Anybody headed to Brown County for the opener? This will be my 14th season on a lease on the western edge of the county, west of Thrifty for those familiar.
Wondering if I had any THF pals hunting nearby, and what you've been seeing.

I hunt a few miles NW of Brownwood. Where hwy 67 meets 279 and head N on 279 for 5 miles or so. Been seeing some younger 14-17 inch bucks. Just the usual 2-4 yr old average bucks. There's only a few really nice ones seen on the cameras this season. Had a descent crop of fawns this past spring. The females seem to be very fat and healthy. They don't eat much of the corn thrown by the feeders so there's plenty for em to eat out there I suppose.

I'm on the mills brown line don't use cameras as I like the surprise. Lots of good deer but little to 0 presure aroun me for a very long way in all directions very rare for down there. Of course I haven't shot a buck down there since 1996 I just like to watch them I have always said if I shoot another big buck down there it's going to be a lot bigger than my last one which was pretty good. I have seen three that would have gotten a dirt nap recently but kicked them up while fishing out of season. Great potential down there if your not around the shoot first one that pops out guys that frequen the high deer density area. Good luck how many acres are you on? I grew up in brown and Mills County and have always learned down there if you have the right habitat and feed a lot of the really good bucks are major homebodies.

There are hasn't been a deer in Brown county since I had that lil incident with Underwood's bbq back in '07...

Pro - I'm prolly 5 miles or so farther NW of you and yeah, does are in good shape.

Fin - me and 2 BILs are on 350 acres. The Jim Ned runs thru our place and the habitat is good, but we've always been disappointed in the # of deer we see. In our 13 years there we've killed about 10 bucks and half of those shouldn't have been shot - but we get impatient sometimes... Work, feed, sit, build, repair, feed, feed, feed, feed, sit some more.... Finally just shoot one. I know, "the only way to shoot a big buck is to never shoot a small one..."
I let a real nice mature buck fool me last year. Watched him come across the field too
Ward my feeder, just getting glimpses of him, but saw him well enough to recognize him from pics. Long story short, he ended up rousting out a young buck from cover behind my feeder and when the young 'new stepped out I shot him thinking he was the grandad I'd seen crossing the field. Oops. After dressing him out, got back in blind to wait in the other hunters to gather up, I saw ol big boy going back across the field..... BILs didn't give me too bad of a time about it but I still feel bad and am planning on passing on him this year if I see him before one of the BILs get a chance at him.

Toolman, what was your "incident" with Underwoods?

Have 350 ac lease on Pecan Bayou (CR114). Over the 5 yrs on lease biggest buck taken was in 140 class. Have pics of bigger bucks on trail cameras. Deer movement in Sept was excellent, but Oct Archery Season was a bust. Always see does but the bucks show up just at dusk and chasing does during rut. Lots of Live Oak acorns this year and would think the deer will hit them along with feeders. Many acres of wheat fields along Pecan Bayou where the deer feed at night. Plenty hogs!!

This will be the 4th season we've had our place. There's been a 142 and a 130 something taken. Plus a few bucks that should've not been but when you have a 9 yr old with you it's hard to make them pass on the nice young 8 points. But I watched one that I would of estimated to be close to even 150 last year. I had a very easy and close shot on him but I wanted my brother to get him and he was headed his way.. He never got close enough to him so I hope he made it to this season. But we usually see one or two really good ones and of the 3 of us someone usually gets to take one a year. So were surely not covered in huge deer but maybe this gives you an idea of the size and frequency of deer were seeing. To some people a 130-140 buck is small so it's all relative..
But as far as deer in general, we try to manage responsibly and feed year round. There's definantly deer to see out there. Maybe not every sitting but we see something every trip if that makes since. And we all enjoy watching the younger bucks that's seem to have potential but it seems most hunters don't allow them to make it.

I'm off 2492 right across from the historical marker for thrifty. Pretty much no feeder activity for us. Been there 3 years. We always see some nice bucks but never have had feeder activity if any

I actually got a chance to hunt this morning drove down there at 3:50 AM from Fort Worth first time I've only seen one deer this year it was a really big body buck look to be in the mid 30s to low 40s class but I know this hasn't been hunted for bucks in so long I just watched him for about 45 minutes at the feeder. I have had several bachelor groups of young bucks come to the feeder but that is the first good size mature deer I've seen at the feeder this year I've had plenty of does. There is a metal Haybarn close to my feeder with very large oak trees around it it sounds like somebody was trying to drive a nail through the tin all morning with the acorns hitting it. Those few surrounding counties I don't think you will find a lease where you don't see any deer but some even very short distances away have substantially more than others. Hope you get lucky. I have got some pretty good video on my go Pro attached to my stabilizer from my bow already this year. Arrowed a doe with it last week. My only problem is my card is full and I'm having problems transferring the data to my computer.

Brew, I guess I drive right by your lease on the way to mine. In fact made a run out to the lease this evening to unload the groceries I'd bought for this weekend. I live at the lake (Brownwood) so my home to lease trip is only about 15 minutes.
I hope all you Brown Co hunters have a great season and hey, most importantly, be safe out there!

Let's just say that eating Underwood's before an early morning hunt will leave you with an extremely foul-smelling armadillo hole, no tops on your tube socks (note to self, don't forget to pack toilet paper!), and a case of the shakes that doesn't go away several days...:D

Like Allsup's burritos?

I'm about 15 miles down the road towards Burkett on CR164 off 585. I'm just across the county line in Coleman. I've got more pics the past few days than the last 9 months put together. I think the acorns are finally gone. I've got the rut peaking around 11/13 for the past 4 yrs. Our typical deer are on the average weight but the trophies are fewer and further between then those south of us.

D Red Raider, I've lost count of how many turkeys I've seen crossing the Jim right there. There was a monster non-typ shot on 12 acres in Thrifty about 7 or 8 yrs ago.

Good luck to y'all. I'm there almost every weekend during the cold months. Don't hesitate to holler if you need something.