If you want to see better bucks you have to bring in more bucks and does. The reason for the larger pens and more feed.....first try this....put out threes what you are feeding now in corn and also cover three times the feeding areas, even if it is outside the pen, for two weeks with scents. Let us know what happened....without moving your blind.

Might work in high density area of DeWitt County but he is Duval county..huge difference in deer numbers. He is probably in the deer to 20 acre to 40 acre density...I am guessing deer to 30 acres. You are drawing from 4 times the amount of deer he is. Difference in habitat and water also. Lot of Duval has no water wells and gers 50% less rain than DeWitt. He needs to create year round feeding and water on his acreage to start. Larger pen will help bring in deer but not hold them. You also live very close and my guess is OP lives hours away.

Deer in South Texas will eat corn but I have watched bucks walk over road corn to jump into a feed pen to eat protein. Their rut being later makes protein a huge draw in October and into mid November. If you've hunted down south and feed yr round you will understand that.

stx you are exactly right, for now days, but I came on this lease with over harvesting of deer and I started with deer density of 1 per 30 or more acres and with poachers. I over came those problems being patient with a lot of work, building fence, and pens. I put up many cameras which helped keep out unwanted traffic. Once I built the pens, my numbers climbed within 5 years. I ended up after 30 years a density of 7.95 to 6.75. The herd was healthy and put out some large bucks. Not south Texas but 185lb.s was our largest but have many in the 150-175lb. ranges. I had 32 hunters on my fence lines that over harvested that I had deal with.
So in saying all that I was able to hold most of the deer in tight to give me the density that I had. If you don't increase you feed at least for a while to see if it helps your numbers, nothing changes...in my opinion. However you are right in saying it's different down south and I don't have any experience from there.
You were also right as I was only 26 miles from my lease. If I were 200 miles from my lease I would have no less than three feeders going all year with feed that the deer will eat rain or shine. Yes with those feeders going I would expect more numbers.
Protein probably works better for you guys, my deer will eat protein but will go after the corn much better. I do sometimes use some golden nuggets which is also an attractant. I have used roasted soybeans which the deer went after that but very expensive but the protein amount is 23% so ya don;t have to feed as much.
I do recommend a large pen with three feeders which will hold the bucks until the rut ..which they will leave but will return in about a week or so usually.

We just bought 400AC close to the Webb/Duval line. I can say this….. FEED,FEED,FEED! Once our feeders get low, deer movement is cut in half. Also, i know water is scare, gotta keep water available somehow. Luckily this fall we got a good bit. Look into making some type of water trough system. We use a homemade deal with tubs from tractor supply. We place them close to all the feeders.

Thanks fellas, when sitting in the blind I’ll see anywhere between 5-20 deer mainly does, fawns and little young bucks. I use my road feeder on the fence lines where my blind is and down the sendero where the feeder is. I’ll have most deer stay on the fence line when using the road feeder.

Plans will be to add a timed protein feeder and some sort of water trough. What’s your take on using cotton seed?

Our deer love the stuff.

looks like ya have more deer than I thought, if you are seeing 20 at a setting. You could be having a density of 8. If you do have that much you should be seeing more adult bucks. Mature bucks may not be around to draw from. How many hunters are hunting your family's land? How many do all the family harvest bucks and Does? I think it is time your family should all get together and manage your family's properties. A poor managed property generally has a lot of does and not many,,if any...mature bucks. If this is true your ratio will be out of control. I'm not saying this is your problem but just saying could be a problem when you are surrounded by small plots of land. They usually are shot out.

Doesn't matter where you hunt, north, south, east or west, deer will always need food, water, and cover!
I would feed as much as you can afford, supply them with water, and see what happens.
If you start seeing results keep it up as long as you can!
Any small acreage you are stuck with what you've got, so make it as desirable as possible for the deer.

You need to incorporate a simple rain water collection system, only haul water during dry spells but don't let it run dry once the deer start using it. You can pickup a used tote fairly cheap.

https://www.wildlifeexemption.com/rainwater-harvesting-for-wildlife/

I agree with to other posts ....feed and water NEAR your BLIND. Feeding your fence line is counter productive. However throwing corn in different directions is good. Set up cameras inside your pen so you can see any new deer. Feeding a lot of corn is different from one person to another. Continue to feed more corn until you see a difference is a must...start with 50 lbs, and see what happens. Then cut back a little at a time. I could put out a 100 lb.s and it would be gone the next day ...all inside my pen! I believe the more does you have the better to a point but the ratios will be somewhat self leveling if ya manage. My counts on a normal day will be around 6 does and 12 bucks...some days I have 9 does. At my blind last year I saw 3, 11 points....two tens....5 eight points...three sixes....2 four points in a 24 hour period. Many times much more...this is feeding a lot to me. I never killed spikes!!!!
I want ya to be successful...put all that you read into a plan for starters. See the differences!

Planning on doing some simple rainwater collection systems and also build something like my buddy did on his place to haul in water. Here is his set up which has been working great so far.

That is a great set up.

Great setup..but 2 things I would do to improve on it. First would be to put a piece of 4"x4" cattle panel on the top to keep the hogs from getting into the trough. Second thing I see is it is to tall for young fawns to reach the water and drink...fine for older fawns and adult deer but to high for little ones in the summer. This smaller low profile trough is plumbed in off the over-flow pipe on the larger trough.

Thanks for this advice. Would definitely have to figure something out to keep the hogs from destroying it.

and I would definitely put some type of rock, cinder block, 2x4, etc. near the edge so something could get out should it fall in... Coon, squirrel, rat, etc. falls in that thing and drowns, you are gonna have a mess!!