My first trip out I didnt see anything but with the cooler weather this weekend am feeling hopeful. Have some pics on the TC of a nice 10 pt hanging around our lease. Hope he comes along...

Good luck with that 10, from your user name I bet if you get him you will know what to do with the meat

Beautiful morning, and it actually felt like hunting season. The turkeys were roosting not far away and I was going crazy with their antics all morning raising all kinds of hail comming off the roost. After the sun started to peek through the trees the turkeys finally left when a coyote started to yap probably calling his buddies over for a morning feast of wild turkey...Yea!
I then started to see deer. Four big does and a couple of fawns tagging along then a lone small eight point who fed on the acorns in front of my popup at about 10 paces.
Then two big does came in and one looked a little strange. That one had a big ear tag hanging off it's ear. She was big and mature looking and I was tempted, and I started having visions of maybe claiming a fully loaded truck and boat and trailer or maybe a little ATV, but then I figured my luck wasn't that good so I let her walk.
Just another first in all my years of hunting to see a doe on a small low fence lease with an ear tag.

Finally got to shoot my bow for the first time since last season. And I was pleasantly surprised with my results.



Was going to hunt Sunday morning but my boy was a little sick Friday and Saturday nights my eyes hurt when I opened them sunday morning from little sleep and I had a few hours drive ahead of me so I slept.

I seen a bunch of deer this weekend. Even missed a doe with my recurve. However the mature bucks are still not daytime active for the most part. However they are starting to show some pretty rut activity.

It's still too early where I hunt. Right now we are just seeing a few small bucks but mostly does and fawns which is good, so it's still a ways to go yet, and as of now probably about three or so weeks away before they show interest.
Anywhere from Thanksgiving week to the first week in December, but that hasn't always been written in stone, just when we've seen the most rut activity.

I had these two bucks in front of me for 40-45 minutes this morning. Both were within 16 yards at times and never farther than 27 yards. The closest bucks was the dominant buck and a weak 9 pt that I think is 4 or 5, more 5. I had in front of me for 30 minutes yesterday at 14-20 yards at a different blind. The buck in the back would not challenge him but walk away and kept his distance. This buck was a 9 pt with 3 extra kickers. I was thinking he should be 4 this year but he acts and looks more 5 the previous 3 times I have seen him. So after this morning I am back to 4 on him. Both bucks are nice for this area but still not the buck I am looking for at this time of the season.

They look great on the hoof. But you realize how much the drop off when they hit the ground. For many folks though either of them would be a great deer.

I had to study that last picture as I thought that buck in the backround had some tremendously trophy brow tines.

I would die to have that buck in front of me in Bandera.

I wouldn't be able to draw back fast enough

I wish I had a Steak in one of those bags

Headed out this morning and the fog was starting to roll in as we got to the ranch. Got settled into my ladder stand and I timed it just right and didn't have to sit too long waiting for daylight. Turkeys were again raising cain coming down off the roost and then later they came single file through the creek where I was sitting and I lost count at 68 and gave up counting.
Another bunch came out into the powerline and began vacuuming up all my corn.
I took my recurve this morning, left the crossbow at home, so I drew down on a jake just to see if I could get away with it at twelve yards and succeeded, I let down on the scrawny bird.
After the turkeys moved on after startled them, ten does came by just out of bow range of my recurve and continued on without stopping for my corn.
Abouty twenty minutes after the does left a young four point showed up and walked right up to my corn and started to eat. He worked his way to within that same twelve yard distance as the turkey so I waited for the right time to draw as he turned his head away and gave me a broadside shot angle. I drew aimed and then let down.
Being in an AR county he wasn't legal, but I just wanted to see if I could, which I did.
He stayed around for about ten more minutes and then left. By then it was 11:00 and the fog had burned of completely so I called it a morning.
I felt pretty good drawing on the turkey and the buck with my old recurve. No doubt at that distance it was a very productive morning by building my confidence that I still had it, sitting still, on a short ladder stand, and being able to draw my bow without getting knocked off at such a close distance.

I layed off the last two weeks to give my kids a chance at a buck during youth season and my wife is gonna get a chance this weekend, after that i'm back in the stand and the gloves are off.

I feel kinda disappointed I haven't gotten a deer yet but I did get two turkeys and a hog so I can't complain too much

Sure hope it cools down..

Me too. The rut is winding up a bit and I'm hop on we will catch a decent buck for the wide

I'm pretty much done in Texas until around Thanksgiving. I head to Missouri Friday to take a stand I built up for a friend. We will tear down his old one and set this one up over the weekend then I have to be back for class all next week for hours to renew my license. Then back to Missouri for the general season. If the weather stays decent I will hunt with my Hoyt there for a few days before returning home. I will spend a few days with my wife then move to the deer lease for a week or so.

Ready to Air these Pups out