I know we have had some Stephens County threads in the past but heres a new one...

Anybody else having tough hunts this year??? It's my first year on this lease but I've been out to this lease in the past with my brother-in-law and the deer are acting like totally different animals. Even the guys on the lease next to us are saying the same thing. We have tons on decent bucks on camera over the past few months but see very few. I spent over 24 hours in the blind in the last week and have had one shot I could have took on a TINY spike. I watched 3 other bucks chase doe by me and never slow down. Saw tons of doe and turkey...just no bucks. Looked at the cameras to see if they were feeding at night. Nothing. It's like they disappeared. We tossed around a few theories this weekend around the campfire but the only one we could agree on was the weather... We've had no measurable rain in a couple months and the temperature is like a yo-yo. It was 23 degrees at our camp Saturday morning and 79 Sunday afternoon.

Just curious if everyone is seeing the same thing...

Yep, we had about 14 inches of rain right before gun season started around Abilene. I don't even see many doe anymore.....
to say that the season thus far has been frustrating is an understatement. No cold weather in the immediate future either,

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/denton-...&view=table

We've been hunting southern Stephens county for 8 years. The last 2 have been really tough. Last year was a real bad drought and this year we had good early spring rains and the acorn crop is phenomenal. The deer are keeping to cover and rarely hit feeders. I've set cameras up near the oak forests and see plenty of deer. Then cameras at the feeders show deer, but only at nighttime. We had plenty of deer at feeders all summer ( feeding both protein and corn), but when the fall grasses and acorns started falling they disappeared. We had a bit of luck this past weekend, but only in blinds that were close to bedding and feeding areas. We need a good rain to sour the acorns, and then some cold weather. I'm afraid the peak rut is over, but I have always taken the best bucks in the post rut anyway when they are out searching for food. The next 2 weeks should be good, moon is waning and we should get a front coming in.

Only encouragement I saw was 3 doe that came running to the feeder as soon as it went off. I walked around the woods and from what I could see majority of the acorns are gone on our property. I wish we would get some measurable rain and it would get cold and stay cold!

We are in Stephens county and have seen several doe. Nephew got a nice 16" 8 point, and cousin got a nice 15" 6 point. No other bucks have been seen. Got 2 hogs so far and seeing many hogs on game cams at night. Ready to try again this weekend but not looking forward to almost 80 degree temps

Not worried yet! I always see doe but very rarely see bucks out in the open. Will eventually spot a buck crossing a path and must have gun ready to take that short opportunity. Bucks stay in the thick cover most of the time

I see deer every time I hunt, but I've yet to see a buck.
The last buck I saw on my place was the weekend before the rifle opener. It has been weird to say the least. The doe have to be bred at some point. Maybe December will be better.

I hope so Waylon!