East Texas how’s your opener been?

It’s been fairly quiet in my neck of the woods today . Less than a quarter of gun shots compared to last year and I haven’t seen a thing. Plus it’s hottt!

How’s your day east Texas?

Quite here in Marion County. No does and several illegal AR bucks. Only heard 3 gunshots this morning usually there are a bunch of shooting.

Here in Northern Jasper county it has been quieter than normal. Fewer shots than normal for sure. My daughter, wife and I saw three young bucks today, 1st one around 8 and the last one close to 10. We are hunting again this evening, courtesy of thermacell.

Houston Co lots of does even had some come out at 1pm.

Hoping this 7 shows up this evening. He’s been here the last 3 days. If not I’ll be back next weekend.

Nice 7

This morning was most active I’ve ever seen it in Henderson county. Saw 5 young bucks. No doe.

All moving

Wood County. Nothing this morning. Nice bodied small 6 came out this evening. Still out doing a bit of hog hunting now.

NE Tyler Co I saw 3 bucks today. A spike, a 6 point and an 8 point. All legal or at least as close as I could tell. The 8 point didn't come out until the last 10 minutes and was a bruiser, but I couldn't see him well enough to be sure he would meet the AR so he got a pass (for now).

Cass county, only one small for all day. Talked to several other hunters at restaurant at lunch. I was only one who saw anything.
I heard one shot all day.

Nice one

Freestone co. Deer are moving pretty good. Bucks are starting to chase does. I had a very nice 10 point eating corn for 45 min. Till a doe came by then the chase was on. All the hogs seemed to have moved on for now.

Son got this one yesterday morning east of Livingston

Leon County

Saturday morning:

Spike, 4 point, 6 point and 8 point. 6 and 8 were legal. 13 does and fawns

Saturday evening:

4 and 8 point were back and 11 does and fawns:

Sunday morning:

3, 5 and 7 point, none legal and 9 does and fawns

Virtually no shooting either times.

No hog seen and none came to the trap.

I’m Walker county I saw four Saturday morning but none Sunday morning. One decent buck but I let him pass. Funny thing was that the two doe I saw were both nervous and fidgety but the two bucks didn’t have a care in the world.

Heard less shooting than previous years.

Tyler county- It was very slow for us. I saw a button buck. Normally at least a couple deer are shot opening weekend, but none this year on the entire lease.

Leon County Buck 11/8. Injured leg. Sunday was far better than Saturday . Bucks were just starting to chase

nice

I'm in Houston County also but have only seen a non legal 4 point in the flesh along with does and a spike. On my game cameras there have been some legal bucks at either my feeders or coming up this gulley from the adjoining property. Most at night although the best one was during light in the morning, just at a unoccupied feeder. No monsters though. The hogs are sticking to night activity and seem to come and go. Do have eight wood ducks that come to one feeder by a pond.

I really like those split brow tines!

Me too first time I have seen them curled and split. We have a very strong gene on our property that has the curled brow tines but nothing like this. Do you think the injured leg had something to do with it. He was missing about 4 inches of meat and hide and was just bone showing. Last years deer to show the normal curl we have

Walker County - This was one of the worst opening weekends I've ever seen. I walked out to my spot in the 'dark' with a bright moon straight overhead lighting up the forest floor. I could almost get by without a light. At about 6:30am, a little fork walked behind me about 20 yards without spooking. I didn't see another deer for the rest of that first day nor the next. However, I did see a small doe on the side of the road inside of town after having finished for the night. Those were the ONLY two deer I saw and that was driving up 75 miles and back both days from my sister's house in Houston. OK, I did spook one Sunday morning on my walk in. I heard it in the darkness snorting and running away.

Also, instead of the usual war zone of guns blazing in the morning, it was WAY less than usual. I'm guessing it was the late bright moon and the HEAT! I was dripping sweat moving from place to place. This is neither here nor there, but the forest floor was untouched this year when I was all torn up by hogs last year. I even posted a story about hogs almost attacking me as I was walking in in the dark opening weekend. I can't see how they were eradicated from that area which is the SHNF and not private property. Again, other than that one little buck, I just saw squirrels and birds all day long.

So, get back home today in Canyon Lake, and I see three deer in the road right before my house, that was more deer than I saw this opening weekend. Then on my daily walk with my dogs, a nice 8 was standing on the road laughing at me and allowing me to take pics of him as I walked by. Not fair!

Polk County, NW of Livingston
Much fewer shots than normal. I saw and killed one spike all weekend. I'm blaming it on too much moon, too much heat and too many acorns. Most of the activity on my cams is at night.

Marion Co. I've hunted till I'm sick of the woods and seen one young buck.

Don't be discouraged, it can change very quickly. Factors like the moon, daytime temperatures, mast crop, etc.....all have an influence BUT when the rut really kicks in the deer will be moving, so hang in there.

Most of what I had been seeing on game cams was afternoon to late evening.

It wasn't until 5:30 p.m. that this one stepped out on opening day.

nice

Very nice. I hunted for 4 days and saw one doe on Saturday morning and 4 Does on Tuesday morning.

Its been ok so far at our place in Trinity County.

I feels like the warm weather has them moving less then a cold front comes in and lots of movement but since its not lasting its very on off.

Bucks are looking good with more older bucks and they are moving during the day but just haven't been lucky enough to be at the right place right time.

when do yall think the rut will be this year?

I have seen several nice bucks in Wood County. Two I just wasn’t sure they were 13. I just saw a really nice 8, had decent mass, was about 18 inches straight up, and probably 10 inches wide. Nice size deer too. I am just not a believer in the ARs. Been on this lease for 27 years and it just hasn’t done much

Did not hunt Monday or Tuesday of this week, but started two and half weeks off on Wednesday. Hunting Jasper County Lease with lots of pressure both in and around the area. I’ve seen at least one deer every hunt this week, including two legal bucks, but young. I don’t think the rut is too far off, as they seem ready. It I have not seen any searching or trailing bucks at all yet. The good news is that there are no acorns and the deer are hitting corn feeders and food plots. I guess the hurricanes and wind may have played a part in the lack of acorns?

Sabine county:

Been off since Nov 7

Seen a few young does and a spike. I have 5 cellular trail cams and am getting a lot of scrape action at night. Almost no adult movement during the day.

No acorns this year and the deer are avoiding corn like it's the pleague not sure why yet.

My trail cams recorded some serious adult movement during Halloween weekend. I am new to this area is it possible rut started early this year?

Maybe the rut was early ARRazorback. I didn’t get to bow hunt but once in mid October, so I can’t say for sure. I would think Sabine county and Jasper county rut would be pretty much the same. Maybe some others around this neck of the woods can weigh in on our rut timing this year?

Cherokee county was beyond slow....several deer seen...nothing shootable other than some small does...however two bobcats seen....

Bucks that were following does last week in Houston County appear to be on their final days of cruising for them. I too haven't heard near as many shots this year as in seasons past. IMO, the late start combined with almost hot temperatures have worked against us.

Hunted in Houston County since Thursday evening, the 12th and just as the bow season went, the legal bucks are only on my cameras at night except for two appearances just after daylight by one decent buck at two different feeders while I wasn't there. Seeing a lot of the same does and small bucks. Even the hogs have gone nocturnal.

Leon County, rut maybe tailing off some, Did see 2 bucks fighting in earnest Saturday morning. Saw lot of deer opening weekend, saw about half the number of deer this weekend compared to the opening.

Have seen more bucks this year compared to years past. Have seen 3 different legal bucks and a total of 8 different bucks.

Hogs were on cameras prior to opening and then they disappeared. Did kill a boar hog Sunday, 150 or so.

Very nice!

Bucks very active right now according to game cam videos (Nacogdoches County). Hogs thankfully sparse (out hoovering up any acorns they can find).

The key to having/seeing bucks on ANY property during any deer season is to have the DOES around. Do everything you can to keep the ladies around and the bucks will follow. Daytime or Nighttime activity will be dictated by several conditions, but none of that matters if you don't have what they come for (The Ladies).

Post rut....hunt food sources. Its the same every year.

Van Zandt County - been seeing a lot more deer moving the past week. Currently have a very solid and legal 8 that's hanging out about 75 yards behind our house in the neighbor's pasture with a doe. Cows chased them around all day yesterday but they wouldn't leave that pasture. Hopefully the cows harass them over on to our place or the family land next to us. I'm sure he'll probably be done with her soon and on to the next one though.

Shelby county was pretty slow. I got skunked, One buddy got a doe and the rest saw nothing. Very few gunshots on surrounding properties as well. The does have basically disappeared off of the trail cams too which is worrisome.

Jasper Co., Had a buck with a doe opening weekend, Nov 7th at my feeder that morning, doe was hotter than a hoe in church. Been hunting big 8 from last year and had a pic of him under my feeder last week in Oct has not came back around. I set in that stand quite a few times and not much.

After that is been all at night. I have 6 cell cams running. I have a doe or two ever few nights feeders with a few small bucks now and then. Roads I've corned have a few does (3-4) at night and a few small bucks. Last week had a decent 8 that will be good in two years.

I still have does with big yearlings hanging with them. Which means does have not come in estrus or already have and they located their mama which they do after the rut many times. My guess we are having a late rut, that or they done shot their wad and what I am seeing trickle rut, bucks on my cams at night that look like they are trailing does.

Hard to tell this year. Last year my rut peaked about 13-14 of Nov. from what I had on my cams/best I could tell. I'm not even seeing pigs during daylight, all at night. Guess thats why they call it hunting.

Walker County has been OK so far. It's nice to have mostly oaks on our lease instead of the "piney woods". I don't see any unhappy hunters from our lease in the photos below..