Does anyone hunt around robert lee in coke county? Just started hunting in that area this season and wondering what kind of deer are around. The deer numbers seems to be high but quality of antlers not so good. Anything about the area would help.

Hunted that area in the 60's, can't remember the ranchers name, but it was on both sides of 2742 down by the compressor station. On the south side was Goat Mountain. We had 8 sections on the north side and 6 on the south. My dad and 3 others leased it for 250 apiece ( those were the days), for the year. There was a ton of Deer and Turkey on it then.

We're hunting off of Hwy 158 between Robert Lee and Bronte. We are just trying to find out some information about the area. We have some trail camera's out and have seen alot of deer and a few turkey. We got checked by the GW thanksgiving weekend and asked him about the area. He said we can expect to see around 130 class bucks and there are a few 160 class in the area but we sure haven't seen anything close to that. Hwy 2742 must be on the west side of Robert Lee. Are there any mule deer around? I wouldn't think so but why have a mule deer season?

We hunted quail between Robert Lee and San Angelo the past two years. We saw some deer in Jan and Feb each year but not any great numbers.

I did find some pretty good sheds in the area.

If I remember correctly, the ranch we hunted was under one of the permitting programs and had to remove a large number of doe after the regular season, so I guess the population is pretty high.

I know A guy that hunts that area. They don't see many good bucks. They see mostly spikes and culls.

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He said we can expect the see around 130 class bucks and there are a few 160 class in the area

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I'm pretty familiar with that whole area and I'm not too sure the GW's being truthful. That whole area's being hit hard every year and I'm not seeing anything real big coming from it. You may be in an area's that's had a break. I hope so.

Well I will tell you that there are a ton of deer that way. I hunt about 10 miles outside of bronte and I see a ton of deer early in the season but once the pressure is on them it seems the are starting to thin out a little. I have yet to see 130 and 160 class deer but I have seen some nice seer but with a little time and effort you can change that. I talked to someone the other day that said all he has are big buls on his place and its not a high fence so I believe they are ther it is just going to take some managing. You will however have no shortage in deer though. I love it there.

Yeah, I think the GW was full of it myself. The bucks we are seeing have the potential to be nice but lack food source. Most of the bucks we've seen have at least 15 inch spreads but not long tines. The lease is full of deer. We could have all tagged out the first weekend but what's the point to shoot just to be shooting. We haven't decided if we should stay on and try to manage and feed alot of protein in hopes of improving the quality or just get off an try to find another lease but it's difficult to find a lease that won't empty your pocket. Even though the bucks aren't B&C we are still having a good time, I think that's what counts the most.

I would give it another year myself. At least try and hunt the place in a non-drought year one time. The drought could be the reason your not seeing the horn size your expecting. I killed a buck this year in San Saba county. After getting him back to camp a guy on the lease brings over a shed he found a week ago. It just so happens that the shed is from my buck last year. Upon comparing the shed to the rack the differences were this:
The shed was about the same width, same mass, and slightly shorter tine length. I feel the added drought this year just didn't allow that buck to gain as much as he might have with better range conditions. He did however sprout two kickers this year, but they were on the opposite side from the shed that was found. He might have had them last year. Next trip to the lease I will be hunting for the other shed.

My uncle used to hunt in Bronte, they had some good deer on their place. But it was 2000+ acres managed pretty strictly for a long time. He ended up loosing it to a coprporation who bid twice what they were paying.

Jay

I hunted two places in Robert Lee for years. One area about 5 miles south of town produced some nice bucks but many did not have brow tines, weird. Hunted the Green Mountain area also, had a big problem with poachers out there. All in all we took some decent deer over the years.