2021-2022 hunting thread

[DalTxHornFan 3,083]

16 minutes ago, HOOKEM4 said:

I have never seen a deer (in person) with a rack as crazy as most of the ones posted on this page. One time on a managed ranch I saw some...on a video of someone else shooting a cull.  I am still going to post my little hill country free range. I love seeing what is possible. My spot, if you see a 4yr old 8, you are lucky. I shot 2 5yr old 8's one year.  There is legend of an old 10pt roaming but he doesn't look anything close to the stuff yall see. Daaangit. Maybe I will get lucky this year and go to south Texas for a big boy.

This is our first year on this ranch.  It's over 10 sections, and we haven't fully scouted it, but we are covered up in mature-ish nice 4 to 5 year-old 8-pointers that folks on many places would likely shoot on sight.  We are trying to let all of them grow up and see what a couple of more years of growth will do. 

But that 28 pointer is way out of the norm, so I understand why he was taken. 

[HOOKEM4 5,011]

We are low fence and 2 sides have some happy hunters that over do it. I am not too worried as we keep the doe loaded up on the place. This next week is always peak rut. Worried about the full moon but we will see. I have the 10 on camera from last weekend when my fil went up. Need some luck. I am due!

[williemackgarza 1,826]

Roughed it on our trip to/from yearly panhandle hunt. Was crazy hot and windy. Deer just werent moving. I didnt get on a big one and passed some good deer holding out. Buddy shot a monster.
Now on to the mexico lease.

[DalTxHornFan 3,083]

1 minute ago, williemackgarza said:

Roughed it on our trip to/from yearly panhandle hunt. Was crazy hot and windy. Deer just werent moving. I didnt get on a big one and passed some good deer holding out. Buddy shot a monster.
Now on to the mexico lease.

Nice deer.  Slumming it on a turbo-prop, I see.

[USCATX 1,067]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

I'd jizz my pants if I saw most of the deer over the last few pages in the field. 

Funny, but in reality I’d probably get all jittery and miss.  Nothing gets that big around our hill country place. I’m holding out hope for a 12 even if that’s probably a pipe dream.  

[Both Tacos 1,805]

This is our first year on this ranch.  It's over 10 sections, and we haven't fully scouted it, but we are covered up in mature-ish nice 4 to 5 year-old 8-pointers that folks on many places would likely shoot on sight.  We are trying to let all of them grow up and see what a couple of more years of growth will do. 
But that 28 pointer is way out of the norm, so I understand why he was taken. 

I can definitely see why he was taken. Wasn't bagging on your buddy because if something like that jumped out in front of me and I didn't have history of him, bang would go the gun.
Good thing is that if there is one freak, there are others. Good luck on your new place.

[fattyflattie 4,636]

3 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

This is our first year on this ranch.  It's over 10 sections

How many primary hunters do y'all have in your group?  

[DalTxHornFan 3,083]

7 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

How many primary hunters do y'all have in your group?  

We have a dozen members.  Guests can kill does, some very well-defined culls, and all of the hogs they can shoot!

[fattyflattie 4,636]

1 minute ago, DalTxHornFan said:

We have a dozen members.  Guests can kill does, some very well-defined culls, and all of the hogs they can shoot!

Damn that’s a great ratio Hunter/acre. Was just curious. I used to hunt (as a 2x yearly guest) on a 7k acre pasture that was part of  18k. And the owners second ranch down the road was 24k.   But so much of it was inaccessible it really was just the same 20 stands.   We are on a lowly 1000 now.  Wish it was a few more. 

[DalTxHornFan 3,083]

11 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Damn that’s a great ratio Hunter/acre. Was just curious. I used to hunt (as a 2x yearly guest) on a 7k acre pasture that was part of  18k. And the owners second ranch down the road was 24k.   But so much of it was inaccessible it really was just the same 20 stands.   We are on a lowly 1000 now.  Wish it was a few more. 

It is more land than we need for our group and we are each paying more $ than we want to.  But it is a very cool place. We are hopeful that we can get established on this ranch and get a good long-term working relationship with the owner (that is the hardest part of deer leases -- the core lease members have been doing this stuff together for well over 30 years) so that we can add some newer/younger hunters as lease members. 

[fattyflattie 4,636]

8 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

It is more land than we need for our group and we are each paying more $ than we want to.  But it is a very cool place. We are hopeful that we can get established on this ranch and get a good long-term working relationship with the owner (that is the hardest part of deer leases -- the core lease members have been doing this stuff together for well over 30 years) so that we can add some newer/younger hunters as lease members. 

Well shooting 180’s will help take the sting out of paying more than you want, I suppose.  My group has only been together for about 10-12 years, but everyone has known each other between 20 and 50 years.  The only guy I didn’t know was very close with one of my family like friends since they were born, so it’s got a great family dynamic to it.  Just need some better deer.  The place that adjoins ours is 3k acres and we’ve talked about incorporating that, but it was a corporate place for a long time and is supposedly shot way out. They haven’t been able to come to a deal to lease it out in last several years, which is pretty telling imo.  Eta: con of my place is it’s me, and 5 very red ass aggys. 

Edited November 19, 2021 by fattyflattie

[DalTxHornFan 3,083]

19 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Damn that’s a great ratio Hunter/acre. Was just curious. I used to hunt (as a 2x yearly guest) on a 7k acre pasture that was part of  18k. And the owners second ranch down the road was 24k.   But so much of it was inaccessible it really was just the same 20 stands.   We are on a lowly 1000 now.  Wish it was a few more. 

Plenty of good hunting happens on less than 1,000 acres.  Make it a sanctuary and you never know what might happen.  That 28 point was hanging out in an area that nobody had been around in a long time.

[DalTxHornFan 3,083]

6 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Well shooting 180’s will help take the sting out of paying more than you want, I suppose.  My group has only been together for about 10-12 years, but everyone has known each other between 20 and 50 years.  The only guy I didn’t know was very close with one of my family like friends since they were born, so it’s got a great family dynamic to it.  Just need some better deer.  The place that adjoins ours is 3k acres and we’ve talked about incorporating that, but it was a corporate place for a long time and is supposedly shot way out. They haven’t been able to come to a deal to lease it out in last several years, which is pretty telling imo.  Eta: con of my place is it’s me, and 5 very red ass aggys. 

Our crew earlier took over a oil & gas corporate lease that had been shot up every weekend by guests and other hooligans for many years.  It didn't take long to get that place back into shape.  Nature is good about that if you are selective about the deer that you harvest.

Edited November 19, 2021 by DalTxHornFan

[fattyflattie 4,636]

6 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Plenty of good hunting happens on less than 1,000 acres.  Make it a sanctuary and you never know what might happen.  That 28 point was hanging out in an area that nobody had been around in a long time.

We have some good deer, don’t get me wrong. Just wish we had a bigger spread, further from town. 10 sections would be spectacular. Our quail is what glues us to the place. It seems to hold great #’s at least for the last 10 years.   Can’t complain about that. 

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

2 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

We have some good deer, don’t get me wrong. Just wish we had a bigger spread, further from town. 10 sections would be spectacular. Our quail is what glues us to the place. It seems to hold great #’s at least for the last 10 years.   Can’t complain about that. 

Don't y'all have live water?

[fattyflattie 4,636]

38 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Don't y'all have live water?

Oh no.  Some tanks that are kept up, but no live water. Jim Wells county. 

[noharleyyet 2,833]

13 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Roughed it on our trip to/from yearly panhandle hunt. Was crazy hot and windy. Deer just werent moving. I didnt get on a big one and passed some good deer holding out. Buddy shot a monster.
Now on to the mexico lease.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

58 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Oh no.  Some tanks that are kept up, but no live water. Jim Wells county. 

I must be confusing you with someone else.  Someone here has a lease or ranch that has live water and some pretty sweet swimming holes.

[fattyflattie 4,636]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

I must be confusing you with someone else.  Someone here has a lease or ranch that has live water and some pretty sweet swimming holes.

@deadshank has the Frio running thru his bad ass place, iirc.    I'm a few years away from swinging something like that, I believe.

[ZB'Tejas 593]

Some amazing deer on the last few pages. It's been a while since i've seen anything close to that on my place. Heading our there for a week this Sunday for the first time in a while as I need to take a deer this year to restock the freezer. 

[noharleyyet 2,833]

21 hours ago, hornmpa96 said:

Back at the ranch after missing last weekend for work.

 

Tank...

[deadshank 24,651]

4 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

@deadshank has the Frio running thru his bad ass place, iirc.    I'm a few years away from swinging something like that, I believe.

When times are good.  
 

Pretty dry right now. 

[crimsonlonghorn 2,306]

10 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

We have some good deer, don’t get me wrong. Just wish we had a bigger spread, further from town. 10 sections would be spectacular. Our quail is what glues us to the place. It seems to hold great #’s at least for the last 10 years.   Can’t complain about that. 

Jealous of the quail for sure. We haven't had any in several years. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,965]

FIL has been walking around with the memory card in his wallet for a few weeks. We finally checked it tonight...

[Handcruser 2,805]

FIL has been walking around with the memory card in his wallet for a few weeks. We finally checked it tonight...

What is it

[686 3,401]

What is it

A chupacabra

[deadshank 24,651]

4 minutes ago, Handcruser said:

What is it

Gato montes. 

[deadshank 24,651]

Nice evening 

[Both Tacos 1,805]

That's no fair. Your family got you a miniature horse....

[Speedtrucker 2,063]

Lol that’s no gato… Leon montana or as we always called them… Puma

And he’s a big mofo

[deadshank 24,651]

15 minutes ago, Speedtrucker said:

Lol that’s no gato… Leon montana or as we always called them… Puma

And he’s a big mofo

Then he lost his tail when someone shut a door.  

[Speedtrucker 2,063]

Oh dang I can’t see that he is bobbed. He looks bigger than a bib cat to me but you are probably right

[hookemATL 11,593]

That’s a capybara on roids. Very rare. Good find!

[crimsonlonghorn 2,306]

Donde esta el gato?

[Herbie Hancock 7,302]

Donde esta el gato?

Tengo el grande gato en mis pantalones

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,965]

2 hours ago, crimsonlonghorn said:

Donde esta el gato?

South of Tyler. When we go back on Sunday I plan on trying to figure out how long he is. It's possible it's a spotless bobcat, but it seems a little too big for that. The tail doesn't seem quite long enough either, but it could just not be showing up due to poor resolution and lighting and whatnot.

[Herbie Hancock 7,302]

South of Tyler. When we go back on Sunday I plan on trying to figure out how long he is. It's possible it's a spotless bobcat, but it seems a little too big for that. The tail doesn't seem quite long enough either, but it could just not be showing up due to poor resolution and lighting and whatnot.

Careful what you wish for….

[deadshank 24,651]

5 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

South of Tyler. When we go back on Sunday I plan on trying to figure out how long he is. It's possible it's a spotless bobcat, but it seems a little too big for that. The tail doesn't seem quite long enough either, but it could just not be showing up due to poor resolution and lighting and whatnot.

I will kiss your coon dog flush on the lips at noon on Saturday in the county square if that is a mountain lion. 

[deadshank 24,651]

In blind 9.  Waiting for the headless horseman to pay a visit. 

[crimsonlonghorn 2,306]

7 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

South of Tyler. When we go back on Sunday I plan on trying to figure out how long he is. It's possible it's a spotless bobcat, but it seems a little too big for that. The tail doesn't seem quite long enough either, but it could just not be showing up due to poor resolution and lighting and whatnot.

Damn, seriously? East Texas? Not sure why but that's not the answer I was expecting. Thought it looked pretty lush in the photos. 

[Kennythetiger 9,332]

3 hours ago, deadshank said:

I will kiss your coon dog flush on the lips at noon on Saturday in the county square if that is a mountain lion. 

Deadshank is aggy?  I’ll be damned. 

[deadshank 24,651]

2 minutes ago, Kennythetiger said:

Deadshank is aggy?  I’ll be damned. 

And then I will fight you for sullying my  name and honor. 

[Kennythetiger 9,332]

Your name, maybe. You lost your honor years ago. 

[deadshank 24,651]

1 minute ago, Kennythetiger said:

Your name, maybe. You lost your honor years ago. 

Haha!!

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,965]

Alright, after a little more thought, I'm thinking it's just a large bobcat without prominent spots. Each of those squares from the cattle panel are eight inches wide, so that's between 24 and 32 inches at the panel. Not sure how far behind the panel he is, but we will check it out this weekend. Also there looks to be a dark spot towards the end of what tail he has or that you can see, which points to bobcat.

So, something more like this:

[Herbie Hancock 7,302]

If you’re on Facebook, search “West Texas big bobcat contest”

[Both Tacos 1,805]

Headed out toward Stephenville for our annual Daddy/Daughter(s) deer hunt.

[deadshank 24,651]

2 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Alright, after a little more thought, I'm thinking it's just a large bobcat without prominent spots. Each of those squares from the cattle panel are eight inches wide, so that's between 24 and 32 inches at the panel. Not sure how far behind the panel he is, but we will check it out this weekend. Also there looks to be a dark spot towards the end of what tail he has or that you can see, which points to bobcat.

So, something more like this:

Seems I won’t be kissing any coon dogs today 

[RMac5 1,549]

5 hours ago, deadshank said:

In blind 9.  Waiting for the headless horseman to pay a visit. 

You see many pigs? I hunt in Mills County and know they are around but I never see any, or their damage. It would be fun to thin them out but I’m actually glad we don’t have any.

[fattyflattie 4,636]

3 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Each of those squares from the cattle panel are eight inches wide, so that's between 24 and 32 inches at the panel.

That’s what I was using to gauge it as well, though can be deceiving depending on where he actually was. But if it was a big cat, you’d see that big ass tail. The one out lease member saw a few weeks ago the tail looked nearly as long as the cat was.