tp793 Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm not sure if this is the right place for this post but I'm not sure where else it would go. Anyway, I'm from Ohio and my uncle who lives in Texas recently leased a 400 acre piece of hunting land that he asked me to come scout due to his bad knees and not being able to get around the place very well. So I am currently in Texas and working on trying to figure the place out. He has said that he has seen only one deer during the two months he has had the lease which I can attest to after a week of scouting. The land holds many hogs, turkey, coyotes, and other animals, including some cows. The owner of the land said that the guys that he leased to about a year ago went out during the night on their ATV's and trucks and shot everything they saw. So my question is, where are the deer? I have walked the entire area and have seen some sign (tracks, droppings, and a few rubs) but I have yet to see any deer myself. We are planning on starting some food plots where we have seen the most sign, using Tecomate. I'm wondering if they are moving through at night and bedding elsewhere, or if they are just completely nocturnal and I haven't found where they bed yet. We have set up some trail cams but have only gotten hogs and raccoons on film. Is it possible that the other guys shot the place out and the deer just aren't there anymore? If so, how do we get them back? Any advice, ideas, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Lots of ifs, without knowing more about the land, deer density, harvest numbers for the specific area it is kinda hard to say. Deer could be nocturnal, could be part of your reason for not seeing them while you are on the property. If it were me I would move cams around some to places you think there should be activity, like trails with good sign. Give it a little time with the cams at each place before moving them. Possible the pressure pushed the deer out of that tract to a lesser pressured area, sounds like hogs and yotes could be a factor with that too, would definitely not hurt to try to thin yotes and hogs out. If the deer density is low in that area and too many were taken, possible it may take a few years for the numbers to recover. I would probably look at implementing food plots and mineral sites on the property if it were me, granted the soil was able to support plantings in order to get what deer are in the area coming around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Go get several trail cams and corn. Set up the cams on some trails with the corn and do a count with the cams. It is the best way to determine your population. Habitat conditions or overpressure plays a big role in numbers. The pressure and habitat conditions could be due to a heavy hog population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp793 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks for the suggestions guys. We were putting corn out for a while but then the father of the guy my uncle leases from told us not to because it messes with his calves stomachs? I've been doing my best to thin out the hogs and coyotes. We put the cams out over the corn before and only got hogs and raccoons. I'm going to head out there pretty soon to try and take another hog and hopefully some coyotes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 4oo acres of Texas land and no deer? I'm not saying this is impossible but is improbable! I'd talk with adjoining landowners and see what they are observing. What do they have you don't? I can't believe an Army could extinct all the deer on your lease. Deer like: Food, water and cover, security and to be basicly left alone. If your neighbors are having numerous deer sightings you should be also. Or you are missing something in the above equation? If your neighbors are happy with their deer population, I have to believe you will have a good herd show up also. Keep us posted. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp793 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 I went out the other night and did some more scouting, still no deer but I'm finding more and more sign of them. Missed a coyote at about 200 yards. As I was leaving the property, I saw the property across the street had 4 deer out in their field, which gave me a little hope. My uncle and I went out yesterday and made a hog pen and set up a trail cam to see what comes through. Went out again this morning and didn't see much of anything, but I was mostly checking the pen to see if anything had visited. Again, when I left this morning, the neighboring property had 8 deer out in their field and they seemed pretty comfortable. One was actually bedded down in the middle of the field. The owner of our property said he is going to start cultivating the fields and would gladly get us a spot ready for a food plot, so that is next on the list. Hopefully once we get a couple food plots in there the deer will stay put. We have plenty of cover and a few nice sized ponds so I think the only thing we are really lacking is food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.