Hello!

Looking to get some advice here My fam has about 80 acres of land in east TX
Off of 31 close to Kilgore.. and another 10 in White Oak close to glade water i believe both are in Gregg County.

Now I'm new to hunting so i know absolutely nothing about this My first take would be to set up a feeder and a camera what area do you guys think i should target?
I am totally lost here.. I know they have shot a few Hogs in the piece of land close to kilgore but i really wanna get a deer.

Any piece of advice helps

Thank you!

I think you are starting of on the right foot. Make sure you set up away from the road where anyone driving by cannot see it.

Yes, set up a feeder and a camera or 2. Look for travel routes. As said above, make sure your stuff can't be seen from the road.

Don't put your stand and feeder along the road or a fence.

Post no trespassing signs. Chain down what you can and don't leave anything you cant live without seeing again.

Sad but true.

Go get hunter education first

Cuz I already called the fence line

Frank,

My first advice would be to put your license and tax dollars to work and contact your local TPWD Biologist and get as much knowledge from him as he will share. He/she will provide you with hunter-neutral advice that will help get you started in the sport. You can use the TPWD website to get the contact information for your local biologist.

Next, I would suggest picking up a copy of Deer and Deer Hunting magazine and buy a subscription to it. It will help you in learning what you need to know most about deer behavior and how it relates to hunting them.

Good luck!

X2 on the biologist

that's sig worthy!

LOTS of hogs in the area you are talking about. Should have plenty to give you something to shoot at once you get a feeder going. Good luck, I'm not far from there myself.

Are people really that bad about stealing your stuff? I never had that problem at our family lease and you could see our camp from the highway. We never left anything of value there and never had a break in. This was out in Shackleford County.

Thanks a million for the advice Im gonna go with the larger acreage and set 2 cameras and feeders hopefully i wont strike out my first season.. Thank guys!

I would still post the 10 acres, and check it during deer season for poachers!

Falcon,

I grew up in that stretch of river bottoms paticulary that area. There are more deer and hogs in that concentration than ranches in west texas.

Run Tposts in the ground on those feeder legs, then cross tie them with T's. There are monster pigs down there. I have a 151" main frame 10 on the wall from there.

Words of advice.

Purple paint, signs and signs!!! Lot of outlaws round them parts that cruise river road and hunt anything 365 days a year!!

To start walk the perimeter fence to find where game are entering or leaving the property. The top strands will be broken or the middle strands will be bent from does pushing through. You should find either white deer hair or hog hair. In the hill country you'll see where they jump and on either side of the fence the dirt is bare.

Follow these trails back in and look for old tree rubs. Scout your creek bottoms especially where two creeks join and pay attention to the wind pattern for deer seem to walk quartering in the prevailing wind. Try to find a fault in the trail such as a gap in the fence or cover funnel etc. Thicker areas are the bedding areas and put yourself between the this and the feed. Got White Oaks? If so find them for deer prefer these to other acorns.

Put your feeder in the path of where the deer want to go will increase your odds.

Good luck

JT

Shackleford is a whole 'nother critter. You can see for a long way. Thieves like to use the thick cover back east, and probably have trails cut through the thick stuff.

Good advice JT. That's what I would do also.

In E. Texas yes, unfortunately they are! I have lost corn stored in a locked shed, a deer feeder, a cattle feed trough, and a game camera that was padlocked to a tree. This was over 3 years time.

Early one morning on opening day I even had to run a hunter out of my stand! He claimed that the thought he was on HIS property!
But he knew darn well that it was not his stand!

Id be happy to ride out there with you and give ya some pointers if you want

Thanks for all the advice very helpful Trash2 ill contact you when i know what weekend im headed out there.. probably next week.. thanks again!