Just wondering about experiences on private or public land. I shot an 8 point last year, near Dawson. Seen any good bucks this year?

A friend of mine has 500 acres near Dawson. He shoots a good buck every year. He's on Red oak creek. Not a lot of deer but some big corn fed bruisers.

It’s very place-specific here. A place with good cover and water can have adequate deer numbers with good bucks while a place a mile away without good habitat may not produce a sighting. Although numbers are increasing and consequently more hunting is going on, there are also many areas with little to no hunting pressure. Some nice old deer are taken every year.

Good luck!

In general, it’s okay but nothing special IMO.

Just depends on what part of the county you are in. Where we are you wouldn't believe the deer that are an hour South of Dallas. To the ones that say it is nothing special, they don't know or they know too well.....

That sounds like this place. Its about 40 acres with excellent habitat, and surrounded by similar land. I don't think there is much hunting pressure. Land owners never hunted it until last year. After they shot 4 does, meat for the family, they said I could come out and hunt. I shot an 8 point buck in 30-45 minutes of walking the property.

Yeah and sometimes when people say it ain't that good, it's from people spending a lot of money and time for deer hunting, don't get me wrong they probably get some big bucks. I spent less than $10 for this buck.

Yessir, that can still happen In Navarro county - and does a lot. It’s gotten better and better over the years but still not a place that comes to mind for most folks. So still not a lot of pressure.

We haven't had any luck, and rarely any sightings. We've had a feeder up for over 3 months now, and nothing but dove, turkey and hogs. Dove have been chowing down. We are near Emmett, on the north side of the lake, so maybe that makes a difference. I know there are a ton of coyotes, and our neighbors say, that has always limited the deer population in Navarro.

This guy was hanging around Navarro county last year. Usually see the better bucks middle of December.

Thank you for your responses.

I tend to agree, its gotton way better with the antler restrictions but we still have alot of road hunters/poachers. I live about 10 miles from the county line, the east part of the county along the Trinity river and anything bordering Richland Creek WMA is generally where the studs come out of.

This is the buck I shot last year.

What a stud buck. Beautiful. That's what ag crops can do for a mature deer.