I don’t know what’s going on , but our deer are disappearing.
When I bought the place in 2016 I could drive through early morning and see at least 15 deer, now I see one or two and a lot of times nothing.
The neighbor to the south leases his out, but they are getting off after this year because of lack of deer, we haven’t taken a doe off my place since I bought, and don’t take no more than two legal bucks, we took one deer , a spike the last two hunting seasons.
Two of my neighbors bordering me don’t hunt.
We did see a coyote two weeks ago running with a fawn in its mouth.
How are other Leon county hunters deer numbers holding up?

Tex, pm me I might like to lease your place south of you..if it is not too far off from me.
I leased a place 30 years ago and it was in the same shape. I had poachers taking many deer..I stopped that. My neighbors were taking too many does..now the solar people came in and took over. When I turned it loose it was a great place to hunt. I suggest you put out cameras to try to get a handle on what is going on.

too far away... thanks anyway.

too far away... thanks anyway.

A product of the QDMA and others preaching the only way to grow big bucks is to hammer does.

I agree with this 100%, that’s why we haven’t taken any does.

We have hunted a family place in Leon county about 2 miles from the navasota river off of OSR. Have hunted it sense 2015. When we first started hunting out there deer were everywhere. The past 2 years we have seen next to no deer on the place. The place used to have game trails all over and now there’s next to none, very interesting

I would get in touch with TP&W and let them know how you and your neighbors feel as they could be issuing too many permits. The problem will not get better doing nothing. Then their could be illegal hunters causing problems as what they kill is not recorded. If you don't get help then take it up with upper supervision of the P&W. You got to work to get anything changed...stay engaged. Sooner or later what you do will pay off.

A hunter can take 4 deer each...in Leon county...2 bucks and 2 doe if I read it right. On a 100 acre patch with a density of 15 acres to the deer would have a total of 7 deer only and with two hunters hunting and each took their limit they would take 8 deer. So the harvest would be more than the population on the 100 acres. So...what is in question, what is the deer density in your area? IF you have 1 hunter / 100 acres that takes 2 doe that only leaves only two. With this density there would be no fawns or very little.
My first guess is hunters over hunt the deer density... that is why you need P&W.

I’ve owned my place South of Bowie for 38 years. At first, there was a deer behind every tree and they were all healthy. It was game rich throughout the area. We drove the rural gravel roads in the afternoons to see the herds. It continued that way until we had a 4 year drought about 20 years ago. Now, we still deer but it has never recovered. But, it should have recovered by now.

Lot more pigs than deer or any other wildlife now. But, I don’t think pigs are a factor.

One possible factor. Back then, I and a lot others, raised cattle and planted and fertilized wheat for winter feed. I no longer have cows and an awful lot of others don’t.

Also, more people around. Some of the land has been broken up into 30 to 40 acre ranchettes.

No idea what has caused it.

TPWD is the problem. They set the limits. Talking to them is like hitting your head against a wall. There are a lot of good people at tPWD ,only problem those are not in the decision making position.

Well most of the time where their are small tracks of land hunting deer is almost impossible as the areas are shot out. The hunters outnumber the deer is probably the problem. You cannot manage an area like that and that is why PW don't want to get involved. The recommendation I would suggest is the area (total acres that makeup plat of land) be considered one and a finite number of permits for all the area involved and then hunters draw for a permit. Even that will probably not work as land owners would likely hunt anyway without a permit.

In the early '80s, I was President of the Federal Land Bank of Madisonville and made farm and ranch loans in seven counties from Madison and Leon and to the east. I was shocked when I first went to Leon County and found that much of the county had been subdivided into 20-50 acre tracts. I was even more shocked when I found out that some of the 20 acre parcels had four hunters on them. I am surprised that there are any deer left with that kind of hunting pressure.
Adios,
Gary

P&W should have a survey data available for public information. A survey must be made before issuing doe permits. I would go to the district biologist and give him my concern of the low population. Then i would go to my game warden and let him be aware of the low deer population in the area. That should get you more P&W awareness more sighting that could help you with any illegal taking of deer as that is what could be going on. The word will get around. This should help..if not...then go higher on the supervisory levels for more help.

This is true, I called them and told them we needed to cut down on harvesting does, you would have thought I shot his dog.
My place is right at 200 acres, the places bordering me are fro 150 yo 450 acres.
Leon County has open season on does for the first three weekends, no permit needed.
The grandkids did kill three bucks one year, and no more than two bucks, like I said the last two seasons we took one deer, a cull spike, we have never taken a doe since I owned it.
This being the neighbors last year, I’m sure they won’t hold back shooting everything they see.

I would increase your feeder qtys and put 8-10 hog panels around each feed station (or you will be feeding hogs)

Put out a lot of cameras and monitor all year

I would also plant summer and fall food plots (if you can). 1 acre min (2-3 acres is better)

**NOTE: if you did not see deer last Fall, there was a record acorn crop. Deer did not go to feeders (at all) and activity was down in food plots. My deer numbers on camera went WAY up in January/February, (and I was filling garbage bags of bad corn under feeders in November and December 2022 and taking the corn to the dump)

All feed pens are 10 hog panels, round, hogs don’t get in, we have cameras running all year, I know last year was hard hunting almost across the whole state because of acorns, I’m not the only one seeing a massive decline in numbers, I talked to two neighbors in the last week and they say the same thing.

I don't know where in Leon Counfy you are exactly. My dad lives East of Centerville and I know the problem around him. To many subdivided properties and it gets worse every year. His place has gone from some decent size properties around him to all 80 acres or smaller properties. Most in the 20 to 30 acre size. When you got multiple people hunting 30 acres there are not many deer left. The fewer deer you see the more those guys ignore the regulations. If it is brown it is down. I'm not sure changing the regs would help when allot of these small places don't follow them anyway.

I'd be running cameras like others suggest to see if that tells you what you have.