Hunting Reports | Whitetail Hunting

Whitetail Rut Slow in Central Texas

The whitetail deer hunting season in Texas has started off so-so after a better than average year for rainfall and natural forage. In fact, I think the good habitat conditions across much of the Lone Star State are making the deer hunting this fall downright difficult. October was pretty cool, but November for the most part was much warmer. I hunt in Mason County and have seen very little rutting activity to date. The deer I do see appear healthy, but it seems like there has not been a true-to-form deer rut yet even though I have seen some sporadic chasing by bucks.

I’m not sure what is going on, but the deer hunting has been tough. In fact, my buddy in Lampasas County agrees with the the “half-ass” deer rut. It has been strange that hunters across Central Texas have not seen the heavy rut observed during 2008 and 2009 even though bucks have been chasing does here-and-there throughout the entire month of November. Continue reading Whitetail Rut Slow in Central Texas

Review of Texas’ Deer Hunting Season

Yes, it’s true. Texas’s general deer hunting season is officially over for most folks now with the close of the extended antlerless and spike season. And from the sound of it, it looks like the number of white-tailed deer harvest during the 2009-2010 season has dropped this year. At least that’s what I’ve been reading on the hunting forums and from the state.

White-tailed deer harvest was a bit down over much of Texas. The many deer processors throughout the state have reported that the number of deer they had taken in from hunters was down this year, although some more than others. I suspect the already-slow economy may have decreased the number of trips hunters made during the season. It may have even caused some to process their own deer. However, the improving habitat conditions Texas experienced last year played a role as well. Continue reading Review of Texas’ Deer Hunting Season

Hunters Prepare for Texas’ Deer Season

The beginning of November has marked the beginning of Texas’s general deer hunting season for years. Most gun hunters have waited over 9 months for another shot at their favorite game animal, the white-tailed deer. The deer are still out there, or so says Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). And they should know, they base their county hunting regulations based on deer surveys conducting in late summer and early fall.

And speaking of regulations, I noticed in TPWD’s Outdoor Annual that deer hunting regulations have changed throughout many Texas counties. In many cases, hunting regulations have gotten more liberal, adding crossbows to the Archery season, raising doe bag limits for many places, and adding in the late doe and spike season for additional counties, as well. So read up the regs before jumping in the bind, and good luck! Continue reading Hunters Prepare for Texas’ Deer Season

Whitetail Rutting Activity in Schleicher County

11/20/09

I went whitetail hunting North of Highway 190 between Menard and Christoval last weekend. I observed lots of really healthy deer, bucks and does. The area we hunt had a bluetongue epidemic about three to four years ago, so we still do not see as many 4.5 to 5.5 year old bucks as all the hunters would like. As other hunters I know have stated, the deer look great and it should be good year in Schleicher County. They received much more rain than a lot of the State, so there was abundant food. Antlers and body condition should be well above avergae.

I saw both mature and immature bucks all weekend, but never saw any rutting activity by the deer. I even used some doe in estrus scent just to see if I could get any reaction, but nothing. The mature bucks I saw completely ignored the hot scent and ignored the does themselves, too. The big bucks were still more interested in pushing the others away from the feeder and filling their bellies. Most years, the rut kicks off with the first major cold front in early November.

We will see what happens this year. A lot of things have gone good this year, so we can only hope for the best. If any of you guys hunt out here, drop a line so we can see how the hunting is going.