How is Schleicher county as far as deer numbers? I know they were hit hard by the drought, but what could I expect to see up that way. Looking at a lease that way on Sunday. East side of county off of 190. Any info?

Should be good. Prob get into hogs and exotics out that way. We took some good deer last year West of town out 190.

Deer did ok with the drought and you can not beat the processor in town (cactus deer processing).

Im in Schleicher co and we lost over half of our herd last year.
Very easy to see the difference. 2 yrs of drought in a row with last year being the worst. If the rain keep coming it will get better.

I got off my lease in southeast part of county. We lost 2/3 or so of our deer herd. went from seeing average of 12 deer a hunt to maybe 1 in three sits. That is the average of all 10 members on 4500 acres. Everyone left after last year. There was only 1 buck and 2 does shot last year, and it was MLDIII

We are in Schleicher and Irion and exactly the same deal there.
Seems Does were hit the hardest. Will take a few years to recover.

That's unreal. I believe it but good gracious. We used to hunt the Figure 3 ranch just west of Presidio de San Saba. Used to see hundreds of deer. The Coralina ranch was just down the road, saw HUNDREDS!

The important thing to consider is supplemental feeding. Our deer survived well but at a significant cost in feed. Folks that already had a year round feeding plan ended up in better shape than before, especially if they had water holes / guzzlers like bbq.

Pretty crappy that some bailed on their landowners when circumstances out of their control diminished the deer herd. I hear that from a few neighbors. You lease a place and the hunting goes south you can blame only yourself.

highlonesome, The only reason we bailed on our landowner is because he would not allow supplemental feeding (other than corn)
So it was somewhat in his control. We have hunted this same ranch for 21 years. This is not the first die off we have hunted through just the worst.

Just curious. Why would any landowner not allow supplemental feeding?

He said the cows would try to get to it when times were tough,
(drought years) and would tear down feed pens causing injury.He had a bull get hung up in some wire on another pasture that put out protien. (HE SAID) I had never heard of this before. But he is the land owner, and a good guy, I just didn't agree with no protien when we were in a drought as bad as this one.