I'm from the west coast and I may have permission for next season (2020) to hunt a friends 200 acre ranch. He lives in Fredericksburg in Gillispie County and I believe his ranch is in that area. I've already looked on TX's fish and game website, and it appears non-resident license would include five deer tags (two buck max). Plan is to come out for a week, hunt the last few days of archery and first few days of general.

I was wondering how the hunting is in that area (my apologies for not having a more specific area)
What is the weather typically at end of October/early Nov?
And is blind, spot and stalk or tree stand preferred?
Preferred (legal) bait?

Thank you.

(yes, I know....I need to move from the west coast. Cali's hunting and gun rules suuuuuuuck!)

Every deer hunter born on or after Sept. 2, 1971 will need to take the hunter education training course. Weather can be all over the place but morning temps can range from upper 30's to the 60's with highs from 50's to 80's in Gillespie County at that time of the year. Most hunting in Texas is done from a blind of some sort and over a feeder. Your landowner will tell you will work best on his place. Depending on the exact area of the county the rut could be going or just about to start. Lot of deer in that county. Have fun and good luck.

Hot. You should see lots of deer, maybe even some axis.
If you're hunting on the opening morning of rifle season, please don't be alarmed...war has not broken out.

Thanks, unfortunately...I'm older than 1971. Plus, I have my hunter education card as I've been hunting here in Cali for a couple years. I'm assuming it's sufficient for TX. And for what it's worth, I'm a Marine veteran. It doesn't mean much in Cali, but I know TX appreciates us a little more! (thank God).

Thank you very much for the weather info. Not bad at all. I'm waiting on a reply from the land owner about address of the ranch and confirming permission. Hoping to spend the next year getting updates from him on deer and hog locations.

Thanks again and looking forward to hunting out there next year!!

My best tip is, If you are not able to get to the property before you hunt and the landowner will not run a feeder for you, Plan on bringing a 50lb bag of corn and just dumping it out the night before on the ground in front of where ever you decide to hunt. If he has cows on the place, be sure that you spread it out. They(deer, hogs) will find it before the next morning.

Mr. T, thanks for the tip. Yeah, we had planned to make a bunch of 5-gallon buckets of corn and slop to use for bait. Just curious, rather than drive with it taking up space in our trucks, I'm assuming there's places out there we can just buy a few bags once we get into TX?? or will a few bags of apples work?

HA HA HA HA...now that's funny. I don't blame you for that comment, given that I'm in Cali....(I just shed a tear...I hate it here)

Slop? Deer won't need a slop mixture to bring them in.

Gillepsie County has more deer than humans that live in it, so if you are looking for a meat haul you should be good. Bucks can be nice depending on the hunting on and around the property the last several years. It takes awhile to grow a decent rack out there. I would say a 120 BC score would be a trophy for that area. They will sell corn at every gas station around those parts, also the big HEB (grocery) will have corn as well.

I hunted just west of Gillepsie for 11 years, more times than not it was warm on Opening weekend. Also that area does have rattle snakes so please be careful, they don't always shake and rattle like you see in the movies, lol.

Best luck to you sir and "don't California my Texas please..."

You can buy corn from Hardware Stores, Sports Stores, Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, Feed Stores, Tractor Supply, or you can scrape it off the street when someone loses a bag off the truck going down the highway. Finding corn will be the least of your challenges

forget about slop or apples.....just buy corn when you get there....absolutely nothing better for drawing in deer and hogs.

Herbie - thanks, not sure what my friend mixed up, but yeah, i suppose just plain old corn works.

KCH/whammer/Mr. T - will absolutely not be bringing Cali to TX!!! and thanks for the tip on where to get the corn. Would have been dumb to get anything here, and drag it a couple thousand miles to TX when it's sold everywhere out there.

no slop needed, but the deer (and coons and hogs) would likely appreciate those apples. As others have stated, typically a lot of deer in that county in general, there may be pockets shot up/out more so than others and if there isn't heavy hunting pressure around, you might find a decent buck slip through, but I agree, a 120 b/c would be a pretty good buck in that area.

and

Thanks again for all the info and assistance. Really hoping this friend of a friend responds to my text. Would love an opportunity to hunt his ranch.

I remember when Fredericksburg had parking meters on Main Street and they'd cover them with paper bags that said "Welcome Hunters" for the first week (or was it two?) of the season. Waaay before the town got "discovered". By 2020 deer season it should be completely "Austinized", in other words, being from California, you'll feel right at home.

Thanks for your service to and sacrifice for our country, sir!

Fouzman, thank you.

Creekrunner...absolutely SMH....ugh. I won't let this post devolve into politics. Hunting is too sacred to soil it with such a discussion...and I still hate Cali.

Kevin, I grew up hunting in Gillespie Co. Beautiful part of Texas. You should be able to fill all of your tags, landowner permitting. The deer are small bodied and small antlered compared to many other parts of the state, but you will love it. Have fun and enjoy hunting in one of the prettiest areas in Texas!

If it's nice weather, be careful - there are tourist Harley riders absolutely everywhere. And some of them are so scared of their own shadow that they'll fall over if you're going 30 and you're within 100 yards of them.

There are also some really good German eats to be had in town if you get a chance to do some touristy things while there.

I hate to admit it, but yes...I will probably head into "town" at least once if I'm there for an entire week, just to check out the area. Just depends on how the hunting goes. I'm not anticipating filling all five deer tags. Honestly, I'd have to give most of it away, it would just be too much. Try to bag two mature deer, maybe a couple hogs and head home. My oldest friend lives there with her husband so it'll give me a good chance to visit. Although, she may not let me in her house if I've been out hunting for a few days straight!

Austin Street and San Antonio Street are your friends. (They parallel Main on each side.) It's the only way to get back and forth. On Main, imagine lots of tourists (some with travel trailers and motorhomes) AND the HUGE windmill blades being transported by trucks with forward and chase vehicles. Mix in angled parking places that everybody is circling the block trying to get and you have utter mayhem. Good luck.

And, I'd like to point out, that although I've been called a "spelling Nazi" on this site (more than once) , that I've let the misspelled spelling of this county in the OP's title go unchecked for 7, count 'em, SEVEN hours. (It's killing me.)

Hmmmm, I guess I may end up spooking some folks walking into town looking for a burger while wearing UA camo or realtree? Sorry about the spelling. I think I was overexcited that my registration to join a TX hunting forum had just been approved!

great area .