Been hunting in Llano and Junction.

Feeder goes off and deer come in.

Hunting in Knox county now, close to Benjamin. Feeder goes off, the deer really don't care. Something may show up, or not. This place has not been hunted much and I think feeders / corn is something new. Been hunting / feeding for three years now and their lack of feeder interest has not changed. The deer population is low but growing. Some really nice buck on the game camera but seldom seen in person. The rut is not pronounced as far as I can Tell. Max activity on game cameras was November 16th this year.

In October several really nice bucks on camera. November came around and they disappeared. We shot a dozen hogs, I suppose the shooting could have had an effect. No one around us hunts nor feed. We keep protein and corn going year around.

Any one have some experience in the area? Advise?

Off the top of my head I would say you have a lot lower deer density in that area than what you are used to. I know of no reason they would not come to a corn feeder unless they are not hungry. Besides that possibly a lot of perceived pressure around the feeder. Im not too far from your part of the world and deer come to corn really well(especially this year). Sorry that's not much help.

Deer density is a lot lower, but there are real bruisers there as you have seen. You have to hunt harder and longer. You may not see deer every hunt, but the opportunity at a big buck is always there. Keep feeding year round to try and hold as many deer as you can.Pen your feeders to keep the hogs away. Once hogs begin hitting the feeders, the deer avoid them.

This country is different as you have discovered. In Llano you can set a feeder anywhere and they will race to it. Because there are too many deer. Not the case here. So feeder and blind placement are much more important. The bucks in this country are much more cautious approaching and will circle the set in about a 100 yard circle before they commit. This is why our sets have the blind 200 yards out from the feeder. Make sure the feeder is no more than 50 yards from cover they feel safe in. Get rid of the coon cage and use varmit plates instead so you’re spreading the corn out evenly in a big circle. Mature bucks don’t like being crowded around other deer.

Best of luck hunting that area. We had a lease there two years ago, right next to the Wagner ranch. We saw very few deer at all. Just be aware you will never see the deer density you have in the hill country. After one year of no deer we decided to leave Knox county. Also, beware of some of the lease operators in that county, they will promise you the moon. However, most of it is just bull. So buyer beware.

I was on a Knox County lease for 2 years as well - far east side of county. We had a few large bucks on cameras, but in the two years, I never saw a buck while hunting. Overall, the population was pretty low, but should also point out that the time there was toward the end of the drought, which we felt impacted our numbers. I left the lease for other reasons, but the low numbers made the decision easier. Good big bodied deer in that part of the world, just far fewer than other parts of the state IMHO...

Big_Ag has some good advice and knows the area well.

Our place is west of Knox City and we had a tough season as well. Couple of our corn feeders did not have pens around them and right after deer season started the pigs came in and ran all the deer off. The thing that concerns me is our fawn survival rate seems very low. We regularly see groups of does but very few if any fawns will be with them during the season. We shoot coyotes when we see them but we are not putting a dent in the population. Hope this helps good luck and keep us posted.

The gate is open on the feeder pen for some pig hunting this weekend!

Yes - coyotes and pig are a big problem. We shoot them both on site. They both get smart quick. Hate to fence the feeder but may be necessary. Pig were on the feeders pretty hard until the lead started flying. At sunset - coyotes fire up all around us but I only see a few. Smart critters
Distance is an issue, 326 miles. My buddy owns the place - I help with corn, protein and labor.
Had nice deer on camera before season started. I suppose the coyote and pig shooting changed their pattern. I'm sure the rut played a factor but never saw any chasing. Saw several busted horns, I think they avoided the feeders and went nocturnal on us. IDK
Much harder to hunt for sure....
Price is right - just cost of feed and some groceries for camp!

Thanks for the advise.

I hunted just north in Foard county. Drought years took a heavy toll on the fawn crop a few years ago. The area has not recovered yet. Animal losses are much more apparent in areas of low density. it takes longer to build the numbers back up. We had some really nice deer taken 220#+. Quail were good when the weather was right for them as well. I enjoyed the place and with a little patience you'll have success as well. I agree about penning your feeders. The pigs and javelinas will run your deer off. We had lots of pigs. Just give it some time. Do you have much water on the place? If the place has good cover and some water, you'll have some nice deer.