Patience and consistency(sp) are key in east Texas! They are there, but you need to spend MORE time hunting! It's more HUNTING than shooting!

you've got it pretty backwards.



genetics play a major role, along with age and nutrition. you will never have boone and crockett genetics with alot of whitetail subspecies, the avery island whitetail come to mind, they inhabit the gulf coast of texas. these deer will never reach the size of the whitetail in other areas of the state, because of their genetic makeup. same thing with deer that live in the florida panhandle, they are small, because they have adapted to living in swamps. a big deer over there will gross 105 B&C. alot of deer that were introduced in other areas of the state were brought in from the king ranch, which has tremendous genetics.


south texas deer, even free ranging herds, are some of the best managed in the country. hunters down there shoot plenty of deer, and the numbers are well within carrying capacity, unless your talking about some game ranches, which carry high deer numbers but feed enough to offset, so the land and herd isn't affected.

west texas isn't the same as south texas because the habitat dosen't support enough high protien brush to allow for monster antler growth, the seasons are harsh there and food is scarcer, thats why there isn't 170 inch deer comming outta the woodwork in west texas.


I will agree with you on the age thing, however

There are lots of deer in East Texas, they just don't show themselves alot because of the dense cover.

Hunt food plots and hunt during the first two weeks of December (rut) and you have a good chance of seeing some very nice bucks IF you are patient.

If you want to put in two hours in a deer stand and see a guaranteed crowd of deer to shoot when the feeder goes off, then East Texas is not for you. But there are good deer here, you just have to work your tail off clearing food plots, scouting, and then just sitting for days in a tree or blind to get a good shot at a good buck.

Along the lines of what txtrophy85 is talking about, there is a sub-species indiginant to East Texas that actually gets very, very big. Typically have heavier mass than the South Texas genetics. I believe it is the Sabine River Bottom sub-species (or something like that).

You are probably right. Its just a ton of time and work. I like to shoot things.

that is why it is nice and easier (due to lower lease costs) to hunt on several different places within east texas and pull the trigger on a lease using mld permits and be stingy as heck on a place you are actually trying to manage.

The main difference between East and West is that East TX hunting sux compared to West TX. I don't know why people spend the money to put up with that place. There are some nice deer there but it doesnt seem worth it to me when can go somewhere and see 5-20 deer a sitting compared to maybe 0-5 a whole weekend.

TX_Huntress
I like the gray pony. Reminds me of Roanie that I calf roped off of many years ago.
Must admit that I am a fan of deer hunting in West Texas, especially in the Trans Pecos region. I love the big open spaces, fewer hunters and folks in general. I do like the squirrel hunting in East Texas much better, especially the little grays.
Adios,
Gary

I've hunted both. WTx seemed more like herd management than hunting. ETx seemed more like hunting to me. Both are fun to "hunt". but I'm much more proud of my biggest ETx buck than my biggest WTx buck, and the WTX buck is much larger. Go figure.

you can see that many per sitting in east texas if you're on the right place.

I'm sorry guys, but I'll have to say, to those whom say there are no Deer in West Texas have never hunted West Texas. There are numerous Deer out there both Mule and White tail. Hunting them in the rough west Texas land scape is MUCH harder on you then East Texas. Actually I've found that you are very lucky to even see a Deer in East Texas, at least the places I've been. In my opinion, hunting over a feeder is no challenge at all no matter what region. Also, in certain parts of West Texas you have Axis, Fallow and even Sika Deer roming the country side. Such as Sonora. Don't mean to step on anybodies toes, but you are flat wrong about the West. East Texas has some pretty good Deer, don't get me wrong, but the Deer in West Texas are MUCH better quality. This is just my observation after hunting both regions.

I know but overall its dissapointing. I served my time there

No deer in west Texas..wow - thats a first ..I hunt in a area called Hells Half Acre - Plenty of Whitetails and Mulies and few cross...never heard of no Deer in West Texas- AND IF THERE ARE NOT ANY - why are the price per gun so high ?

I have a hard time distinguishing between sitting in a blind over a corn feeder seeing a lot of deer and sitting in a blind over a food plot and not seeing a lot of deer other than in one you see a lot of deer and the other you do not. How is one hunting and the other not so much hunting? If you want a pure perspective then none of us should use a lure of any kind and you should get out in the wild and read the sign and patiently find your quarry and make the shot and harvest it. But unfortunately in TX that can get you killed.

E TX vs W TX...

I have hunted E TX for years and the Hill Country for the last two years and even as bad as it was last year it was still a lot more enjoyable in the Hill Country.

In E TX I just did not see many deer even when I was on a lease there. I usually got a buck and my first wall hanger was one I took on D.C. Nat'l forest, frankly even though it is not the biggest I have taken it will always be one of my favorites simply because I hunted it and got it on public land.

I enjoyed hunting in the piney woods and would love to again if I could find a well managed lease but I have found those hard to come by there.

The Hill Country gives you a chance to see a lot more deer and bucks with a lot better racks which I do enjoy a lot. Yes they do come to feeders with a lot more regularity and that makes it more fun to me.

Easy, West Texas more so the Trans-Pecos is the grande daddy!!!! I have hunted east Tx, with my buddy, I didn't care for it. Didn't see any deer, but he swore they were there. I guess you vote for where you hunt and are partial to that area, I know I am. I just like the variety of west Tx, mulies and wts Life is but a backstrap

If you like to take a weekend off, go sit in a blind at 4pm, watch the feeder go off at 5:30pm, watch the deer come out of the brush like cattle to feed at the feeder when it goes off, and then pick one out and pop it, then West Texas is for you.

If you don't mind working year round to clear, plow and plant a food plot, fertilize it, herbicide it, hang multiple stands, and sit for several days (or weeks) without seeing a shooter (but there are BIG deer in East Texas), then East Texas is for you.

I harvested my biggest buck last season in East Texas and it was way more satisfying than the one I got in Sterling County. I had to work my tail off for it.

One thing though - it is VERY challenging to bow hunt in Sterling County. Ground blinds are the only way to go. I bow hunted several times out there and never could get a good shot. East Texas has better set ups for bow hunting, but you just have to sit up in the trees for a long time to get a shooter. In West Texas there are ALOT of shooters sighted, but it is hard to get a shot from the ground.

There are good things about both areas. I do hope I get a chance to harvest a big buck this season in West Texas with my bow. That will be a huge challenge that I am looking forward to accomplishing.

I think the region of east texas must make a difference. Where I have some family land in Camp County, there aren't many deer.

It's not a "how hard do you hunt" situation. ITs a "not many deer situation." It takes deer to have fun.

Deer feeder or no deer feeder, on our land, you see very few deer. Rarely ever jump a doe while doing ranch work. Don't see them grazing in the pastures at dusk or dawn while on the highway. Don't see any crossing roads at night. Just don't see many.

Now, when you do see a buck, they can be heavily antlered. But you can't eat horns, and when you really like backstrap, seeing a herd of deer gets you excited.

Thanks Gary, this gal was bred for speed. Momma is full TB, daddy is full qtr horse, but has running lines. She's 16 hands, and amazing to look at, but is totally worthless. She now belongs to a friend of mine, and she's just barely been started and is basically just a pasture potato.

TX_Huntress
You broke my heart. Nothing worse than a horse without a rider and a purpose.
Adios,
Gary

The difference is East Texas is HUNTING and West Texas is WATCHING. You have to channel your inner caveman if you are gonna be successful. You cant just put a stand and a feeder up in ET and expect to see deer. These deer are smart! Also, you dont get to pick one off at 300 yds unless you hunt a powerline pipeline. YOu have to get up close and personal.

WT is a good place for kids to hunt so they can get interested and have fun. So if you wanna shoot a real deer, not a cow with antlers, then put your big boy cammo on and go East.

I think I have this interperted. East Tx has no deer

East Texas no mule deer
West Texas Big Mule Deer
Thats the simplest explanation I can give yah.

One thing I have found out is that everyone's definition of "East Texas" and "West Texas" is different. Growing up in the Lubbock area, everyone considered anything East of Abilene to be East Texas. Now that I live in DFW, people here consider everything West of Fort Worth to be West Texas.

Not to hijack the thread, but what do you guys consider East Texas and West Texas?

Primarily hunted West Texas and the Cross Timbers area, so I can't comment on East Texas...but I have a lot of friends that have East Texas leases, but not venison in the freezer.

E of 45, S of 20 & N of 10 is what a lot of folks would consider to be E Tx. My personal preference for referring to it would be to draw a straight line from Athens to Huntsville and go straight over to the TX/LA border from those.