you experienced. My BIL was out there last year as a guest and told me he didn't go sit in a stand without seeing 10+ deer and this year has been… not that

JeremiahJohnson said:

---

I have had trouble seeing bucks at feeders this year. I have been walking senderos. When I find a game trail I have been dropping corn so the deer stop crossing the sendero. Gives me an extra 10-20 seconds as the deer at atleast stop to look to sniff it eat the corn when passing. Have seen a lot more deer now that I do that. It is the only way I see mature bucks without bumping them.

---

Cut up apples will bring them out like that as well.

I'm just north or Caradan or 3 miles SE of Priddy. Not that far from you, as a crow flies anyway

Nice, we're just south of the hardware store and right on CR312. I've been out there just twice but my father in law's friend has been on the lease for 10 years and I just had the chance to get on recently.

Assuming you're a local? We're out of Montgomery County

Kind of. My dad lives on the family place in Hamilton county north of Pottsville. That place has been in the family since the 1940's. I live in Early in Brown county - best school system in the area. We have owned the property at caradan since 2006. I have a remote corporate job and travel all over the country.

Player To Be Named Later said:

---

Has anyone tried getting IN to the woods to hunt during a heavy acorn year instead of sitting over deer blinds?

Difficult, sure, but better than twiddling thumbs in a blind

---

Yes… kinda hard on our place but have tried … the time or two I did it saw just a couple … put a camera in a group of trees and caught a few so if we had more time maybe

Player To Be Named Later said:

---

Has anyone tried getting IN to the woods to hunt during a heavy acorn year instead of sitting over deer blinds?

Difficult, sure, but better than twiddling thumbs in a blind

---

Ive tried it some

It sounds like you're walking on bubble wrap with all the acorns. I couldn't get within 60 yards of a deer, much less bow-range (for me)

Very cool. Have a half brother who has a place south of 218 between Hamilton and Pottsville. Small world

I actually just bought a pop up blind because I need to change the approach up with the deer not coming to feeders. I have been scouting some areas where we have seen good bucks. We will see how that goes.

Jdb101808 said:

---

cupofjoe04 said:

---

We are in far northern Coryell Co as well. Been shockingly slow this year.

Last year there was a dip, and this year has been dramatic. We did have TERRIBLE flooding last year, and we have been wondering if that displaced or killed a lot of deer in our area. We have seen zero older bucks this year. The oldest is a 3.5, MAYBE 4.5 yo broken up 10 point, who isn't super big. Then a couple very small very young bucks, and a couple groups of does.

Our 300 acres, we have had years where you could easily see 50-60 deer most evenings. An average year, you are still seeing 30'ish deer and a couple mature bucks most sits.

This year, we see the same group of does in each area, which a couple spikes/scrub bucks roaming. Occasionally see that broken up 10 pointer.

I know the drought has taken a toll the last few years, but this year is BAD.

Lots of turkey, though!

---

Where about are you located ? The floods have vans through our area too

---

We are just south of Evant, on the west side of 281. Had 2 bad floods a few months apart. 15 years ago, we would get occasional high water through our pecan bottoms (we have a creek that snakes through the ranch). But never more than a foot or two of water. And the river would run with water for about 3/4 of the year, and hold pockets during dry times.

But, with all the droughts, the river on our place is just a wet weather creek now. Then we had those two HUGE storms in '24. The first one brought 6-8 foot of water through our upper valley, washing away the barn, trailer, some equipment, and fencing. After we got all the materials staged up there to rebuild the front fence, another round came and washed all that away. We were able to dig out most of the barbed wire and some of the posts, but still added 2 more weekends of crappy work just to recover materials.

Deerdude said:

---

Well right now in south Texas, you are either on a hot doe with lotsa action, or just go back to sleep.

---

This is the correct answer.