Hello fellow hunters! I am new to the forum and was wanting to reach out and get some advice from my fellow hunting community on how I can attract more deer and get more deer activity on my property. So, with that said, thank you for taking the time to read this long “rant”. It’s simply coming from a place of frustration because I’m not seeing a lot of deer activity in the area of Eastland County (Cisco, TX) that I have land.
So here is a little background:
-we bought the property exactly 6 years ago and have but in decent work to get it “huntable” again after it sat unhunted for a few years.
-the property is located in Cisco, TX around the area of HWY 206/1864 intersection.
-The property is an easement property and sits well off any main roads
—the property is 100 acres, with about 50 acres that would be good area to hunt and the other 50 has a house and a few pasture areas that are wide open with minimal cover for the deer to roam around comfortably. The 50 acres that are hunted has really good cover.
-we do our best to keep the property quite and free from loud noises and things that would deter the deer from coming around, most especially from October-January. What I mean is we aren’t riding 4-wheelers around the property, shooting guns or generally running amuck of things which would make the deer want to leave and not feel “comfortable” from right before the season starts all the way up until the season is well over.
-we have three areas that we hunt in that 50 acres that are decently spread apart.
-one of the areas is a large 4.5 acre wide open “food plot” with great cover in all sides of the plot. I use quotations with food plot because it was the original idea to make it a food plot full time but we haven’t been able to plant it every year due to insufficient rain, inability to get down there to put the work in because we live in DFW, etc. (See 1st pic)
-one hunting area is what I would consider ideal with great cover all around and with just slight open area in between the feeder pin and stand. The rest of the area around it is quite covered and I would assume deer would feel very comfortable there. (See 2nd pic)
-the last area is brand new and located behind a small tank. The area between the feeder and stand is open but it is also surrounded by a lot of great cover. It’s like a hybrid of the food plot and the 2nd hunting area because there is a slightly larger area between the stand and feeder than our 2nd hunting area, but it is nowhere near the size of the food plot. (See 3rd and 4th pics)

So, armed with a little detail about the property and descriptions of the hunting areas, I am seeking the advice from the forum as to how I can make my property/feeders/food plots/hunting areas more attractive to the deer and how I can get more overall deer activity. I don’t see much activity at all while in the stands for long hunts, and when we do see deer there are always more doe’s than bucks. The bucks that do come in are tiny….spikes and very small/young bucks that have nothing unique about them. Each year we capture on camera between 1-3 “shooter bucks” but they seem to never come around during legal hunting times (basically they only come in to the feeders at night time).
Any advice is welcomed and very appreciated. I know there are good deer in the Cisco area and Eastland County, but they aren’t coming to my property.
Thank you!

Based off those pictures. You’re trying to pull them into the open. No cover. Also, I’m not familiar with that county but lookup what sort of density you have. One guys 3-4 deer is another guys 12 deer. So a “good” day in the stand relative.

Overall…I go back to the pictures. You’re wanting to pull mature bucks into an area they’re not safe in. Into the open. Hence why you’re only seeing them at night.

I agree. You also don’t know what your neighbors shoot. I’ve leased a few places that were just over hunted by previous hunters and neighbors combined.

What size are the neighboring tracts?

I hunt north of Cisco. This year has been pretty bad as far as deer sightings I believe due to the wet spring and current warm weather. They just aren’t coming to the feeders much. Have only heard 2 shots all year around us. Even the folks at Rust Processing said it’s been a down year. Wife got a doe this morning and I killed a big bodied 10pt last month. Full moons haven’t helped either. Best of luck to you.

I agree with Jimbo. I am up in Throckmorton County and the 7" of rain in November and lack of a hard freeze has them bottled up. They don't need to move for food and there is plenty of water in the pastures. It is green. Pigs aren't moving either as they have everything they need without moving around. We are seeing deer but not like the last few years.

In your case, I do agree with Grant. I would get those feeders in openings inside your cover not out in the open like in the pics.

Good luck !

I’d say they are all just slightly bigger, plus minus a few acres. Probably average about 120-150 acres each.

^^^^^^^ this is a good question.

I’d say they are all just slightly bigger, plus minus a few acres. Probably average about 120-150 acres each.

Did not read your info but the best way to draw and hold deer on your place is Food Plots

The deer live there and know everything that goes on. I can go all around my ranch and they all come out of the cover because I feed them from my Ranger and they are accustomed to seeing me working, fishing and even shooting. My neighbor who does not live on his place sneaks in (so he thinks) and they avoid his place during the day until he's gone . Not sure you can do anything with that but there it is.

X2

Agree with this line of reasoning

I make lots of racket on purpose at my place and feed with a tailgate feeder often. Keeps the deer used to me

What happened is you, along with hundreds of other people in the area, bought 100 acre “ranches” with the hopes of having your dream hunting property. Then you proceeded to build and live in half of it, just like everyone else, and hope that the next booner will be born and raised on your “ranch.” Then reality sank in and this is where you’re at. Now you know. To answer your question, the best you can do is create safe places for them as a sanctuary and provide year round feed. Do some serious research on whitetail bedding areas and be diligent about food plots. Maybe then your “ranch” will provide a decent buck every few years. And let me emphasize the sanctuary part. Deer need to feel safe, ESPECIALLY mature bucks.

Thanks for the advice.

Rooster, I have a similar setup and after 4 years I figured out how to shoot big deer. It’s not ideal but it’s been working for me. I let a rancher run cattle on my small tract and he lets me hunt his big tract. He doesn’t pay me much but he keeps an eye on my place as I’m not out there all the time. Also, he brings out his equipment and plants food plots for us since it helps the cattle and the wildlife.

I also have similar property, just down 206 from you in Callahan county. This is my ninth season there and it was previously a leased property so extremely over hunted. It was rare to see any deer from the blind other than an occasional doe. I would say only about one out of ten hunts. Although I did manage to take some good bucks, they would randomly show up to check the feeders for does during the rut and then never be seen again.

I always fed corn year round and have a fall food plot. As recommended by others I also have my feeders back against the brush and tree lines, so they don't have to cross any open areas to get to them. I did notice more deer coming to the protein feeder than the 2 corn feeders, so I have fed protein all year. The situation has changed, now it's unusual not to see deer from the blind, both groups of does and a choice of shooter bucks. This year by far has been our best and I was blessed with this 10 point a few weeks ago.

So don't give up hope and keep trying things that might make it better.