I have lived in ETX all my life.

Poachers not only kill as much deer as hunters do, they don't even buy a license. Every year some rancher calls the Game Warden because "Them durn hunters done killed another one of my cows!" After the dust settles, and all the heads are counted around there, proof rears its ugly head ---- another poacher snuck in, missed his target (with a .22) and hit a cow somewhere downstream.

One reason poachers get by with it so easily is because we have too many little logging trails, dirt roads, and thick growth, they're never seen at all. Most folks have their heating units running with the TV on and don't hear 'em either. Another reason is that we don't have enough GWs here to cover the area.

As far as the population - it's holding its own, imo

I too have lived in E Texas my whole life and admit poaching goes on, just like every other part of the state, but apparently it is not as rampant in our area as in others. Road hunting does occur but trespassing with a firearm is rarely an issue.

I think just about everyone can agree that we need more GW's. I did a ride-along with a GW last year and that was a long day. Mine day with him started before sunrise and ended at dark, his work day never ends during deer season.

Methheads around here - which is smack dab in the center area between Sulphur and Red River with too many creeks to name - just don't care. They don't care about themselves, much less anyone else, even their own kids. They get charged up, grab a gun and shoot any- and everything they see, including mailboxes and yard dogs. Some deer have been shot just for target practice. Some may upgrade their pathetic stature to removing antlers, but that's the extent of it.

And, yes, you're right about the GWs job being from can til can't, but why are we steadily being forced to pay more to hunt and yet are not getting the protection we need? There's no excuse, as far as I'm concerned - TPWD needs to hire more wardens when an area gets hot, not move one from another county just to "help out". And landowners, renters, hunters, campers - anybody needs to report poaching to Operaton Game Thief or at least to the Sheriff's Dept. There's no excuse for being silent on that either.

Night time poachings just not that big a problem around here, it's the day time you have to watch out for. There's so many oilfield related people going in and out, ya never know who's on your place. At night it's hard to turn a spotlight and not have somebody see it. If we had the trees y'all have it would be a whole different story.

Poaching goes on everywhere. I know the oilfield guys on our place have taken some.

I understand the whole Antler restriction thing. I saw the deer mesiah talked about, it was veryclose, very very close, and it was older. I don't like basing it solely o antlers though. I saw an OLD, probably 6 or 7 year old deer, and he needed to be shot, but he was a tight basket 8, and illegal. But he's still out there breeding more tight basket eights....guess that will help the gene pool somehow.

I've said before, we've raised a lot of cattle, and you need to get rid of the inferior genetics, not protect them. Have a season with NO BUCKS, would be better than basing it totally on antler size. Females bring half the genes to the pool. It will take a long time to change the course of that trail.

I have been waiting to see a poacher on my place for a longtime...the camera only got him last time! You are right Sig about the oil guys! They get me worried!!!!As for the AR..they are great! You tell me you shoot a 12 1/2 POS 7pt..the game warden will write you a ticket...I doubt it! Now a 1 1/2 -2 1/2 12" 8 pt...you deserve a ticket...shoot a spike if you want meat!!! JMHO

Interesting reading...
I hunt a big place in Red River Co. The guys I hunt with will almost to a man, tell you that a)there aren't hardly any deer on our place and b)there are no big deer on our place. (big being relative)
Last season I shot a 9pt w/an 18"inside - score 120ish. Lease mgr shot his 3rd 140+ deer in 4 years. I saw a 10pt on opening day of bow season that would go mid-140's. I have pictures of 13 different bucks on my daughter food plot from Sept to Dec of last year - 7 were over the 13" reqmnt, 2 would fall under the unbranched antler reqmt and (for us) only 2 of them were shooters. I also have pics of 2 more bucks taken after season that there would be no question of whether they were wide enough or that they were shooters. Hope they hung around and we get to see them again during this season. While I didn't see a lot of deer while in MY stand, I did see deer pretty much every time I sat in my stand. My daughter saw deer every time she sat in her stand, even naming one little buck due to seeing him so much, and never pulled the trigger. (She is pretty picky on bucks and won't shoot does)
Point: the other guys won't do the work nor put in the arse time in a stand required to see deer.
I also have access to some property only a couple of miles from my house, plenty of deer on it - some of them pretty nice. I can almost guarantee seeing 15-20 deer every afternoon in one hay pasture.
As to having more GW's... I've been preaching that for years and years. However, where is TPW going to come up w/the money to fund this??? All of us are already taking it in the wallet as it is...
It was hit on earlier...We need to police ourselves. If you see someone poaching, call the GW. Your not a narc, your a hero. A poacher is nothing more than a thief, muddying up the water for law abiding hunters.

thought i would show off what a little management will do this is the result of three years of not taking any deer on 72 acres in cass county give these new antler restrictions a chance and i think alot of people will be surprised

thank you mangell! great buck. people in AR counties could only dream of such bucks in years bygone.

Texas8point has some pics of some whopper bucks off of a 1000 acre place near buffalo. i mean some real showstoppers. its all about managment

Here are some more pics..We have been managing our place for 5 years..These are just a few pics..I probably saw 15-20 good small bucks last year...I would see 3-5 every hunt..Out of those 50% percent made the TPWD rules, which I still think is pretty small!JMHO...I have shot my share of small bucks and and our lease standards how gone way up over the last 10yrs! These are a few that we let walk last year and I have 2 more on video bigger than these..You give them time they will grow. We shoot alot of does every year and every 6" + spike!



I will post some after this weekend..we have been seeing some good bucks already!!

So you mean managing your property can increase the quality of deer in the area? Wow, what a concept. Way to go guys, keep up the good work!!!!!!!

P.S. Eye Guards on middle picture are amazing!!!

I see more and more every year what managing has done to our property...When we got on the first year we saw a few bucks...but now it has improved 100%...That eygaurd buck will be 6 1/2 yrs old..I just think he is cool looking.. he is only 14" wide I bet though...I saw him 2-3 weeks ago! the other 2 bucks are 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 yrs old...They just don look real old, but we have been watching all of them for a while! Need more mass! this is what happens when you shoot a buck your not supposed too:

We are all good friends on the lease...this is my pops...and he still gets ripped every day for that deer!!This deer had 15 " spread

Funny, Hey it happens, At least you guys are trying.

What county?

LEON COUNTY..Its all about being outdoors..with good friends..and family..Its only human to make mistakes...We just give each other a hard time...Hell I thank my dad for getting me into hunting!!!

i still think the threat of sodimy is the best deterent.

Last year I only saw one shooter buck on my small east texas lease.Circumstances(tri-pod falling over with foot against tree holding me up-man we had some rain)hehehe
But my buddy took a very nice 6pt with a 19" spread(he was on his way downhill-would have loved to have seen him a few years ago)Saw plenty of nice bucks in town(hung up in the local cooler)Most people would be surprised how many good bucks come out of the piney woods every year.Most of the TRUE TROPHY HUNTERS in here talking about east texas just can't hunt in the woods.The deer are actually smart,they go nocturnal but the rut is a different story.Takes a different type of tactics than feeding and sitting in stands.You actually have to get in the woods.I go on hunts in south and west texas every year but none compare to my time spent in the piney woods on the ground with the deer.It is a challenge most so-called hunters aren't up to.
Boy cain't wait to read the next few posts,HEHEHE

i agree with rockman on this one.

i saw 4 really good bucks in when i hunted east texas. two were seen while riding around on a 4 wheeler, and two were seen while rattling. no decent buck was ever seen at a feeder. gotta change it up to be successful

I have hunted East Texas all my life.I also hve hunted south and west. I have taken more deer in the east over the 120 class than anywhere else. East Texas is harder to hunt, just face it. The area in south and west dont have the thick cover we have in the east. You can see for miles in most of those areas. If you get in the bottoms you would see big deer. They dont all come running went the feeder goes off because of the amount of food. Over the last 3 years I have let 8 Points and better with 20" plus walk. Last year i saw a 12 point with at least 20" but could not get a shot off. I saw him 3 other times but some thing was allways wrong. I have been watching him for 3 years now and he is still there. I took a 8 pointer 21 1/2" inside last year. He scored 148. They are here you just have to hunt harder. Sometime all I seeis a doe and other times I see 10-20 different deer with 3-4 nice buck. So hunt harder and if it is not for you go to the south or west and leave my hunting areas alone!

Pics if ya have em.

m

You da man!

That's the 148?