I never really understood the feeding stations and elevated platforms in Texas until I visited their a couple years ago when my Daughter,SIL, and Grandbaby lived in Austin. After being in the brushy hunting hell I can see there really isn't much alternative to getting elevated for hunting there. You just plain can't see more than a few feet without serious elevation and not a lot of real hills to get you above the terrain and brush/obstacles. Sure makes me appreciate our big canyons and long views here for the most part. Even in our forests you can usually see far enough to get off a shot most of the time....
Great pics geedubya. Between your pics and Stick and a few others, it helps me get through the "slow season" around here....
Bob
Not to beat it to death, but Texas is my home. I've live here for 67 years and started chasing rabbits with my fice at 6 yrs of age. I grew up hunting east Texas with a 22 rimfire, a 30-30 carbine and a 16 ga Browning Sweet Sixteen. Longest shots back then were 50 to 100 yds at squirrels, 50 yds max. while sitting on a 2 x 6 nailed across two unlevel branches of a pine tree above about a dozen 2 x 4 steps more than a foot apart at deer and 15' to 20' for wood ducks on the creek. Almost never shot hogs in east Texas growing up as there were open stock laws and it was shoot shovel and shut-up if you shot a hog with a cropped ear.
Don't know if you've heard the story about pa', ma', Willy and sis sitting down to the table for supper. Pa had recently killed a deer and was beaming with pride when ma' prepared it and served it for dinner. They was po' folks and did not have meat very often. Willy asks what is that, pointing to the meat. Pa, with pride states "its what your ma' calls me from time to time. Willy forks some onto his plate and has got a fork full just ready to take a bite when Sis exclaims" Spit it out Willie, its Azz-hole.
Well, deer in east Texas in the sixties and 70's, and 80's and 90's were mighty scarce. I think I killed 1 deer there in the 47 years we owned the place. If I never see another pine cone, it will be too soon for me.
I've now got a couple places where I can shoot between 300 and 700 yds, but due to the nature of the terrain, if a critter is not DRT and there is no specific landmark, one usually does not find the animal. I don't have tracking dogs and by daylight next morning the meat is green or gone due to depridation by hogs, coyotes and other vermin. Consequently, still/stand hunting from an elevated blind or on the side of a cliff over bait is the most productive. I'm usually afield 60 to 90 days a year. Lotsa times I get skunked. Just because one has a spin cast feeder set out don't mean its like ringing a dinner bell. First time in 14 years at my current lease, the last three trips, I had two pens set, one trap, and seven snares ready to rumble. I set out at least 12 morning and eves , combined,and did not see one hoglet ,nor had a trap or snare sprung. During those sets I shot one deer and one Aoudad.
