And so it begins again...

I'm ready!

With all of the timely rain in most places, it should be a banner year for antlers since the got a big boost last spring as well. Hopefully the rain will continue for at least another couple of months.

^^^ Don't jinx it. Last year started off better than this, then the spigot got turned off, 'cept in north Texas.

This^^^

We have had just enough where we are set up good for now. Need some rain - next couple of weeks crucial for usins.

Smart ones getting fat already.

I really need to consider a cage on that feeder...

^^Now your pen looks like something I'd build. Do just two strands of barbwire, even though they're strung in a rather jaunty fashion, keep cows out?

Hog panels on the far side from the stand.

Barbwire on the nearside.

I clipped a bullet off a hog panel and into the eyeball of a deer once.

Was trying my first ever neck shot...

I don't try those anymore and now I string up some janky barbwire in front to avoid that issue.

Two strands is enough to keep the cows out. It won't stop the bull if the corn gets pilled up too high though.

Keep the corn spread light and he doesn't bother it.

Though he will bend the hog panels inward scratching against them sometimes.

Been dry as a bone in our part of southwest Texas. Gonna be a year for doe shooting if it doesn't turn around soon.

Ernest, not saying you are wrong, but I find it interesting what people say about shooting does on a wet vs dry year. Some will say its dry so theres little to eat so kill does. Others will say that when its wet there will be a good fawn drop so you need to kill does.

That is interesting. My bottom line is we *always* need to kill does. But it's easier to get people to do more of it when the antlers are weak...