Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Deer Lease Tx Hill Country -

Hunting in Texas aint what it used to be. No doubt about it.

My first trip to the Hill Country was wonderfully bereft of mosquitoes, humidity & power lines. I saw animals there that I had never seen before. I had opportunities that I never had before. I did not meet ANY obnoxious rednecks nor have to worry about my hunting equipment getting stolen. The Hill Country beats East Texas every time. And, its high fences afforded me an opportunity to hunt world class trophy Axis bucks, at least 12 of which went + 34".

I hunted South Texas last year for $2800 on 4000 acres. The Whitetails there were simply meat for the freezer, trophies they were not.

This year I am hunting West Columbia on a 7000 acre MLD III for $2200. I have seen more Whitetails there than any other place I have hunted.

You couldn't pay me to hunt East Texas either. But, since I am a shooter and only hunt recreationally I don't have to hunt to be happy. When I can't afford it I won't do it.

If you wanna play you gotta pay.

TPW put that rule into effect because hunters kept hounding them to instigate that rule. It was a pilot program in 2 counties and was scheduled to run for 5 years and then go to comments before being moved on.

TPW got seiged with people wanting them to move it to their counties and the response has been positively overwhelming in the feedback meetings. If you don't like it show up at the meetings.

Because response was so positive (as were the results) they moved it up and to more counties.

To be honest if all you want to do is kill deer and pack the freezer you can literally get in some places that people will nearly pay you to go out and shoot does in the late season with late season tags.

Killing "a deer" anywhere in TX that's open to a whitetail season is no great feat and honestly on a lot of ranches I've worked on they wind up bringing in people/kids/groups in late season and bribing them with big meals/bbq's etc....to kill does because people who are out there hunting all season literally get tired of killing deer.

How many deer can you kill before you wind up just staying home? I can tell you from experience in TX that averages out to be about 3-4 deer before the average hunter says I'll just stay home and I've had enough even if they have 10 more management tags in their pocket. The biggest hurddle in almost all of TX for managers is getting people to kill enough freaking deer, which is why the season goes 5 months and you can hunt deer with nearly anything and everything etc...

I don't know how you guys are finding these leases but it doesn't sound like a great deal. Granted I probably get a "cut" in some deals but one lease I am on just to hunt with friends outside San Angelo is 12,000 acres with 10 guys and we pay $1,250 per year and that includes year round access for deer/turkey/etc...and a place to stay and if you hunt more than the state average of 4 days (that's a real number btw according to TPW surveys) I'd say you have a 95% chance or better to have a run in with a 140" deer while you have a gun in your hand. Note I didn't say kill a 140" deer lol.

I had an option last year to get into a lease in Cotulla (South Texas) on 1500 acres with a total of 4 guys for $500 each but I turned it down.

Did I mention it's "who you know?".

Rodngun,
If you like leica, check this out. It took me several years to put it together, cause everything here was bought 2nd hand. However, it is quality stuff, bought at a bargain. I like good equipment, just don't like paying retail.
Best
GWB

Nah not in Texas....and I imagine it works like that in most places as well. Here in addition to who you know it's who were your ancestors were 125 years ago.

I know you know what I'm talking about considering you told me what county your family is from lol.

Nathan L,
For the last 5 or so years I've hunted 30 days out of the 60 or so day rifle season. Hunt the bow season too. I paid for 2 leases from 2003 till 2009. My son and I can legally take 10 deer. Add to that hogs, audad, and exotics and thats a bunch of skinning. If you need someone to pull a trigger on does/culls, I'd be glad to help. Hell, if you need an old fart to go along and cook and skin, I can do that too. Not much I'd rather do than spend time with quality guys in deer camp.
Best,
GWB

Yep. Your folks from south county huh? Either we're related or not allowed to talk to each other.

I'm currently in the process of moving out of the state

I always get a kick out of reading thru the reams of data TPW puts together with hunter surveys. The 4 day average for a deer hunter blew my mind, but if you drive down the backroads after the first two weekends you can probably see it. Average squirrel hunter hunts for 1 day a year. Average woodcock hunter - they never get enough responses to come to a conclusion

When I was in college I got paid to shoot does on a ranch for a while. I thought that was the greatest thing in the world...then it got a little stale after a while which sounds really counter intuitive.

Or both. I'm sure you know all about the good side of families and the "bad" side.

I got stuck near the lake one time with a friend and had to walk about 3 miles to a house at 9pm and it was one of those places that was the only place on the road after dark. I mentioned my name and she knew my grandmother/great grandfather and in 2 seconds she called her cousin the tow truck driver and made us some sandwhiches.

I ran out of gas on a 4 lane road in the north part of the county and a guy stopped and asked me my name and then he took off and kept driving. SOB.

NathanL,
If you'd rather be doing something else....... then it's a job. Never had one and never wanted one. I try to make sure that my passion remains just that, and not something I do for pay. I pace myself. I probably average about 80 days per year "afield". Some years more, some years less. I've ordered my life so I can hunt. I suffer from SDD (shooting deficit disorder). I think I'm terminally afflicted. Shootin' and killin stuff assuages the symptoms. Consequently I shoot weekly and hunt monthly. Still, as a wise man once said, " A man's gotta know his limitations.
Best
GWB

Yup, someoen will call me a heretic on this site but honestly I'm starting to get burned out a little and might actually take this year off from deer hunting. The year out of high school I hunted every day but 2 of Louisiana's 60 day deer season. In college I got paid to shoot does on permits. Also in college I had a red card collection permit to harvest does for research. Now I get more tags than I could ever possibly fill.

Maybe take a year or two off and go back to more hunting and less killing.

Last year I think I made 15 hunts before I shot a deer, and it wasn't because I didn't see any. I took a eating size hog the night before season opened and shot my first Buck on December 26th. I love just being out there, seeing the sights, smelling the smells, being in deer camp with my buds. Made up for it though the last week and during the doe and antlerless season.
Best
GWB

I come from a long line of losers, half outlaws half boozers. I was born with a shot glass in my hand. I'm part hippie, a little redneck. I'm always a suspect. My bloodline made me who I am.

It took it from nothing to good around here, simply because folks couldn't shoot every 18 month old deer that had antlers. Heck they'd shoot a fawn with nubs on the years those nubs turned hard before season ended.
I don't care for the fact it doesn't allow me to kill culls soon enough... but sometimes you just have to handle things the way they should be.
Prior to the rule change, it had been since the early 80s since I'd seen anything that would have been legal to shoot with the new rule, and at that point I never saw deer each year or each hunt.... now its a rare hunt that I don't see anything.

Did you have any link to that Sommerville/Airboat BS?

I guess I should clarify a few things-
I dont really care that the TPWD did the 13 inch rules God knows alot of areas need it .- I just see it like this :
If they can make you get a license,permits,set limits,tell you the hours of the day to shoot,tell you what month of the year to kill something " on your poperty" - Then SURELY they can set a "Cap" on Lease amounts- They could even divide the state into 4 regions on the Cap- We were having a good conversation until one guy jumped up with all his Anti Govt-they aint gonna tell me what to do with my property etc etc--he was good with everyhting including the "Cap" until we got to the high fence rule
(as in not allowed period)- then he had a fit ...he just got up and left the cafe - maily becuz I believe he got embarrassed !

Last but not lest - We the hunters brought all this on ourselves - I would say that for the last 15 out of the 43 years I have been hunting - the last 15 has just gone to hell..We the hunters use to marshall ourselves while on a lease,not true today !

The good old days..First property we ever had - we called it "the hunting grounds" no lease was involved - The man simply let us hunt on his property and all he wanted was a couple of hindquarters- then came along the idea of -lease my proerty to hunters to pay my taxes -and today it's EVERYMAN FOR HIMSELF !!

TV..did most of that damage -I very seldom watch a hunting show on Tv anymore - alot of fishing -but seldom a hunting show. Turn the Tv on today and the minute I hear them call a deer by "name " or say - "oh Ive been watching him for the last 3 years"- I know its time to flip the channel -cuz I know right then its a Zoo hunting show.Nothing piss me off more for somebody to capture state wildlife inside a fence - feed em 22 percent and then let some Dufus come in - drive him/her around ..spot the deer - throw up a 300 magnum and cut the deer in half at 75 yards - then shake hands - turn around and fly back to whatver wonderland he /she just came from -

*** Rost - I dont have a link for the Airboat fiasco - when we were at Nails creek - one of the rangers told us that the
" horse " people were complaining - I told him I was sick of Kayaks - Canoes -Boats - and Jet Ski's & Cigar boats etc etc - he got the point - The trailriders want me and you to be banned from the Nails Creek area - I dont think so !!!

Good Laaawd - If I had anyhting like that - I would have to call it - "The Johnny Cash Special" - cuz I would have to get it all -One piece at a time !!! I aint hatin on ya ....I had the pleasure of looking through on one them there Leica scopes - damn near burnt my eye out - thats some of the clearest - most defined scope I have ever had in my hands- but like I said - I'm just a retired state worker !!I started with a Leupold at 7 ...and buy nothing but Leupolds - to me and my budget - Leupolds are the "high end" of scopes ..and I aint skeered to say it...

Gw - on your European Mounts - are they that chocolate brown color on the ground or was that a added feature to the mount..?? not being critical at all - just curious-

And they both look good !!

ps...I see you like to do a little Critter hunting like me - my next gun purchase is going to be the Remington VTR in 22-250 !!

the last time I killed a Fox - the poor guy took a 12 gauge with #7's while Quail hunting - he come hauling azz out of some cactus - and took a full load at about 15 yeards ...

Go over to my Website & click on my "Hunting" section link - and check out the size of him...Coleman Tex

http://mysite.verizon.net/respvhvl