Texas Deer Season 2020, good fair or ?

Been a while since I've posted or even had time to think about hunting with the BH & I hip deep in the Collectable Antique & Home Decor bidnizz. Our Home Base store location is here in town, but we've had /have display spaces in multiple locations within an hour + here in Pine Tree country and shop 5+ Auction Houses + a couple consignment shops for saleable euro & American pieces from different sources from Tyler to Ft Worth...I never thought I'd be in Dallas, Denton, Collin, Tarrant +++ & are looking at the Houston market, hunting for product. This stuff is where you find it. We are beginning the next expansion into the I-35 - Hwy 77 corridor to LaGrange & north back to Lake Texoma 2,3,5 times a week for product pickup's either.

The reason I ask is that we see Lots of critters of all kinds in the bar ditches everywhere, but Hwy 19 'tween Palestine and Athens has got to have more deer and hogs on the road shoulder than anywhere else we travel. Next Year I hope to get back in the race for the TPW Lotteries - no time for a lease for sure - and shed some of the less than satisfactory volume locations. The ancient saying that "you have to buy an education has never been more true" and this Pandemic is making me re think my Business Plan...our 80'th birthdays are within sight.
Ron

Not bad at all:

My best season ever. I hunt with a lot of guys so I always measure my success as a group and not just me. My regular lease we have killed 3 150s so far and usually kill about one. My new lease there are just 4 of us on it and we all 4 killed mature bucks with the average score being 168, including my personal best ever.

I haven't seen crap

15 miles north of Palestine is a tiny crossroads village called Montalba...that has a couple hundred acres commercial blueberry farm just west of town...and the creek that runs from the tall ridge east of Hwy 19 cross's the Farm road a quarter mile from the blueberry patch...I've seen a half dozen + Bucks in the ditch and some of them looked - at 70+ mph - real close to your pic.... in that one creek crossing...and there umm 5-or 6 flowing creek bottoms before you get to the big private Lake that Ray Sasser used to learn how to take Wild Life pics. The lake had a very controversial name for 40-50 years and now is called Rainbow Lake by the locals. Saw the beginnings of a buck fight in late October where the dam hits the north shore and about 40-50' inside the high fence about 100 feet off the Hiway. I slowed down asap but they spooked when I hit the shoulder...neat neat neat ... and no camera with the BH yelling about being late and losing our loading appt in Garland off Jupiter & LBJ.
Ron

Pretty good. Took a 6 pt off public land. Passed on another. Have seen lots of does, both whitetails and mulies. Had a chance at a mulie buck but decided he was too young. Plan on killing 2 does in Shamrock, Tx this weekend.

This season was better than last in my area. Seems the acorns didn't drop as early so the deer spent more time out in the open.

Sycerus - NICE Work if you can get it.

15 miles north of Palestine is a tiny crossroads village called Montalba...that has a couple hundred acres commercial blueberry farm just west of town...and the creek that runs from the tall ridge east of Hwy 19 cross's the Blueberry Patch's Farm road a quarter mile from the blueberry patch...I've seen a half dozen + Bucks in that ditch this year and some of them looked - at 70+ mph - real close to your pic.... in that one creek crossing...and there are umm 5-or 6 flowing creek bottoms before you get to the big private Lake that Ray Sasser used to learn how to take Wild Life pics.

The lake had a very controversial name for 40-50 years and now is called Rainbow Lake by the locals. Saw the beginnings of a buck fight in late October this year where the dam hits the north shore and about 40-50' inside the high fence about 100 feet off the Hiway. I slowed down asap but they spooked when I hit the shoulder...neat neat neat ... and no camera with the BH yelling about being late and losing our loading 15/20 minute time appt in Garland off Jupiter & Kingsly at LBJ . You'd be surprised at how fast it is to fill a tandem axle U Haul.
Ron

I’m tagged out

Syncerus - NICE Work if you can get it.

15 miles north of Palestine is a tiny crossroads village called Montalba...that has a couple hundred acres commercial blueberry farm just west of town...and the creek that runs from the tall ridge east of Hwy 19 cross's the Blueberry Patch's Farm road a quarter mile from the blueberry patch...I've seen a half dozen + Bucks in that ditch this year and some of them looked - at 70+ mph - real close to your pic.... in that one creek crossing...and there are umm 5-or 6 flowing creek bottoms before you get to the big private Lake that Ray Sasser used to learn how to take Wild Life pics.

The lake had a very controversial name for 40-50 years and now is called Rainbow Lake by the locals. Saw the beginnings of a buck fight in late October this year where the dam hits the north shore and about 40-50' inside the high fence about 100 feet off the Hiway. I slowed down asap but they spooked when I hit the shoulder...neat neat neat ... and no camera with the BH yelling about being late and losing our loading 15/20 minute time appt in Garland off Jupiter & LBJ. You'd be surprised at how fast it is to fill a tandem axle U Haul.
Ron

It's all good if you want it that way

Period.

It’s been a good year in Leon co hardly any acorns and the deer came to corn better this year
I can’t bow hunt anymore so I hunt with my grandchildren I really enjoy that
We won’t take anymore off Leon co but will be hunting Coleman co we haven’t taken anything there yet
But we have been picky

Did well at Bowie. Two 130’s opening day. Now, it’s pig time.k

We have had a better than average year in Lee county, I will be hunting with my FIL this weekend and if he shoots one of the remaining mature bucks it will be an exceptional year!

Pretty good.

Saw a lot of bucks early part of the season.

Took a nine point for the freezer. Saving a nicer 10 point for when my daughter comes home in early January. Hope to see it then. Still around right now.

Could have tagged out by now.....but will wait for muzzleloader season and see how many 'junior' takes before deciding to take anymore. We have a relatively small property.

Been a good season for us but have done very little hunting comparatively to years past. Def. better than last year with no acorns this year and dry conditions have deer hitting feeders regularly

Boy shot a real nice 140” buck on the new place opening weekend and I have taken a decent Archery buck at the lease.

Best season ever at our place. Brother and I both shot mature 10pts. Never seen so many deer out here. Lack of acorns was a big help.

Its been good

Pretty good,

Awesome! My granddaughter (8) took her first deer (9pt) with a crossbow. She has also taken 2 does. I was also able to get some employees and friends on deer to take home this year with our deer management plan. I enjoy showing off at the cleaning rack so I've had about all my body can take this year. I guess I've personally skinned and quartered 20 deer for friends and family. I didn't plan on doing this much this year. I'm still yet to go on my big buck hunt starting Monday.

This year the dry Fall here in Anderson County is resulting in more deer , 4-5 + every week, it seems like being hit on the Loop this year than I'm used to seeing on the north portion of the Loop from the Hwy 79 corner on the due east side of town to the due north Hwy 19 corner where the Loop turns S'West.

I live a couple blocks north of the Loop on the east side of the N/S FM road & very close to the 240 acre Davey Dogwood Park on the west side of the FM road , and backed up to an immaculately groomed 8 acre estate & a very large church property facing the Loop on the south side of the estate, with a creek crossing coming out of the 240 acre Park on the west side of the FM road and a heavy super thick bottom land at the east dead end of my street where the creek cross's the FM road. My neighbor at the foot of the hill has a ongoing battle with hogs coming out of the creek bottom. The Lab and I walk the 1/4-1/2 mile downhill to the east where my street dead ends into the deep woods, and there is a 5 acre estate tucked away overlooking the creek on the north side of my street at the dead end, that almost always holds deer rain or shine. Not unusual to see good'uns down there either, but not this year so far. The hog damage is constant everywhere down there around the edge of the forest. The City trapper is not making a dent in the hogs down there despite working the area hard at nite. Last week I saw a young hog bounce off the side of a pickup, trying to cross the Loop in that adjacent area.
I tease that neighbor at the foot of the hill about needing a suppressor instead of a pen full of yapping rug rat sized terrier house dogs. ..but the City hog traps are always empty so who knows. His landscaper is making a fortune.
Ron

Took my biggest WT buck to date off of my place I live on during archery season. Plus 2 does and a big gobbler all with a bow in October. Did a hunt in South Texas and one up in the Panhandle, saw a lot of great deer but did not take any. Had a fun mule deer season, but disappointing one with the mature buck quality being down this year. Took a ton of pics on several ranches that will be enjoyed for years. Still hunting with two tags left...one for a spike here and one(or 2) for bucks/does on my other place

Good season for numbers, but haven't seen "the one" yet. Let a couple of management bucks walk early in the season because it was so dang hot and I didn't want to mess with them. Let a 140'ish 10 point that we had no pictures of walk because...well, just because.

We had great pics of several good bucks right before season, looked very promising. We have worked very hard and been very selective and disciplined in order to build a small herd just North of Denton on 600 acres of low fence family land. Opening day of rifle and it sounded like WW3 on the neighbors place to the East. We have a new neighbor to the West that is running hog dogs at night, I am sure all over our property. I think between the two neighbors, they have decimated/run off our little herd. We have not even seen a deer period for the last month. I have shot 5 pigs and a coyote so far.

'Hate to hear that. I hope things eventually improve for you guys.

as a whole for us season has been slow not many mature shooters on cam or been seen. I did arrow a nice muley and whitetail

The overall quality of our bucks is probably better than it has ever been going back to 1969.

sounds like mountain springs...

3 good bucks shot by a son-in-law and 2 different guest's kids, all at the blind about 600 yards in front of the house. Why do I bother with the others?

'Couple of good boar pigs, a decent sow, and a few tiny piglets along the way, one wonky-horned axis in velvet, and, so far, 10 WT does + 1 unbranched antler buck. Rockin' and rollin' at "The Rocking 'G'. "

Between here and Denton East of 35.

This season (like EVERY season) has been WONDERFUL.

And I haven't dropped the hammer on a whitetail in the last ten years!

Truth be told, this is my fiftieth season afield and I'm enjoying it almost as much as that first season in 1970.

I've seen more and better bucks here on the place than ever before, and I've enjoyed time afield with friends and...of course...with the She-Wolf (the love of my life and my hunting partner for the past 32 years).

I am so incredibly thankful for the blessings that have put me here and allowed me to see and do the things I've seen and done...and the health to be able to keep doing them.

It's my fervent hope that EVERYONE is having a season just as rich as mine!

Keep your eyes along the skyline,

Mark

This has been one of those years where you find yourself looking forward to next year. While the tract I'm hunting is only 80 acres, I've seen several bucks that should be good ones next year. I just hope the big 10 that I watched from a distance earlier in the season is still there.

Horn wise, we’ve never shot this much quality this early in the season. Our very best hunting has always been between Christmas and New Years with more good hunting into January.

We have two trophies and a super management so far. 174, 173 and 154.


Three like this speaks volumes. There may be more to come.