Yep. It's getting better across the board

SHHHHHHH! I wish that comment could be ommited. It is hard enough to find a good lease in E. Texas, and when you do, you pay a premuim for it. Most of us pay more than our buddies West and South of here and have half the bag limit that they do. Don't get me wrong.I am a big fan of the AR rules and practiced the same principals on my leases before TPW made it a law. I see a big difference now that everybody has to do the same thing. My main concern is, as the deer herd improves here, landowners will price a lot of us out of a lifetime love.

big bucks = big buck$
What was once a simple way of life will is turning into an expensive and competetive "sport".
Progress......gotta love it.

If you paying more for a East Tx deer kease than South Texas something is seriously wrong, no where near the quality of deer. Dont get me wrong East TX has had more big deer than ever before this year but they dont have the 160+ numbers like south tx.

i dont know of this "rain" you guys speak of...the 3 lakes around me are all 10-12ft low but the deer are still getting bigger. age is the major player here, when bucks are hitting 6 and 7yo you will see the genetics shine.

No rain? You must be in North Tx.

ah yes, i forgot, hunt county is so bad even east texas dont want it

you gotta know what rock to look under

I remember when just seeing any deer in Smith County was a major event. When I was 15, I shot the first deer I'd ever seen here, a young spike near the community of Starville.

Now, I see deer every day from my home office on our little 20-acre homestead. I have two feeders and have identified 5 different bucks this year. My place is a no-kill zone as per my wife. And besides, I'm at the point in my life where I mainly observe, rather than shoot.




It's getting better, no doubt.

one theory i've heard is that huge hurricanes from 2005-2008 really "disturbed" the canopy throughout east texas allowing for what is now a much healthier ecosystem with immensely better groceries for the deer. i actually read an article after ike in 2008 i believe that stated in 4 or 5 years to expect to start seeing some monsters come out of the area. makes a lot of sense though the theory maybe be overthought...

But South Texas is not as close to Houston and Dallas with their large concentrations of deer hunters.

My greatest fear with AR's is that the increasing numbers of great bucks coming out of East Texas will make every landowner believe they have them, and expect more from those who want to hunt them.

On average AR's are having the desired effect. I don't like them because I don't like laws dictating stuff like that. But you can't argue against their effect.

However, management, AR's and rain aren't the source for the big giant multipoint nontypicals. That is a direct result of deer from the breeders and stockers escaping into the general population.

AR's don't effect a buck's geneteics anyway.

Please explain how >13" inside spread antlers equals higher quality venison ???? TPWD has yet to answer this question....can you ?

rick

It doesn't, nobody ever said it did.

Nope, but they allow a deer to express them better.

When they say ARs improve deer herds, they don't mean the taste of the deer herds.

So they can show off better.

The dollars coming in from hunters chasing antlers >>>> the dollars coming in from people trying to sustain themselves with meat at this point. It was never about meat.

Dang right, they look better on my wall with expressed genetics!


if I could only kill one....

Im on a lease in Jasper I paid 535 for and shot a 135 buck this year. Its going up to 800 and staying there. I don't think that's a bad price at all. After a crap lease I was ob last I'll probably never get off the one I am on now. If everything goes as well as it has been my 3 year old will grow up hunting in East Texas too.

We keep hearing how much better the genetics are with AR...guess I'll try grinding the antlers into my sausage...oh hell can't do that because I haven't seen a shoot able buck in two years...

rick

There were more bruisers killed last year but this year ain't been to shabby, the AR's work!

i dont think the argument is that the genetics get better, its more that the herd gets older, healthier and more balanced.

do you run trail cameras? hard to believe you havent seen a >13" buck in 2 years, not calling you a liar, its just crazy to think that could be true. and sucks if it is.

jshouse...guess I should have been more clear...have not seen a shoot able buck in two years during shooting hours...have seen two on camera a few times...midnight to 3 am...we have seen many 4 point, 5 point, 6 point and a couple really narrow basket racks...no spikes...and this year darn few does...the does we have seen have also been at night...guys I am in the minority on this subject...I just wish that my grandson & grand daughter could shoot their first deer while I am above ground...this is my last year to hunt and I don't need to get fired up about something that isn't going to change...

rick