Hunting 24/25: big bucks and a lot of ducks!

[markstanco 12785]

Let’s goooo! Sorghum and brown top is planted at the duck holes, 350 pounds of corn in the feeder this morning (we got to stop this crazy expensive corn) and headed back tomorrow to do some minor cleanup.

 

I’m heading to a high end dove hunt in Uvalde in the middle of September to kick things off.

[Izhmash 580]

What's a 50lb bag of corn up to now?

Heading out to the ranch in 2 weeks to clean up / load feeders. Getting excited....we've had a super wet spring / early summer. Let's go!

[markstanco 12785]

What's a 50lb bag of corn up to now?

Heading out to the ranch in 2 weeks to clean up / load feeders. Getting excited....we've had a super wet spring / early summer. Let's go!

10-13 depending on a 40 or 50 pound bag in my parts.

[fattyflattie 4640]

Whew.  We were still 9$ at buccees about 3 weeks ago.   

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

Just checked my credit card statements….$4.91/bag for Red Chain corn when buying by the pallet in 2018.

Fertilizer was also $270/ton…..it’s $890/ton now

[Mother mopar 3381]

Just checked my credit card statements….$4.91/bag for Red Chain corn when buying by the pallet in 2018.

Fertilizer was also $270/ton…..it’s $890/ton now

Good times, that's nuts for fertilizer.

[Storm the Field 5366]

Walmart has 40 lb  bags for $7.29. Academy store-brand corn is $7.99 for 40.

[markstanco 12785]

Anybody priced corn at Bucees?  They sometimes have a smoking deal.

[fattyflattie 4640]

17 minutes ago, markstanco said:

Anybody priced corn at Bucees?  They sometimes have a smoking deal.

It was cheap a few weeks ago. Need to get an update. 8.55 mid summer 

[hornmpa96 2654]

40 lb bags of corn should go in the Enshittening Thread - I want 50 lb bags.

My son and I are heading out to the ranch tonight to fix some wildlife water troughs, setup cameras and practice shooting my bow at distance. 

[Izhmash 580]

Renewed my super combo….lets do this!

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

Fertilizer down to $580/ton….corn still at $11/bag. Furk

[tx 3 putt 78664]

1 hour ago, Izhmash said:

Renewed my super combo….lets do this!

 

ill go this week and get my new tags, love my $500 life time license 

[tx 3 putt 78664]

If you have kids that hunt and fish, that lifetime license when they turn 18 is a great gift. It's up to $1800 now. 

I bought mine after reading an article about the price going from $500 to $1000. 

Edited August 17 by tx 3 putt

[Gut Wagon 8219]

11 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

If you have kids that hunt and fish, that lifetime license when they turn 18 is a great gift. It's up to $1800 now. 

I bought mine after reading an article about the price going from $500 to $1000. 

I left Texas shortly before they started offering lifetime licenses back in the '80s. In the 40 years since, I've spent thousands for tags to hunt our own place in the Hill Country.  The fact I've also hunted a lot of other Texas places in that span has softened the blow, but not much. 

[tx 3 putt 78664]

1 hour ago, Gut Wagon said:

I left Texas shortly before they started offering lifetime licenses back in the '80s. In the 40 years since, I've spent thousands for tags to hunt our own place in the Hill Country.  The fact I've also hunted a lot of other Texas places in that span has softened the blow, but not much. 

I remember thinking at the time …. I better live 7 more years to get my money back 😂😂😂😂

if there’s family land \ hunting spot in play, it’s a no brainer 

[sith_horn 2509]

I wish I'd got mine for $500. My lifetime super combo was $1000.

[hornmpa96 2654]

Time to start looking through game cam photos!

[Ragde 259]

I didn't reset the date when i changed the batteries before i set it to video mode. This was August 5th. Third season in Arkansas and haven't taken on yet. Hopefully this is the year.

 

 

Edit to say not sure if there is a better way to upload cheap camera videos.

IMAG0168.avi

Edited August 19 by Ragde

[Frank Drebin 5834]

On 8/16/2024 at 10:44 PM, tx 3 putt said:

If you have kids that hunt and fish, that lifetime license when they turn 18 is a great gift. It's up to $1800 now. 

I bought mine after reading an article about the price going from $500 to $1000. 

I did the same.  

[tx 3 putt 78664]

22 minutes ago, Frank Drebin said:

I did the same.  

[Ragde 259]

Figured out how to better upload the videos.

Edited August 20 by Ragde

[Storm the Field 5366]

Just started feeding at one of our new stands the other day. LIttle shits have started showing up religiously every morning.

Got some pest control to do. That corn's for deer!

 

 

Edited August 22 by Storm the Field

[Lazarus Bocanegra 312]

On 8/22/2024 at 10:58 AM, Storm the Field said:

Just started feeding at one of our new stands the other day. LIttle shits have started showing up religiously every morning.

Got some pest control to do. That corn's for deer!

 

 

have gun will travel

 

[Storm the Field 5366]

Final Monday of the year where it's not one of the major hunting seasons.

Went and renewed my super combo this past weekend. Have a morning dove hunt scheduled for 9/3 and then penciling in a quick trip to my lease that following weekend to see if I can put a small dent in the hog population.

[Lat22 4082]

Get ready for a statewide deluge!

[Storm the Field 5366]

TPWD press release yesterday says it was a banner year for the population.

Quote

 

A rainy spring and early summer led to a good nesting season through most of the state and near record high populations of mourning and white-wing doves across large portions of Texas. Hunters could encounter significantly increased dove populations in the field when the 2024 season opens Sept. 1.

Spring population surveys conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff found an estimated 34.3 million mourning doves in Texas, the third highest estimated population in survey history.  White-winged dove populations have increased four percent, becoming the new record high with an estimated 12.8 million this year.

 

 

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

60% or greater rain chances the next five days after zero moisture in over a month…..must be opening weekend

[hornmpa96 2654]

Going through some more pictures tonight. 

[Cajun 11772]

On 8/10/2024 at 9:47 PM, Izhmash said:

What's a 50lb bag of corn up to now?

Heading out to the ranch in 2 weeks to clean up / load feeders. Getting excited....we've had a super wet spring / early summer. Let's go!

$9 per 50 lb bag in Devine

[Da Fino 2820]

6 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

60% or greater rain chances the next five days after zero moisture in over a month…..must be opening weekend

Like clockwork. 

[Lat22 4082]

15 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

60% or greater rain chances the next five days after zero moisture in over a month…..must be opening weekend

That, or Spring Break. 

[686 3461]

Got the kids shooting 22s today and wokked on feeders and cameras.




Put my cold bore shot and two followers on a 10” target at 659 yards with my 7PRC; ready for my elk hunt. I Posted this in the gun thread as well, best cold bore shot I’ve ever made, feeling good.

[Storm the Field 5366]

Toyed with the idea of heading up to my lease today, but weather has been shitty. Not a lot of fun up there when it's raining off and on all day and the sandy roads turn to mush.

Forecast for next weekend looks just about perfect, so penciling in a trip Saturday morning. One thing real nice about having a place only 2 hours away. Gonna go sit out on the watering hole in the evening and kill some beers (and hopefully a few dove) and then enjoy some cooler weather around the firepit. Get up that next morning and try to pick off one of the pigs that's been stopping by our new feeder every morning.

Man I love this time of year.

[686 3461]

Got out this morning; only saw 5 birds, knocked one down. It’s been raining for 2hrs this afternoon. Watching turkeys and deer from the house and rewatching the Texas game.

[Jerry Callo 8958]

Seven minutes until legal shooting time. 

i love opening day.   Ended up with 13 birds with about a three shells per bird average. 

[huge 3831]

How are we feeling about the digital license vs paper now?  I was talked out of digital last year.  Most everywhere I hunt is MLD, if that matters.

[Storm the Field 5366]

Got in a successful hunt just outside of Sealy this morning. Birds were flying high and fast, but luckily there were a ton of them. Our group of 5 probably took damn near 200 shots, ended up with 49 birds in the truck and lost probably 8 or 9 that fell into the thick stuff. Not a bad way to start the work week after a 3 day weekend.

[686 3461]

How are we feeling about the digital license vs paper now?  I was talked out of digital last year.  Most everywhere I hunt is MLD, if that matters.

I think the big problem was digital tagging: it’s a PITA, saves no time/steps, and there was anecdotal data of TPWD using location data from when/where digital tags were filed to find/roll up on hunting camps (unacceptable). Here’s the info on digital tagging:

[Jerry Callo 8958]

I'm not willingly giving any law enforcement the ability to track my phone's location.  I also don't see any value in the digital license.  You can upload your license to the Outdoor Annual app to show the wardens in the field if need be.

[Storm the Field 5366]

5 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I also don't see any value in the digital license.  You can upload your license to the Outdoor Annual app to show the wardens in the field if need be.

Yep. This is what I do. I always get a printed license when I renew at Academy each August, but also update my OA app each year to have on my phone in case I forget/misplace.

[hornmpa96 2654]

This tank was half-full a couple of weeks ago and after more than 10 inches of rain over the last week, this is the result:

Dove season opener on 9/14 may be slow as there is water all over the ranch.

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

10 inches? You southwest of Coleman??

Missed opening day because of work but the rains got me home a week early so I’ll take it. Got out yesterday and this morning and only got to shoot at a few; everything flying real damn high.

Academy has 40 Lb bags of corn for $7.99

[hornmpa96 2654]

Eastern Zavala County

[Jerry Callo 8958]

Another beautiful morning.  North breeze and 71 degrees.

Not many birds flying, though.  Ended up with three on nine shots.  Made a great breakfast - breasts sautéed in butter with jalapeño and onions.  Couple eggs over eazy.  Boom. 

[Pato del Muerto 53438]

So my son took his first deer on Friday. We spent Saturday morning cutting it up and when we were finished i checked my phone and it was Texas 24 Michigan 3 at halftime. Pretty pretty good weekend. 
 

I would like to tip my hat to the first hunt foundation for getting us out there, since I have no idea. Any financial or volunteer support you can give to them would be appreciated. 
 

ps 95 degrees all weekend in September up close to Canada?  Wtf. 

Edited September 8 by Pato del Muerto

[686 3461]

@Pato del Muerto doe I’m assuming? How did he do lining up the shot? Any shakes/nerves? Nice job finding a way to get him out and glad you had a good experience!

[Pato del Muerto 53438]

17 minutes ago, 686 said:

@Pato del Muerto doe I’m assuming? How did he do lining up the shot? Any shakes/nerves? Nice job finding a way to get him out and glad you had a good experience!

Yep damage doe from about 145 yards. No issues, waited like a champ while she kept moving, put a shot thru her lungs with a .243.

[Izhmash 580]

Filled feeders in Doss yesterday. Corn at the grocery store in Llano (hwy 29) was $8.49 / 50-lb bag. 

Also had the pleasure of saying hello to this friendly little (big) guy....super cool to see up close in the wild. (edit: he was about 12' up in a small live oak)

 

Edited September 9 by Izhmash

[zman13 184]

18 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

So my son took his first deer on Friday. We spent Saturday morning cutting it up and when we were finished i checked my phone and it was Texas 24 Michigan 3 at halftime. Pretty pretty good weekend. 
 

I would like to tip my hat to the first hunt foundation for getting us out there, since I have no idea. Any financial or volunteer support you can give to them would be appreciated. 
 

ps 95 degrees all weekend in September up close to Canada?  Wtf. 

Signed up my kid as a mentee.

Do you need to find a mentor or does the organization find one for you? I can't find any instructions on the website.