Best Time for Big Bucks Central Texas?

Opening Weekend through the the second week or during the rut? Will the rut be affected by the drought and late offspring?

We hunt in Williamson county and found that the best time, at least for us, to see big bucks, is during the week of Thanksgiving or shortly thereafter.

I was thinking the same thing but was told by others that the best time to shoot your buck is opening weekend. I just can't understand why the mature bucks would be out during opening weekend other than it being a routine.

The best time to be there is when they are there

You just answered your own question.They haven't been corrupted by some pheromone laden dirty leg.They are still coming to feeders regularly.Once the rut gets going they may have travelled quite some distance.Of course that also means bucks you've never seen might stroll by your setup.If possible hunt every chance you get.Rut peaks around Thanksgiving but pre-rut can be very good.Opening weekend in Erath the bucks have started cruising.

Heres another question about hunting the rut around Thanksgiving. If you look at the moon cycle it shows full moon during that week. So will all the moonlight keep them nocturnal and day movement to a minimum? I was planning Thanksgiving week but not sure about this.

I was looking for other advice from someone that hunts near this area, as I have not hunted in Lampasas and only in east Texas. As I am finding out it is different according to patterns and rut times.

If the rut is in full swing it might not make a difference as the bucks will be moving at all hours . Outside of the rut, usually the full moon does put a damper on the hunting.

well here it seems like the first good cold front which is usually right before opening weekend

Best movement for me has been the weekend and week right before Thanksgiving. I don't usually hunt the weekend after, but it always seems to slow down after that util the secondary kicks in. I just try to get out there as much as possible, but I understand if the commute is long you want to try to maximize the time your out there.

Cold front???? What the heck is that???

So it sounds like the rut and pre-rut is middle to late November. Great advice I appreciate it!

Actually I would say late November and mid/late December. Seems to slow down a little early December but can vary depending on weather (1st cold front) & rain. We haven't had any issues with either this year have we?

Ha well then I guess it's just a gamble. I work off shore for 2 weeks at a time and was trying to plan my vacation week around the rut basically.

I know your pain brother! I'm 7 hrs to my lease and timing is a witch.

Don't let my post count fool you cause I'm no Greenhorn and I've been hunting Central Texas for about 50+ years but go ahead and take off either the week before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving week and you should hit the rut almost dead on!

That's is why years back, for years the deer season always started on November 16th.

Thank you!

Here you go.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/planning/rut_whitetailed_deer/
When I was in northern Kendall County the rut started around 20-24th of October before the season opened. It was the same in Southeastern Gillespe and Northwestern Blanco County also.

If there is not a lot of hunting pressure and deer have chance to mature the week before Xmas can produce a good deer. Good overcast day about 40 and bucks might be doing some clean up on does.

I live and hunt in Coryell; as several have noted-15th thru Thanksgiving is best!

Yep, the quote from that link posted pretty much confirms what's been said about the Central Texas section of the Edwards plateau.

"Edwards Plateau, Texas' highest deer production region, was divided into three areas for the study. The eastern part had a peak breeding date of November 7. Peak breeding for the central portion was November 24."

I've seen rutting activity in October and on into the first of December, but a lot has to do with range conditions and weather patterns, but as an average over the years you can just about plan on the biggest bucks and the most activity being from the 15th thru the 25th of November, and this is from many years of hunting the rut in the Central Texas area.

I hunt in Bell county and usually all the rutting is over by Thanksgiving. We see the most bucks the first 2 weeks of the season.

Yep!

"Edwards Plateau, Texas' highest deer production region, was divided into three areas for the study. The eastern part had a peak breeding date of November 7" .

In Hays County I typically see rut activity beginning in later Oct. and carrying over to Thanksgiving. Opening weekend is just about the middle of it where activity is highest.

Get out and hunt from the get go.

This is very true.

The best time for "Big Bucks" will probably be next year or when ever it really starts to rain. Here most of the bucks rut around the middle of Nov. This year they may not be in good enough shape to rut. May have to mix a little viagra with their feed starting in Nov. to get them going.

It sounds simplistic, but the best time is when you see them. There is no telling how or when they will move. The drought will probably help since food isn't what it could be. Wet years, in my experience have been the worst because they don't have to move too far for food or water and will stay in their home area until the rut gets too much for them.

I have no idea what the drought will do to the rut in your area except that there will be one.

Weather and range conditions makes a huge difference when it comes to the rut.

Many times I've had bucks chasing does on opening morning right after a cold, wet, front blew through, so if the weather changes like right after a front passage and heavy rain, lightning, and a drastic drop in temperature, I want to be out in my stand immediately after it passes.

I killed my largest buck during such a frontal passage which happened to be on the first weekend of November a few years back and that was with a bow. Scored net 159 and had a 20" spread and 12 pts. took it in the hills north of San Antonio.

The figures given are generally the best times for the rut and as an average when all the stars and planets line up right.

I've hunted just 80 miles south of San Antonio in LaSalle county and the rut there is usually pretty consistent and happens about mid December until right after Christmas. North of town it can be from mid October to Thanksgiving weekend, and on the place I'm hunting now which is just 30 miles south of S.A. it's been right around Thanksgiving and through the first week of December.

Thats just within three counties of each other and two out of the three are adjacent counties, so it just shows that it can vary from county to county by just a few miles apart.

Like DF said you go when you can, but try to be in the woods anytime there is a drastic change in the weather and especially when it turns nasty you up your chances, and you can never kill a deer sitting on the couch watching TV.

If you were to book a 7-8 day trip, I would tell you to hunt Nov 10-18

Best time for a big buck is opening weekend of bow season...when they are still pattern able... Period end of story

Bucks can rut all they want, but if there are no does in heat they are S.O.L.

It sounds simplistic, but the best time is when you see them.

I sure agree with this. Folks need to remember, they are there, you have to spot them. I've seen bucks stand or bed for hours without moving.