Interestingly, that's when most of the deer are shot too.

Speaking from experience I presume?

Bannon (& folks) - I feel your pain. I'm a little north of you in Red River County and I'm at the point of pretty much giving up on trying to have something on my own land. Too bad there aren't enough GW's to go around. People just don't care or respect another person's property. Sad to say but it's only a matter of time before we read about a landowner taking matters into their own hands and dealing with a tresspasser their own way. I can't prove it but I truly believe that a tresspasser shot at me while I was hunting one day. I heard a boom and then something like a round hit a tree a few yards away from me. I quickly left the woods and called the GW. I could hear people scrambling to get out of the woods before the GW showed up. I found my blind broken into, lucky I keep it pretty bare and my feeder had been tampered with plus they had removed some of my corn. Unfortunately my game camera was full and didn't get it on video. This should have never happened and I refuse to allow myself be ran off of MY OWN land again. Like the rest of you I'm a hardworking honest man and take pride in what little I have.

I live on a two lane farm market road not real far from town (Jacksonville) and not secluded by any streach and atleast 3 nights a week we see spotlighters hunting the road. The poaching here I have been told is an old tradition and GWs have told me they are trying, put dont see any change in the future.

I have see some true wall hangers in ET, but always from the road (usually in middle of the day) and usually before or after hunting season. I firmly belive there are a lot more deer in ET than people think. With all the thick cover and abundant supply of forage there is no need for them to come out into open areas. I firmly beleive that to hunt ET (my area at least) you will have hunt long and hard and will need luck on your side.

FYI After all that is said and the fact I have access to 250 acres in ET I am on a lease in San Angelo area because I dont enjoy the frustration of hunting ET.

Here we go again, lumping all of east texas into the same category...poachers, thieves, etc......im sure that poaching is just as rampant in west tx, the hill country , and south tx, but its alot more spread out and most of the places out there are alot bigger than the ranches in east tx, so its probably easier to get away with. No matter where ya go, its gonna happen. There are people on here everyday talking about stuff getting stolen all over the state and poachers as well.

If you're hunting directly below Dam B, the likelihood of poaching, thieves, etc skyrockets.

I asked a game warden at a hunting show once what region of Texas had the worst poaching problem and he said hands down, South Texas.

He's obviously in on the East Texas deal, Curly.

Don't trust him.

Hunted east texas from 1991-2008. 3 different leases San Augustine, Jacksonville, and montalba. All very tough hunting, all had poachers, and was a better hunter for it. Took some nice bucks, but moved to Hamilton 3 years ago and it's no comparison! I miss the piney woods and big bodied deer but when I see my son so happy cause he gets to see game I'm over it! We've taken 3 nice bucks in just three years and I would recommend you try a different area. Just my opinion !

I hunted East Texas once.....Once. Never again.

I grew up hunting Newton County. Hunted there from the time I could walk until I was around 30. I now hunt Coryell county and my Dad hunts Edwards county. We were laughing that we each saw more deer at first light opening morning than we saw in our last 3 seasons in Newton County. Neither of us saw a single deer in our last 3 seasons there.

you'd like it and would probably fit in on one place I hunt.

All these spoiled hunters who think thay have to see a deer every time they go out to hunt. GEEZ!

It's about the hunt, not the kill. I like the challenge of finding mature deer in East Tx and sitting countless hours without seeing any squirrels and such.

Been hunting east Texas my whole life and never had a problem. We've killed plenty of deer off both our places this year and in one weekend, I saw over 50 different deer and about 10 shooter bucks, just not the one I was looking for. It's different to hunt here, but it's not impossible. Sucks your experience though.

I'm not sure why everybody thinks East Texas is so bad with poachers and thieves. I have been on the same 1100 acre ranch for 20 years and have never had either. I have however seen some spotlights in the distance in the Hill Country where I hunt.

You mean you didn't know that East Texans were all a bunch of inbred, poaching, hillbillies?

We hunted a place out of Roan's Prairie one year. Didn't see hide nor hair of deer all season. Never went back.

Nope, didn't know that. I'll ask my wife/cousin if she knew.

I divorced my cousin.....he got on my nerves.

That's too far West. Go East of 45.

I've hunted in Trinity Co for nine seasons now. It's an MLD place with a minimum legal deer of 125" for 8 pt and 135" for a 10pt. It had been managed the same way for at least ten years before I got on the lease.

Poachers, and criminals aren't a problem for us. However, we still struggle to shoot deer much bigger than the lease minimum. I see a lot of younger 110-120" bucks. Once they hit 3 1/2 yrs old they either get shot on adjoining pastures or go nocturnal. We see several deer on game camera every year that are <13" wide and will score over the lease minimum. This year we have one that would score at least 140". We also have pictures of several deer each year much larger but they never show in the day time.

IMO,Odd ball genetics make for odd ball trophies. A 160" deer that was only 12" wide would still be cool.

Are you referring to the deer or the poachers and night hunters?

Hunted in Marion county all my life about 9 miles from the La. border. No poachers or thieves. Lots of long sits not seeing a deer however. ARs for at least 8 years. Still not seeing "mature" bucks (if that is determined by inside spread). Hunting in Cherokee county for the first time this year. No thieves, no monster deer.

I don't know whats wrong with East Texas my lease seems to not have any of those kinds of problems.Lots of great deer thanks to MLD III and lots of effort by our members.