Man those are some amazing pictures

Nice pics.

Thanks!!!

love the pictures - South Texas is a special place and no wonder it gets into people's blood -

All I can say is Wow! The pictures you take are the best.

Many many great shots, well done sir!!!

So which one did you shoot?

Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!

Lots of great bucks on that place, looks like the bucks were after the young this year does like you see this time of the year.

Yea 2 weeks before Christmas

Good looking Herd STX

X's 2 Excellent photos again STX

It is not my place, so I will just say it is a large ranch. It would take me at least a month or more to sit in every stand once.

They feed year round and have for a over 18 yrs now. There were 8's but by their management criteria 8's are targeted by age 2. They want deer to show a 5x5 rack at 2 or at least be an 8 that has the look of a buck that will be a 10 at 3. They are removing the bottom of every age class till 5 or older based on point count and then score by age class.
With the size and thickness of this ranch is tough to get all the lower end bucks off each. Some also get old or are not seen for several years and start downhill. This buck was actually follow/chasing a mature doe in and another 2 yr old 8 was with them. This buck had not been seen on TC or by anyone on the ranch till this day.



The other 8 with the doe and older 8. If he had stayed around after the shot, he would have been shot.

This buck was coming in from a different direction when the 8 above pushed a doe in. After the 8 was shot this buck immediately then started chasing the doe.



Not every 2 yr old 8 is shot. I saw this buck and told the biologist/manager that I had seen him and thought he was an 8 that would be a 10 the next year. He said he had seen him and passed him also for the same reason. He was framey for his age and tall tined.




"Chasing" by the young and dumb happens earlier than the actual rut.

Thanks everybody. It was fun to see quality deer in each age class. I got to see this after some management hunting has been done this year and in the years past. So the pics reflect that work and a great management plan. The Ranch Manager/Biologist has been doing a tremendous job. His efforts and plan for the ranch are showing in the deer herd and the overall way the ranch looks.

Thanks for sharing, stx. They've built one helluva deer herd on that ranch. What buck/doe ratio do they try and maintain?

Man those are some great pics. You guys are so lucky that get to hunt down there on those great ranches.

1 to 1 but it varies at times. They are not concerned about ratio as much as what bucks that they keep/take off. They keep the doe numbers they want on the ranch to maintain the herd then let the buck numbers adjust to that with management.

Thanks!

Sausage.!

My breathing and heart rate were both racing looking at those bucks!!!!

awesome pics sir

I love big bucks.

awsome photos - chance of a lifetime to experience that type of hunting and photo ops.

thanks for sharing

Beautiful set of pictures with a nice narrative! Thanks.

Are they all native?

Look like native genetics to me for South Texas with a lot of supplemental feeding and management program.