Coke, Nolan and Mitchell co hunters, chime in!

Season is getting close and wondering what everyone in our area hs planned for the season. Share any pics, target deer, intentions for this season and reports on what you have been seeing this year. How are te deer looking compared to years past.

I'm going out for a quick trip hopefully in the next couple days. I haven't nailed down a target buck for this year yet but have a few prospects. Our deer are extremely healthy colored to last year. Should be a really good season. New bucks are showing up every trip. We usually see more once they start shedding and moving to their fall/winter grounds.

Going to be a great season.
I'll post some new pics as soon as I get out there. They should be pretty much hard horned by now. Should be shedding starting in about 2 weeks.

Nobody is excited in our area about upcoming season I guess??

I'm a couple counties over in Callahan and I'm pumped!

Deer are looking great.
Does, yearlings; along with fawns are all over the feeder. Up on the Catus-Flats.
Down in the Draws. Where the Ceder. Runs into the Mesquist. Bachelor-Groups. Bucks all wearing Velvet. Are Hitting Protein, along with Corn.
Healthy Animals.
Will be a good year.

Should have some pics for ya after this weekend Kactus

This is my 11th year in Coke County. As far as I can tell same ole same ole. A bunch of 3.5 year old 16" wide 8 points that might be somebody some day except that day never comes.

That may be true but there are some nice ones floating around Had this guy on camera the first year I got on and no one had pics of him before and only one other guy got pics of him that year before season started. Never know what's going to show up and that's part of the fun.

That was a great deer for our area.

Here is a few updates of older deer




Here is some culls




Here are some up and comers



[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2015/08/full-52020-40114-mfdc3766.jpg[/img]

Wouldn't mind hearing some thoughts on age and score on the first 5 deer if anyone has any thoughts.

Nice deer.And they're plentiful in Coke. My brother used to hunt 'Butterfield peak' ranch in Coke cty. Spectacular looking land with lots of deer. Once, on top of Butterfield peak, I watched a 'Norther' blow in. Temps went from 70s to low 20s by morning...What a memory...Good times.

Well had I not screwed up we could have had more pics to add. My camera stopped working going from truck to feeder so I pulled out an old standbye but realized a week later that somehow I forgot to put the camera card in. I will have that all fixed this weekend with new cameras and cards. I will say that the top picture sure looks like an old deer, 5.5 or older with calloused knees and wrinkly face! A few of the others a little herder to tell from angle and time of year but a few good ones. Heck I hope one of those crazy culls shows up in front of me, he will taste just fine. BTW I will put batteries in your camera Saturday unless someone has beaten me to it.

Hopefully something good shows up.

I will be headed to Coke for the first time since January in the morning. Just going to fill feeders and set cameras out so don't really expect to see much. From what I hear range conditions have been great until recently though.

Yep it's getting dry fast. Sure need a couple inches. If it stays dry it should make for some good hunting tho.

Just got back. Range conditions still look pretty good in my opinion. Probably saw more deer this time than any other August trip I can remember. Lots of coveys of Bob Whites, few pigs, lots of Turkey, Yote, Rattler and more Jack Rabbits than I have seen in years as well.

Really looking forward to checking the cams next time.

Hope u have some pics to share. I'm really wanting to see how everyone else in the areas deer are looking. Our place still looks good for August but compared to what it looked like at first if July its night and day. It was like a rainforest in June-July

I have a lot of pics posted on facebook this afternoon

Nice group of bucks John!

I did see a decent hard horn 10 yesterday afternoon but I don't think he was as good as the ones in those pics.

Most of what I have on cam are young(er) deer IMO. The first pic I posted might be old enough, but different pics I have of him look different. The later pics from last week show more growth - but I think all the deer I have could prolly benefit by another year.

I'm trying to stay away from weak brows this year.

Just moved up to sweetwater a couple months ago!

where abouts? we are off of 70 south of the Lake

John that last two buck pics looks to maybe have some age. Looks like you have one trying to be an 11 also. All look healthy. Looks like yall have more 10s than we have.

All depends on your surrounding hunting pressure. These counties have just as good genetics for the most part as any other counties in west tx but if they never reach maturity at 5.5+ you'll never see the bigger deer. Good luck on your season!

posted in photo section

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5908365#Post5908365

In town. I drove past the "lake" a couple times looking for it. Definitely new to west Texas.

What town and what are you looking for??

Sweetwater, and was just commenting that lake sweetwater is easy to miss haha

Yep most of the lakes in west Texas are pretty easy to miss right now.

We are headed to the lease next weekend for final prep! Can't wait.

It's almost here! Not much new on our feeders right now. Does look like bucks are starting to move out of their summer pattern to new grounds.

Anyone have any newcomers or target bucks?its really dry but mesquite beans are dropping heavy!

Anyone get out west this last weekend? Was super slow on our place. Two rattelsnakes and a big hog was all that died. Not much new on camera yet and daytime activity at feeders is very slow. Hoping that changes soon.

delete the 2x4 buck in pic#5 and the 6pt in pic #7

Was there the weekend before last. Saw one shooter 10, but all three feeders were down and all three cams had bad SD cards - so I really don't know what I have coming, but have a feeling that my regular visitors are feeding somewhere else because my feeders were broke. But I have everything back up and running now, so hopefully will get some updated pics before season. Heading to Boerne for axis this weekend, then back to Coke county the following weekend to check on things right before season.

Before season???it started 2 weeks ago!

Hope you got some good ones coming in. Any of the other guys on talks place got anything yet? Haven't seen an update from talks lease.

That's why pics of those deer are on there. They are culls on the hit list and have been for two yrs now. Just a little too slick.

I haven't been in the stand but one time so far during bow season but I had this guy between 8-30 yards for almost an hour. He was only a 3 year old so he got a pass. He also had broke that right G4 after this pic was taken.

Solid 3 yr old!

Anybody in the area make it out this weekend? Wondering how the deer movement was and what the rain totals were.

Had a few guys show up this weekend despite the weather. Has a few isolated showers after Friday morning but a few were able to hunt with the North winds. My granddad had 4-5 inches and Oak Creek started to run Friday afternoon as it was dry when we got into town earlier in the day.

Deer seemed to be moving a lot during the day with this weather. Bucks are starting to chase and get pretty serious.

Nothing was taken this weekend so far but a couple of guys plan to stay all week.

So far a 10 point has been taken around the 6th and my brother got a doe 2 weeks ago. I shot a nice 10 on the 12th but didn't recover him Still pretty mad at myself for making a poor shot. I went back and watched a video of the hunt and he had turned slightly quartering to me and I hit him in the shoulder and only had a couple spots of blood when he broke the arrow off crashing through a fence. Still hoping for a miracle he made it but last round of pics he hasn't been back.

That's a tough one but part of bow hunting. Usually takes them a couple weeks to return to normal after a shoulder shot.

Any pics of the 10 that was shot or the one you stuck?

Hope he shows back up.

Here is the 10 I didn't recover.




I haven't seen a great pic of the buck killed but pretty sure this is him.

Both solid deer, that buck you shot looks post mature off those pics. Hope he shows back up for you. I won't be back for a full weekend until first week of November.

I can only hope. First time to lose a deer and would have been my first 10 point to make it worse

I feel your pain, I'm trying to take my first typical 10 this year.

Whose heading out this weekend?

First season in Mitchell county, a few decent mature bucks on camera and a truckload of young ones.

What part of Mitchell? Any pics of your deer? Good luck this year

Been out here all week. Dad got a nice 10 and I took out a bruiser of a 5 point I have been after for 2 seasons. Passed on several young 10's and passed on a 18"+ wide 8 that was awesome! Probably going to regret that but I have one deer on my mind right now and that was not him. Will try to post some pics when I get home.

Please do and congrats to your pops!

They are beginning to trail.
My place has all Bucks Spilt up. No sparing yet. That I have seen. But; have seen. One on one, or two on one with Does. Does not liking it one bit.
Western Mitchell, Eastern Howard County.
All Deer. Great Shape an Healthy.
Hope this helps.

Can't wait to get back out there. I think we are about a week away from some good rut activity in our area.

I've seen the 5pt JCB got and it is a hoss. Can't wait for the write up on this one

Here is a nice 3 yo I saw last time out and man is he nice. Hoping he breaks up a few more tines so he will get a pass and make it another year.

That is a great 3 yr old 10 for our area especially. Have you seen him before? That deer could see mid 130s next year. Was prob mid to upper 120 this year if that right G4 matched the left.

Yup. Same buck JCB posted earlier. Had him on camera last season but not sure about the year before that. He has distinctive white legs compared to the other deer in the area. Made a huge jump this year though.

I see that now. It would be tough to remember him at 1.5.

Does that fence keep the hog out? Getting 10 plus on my feeder almost nightly in Nolan county

They do on our place. Some feeders without pens they take over some not so much. It's more to keep them out of the water troughs, protein etc than the corn.

Anybody have any hunting reports from the area? It is really slow especial anything bigger than 2.5 yo deer. Very few if any sightings of good-decent deer on cameras on and off feeders.

Talked to one other guy just SW of us and he was seeing about the same. Got probably another 1-
2" of rain Friday night