Background: My lease is NE of Post about 8 miles. Lease approx 10,000 acres low fence, my section approx 1500 acres. Lease not really managed, but I have taken only 1 doe in 3 years and only took a nice old 8 last year, my son took a 3.5 year wide 8. There are some huge deer on the place, with an apparent 1:1 or close to it buck:doe ratio. The land is arid pasture, mesquite thickets with nice draws and canyons and good elevation. Doesn't hold as many deer per acre as central/south Texas due to conditions.

Problem: I have spent 14 days (morning & evenings) in the field, with approximately 80 hours in the blind and have seen 0 deer in daylight hours. I watched some does and a nice 8 about 45 minutes after dark while waiting on the pigs to arrive, but that is it. I have deer on camera in daylight hours so I know they are there, they just seem to be erratic in their pattern - sometimes morning, sometimes evening, sometimes only at night. I have done everything I know to do. I play the winds, park as far away as possible, be silent, etc, but have been striking out.

Two things of note:
1. Cows - we were cow free from June-October before the bastards showed back up right before the season. They have been hammering the cover pretty hard and are everywhere! Deer still on camera, but there is no way their presence is helping. Thoughts? Should I pay the same as other hunters on the 10,000 acres if I am the only one dealing with cows?

2. I cannot tell if the rut has occurred or hasn't occurred. I have many bucks broken off from fighting, but have them on camera recently in the feeder pen together. I do have some new deer on camera that appear to be ranging but just cant pinpoint if the rut has already passed or not. Anyone else in the vicinity have input?

Any other ideas/feedback welcome. I have ups and downs on this lease and don't want to move, but am getting to the point where frustration gets overwhelming.

I would get out of the stand and hunt the draws and the canyons. Get a spot to glass a big area. Stay all day

Sit early and late and be out like the previous poster said after sitting in the blind. Play the wind when you are hunting the draws and even if you kick deer up with or without seeing them, getting them out of their pattern might be a good thing in this case.

I have a place south east of you in Stonewall as well as Fisher county and it's been the same as far as the rut goes. No real clear time frame, and starting mid November I sall very sporadic buck activity and here we are mid December still sporadic. We have been very successful but have had to change things up every week to stay on top of them.

I have the same issues and I'm in East Texas. Pics of deer, hogs, coyotes and bobcats at night and during daylight hours. When I sit the stand, NOTHING!! There seems to be no pattern. Sometimes they show up in the morning, sometimes mid afternoon and evening. My feeders have been there since last year so they should be accustomed to them and their feed times. It is frustrating and somewhat discouraging. My 9 year old doesn't even like to hunt there anymore because we've never seen anything while in the stand and this is our second season. Ive never seen anything like it.

Very sporadic in Jones county this year as well. Crap year in my opinion..one morning will be great with lots of deer then the next 4 hunts will suck. We don't have much pressure on our ranch and feed all year long. Go figure. Don't think this hot weather is helping either.

I have experienced the same issues. I expected this year to be great. I planted food plots 2 that are fantastic and nothing comes in the day time not sure it is deer or hogs visiting
Only seeing about 5 does on occasion and one 4 point buck at feeders and that is rare,

I got a nice mature 8 on Thanksgiving morning as a result of the rut but deer have been extremely scarce on my 160 acres this year. Really frustrating to my young grandsons.