Wanted to get some advice / expectations about a hunt I am going on this year. The ranch is located between Aspermont and Jayton on the salt fork of the Brazos river. The ranch is roughly 4000 acres of land that is rarely hunted (1-2 deer killed each year by family) with 4 feeders / blinds maintained all year. Going to be our there around the 20th of November.

1) what kind of deer can we expect to see? 120's? 130's? 140's?
2) When does the rut kick off? According to the TPWD rut report we should be hitting almost at peak season but those can be misleading because every area is different
3) Anyone ever had any luck rattling in the area?
4) I heard its pretty green around there right now with the late seasons rains?

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

I hunted in the late 90's till 2000 in the western part of Stonewall County close to Kent County line. We had deer from 140-170 back then that were seen or killed every year on 5000 acre portion of our lease. The rut then was going the first week of November. I rattled in bucks every year I hunted there with more action the first couple of years. The first year we hunted it had been a wet year but dry in the fall and hunting was pretty good early season. The next year it was dry all year then rained in the fall and we had a lot of winter grass all over the ranch that made hunting tougher. If you get an early killing frost hunting feeders or wheat will be better. Late season bad weather hunt on wheat can be excellent for a big buck. The wider mesquite draws are excellent areas to rattle. We did not have any shinnery oak so not sure how that would effect hunting.

I've hunted that area, specifically the salt fork for quite a few years. 140" deer are common. Rattling works great, especially early in the season. Opening weekend of gun through Thanksgiving and even had success later than that, rattling. There are more deer these days than when we hunted there back in the 90s. It's VERY green right now. Rattling is what I'd do, especially since feeder action may be slow. Lots of mesquite beans this year too. Don't be scared to bang the crap out of those horns. Don't be timid about it. I've had bucks literally charge out of the brush towards me on several occasions. Have your gun ready to shoot. Good luck.

They nailed it.......

Great deer killed from stonewall every year. Got text a few pics from this year of a mid 60s NT and a beast of a 10 that went high 50s. Both stonewall archery kills.

Greener this year than the last few. Wheat fields after a freeze are great. Hogs everywhere on the river, millions of them.

Don't expect hill country deer densities. 2 bucks a year on the 4,000 may have been all that needed to be shot. Most surveys I have done up there have management plans ending up calling for taking a buck per 1,000 up to 2,000 acres.

We had 8 hunters on 14,000 acres. Not everyone took a buck every year either. A lot will depend on cover and what hunting pressure is around you.

Great hunting in the area. Potential for really good native genetics. Good deer density.

It has rained more this year than I've ever seen in the 8 years I've been hunting this country.

I would plan on being pro active with moving around to different mesquite flats that border bedding areas and put out a doe decoy with estrus wicks or buck bomb and rattle. Use as a buck decoy as well and rattle.

Unless we get some cold weather soon, the feeders aren't going to help much right now.

A decade or so ago that part of the state, particularly Kent County which borders Stonewall, was considered to be the next great big buck destination in Texas, then the drought hit. That being said, it's a wet year and you should see some very nice bucks in that part of the country.

Thanks for all the input guys. Much appreciated.