# East Texas hunting are we wasting our time?



## RonG (Jun 4, 2008)

My extended family has been on a least for 7 years, my wife and I joined this lease this year to hunt with them as members and not as guests. We hunted twice a year with them the last two years and decided we should step up and pay to hunt this year.

My son took his first doe at this place 2 years ago and since then we have bagged zero. I get lots of deer on the cams 95% of them at night. Plenty of hogs on cam again 95% at night. 

This place is 55000 acres broken up in to camps. Our camp has 10 hunters including my wife and myself. We are on about 800 acres with our camp. This year two bucks and two does and one spike have been taken so far. Last year had about the same amount bagged. 

For the most part the corn has gone pretty much un-touched this year, and I have personally seen zero deer. My wife and daughter and I have logged many hours and this season only my wife saw anything. I keep hearing and seeing that the deer in East Texas are nocturnal.

Now a few weekends ago the old guys in camp told me to make sure to break my feeders down and take them home, as the loggers and locals like to break off the spinners ... so there goes my thought of just feeding year around 3 days a week. The lease is pretty inexpensive and the fee I pay covers the whole family. 

I am not looking to tag out, but I sure would like to feel confident about being about to put two deer in the freezer between the three of us hunting for the whole season. So my questions is are we wasting our time? I hear about the locals and year long hunting ect. I just don't want to continue wasting my time and money. My daughter is 14 and I am just not sure how many more season I have to hunt with her before she decides its just not "cool" to go hunt with dad.

Thanks in advance for your input!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Well its been cold lately & the deer are running out of food about now & will have to travel more to eat. You definately can't get one behind the computer. Have you ever tried stalking. You know walk a foot stop & look then another foot stop & look. Keep the wind in your face & the sun at your back.
Have you ever hunted the roads. Just sit on a long road & watch them cross.You can usually find where their crossing. My answer try something different. Corn the roads whatever just be there. Hunt all day. Rattle use your grunt call.Be creative. Good Luck!!


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## big john o (Aug 12, 2005)

Same problem on our place this year (not seeing any deer at the feeders). I got out and found where they were moving and set up with my tree climbing stand. I killed an 8-point, but saw four other bucks. This was about 3 weeks ago in Alto, TX.


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## capt4fish (Dec 4, 2004)

I hunted east Texas decades ago. While I enjoyed the hunting, my experience was very close to yours.

There is a trade-off between being closer to home and seeing large amounts of game.

I would much rather drive much longer and see 30 deer a sitting from my pop-up than sit for 3-6 hrs each day and see few or nothing. 
Then there is always the "you pay for what you get" thing. 

That is why I hunt Mexico.


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## Instigator (Jul 6, 2004)

A bad lease in South Texas is the same as a bad lease in East Texas. It doesn't matter where you are in the state, if your deer are over-pressured they go nocturnal. I have been on deer "lesses" down there that were just like your description. Time to go lease shopping. 

My East Texas experience is just the opposite of yours. Granted, the get-what-you-pay-for clause is still valid but my fees are less than half of what I would pay south of San Antonio for the same quality of deer with less variety (we have excellent duck hunting too). 

If you like the East Texas habitat and it fits your needs then don't give up on the area. The relatively new antler size regulations and changing landowner management mentality make it an up and coming region for excellent deer hunting.


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## Blackgar (Aug 4, 2004)

Way too many hunters per acre, that place is bound to be shot up !


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Ten hunters on 800 acres waaay too many. I would be looking for another place.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Where ya at with 55K acres, are you just hunting 800acres what about the other 47K acres. The deer are tearing up the corn in my little bit of Hardin Co....WW


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

I hunted paper company leases several years with the same results.As soon as all the weekend hunters were gone and it got dark,it sounded like a war had broken out in the woods around us.Pickups drove up and down the logging roads all day long.I love East Texas but refuse to drive through Dallas to get there.My wifes kin do real well in Red River and Bowie county,but they live there and know people.


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## RonG (Jun 4, 2008)

When I say 10 hunters, that would be max. There has never been more than 6 of us at a time, 3 of the guys hunt only during the week. Several of us have no choice but to be weekend warriors. 

WW, I only know the portion I am on right now. If i renew I plan on spending a lot of time out there in the spring GPSing all the current stands and scouting. 

From what the guys tell me its been like this for 10+ years. One of the older guys hunted for 7 years before he shot at his first deer.


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## Buscadero (Oct 22, 2010)

Terrible season for my lease in Polk county this year.
1-doe taken period.
This was my 11th season for this lease and it was never like this.
Game warden stated that a couple of the local processing places were
down near 50 %.
Hate the drive but I'm headed back to my old place in Rocksprings next season.


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## rubberducky (Mar 19, 2010)

Buscadero said:


> Terrible season for my lease in Polk county this year.
> 1-doe taken period.
> This was my 11th season for this lease and it was never like this.
> Game warden stated that a couple of the local processing places were
> ...


If you leaving your lease would you mind shooting me the info on them? I'm looking for a lease real close to home and this would be perfect for me.
James

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk because Reeltime told me to


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## Buscadero (Oct 22, 2010)

rubberducky,

I will maintain my spot in Polk County.
However, I know we are gonna have three openings.
One member passed recently and one is getting the boot..his buddy 
will not get back on either.
All normaly get a decent buck and we have plenty of doe permits.
Hardly ANY members shoot does.
About 1500 acres total 8 hunters.
email
[email protected]


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## pngndn (Jun 19, 2009)

How much is the leaw


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## Fishtexx (Jun 29, 2004)

Hunting has been slow on our Polk Co lease this year also. IMHO hot weather and abundant acorns have really affected/slowed down daytime movement.


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## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

Hunted Trinity county 2 years with the same results. Camp life sure was fun though! No mas, moved back out to Gonzales Co. so we could at least SEE deer during the daylight.


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## Wett'n my Hooks (Mar 26, 2011)

Between to many hunters on your property, and the Blue Bird weather we've had, don't forget the drought we just went thru.:headknock


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## Stripe Mullett (Aug 20, 2008)

Wow, so it's not only us. It's been brutal on our 900 acres in Angelina Co. near Huntington. We have had one doe shot this year out of 9 members. The acorns are plentiful for sure and we are seeing shooters on the game cams at night but not during hunting hours. Going up tomorrow but how long does it take for the cold weather to spoil the acorns? I hope we don't run out of time with only a couple of weeks left. I don't know if I can do this again next season. It may be worth paying the extra $$ to go west......


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## El Ahogo (Mar 14, 2010)

Rain will spoil the acorns, not the cold weather.

Also, deer are nocturnal by nature. This is why people started using timers on their feeders years ago. If they know the food is always there at a certain time, they will show up. They will disappear in times of heavy acorn availability because they aren't dependant on the corn during that time.

Jeff


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## Viking48 (Jan 24, 2006)

East Texas is like anywhere else - some areas are good and some are bad. I hunted Polk County for about 20 years. The first year I had 17 deer at my feeder opening morning, I've seen as many as 9 bucks on a single morning hunt and seldom did I hunt that I didn't see deer. About 8 years ago that changed and we would go hunt after hunt without seeing deer so I moved to the Hill Country. The guys I used to hunt with are starting to see deer again but it isn't like it used to be. Do you have gates on the roads into the lease with locks? If not, there is a good chance you have poachers. Pigs seemed to make a big difference - deer don't seem to like to share corn with them.


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## famousunknown (Aug 13, 2005)

Been hunting in Polk for the past seven years and this has been the worst year by far. Normally see several deer per hunt but this year have been skunked much of the time. A review of the cameras seems to indicate the deer are still there but they are not following the traditional patterns. In a normal year we would have shot 10 does and 4-5 bucks by now, so far this season a total of 6 does and 0 bucks. I doubt we will shoot much of anything else so it should set us up for a good season in 2013.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

RonG what the name of the place, PM me if you don't want to go public....WW


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## Wett'n my Hooks (Mar 26, 2011)

Had a lease in Normangee that had 100's of deer. The neighbors started selling 10 acre tracts of land, wasn't long and the deer were reduced to almost nothing. I know one 10 acre tract harvested 22 deer one season. Then you have the insurance companies pushing for higher limits on the deer herd, to reduce road kills.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

I bet the accorns were a big part of the low numbers if ya'll seen deer earlier.Deer eat liveoak acorns,but they love the big wateroak,shinoak,reckon any of the big acorns more than corn.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

Acorns play a big part in most of east texas, we hunt about 10 miles from center and have had a acorn crop this yr. that has been almost unbelieveable. We plant food plots and feed all yr. Have seen a lot of really young deer and plenty of hogs. Just hang in there the local GW told us that this has been a lean yr for all deer hunters in the eatern part of the state.


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## millertym_1978 (Apr 13, 2006)

*East TX*

Have been on my lease 20yrs in East TX (2000 acres split between Hardin and Polk Counties) and this has been the worse season yet that I can remember. At last count there had been 10 deer killed total. I excepted the fact long ago that I would be killing mostly doe and be lucky to get a mature buck. The 13 inch rule has made a difference IMO. Sitting for hrs and not seeing anything is pretty discouraging....

I think that between the drought, acorns everywhere and very little cold weather we can all agree we hope next yr is better!!!!!


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## captainemil (Aug 12, 2005)

Still 10 hunters max, come on now do you think that 1 deer will live on an a acre, theres no way. Deer need a lot of area, 800 acres sounds ok but, with 10 hunters that 80 acres per hunter, then you shoot 3 deer per person ,thats a deer to 25 acres plus what the outlaws get and mother nature. You need to move on,there are way better places than that. If they took the 55000 acres and put one man to 80 acres that would be 688 hunters out there at 3 deer each thats 2064 deer killed a year. Theres probley not that in the county.


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

Before you give it up, you might change your tactics. Keep your feeders up but do not hunt them. Find the rubs/scrapes/trails and hunt those instead.


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## Deewiz (Dec 6, 2012)

Head west if you want more deer, but a resonable lease fee. I have done the East Texas deal and if you don't have a lot of acres per hunter and the locals are hunting your place too it is hard hunting.


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## RonG (Jun 4, 2008)

There isn't even 100 people on the whole 55k acres that I am aware of. I will have to go to the next meeting for confirmation. We have a family group in our camp that is why there is 10 of us. Most of us are friends ect. We don't high pressure the deer, there isn't a lot of traffic from us on the land at all. 

It is encouraging to see that the poor hunting is pretty much all around, and yes the acorns this year were more than abundant. I really appreciate the advice and the moral support.

Again lots of deer on the cams, 95% all at night though. So the population is there. I do think the poachers and road hunters are a big reason these deer are mostly nocturnal at this point. 

Headed up tonight, suppose to be overcast all night more rain and 20 degrees in the morning, I am hoping with the rain the last two days there will be some more movement.


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## Lookinforfish (Jan 7, 2011)

I have been hunting on an East Tx lease in Angelina county now for 7 years. I have to admit I have seen more bucks this year than all previous years combined. I firmly believe the antler restrictions are working. With that said, I saw all the bucks in the first 10 days of the season, then nothing but occasional doe and fawn. Talking to others around the lease, seeing them on cameras at night, but not many during the day. Hear of one or two here and there. The bucks I saw ranged from spikes to a nice 10 point. Many are young 8's, that I let walk. Acorns were plenty this year but does liked the corn. Younger bucks did too first week of season. My last check of the harvest logs 3 weeks ago, showed 9 bucks and 11 does killed on 3800 ac lease. We have 14" rule on all bucks. So I have to say, it has been the best year so far, as buck harvests go for us. Usually kill half that on 13" or better bucks.


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## royboy42 (Apr 28, 2007)

Hunting E Texas is all about how much pressure land you hunt gets. If your on a place that receives lots of pressure the deer wise up and bucks will go nocturnal. Alot of the leases are over crowded and not enough land per hunter/acre. It can be tough hunting, but if your blessed to be on a good place, it can be great, lots of natural food sources and tons of hogs and varmints.


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## TheExxonKid (Dec 28, 2007)

I hunted Houston Co. the weekend after Thanksgiving and we saw tons of action on the cams and just knew we were going to have our pick...We got burned Fri night/Sat Morn/Sat night. Sat night I had a pack of dogs run around my stand chasing 3 does, but they never slowed down. Finally had a nice 8 pt. walk out Sun Morn. This is family land that only 2 people hunt though. Most of the action we were seeing on the cams was between 10pm-4am though.


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## jaboy1219 (Apr 21, 2012)

I am from East Texas and have hunted there my entire life. I have had terrible luck on my stand this year, but I have seen tons of deer en route either walking in / out or driving to our camp. I saw 7 in 3 different groups after the rain this morning, but I saw nothing on my stand. Not to be a killjoy, but one of the problems on East Texas leases is that there is relatively any traffic on most leases until deer season and then it's game on! People shooting at the camp and riding the roads puts pressure on the deer and they go nocturnal. The acorns this year and the mild weather have the deer not having to move to find food. Once spooked from your stand area they begin to pattern the hunters.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

I hunted Trinity for years, all depends on the acorn crop

I can tell you a few facts

kill the spikes off the feeders asap, they are corn hogs

if you see a buck you really want shoot him, don't wait for a "better day" , those deer really move around and you likely won't see him again later, they go nocturnal

once it freezes/leaves drop bucks get really skittish about being in the open at all, so plan for that

if they are not coming to feeders, hunt over avail water . or just move around stand to stand or still hunt trails, it's not hill co. hunting ..............


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## tdgal (Jun 16, 2009)

*East Texas*

We just came home from North East Polk County, daughter and I saw no shooter bucks, but did see a few small bucks, does, a bobcat, and a coyote. They are all moving late into the day all after 10:30 in the morning. They were all starting to hit the corn at the feeders and on the road we had spread. 
Our lease did improve with bucks this year, bigger body weights, older deer, and better racks. We killed more 10 and 11 points this year. We have about 2900 acres and 28 memberships and I bet half of the members only hunt 2 weekends. We had the lease just to ourselves for three days this past week.


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## Pier Pressure (Aug 30, 2009)

I went hunting at my moms ranch last weekend (20 Miles South of Livingston) only good deer tracks were by the ponds. Im not sure where they are hiding.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

One to the east n several to the west this eve, only saw 2 other deer this eve, maybe more in the morn...WW


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

Freezer is full, I quit hunting them in November, my MDL starts end of September with guns. It is what it is, Ill be getting back on next year. 2 deer this year with 8 hunts in Tyler county. Keep them feeders full.


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## silverado 1 (Jul 21, 2007)

we have killed 17 deer on our lease this year. It has been hit or miss, majority of deer killed where not at a feeder.


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## hookmandba (Nov 12, 2007)

*patience*

here you go..east texas this week


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Thats nice rite there


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## rusty2009 (Mar 5, 2010)

That is a brute. 20-21 inside spread ?


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