Texas boys love to defend it. And then they spout out the whole public land defense that there really is public land available even though it's value is not worth even mentioning.
Ever seen a deer almost 200 inches? I have. Taken in the public land we hunted on in nat forest. 198 inches. Gross non typical.
I don't understand you coming to TX and then constantly ragging on it.
Maybe its not suited for you?
Your response tells the whole story. I don't care if the deer is 200" or 120" I'm not trophy hunting for deer. I go deer hunting hoping to kill a decent buck, that's it. Texans are so concerned with what a buck scores and there in lies 90% of the problems. Just because I think deer lease hunting is lame doesn't mean you have to get your britches all bunched up. You keep hunting where ever and however it makes you happy, I really don't care one way or the other. I'm not some guy in Montana that hunts the west drawing a blind conclusion to what Texas hunting is like and ripping on it. I live here, have hunted all over Texas, paid the lease fees, small leases, big leases and I simply don't care for deer lease hunting.
I think we both misunderstand each other a bit.
I don't care about score either. I was told that score. I saw the deer after it was shot. I've never had a single deer scored that I"ve shot. I use the inches to give an example of what you say is not available or possible. I didn't shoot that deer. I likely would not either. I care more about deer management, than shooting a big deer. I've most likely shot the last mature large deer I'll ever shoot a few years ago.
I still hunt public and really enjoy it. There is more out there than folks think. The years we didn't have a lease, we found all kinds of opportunities.
I've never not been able to kill a deer on public land either. Sometimes I chose not to harvest the deer that we saw.
We enjoy just getting out and away from the roads like you do.
But to say there is nothign out there worth a flip public is way off base.
Thats my point.
As to whether you lease or not, or can afford to or not, thats obviously your choice.
And while you won't believe this, I"m going to say it, because my friends know its the truth... We go to a lease to be with family and friends. Not for the deer. Sure we shoot them. ALmost all culls and does.
I can kill much larger deer at home. On my place and friends places. But during most all of deer season we drive to the least to have fun!
If we went camping every weekend during season at the lake or such, it would end up costing us more than our deer lease does
YMMV, and I'd love to share a campfire and beer with you one day! But yes, I"m going to defend what we do here. Thats what you do. Defend what you have and what you do. Instead of apologize for it.
We could jump back to a palce we love much, Alaska, and talk about all the slobs there, road hunters, poachers, game wasters and so on too.... But the hunting is "free". I have complained quite a bit about the ways a lot of folks hunt in Alaska too, so I"m a bit hypocritical here. Yet I'm not changing what we do. To get away from the slobs, we'd have to fly in etc...
Question, I'm betting from reading you've accessed FT Hood... have you tried Camp Bullis in San Antonio also? Its been some years, but they had some good game too, plus FREE ranging axis...( as well as axis eat I could care less if they were penned or free ranging, they are great food to us) IF Bullis is still open its another option for you. And make sure if you have not gotten the public hunting hand out from TPW to browse it too. Public plus draw areas too. And then check out NF lands.
