Archer, Young, Baylor county Reports

Been hunting about 7 days so far and haven't been seeing the activity I normally see. Anyone seeing any heavy rutting activity or even regular numbers. We have quite a few fields around us with wheat and know some of the deer have been hitting them. Hogs have been everywhere!
Local game warden came in last week and said rut usually kicks in around Thanksgiving, I thought it was earlier by about a week or so. Not really seeing many scrapes or rubs either, they are typically everywhere. What have you exerpienced so far?

I hunt just south of you in Throckmorton. Typically the 2nd week of November is dynamite like you said but we saw very little deer this past week. I did notice that far less does and mature bucks were seen by everyone which makes me think the mature bucks may already be locked down with does and due to the moon and warm weather, they are just moving at night.

Also we typically have several really good bucks killed the first two weeks and so far on 6000 acres we have had 1 buck shot in November

Archer/Megargel area has historically been Thanksgiving week for us.

How many of y'all are on the place? I'm hoping things are just a little later than usual on activity increasing, but even trail cam photo's over a period of 8 weeks revealed no really good bucks. We normally have 5-6 on our hit list. We always had some water on the place but I hope some of the older deer hadn't expired due to the drought, wasn't alot to eat but mesquite beans. Luckily now the wheat has come up they'll have something to at least fill their bellies.

I'll keep at it and hopefully that will prove to be true. Where you hunting at sig? We're just out of Megargel.

The rains greened up the forage, moon is bright, windy and warm weather, the advantage goes to the deer.
They can get everything they need without coming out in the open or moving much especially in daylight.

The GW is correct in my opinion.
In Young, Jack and Wise except for a few of the young dumb and restless I've never seen much if any real rut activity until 1 ~ 3 days before Thanksgiving.
IMO usually the day of and week after is when it starts ramping up.

We saw more deer on opening weekend than we have in the last 5 years or more, since then it's slowed to 2-3 deer per trip.
I think we need a strong cold front to come through with several nights below freezing to give them a reason to move.

Warm weather and moon has been horrible, I don't think the mature bucks have started chasing yet, should pick up in the next week or so. Also previous rain and acorns haven't helped the deer coming to feeders either. December should be dynamite IMO

Yea seems lots going against us. Can't wait for this moon to go away! Our acorns were really weak this year. For me, my buck is usually down by second week of Nov. so i mainly hunt hogs and coyotes after that, not too focused on the deer. Looks like I'll be hunting that buck a little later this year. We'll be out over Thanksgiving and this coming weekend to try again.
What kind of bucks have y'all been killing the past couple of years?

I shot a 2-3 year old spike about 3 years ago. He started harassing the does and running them off the protein and corn feeders mid Oct.

Wife kept complaining about the dumb spike running the does off so I went out the 2nd week of season and shot him in da face.
We haven't taken a buck other than that in over 5 years.

I shot last year on nov 14, was alot colder and he was hot on a doe

20 or so. Basically a guy for every 200 acres of heavy cover but we have several very large wheat fields and a couple pastures that are somewhat open. Heck we have a 270 acre pasture that's decently wooded without a single stand in it. Surprisingly we have just as many shooters as normal but we also feed a lot of protein and held water all year in our tanks. Just activity has been way down for the 1st 2 weeks of November.

Studies show the weather has nothing to do with the rut and moon phase has more to do with it. BUT I think weather definitely will help shut down daylight activity, as well as food and other conditions

We manage some land north on Symank, and north of 410. We don't hunt out there ourselves anymore, but have several clients that do still hunt there. I get out there once or twice a year to visit with those guys.

I like the split brow tines up there, like the one in the pic; those are cool; I have a nine like that and my son's first was a double split tine ten point from there.

that's not too bad especially since not everyone is out there at the same time us. we have 10 spots on 2000 acres but i pay for an extra spot for my wife incase she see's a buck she wantes to take and my dad paid for an extra incase a client or employee wants to come out.

It's been a great area! I love it out there. Hope we have another 10+ yrs on it. Most of our bucks are typical, but have seen a few non-typical and a couple of drop tines have been killed in the area.

Yeah it's not bad at all. We only have 4 bowhunters for October and other than opening gun and Thanksgiving we usually only have 4-6 guys during gun season on any given weekend. Basically the same 3 guys are out there all the time. Not to mention half our hunters never shoot a deer. Idk if they are just lazy or that picky but it definitely makes for a big low pressure place to hunt. We hunt of MLD permits (low fence) and we always have quite a few buck tags left and the few of us that go often are trying to shoot does to appease the biologist

I'm curious, those of you not seeing much - what is the water situation like on your place?

I have 100 acres north of Loving. I'm seein gmore deer and activity there than I have in the past 5 years - combined.

I'm seeing 10-15 deer per hunt, half of them bucks. I've seen at least one shooter buck (too early to shoot legally). I have watched numerous young bucks chase does relentlessly last weekend. The does were not interested, they only wanted to eat but the bucks wouldn't let them. Even a year old spike wanted in on the fun but the bigger young bucks backed him down (spikes look pretty puny when you are half the size of the 6 pointer sticking his rack in your eyes I suppose).

I have scrubs all over the place. Hardly an inch of the property is not covered in deer tracks. I've even watched one 2.5 year old 7 pointer put down 2 scrapes one in my food plot 70 yards from the blind and another not even 20 yards away.

I HAD tons of hogs showing up until a few weeks ago. I actually thing the deer have run them off. What few are left have gone totally nocturnal, I haven't even had a chance to shoot at them. So either it's the deer - or a neighbor has trapped them.

I have nubbin bucks, 1.5 year old bucks (seen at least 5 or 6), 2.5 year olds (seen at least 3-4), and at least 3 mature bucks (though the mature ones so far have only been seen on camera except for the one I saw early last Saturday morning).

I'm hoping the rut is going on strong this weekend and my son or I get one of the big ones.

My theory is that they've been drawn in by the water. My tank never went dry but it did get low. After the 5.5 inch rain a few weeks back it was full and the follow up rains have filled it to overflow and also got my creek running with water. I even have water in the hog wallows under the feeders because it won't stay dry long enough for them to dry out. I also have winter wheat planted and it's coming up nicely (unlike last year where it just died).


I also have 240 acres in Jack near Bryson and truth be told I'm seeing more numbers and quantity during shooting hours on the little place in Young County. At bryson I'm only seeing one or two deer per hunt. Though from my cameras I know I have good numbers (and more mature) bucks there.
Earl

We have a tank for every 300 acres and they are dug DEEP. None of them even thought about going dry. Lots of deer in October and the first week of November, just dead this past week. Lots of young bucks running around, just does and mature deer were missing

I'm just south of Megergal in young county and seeing several nice bucks. I have not seen and chasing .

Me and my two sons are heading to our place just east of Seymour to hunt until Thanksgiving. We only bow hunt but so far I have taken a nice 8 pt. and my 13 year old took a real nice 8 pt. in East Texas that I rattled in for him.

We are hoping for a real good week in Baylor County this week. The wheat is in and we have some tripods set up in some choke points for what should be some good ambush sites for some bow kills over the wheat fields.

If I had the third son with us it would be perfect, but I'll hunt with him over Thanksgiving weekend back in East Texas.

Nearly connected on a nice 10 point with a small 8, and several coyotes just east of Seymour on 277 at 8:40 and 8:45 pm at about 65 MPH!!

I hunt in Archer County. I spend a lot of time in the field. We are under Management so we can start rifle hunting when Bow season starts. I have been out in the field since Sept, scouting. I have seen several good bucks.

We are the only place around, that I know of, that had water. Lots of water. Everyone around us is digging out their tanks. Now, we had several good rains and all the tanks are full, the grass is green. It looks like spring.

Since opening weekend of general rifle season, we havent seen a "shooter" buck. I spent Thursday trough Yesterday (Monday 11-21-11) in the field. The weather was warm, untill the cold front arrived on Saturday night, Sunday morning. It was cold, damp and cloudy all day. I saw 3 deer. Monday was the same. I saw 4 deer. It was those kind of days you want to stay in the stand all day, because you KNOW the deer will be moving. Yeah, no..

I don't know if they're in lock-down now or what. I haven't seen much rutting activity. I did however, see a big shooter while out filling feeders. He was with 5 does. Hardly even moved when whe drove by.

I'm going back up Thanksgiving night and will be in the field until December 12th. I hope they break out.

It has been a crazy season for us, this year.

I hope everyone else is having better luck.

I spent five days up in Archer county last week. Saw lots of deer. More bucks than does. Lots of young bucks and only one mature buck. Lots of pics of good bucks threw Oct. but not so much activity the last two weeks. Not sure why the bigger bucks are not moving.

We had tanks for about every 500 acres that had water in them all year, some I was concerned about going dry but never did. Was out last weekend and saw a little more action than previously, but still no mature deer. I'm headed back out tomorrow night, hopefully with the rain we had and slightly cooler temps things will turn up a notch.

had a couple of close calls myelf this season.

Heading back out there Thursday afternoon and staying until Sunday.

Bucks are still moving day and night in Archer County by Scotland. Still getting them on 3 game cams all times of the day. They are STILL camping on the feeders. Most hang for about an hour, and a couple 8's will stay by a feeder for up to 6 hours before moving on, but LOTS of mesquite grass by one of those feeders now. They'll nibble that mesquite grass for a while then go right back to the corn. They actually seem to hang around longer where the mesquite grass is by the feeder than where there's wheat, clover, and turnips in an acre patch fenced in around a feeder. Go figure! LOL

JJ

my son shot this 10 pt. this evening just east of Seymour. Rattled him in to 30 yards and then stuck him with a well placed arrow. 205 lbs live weight.

Rattling is working real good right now. We are rattling in alot of bucks - most not shooters, but it is fun to see them respond like they are.

In Baylor County the bucks are chasing does like crazy. Don't sit on feeders - get out and set up on pinch points and draws and rattle and grunt - they WILL respond!

Nice buck!!! Congrats!!!

Got two more young bucks to come in this morning. One was a real close 8 pt., but decided to let him walk. He will be a great deer next year.

Some of these young bucks are putting on a show when they get called in at the same time. Three times this week I have rattled young bucks in and they start sparring 25 yards from my ground blind. That makes up for not being able to shoot one - they have really been putting on a show this week.