About 6 miles sw of Lawn, just across the county line into Runnels county. Been a tuff year.....but I did blast 3 Pigs christmas eve.
LR 308 put the smack down!!

I talked with the GW in Runnels county (10miles NWof Ballinger) last weekend.
I asked him where all the deer were. We've been hunting the same place since the early 90's, and it has been super reliable every year. Heck, for the last 10 years, I could guarantee a deer on any given weekend. This year, not so much.

We food plotted, have water and supplements out, and of course corn feeders. The deer are not there.

The GW said that "we've lost almost 100%of the fawn crop for the last two years, with this drought. I'm hearing the same ting all across the county. Some farmers wont even kill any deer, so they can preserve what's left. If this keeps up for another two or three years, Runnels county will have NO deer!"

That is VERBATIM from the game warden. Our hearts sunk as we heard the words come out of his mouth.

We only have five guys on our lease, and two of them haven't even SEEN a deer this year.

Sorry for the bad report fellas. It makes me sad. Every deer I've ever shot has been on this little ranch.

Hope everyone else is having better luck.

that is not good to hear. I am close to novice and we saw quite a few more deer than last year. Still only one mature has been spotted in person and another been caught on cam. We have taken 3 bucks this year. 2 of which were young and both wounded from what looks like poor shots from a neighbor. Sad to see and sad to be the one to have to harvest them. They both did not look like they would make it had we not harvested them. I think the drought from last year will affect us for the next several years. Lets pray we get allot of rain this up and coming year.

Hello everyone, I am a Det Sgt with the Ennis Police Department and I hunt in Runnels County NE of Ballinger and I know the Runnels County Game Warden Lane Pinckney.

I contacted him in reference to the post about losing %100 of the fawn crop for the last two years, and he advised that he must have been misunderstood, all that he has told hunters is that with the drought that we have had in that area over the last several years that around %30 of the fawn crop was lost last year, and that the reason we are not seeing any deer activity at the feeders, food plots, and game cameras is because of the good rain that came in September, that everything "greened up" and that the deer had natural forage to sustain on.

With that we all know that deer will eat what is available naturally first, and when that runs low or out they will hit the food plots, wheat fields, and feeders.

Lane advised that without addition rain fall and the several "hard" freezes that have occurred in that area the natural forage is disappearing and that the deer are starting to hit the wheat fields and feeders again.

Unfortunately the best activity may not come until after the regular hunting season, but should be good for the extended season.

I have hunted this area for many years as has my father-in-law who is from Ballinger, and that what occurred this season happens all the time when you have a rainy August or September, or extended drought conditions, but the deer always bounce back.

We have had a hard time at our lease this year also, so far on 1 decent buck and a couple of doe and there are 7 of us, I am headed back out the last weekend of the regular season hope it picks up also.

I hope helps, thanks.

Good post swatguy

I have hunted south of ballinger for close to 20 years and think your statement is pretty fitting for the area. We had a mild winter last year and late rains.

But the population is down in the area IMO and it didn't just effect the fawn numbers.

Where near Novice? We hunt southwest of town on 456 just south of 419.

Hey Swatguy, I know Lane personally as well.

We have hunted the same ranch in Ballinger since 1991 (over 20 deer seasons in the same exact spot) and I generally agree with most of your post, relative to the area. GW did elaborate on the drought conditions, and greening up, etc.



I don't agree however, that I misunderstood what I heard.

My FIL and BIL were there as well, I know exactly what I heard, and even repeated it back in unbelief.

Having said that, if the GW misspoke and your post is true, that is very good news.

Happy Hunting Fellas

12pointer I surely hope so also because I have too much time & money tied up in my lease there, and I am too old to start over on a new lease!

I do know that there has not been a %100 fawn lost in the last several years,(at my end of the county anyway) because I have had fawns on my camera, and we have seen them also.

But it is true that we have not seen the numbers that we are used to seeing, like they say maybe we will get the rains in the spring when we need them, mother nature has not been kind to that end of the world the last couple of years, that is for sure!

Maybe we will see you at Alejandra's sometime.

Good luck to yall!

I have hunted near Norton for about 10 yrs and the last 2 have been slow. This year we have only taken a spike.

Been eating a lot more Alejandra's than backstrap. But it will come back with some rain.

swatguy...... i have a place in southern coleman cnty i think 30% is a pretty low number. the rain helped in Sept no doubt but
the deer activity has been really slow this yr & it's not because of forage i think alot of deer have died over the last 2 yrs because of the drought. I spend alot of time up that way & my farmer is on the place every day & ther is NO deer being seen the eyeball test tells me there has been a deer die off

I have put away my gun in Taylor county.

ok my weekend was extremely slow. We spooked up some doe on my way to the stand friday. i did not see a single deer in my area after that. My buddy had several come to his feeder (10 to 15). I did spot deer on the neighbors winter wheat field on both friday and saturday. Sunday morning he had a BIG Mature buck grazing. Sure wish I had the money to put in a plot on my place.

One bad thing is that I stumbled on a carcus of a 2.5 to 3.5 yr 7 point. he looks like he has been there less than a month. the carcus was still in tact however everything was gone except hide on the skull and the skeleton. I assume he was wounded seeing that we shot 2 deer already this year that has been wounded and spotted another on cam that is wounded. Sad sad sad.

On a good note, The Ducks were EVERYWHERE. I did not have my shotgun on me but the neighbors sounded like they tore them up. Good for them. Nice weekend at the lease to say the least.

Starting to see deer in the wheat for the first time all year. Saw 10 doe eating and didnt have the heart to shoot them after hearing that fawn count.

Man..I thought you put the gun away for the year.

First time posting. Only second year of deer hunting and what a difference a year makes. Great last year and SEEN only 1 deer since opening weekend with lots of time in the blind spent. Still addicted to hunting, but definitely a little discouraging this year. Hunt south of Merkel in Taylor county. Giving in 1 last attempt for the year this weekend.

Don't let this year get you down. The last two have been rough in this area, but not typical.

Good luck this weekend

I dont plan on shooting anything, just need to get out some. Wish I was hunting today in all this snow!

Deer have been moving pretty good this morning

Sure wish I could have went this morning. I'll be in the stand this afternoon hopefully.

Me too......good luck fellas!!

Seems like the deer are moving, I'm just not seeing anything worth shooting. Yall seeing anything.

Been a great weekend for me. Had better hunts this weekend than all year. Saw a few shooters but they are busted up. Been a slow morning though.

Yea. I had deer moving around 6 am and most had cleared around by 6:50.

Still very slow weekend here in Bradshaw

Slow Firday and Saturday morning, Were moving good Saturday evening..