Hamilton county?

What is your opinions on hamilton county? Only 5 deer shot on 900 acres this year. We hunt off of county road 216 on the leon river. Anybody have any insight on this area?

And lots of hogs

Should be a good area. Hamilton isn't known for #'s unless you get towards Evant. There are some great bucks in Hamilton though and should be allot of turkey along the Leon.

There are tons of turkey. My concern is I personally only saw 2 basket rack bucks through the entire season.

Some areas of the county, 5 deer is a big hit on a place, depends on how much ag is going on and what the terrain like. Also how hard the place has been hunted the last few years. There are some BIG bucks in Hamilton, just not all that thick, but they are there. I have seen "book" deer several times. Hamilton seems to be one of those counties that can be hot or cold.

According to the landowner it is common to take 30 deer a year on this place. I just don't see that being possible with the numbers we have seen. The terrain is hilly with a lot of cedar tress with a few hardwoods mixed in

This was our first year on this place

I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's full of it. Most of Hamilton Co. is tough to hunt and then throw in AR on top of that, good luck.

I was under the impression that hamilton county had pretty high deer density. I guess I heard wrong? Is it really that bad?

I agree that Hamilton county in general is very hit and miss. The southeast part of the county, say Aleman, is entirely different from southwest Hamilton county, along FM 2005 towards Pecan Wells. Like wise, the northeast part of the county is very different as well with mixed terrain in between. The entire county is very diverse in terrain.

My family's place in western Hamilton county has two creeks and 5 tanks. Also has large pecan tree bottoms, cedar infested hilltops, and mesquite flats. 10 years ago I counted 42 deer in one afternoon on a 10 acre oat field but those years are definitely a thing of the past. Hogs and pressure from metroplex area hunters seems to be to blame in our situation. 10-15 years ago there were no hogs on the place at all.

The 30 deer claim would be more believable if it was along FM 2005 near the Mills county line. I find that hard to believe in the CR 216 area.

I have been hunting the same place in Hamilton Co for twelve years. Our deer kill (does) was down this year. Most years we shoot 18-20 does, this year we harvested six. The deer are there just a difficult year for the hunter, good for the deer. Lots of natural food all year long deer were hard to pattern. We've had lots of hogs last four to five years and this year hardly any. It was a very unusual deer season.

I know a guy that hunts a few miles north of us around hico and he sees tons of deer. I figured with the river running through the place that the deer would be more abundant than surrounding areas

Our hunting was just about the same as yours in South San Saba county. Hoping next year will be better. Maybe just too much natural food for them.

I would have to agree, at least at a sustainable level.

That could be very dependent on the size of the ranches around it and their hunting pressure.

That could be very dependent on the size of the ranches around it and their hunting pressure.[/quote] I know on two of the sides are big ranches but I don't know about pressure.. On the other side is 200 acres unhunted except for turkey.

And I hope I'm wrong!

I wish I could give you some advice on your area....the fact that you're on the Leon is good thing I would think. Not sure about 30 deer, but I'd give it more than one year to produce. I will say everything southwest of the line from Hamilton to Priddy in northern Mills had potential and can be really good, not that your place doesn't have potential as well.

I was on a 2700 acre lease just South of Hico. You could see the town from the ranch. The deer hunting was poor. I was on the lease for three years. My last year, I did not even get a shot, and saw only two deer the entire season. There were many turkey, and some dove. There was a great mixture of open areas, wooded areas, tanks, and creeks. I don't know why there were so few deer. I am now on a lease in Mills Co, it is loaded with deer. I'm sure there are also some great hunting ranches in Hamiltion Co. You really don't know until you get a chance to hunt the ranch.

Brother Phil, where about in South Hico were you hunting? I run a lease place with 2500 acres on 1602, didn't know if you were close?

I have had this place leased since 2001. We game manage ours and shoot between 10-16 deer a year. We've had 2-3 160" deer taken off this place in the last 3 years. We see 10-20 deer per hunt. Many turkeys, dove, hogs. I would say 30 deer per year is a bit ambitious from my experience hunting this county. But like aforementioned, each section is different.

Hope your luck turns around!

I have a friend that you must pass on 1602, his place backs up to the city park, They have deer, but not really a huntable population. There is also a HF ranch past his place, I know of one huge buck in particular that was shot close to that place, a suspected escape, shot by a friend of mine in the mid 90's. Ducks on that creek can be good as well.

He hunts on the south side of hico and sees 20 deer a hunt

Hamilton county can be hit or miss on deer...dove are another story. I looked at a small lease that was southwest of Hico. It looked very deery but never saw a track. This was two years ago in February right after a rainstorm that had softened the ground.

My place starts two gates past 237 and runs all the way down to 234, and back to 237. We've had a few tag deer roam our place but we didn't shoot them. They were there for close to 5 years.

Looked at a place out by 218 and 2486, wide open but has some deep draws with cover in them. Several stock tanks, I know it will be bang up for dove season, but I didn't see nothing that suggest it has any turkey or is decent for deer. Thinking about pulling the trigger for sure, supposed to let the man know Wednesday. I am used to Mills and McCullogh counties, just wondering if that part of Hamilton is worth the chance. I don't mind seeing less deer, just want to see more than 4 or 5 a season.

I hunt just north of you Lone Star. 30 deer harvested would wipe out the herd

The landowner said he had a biologist out there and that's who gave him the number 30 a year. The guy seems reliable but I'm second guessing right now

Close to the golf course? Should be awesome turkey in there

Possibly he mistook what the biologist said. I had a Ranch North of Hico and worked in the area for over 10 -14 years. There are some outstanding bucks in that country, but don't expect to take 30 deer. I would bet my dog on that. Closest #'s to that I have seen would be towards Evant.

I had a friend who leased about 2 miles West of Evant and know for a fact that they had a CC problem. He had (may still lease it for his kids IDK) They had to take 60 doe off 1k acres for some time. He couldn't give does away. I have counted over a 100 in one oat field about 20 acres big.

BTW Lonestar, depending on what he wants to charge you and if there are amenities, you could be in for a treat of a wall hanger though, depending on how many hunters.

It's 9 hunters on 900 acres

We are giving it at least 2 more years. I'm just trying to see what to expect

In my opinion, that is far too many hunters. The place I hunted in that county...which probably had better numbers than what y'all have....was always right around one hunter per 200 acres.

Wow, asking allot, but LO must be tickled.

I hunt a place on the Leon too. It's Closer to Jonesboro than Hamilton. Although we only hunt pigs at night there. Not even sure if anyone hunts deer on the place only seen one feeder. I've seen close to 50 deer in some of the cultivated fields along the river. It's not uncommon for us to see 100 plus deer in one night. We're using night vision and not spot lighting. The deer don't seem to care if we're there either. They don't even run very far and come right back after we've shot a pig or two too.

This place is thick. It hunts more like 1200 acres. We had to cut lanes at most stands to even be huntable

Being that thick, may not be a good thing as far as density. If anyone gets off, I would try to get the remaining fellas to pick up that spot, but that is me.

I wouldn't trust the biologist in Hamilton. They gave our landowner too many mld permits. We got 30 tags for 800 acres. But only saw about 15 deer all season. The biologist never even surveyed the property because it was too thick. IF they said 20, it would be more realistic.

I see deer just about everytime I drive through Hamilton. Lots of pecans this year near the Leon. That definitely reduced the number of deer spotted, I'm betting. Closer to Hico the density drops. Closer to Evant around those big mesas population increases. I'd love to have a place near there.

Don't let a poor year for deer movement be your benchmark for a place.

I personally know that ALLOT of land west of Evant is under some type of MLD, but don't know what level. Mucho deer there for sure! I have seen bigger bucks closer to Hico though, but far fewer #'s.

I lease 900acres in Evant. 2015 will be the 8th year I have leased it. By far the worse year seeing numbers of deer.. Horn quality was pretty good.. 1 deer 142 inches/non typical 11 point shot during rifle season Early rain..Mild temps they didn't have to move.. Less trails were being used from bedding areas to food and vise versa..Huge acorn crop this past year..Turkey have moved into the area..That is a plus..

Definitely a ton of turkey out there! We had some really good quality bucks on camera but they were all like ghosts

We hunt around the Shive area..Didn't hunt much this year but always saw 5-8 deer at every sit..Buck in my signature was killed there a few years ago..Scored 139 3/8..

I turn off of 281 onto 221 to get to my place. I see a lot of deer in that area.

Next time your down let me know and we can meet up and chit chat...Lots of THF's hunt around here..

Do you live in town or the county?

I hunted Priddy the last 3 years, I could count on one hand the number of deer each year, nocturnal


Maybe taking 30 deer last year is why you saw none this year

This is our first year and there's no telling how the other hunters were.