I have been around enough to know every wild place has its own unique beauty if you are willing to see it. Most people prefer their home range above others. I am no exception because I love the east TX piney woods - though the mountains in the Western U.S. are also hard to beat.

That view brings back memories of when I was a teenager first learning how to hunt turkeys in Mississippi hardwood bottoms. I can hear in my mind the thunder of an ole Tom has he draws closer to the sound of soft yelps and purrs, my Remington 1100 raised against my shoulder with the forearm resting on my knee. To gain the upper hand against such keen eyesight with a rifle would be pure blasphemy.

I prefer being able to see a long ways like in W or SW Texas but I’m stuck hunting in swampy thick timber with very limited viewing in NE Tx and SE Ok. but the biggest advantage here is the size of the deer that could step out at any time. The opportunities to shoot a 200” deer are far greater here here than in most other places without paying stupid prices and I kill at least 1 deer a year over 150”s so that’s my motivation to stay in the swamps. I see the beauty in all property’s so to say one type sucks is purely a mindset thing. I’ll hunt in a closet if I think I can kill a mature old freak daddy

FWIW, there’s only a couple of pine trees in that picture. Mostly oaks and some sweetgum.

Dan,

I’m curious and I’m sure many others are as well,

What expericance do you have hunting outside of east Texas?

Hunted East tx all my life and LOVE it but als got a hankering to hunt south or west tx. Ain't nothing like putting the sneak on a cat squirrel and getting a head shot on it with the ole kimber. Never turkey hunted but like to take one with a pistol. Shot prairie dogs in the panhandle and that was fun and saw a lot of mule deer and antelope pretty neat country but ain't much fishing that way. Dove hunted around Priddy and Sweetwater and goose hunted in Katy years years ago Each area is unique and that's what makes Texas the best.

My only experience outside of the Piney Woods of East Texas would be very similar areas in Mississippi. The very liberal bag limits in Mississippi are quite attractive as well.

But your comment brings up a good point. If I were being forced to endure a 10-hour (or more) drive to hunt in different terrain, I would still choose something more "woodsy", such as the hills of the Ozarks or southern Missouri, or those in Tennessee.

As always, to each his own.

I just assumed that everyone had a deep appreciation for both the desert and deep woods. Each has its own characteristics and incredible beauty. Interesting to see such polarization.

I've covered most areas of Texas hunting and they all have their own unique appeal in various ways.

My current situation I have a lease NE of Fairfield that is a mix, the east portion is thick heavy timber piney woods and the west portion sprinkling of pines but a lot of oaks. So kind of a mix depending on where I hunt. MLD3 for about 6 years, so just starting to see the fruits of our labor in growing some decent trophies IF we can keep the newer members from shooting outside what needs to be shot, they will learn with time.

I also have a place in Burnet county that is rocky with lots of cedars, pecan, other hardwoods, fairly flat with some elevation changes towards the back, artesian springs small to medium size deer. Surrounded mostly by national wildlife preserve with draw hunts, so if it's brown, it's down mentality all around. Hard to manage quality here, but we try.

I also have a place SW of Ozona, very rocky, different kind of cedar, deep canyons/draws, surrounded by large ranches that most do pretty good job of managing, others not so much.

I hunting & guided in the Panhandle for a number of years where very good management over many years provided high quality white tail (180+) and mule deer (180+), the terrain was a wide variety from plains, rolling hills to deep canyons.

I have only hunted south Texas brush country a few times and where I was, seemed hard hunting as it was pretty flat with very dense brush and everything seemed to have thorns with lots of snakes. I didn't have any way to get above the brush, so it was all pretty close quarters for hunting small openings and trails.

I have also hunted SW Texas which was a combination similar to south and west Texas with brush, canyons but I had some elevation hunting which made for some really long views to see what might be coming in.

I totally enjoyed all these different areas and seeing different landscape and variety of animals.

Whether I have a 30 minute (Burnet), 2.5-3 hour (east TX), 5-6 hour (west TX), etc. I always look forward to the adventure and plan accordingly.

This^^^

I have hunted Georgia bean fields, North Louisiana, East Texas piney woods, Texas Post Oak savannah, Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau, North Oklahoma (almost Kanasas), and Florida. I see the beauty and have respect for all of them...except Florida. Not a lot of love lost on deer hunting the Florida Swamps. Oceola Turkey hunting in Florida was a ball though.

I grew up on the plains so I really like seeing a horizon unblemished by sight-blocking trees.

Me too.

When in the open country, I am wannabe Bill Cody. When in forested lands, wannabe Natty Bumpo. when in the mountains, wannabe Jeremiah.

Wait, what's wrong with a Remington pump 30-06??

Such an area adds true meaning to a place where the only shade is from a barbed wire fence.

That's what they make hats for.

This has been a good exercise in how what one may call heaven, another chooses to call hell.

Not sure many of you would warm up to the idea of wading through a snake and mosquito-infested swamp in the middle of the night just to hear a group of coonhounds work a track.

Reason I bring it up is, it seems like you are fairly biased towards timber and now I see why, as it’s all you have ever hunted.

First deer hunt I ever went on ( with me behind the trigger ) was in the piney woods. I remember long sits with few deer seen. I liked the country and still do, but it’s more productive for ducks and cattle than deer. Lots of timber country is pretty sterile compared to other areas.

And you don’t have to drive 10 hours. 4 hours west or south of Houston puts you in good deer country. Big bend area is home to mule deer, pronghorn and elk....aoudad sheep if you have the mountains. It’s not comparable at all to hunting whitetails in east Texas.

As far as whitetail country, the most product ones runs lies West and South. Better habitat, more food = more deer.

Dan is right. No place better than East Texas. There is no need to see the horizon. What'' it good for anyway? Pine trees, stillness, almost cerebral green beauty and more. All creating a balance which is seldom obtained. For one, I am so glad he and others like him can enjoy it.

My first 13 years were in Dalhart........ they were formative for sure...

I really should revisit this. I earlier said I didnt prefer hunting ETx to most other areas of Tx and I do stand by that. However, as several have said, I truly think that all areas of our great State offer beauty in various ways. I can also enjoy hunting in all areas, just some more than others. One of the amazing things about Texas is its size and diversity of habitat and terrain etc. Aesthetically everyone can and will look at the differences, well, differently. For me its the "huntability" of the area in regard to how I enjoy hunting and find success along with the aesthetics(less so.) My one lease in NW Tx I love the varied terrain and semi openness out there probably the most. Its conducive to spot and stalk which I love. I also hunt a whole lot yet I rarely kill anything so I enjoy watching over a lot of country. My second and newer lease is just North of DFW area and has a lot of tall and thick hardwoods and underbrush. However there is a lot of 50/100ish ac areas that are mostly open and other smaller "splotchy" openings throughout. I chose to setup in the areas where I can see the openings and along the "edges" of the very very thick stuff. And the bucks are a lot bigger here so I easily endure it not being my favorite habitat/terrain. This area also has a much more diverse natural food source and it really helps grow bigger bucks(but thats off topic).

I’m not even sure what the point of this post is.

Also east Texas sucks azz.

That’s beautiful