Texan_Til_I_Die

Dang, any powder burns? I do have a couple of bow stands that I leave up throughout rifle season and use, but in general no. My distances stretch way out there to as much as 400 yards. Of course I'm also hunting in some wide open country.

Yotes are thick as fleas where I hunt, and I still see plenty of deer. But...those deer are used to seeing them every day. In fact, I've seen the does run off coyotes several times. I think most of the deer predation around here happens when the fawns are young, or when there's an old, injured or sick deer.

I can't see any ear tufts, so I don't think it's a bobcat. Back end looks relatively small, coloration looks a bit mottled and there's not a huge tail waving around, so it doesn't look like a cougar. I'm going with housecat.

I have until mid Jan to shoot does, so that won't be a problem. I also got an invite this morning to go hunt a high fenced ranch for their annual doe kill. Their biologist recommended, actually it's more of a requirement, they take 200 does this year. Not sure when (or if) I'll participate, but I may go help them out. Last time I went on one of those, I killed 7 does in one day. I swore after that I'd never do it again. I was so sick of skinning deer.

Didn't see too much over the weekend. About 30 does and maybe a dozen or so different bucks. Saw one decent 8 point chasing a doe and a young 10 point that has a free pass this year. Rut still hasn't cranked up yet. Going back on Thursday. Got a light rain last night at the ranch. Hopefully it will be enough to get the wheat going. Cut back on the planting this year from 600 acres to about 350.

That is one serious hunter right there! That boy took a big step towards becoming a man. And Dad, thanks for doing it right.

^^^This^^^

Dang, I just checked the scoreboard and it looks like we've jumped out to an early lead. I guess the rest of use deadbeats better get on the ball and kill something. Rifle season opens here on Saturday, but the weather doesn't look too promising. Lows in the upper 50's and highs in the 70's. The deer are trying to start their rut, but I think the warm weather has all of the chasing happening at night. We'll see how it goes this weekend. I'm taking off Monday so I'll get 3 days of hunting in.

Good luck you old bum. Don't know if you've killed a mulie before, but I prefer them to whitetail. At least the ones I've killed in New Mexico and Utah ate better.

One I still remember from my high school daze back in the 70's... Teacher: "What is Specific Gravity?" Student: "Gravity at the bottom of the Specific Ocean."

Great buck. Congrats!

Mostly depends on the weather and deer movement. Early season in Texas can see some really warm temps during mid day and typically the deer movement shuts down. If it's cool to cold, especially just before and during the rut, I'll hunt all day, but almost never from a single stand. Or I'll stay until the beer runs out!

Typically $5K +/- This year with the severe drought in Texas it's going to be well into the + side. So far I've fed 7 tons of protein pellets and 4 tons of corn. Even buying bulk, it will add up fast when you start dealing in tonnage.

YES! Easy setup. Plenty roomy to sit down and shoot, but not quite tall enough to stand straight up (I'm 5' 11" and 180). Good concealment. Good scent blocking. Zippers are noisy so get to your stand early. Expect 4 - 5 year life expectancy if you leave them out all season. Stakes are junk, go buy some better ones. If you want to stand and shoot, you'll need the Escape Deluxe. FYI - Natchez had them on sale recently. Not sure if they still do or not?

You'd be better off buying a Trophy Rock or just a plain trace mineral block at the local feed store. If the deer need minerals, they'll come to it. If you REALLY want to suck in the deer, buy a free choice protein feeder and get some 16 - 20% protein pellets and keep it filled. It may take a while for the deer to get started on it, but once they do it's like sticking a needle in an addict's arm. They're hooked. We don't hunt any of our protein feeders because we want the deer to feel comfortable there and eat as much protein as possible, but at some places they do.

Great job dad, and congrats to the young hunter.

Ah yes, I've been there too. I used to hunt this river bottom place that a nice little 5 acre field with an old hand stacked rock fence on one side. The fence was just the right height to sit behind on a bucket and I could rest my arms and chin on top. Sure enough, one day I was sitting there and had a squirrel jump up on the fence from the other side, right into my face. I'm sure neither one of us was much good for the next hour or so. The ranch I hunt in West Texas has these little burrowing owls. They're tiny, not more than 5 or 6 inches tall, but can make the dangest sounds. They sound just like a crazy person laughing hysterically. You think that won't unnerve you on a dark night out in the middle of nowhere...

Are you talking about the pressure tank on a well? The one on the well out at our ranch is over 20 years old and still chugging along. I think it's a Flo-Tec or something like that. It's big and blue. I can check for sure this weekend when I'm out there.

Welcome slickhead! I only made it to one sitting this weekend and got skunked. Didn't see a darn thing except some turkeys going to roost. Looking forward to some significantly cooler temps later this week. Will probably hunt once or twice locally then head out west for the weekend.

Got mine Oct 3. I too work in a hospital so I try to take every precaution I can. Plus they're free...

Man, I've been in Nashville all week for a conference and I'm having severe withdrawal symptoms from the lack of hunting. Hope to get out in the woods some this weekend.

I don't necessarily agree with everything they say, but kind of like the NRA, they're the best thing available. Go for it.

x2 on the iPad. I'm not a big fan of tablets in general, but the iPad is the best of the bunch.

I'd keep it and use it. But then again, I once killed a whitetail doe with a 375 H&H magnum.

I've got trailcam pics of one like that. In my deer's case, I think it was injury.