If you have spent any amount of time driving around Texas then you know that there really are good, native white-tailed bucks scattered across the state. You don’t even have to be a deer hunter to realize that the Lone Star State harbors some photo-worthy whitetails in every region, although some places seem to have more than their fare share.
This triple-beamed, Brown County buck is a testament to Texas’ great whitetail habitat and the many ranches involved in very successful deer management programs. The bucks is a good deer without the extra beam on it’s right side, sporting numerous points and good mass overall.
Brown County has long been a favorite place of many hunters looking to set their sights on white-tailed deer. And deer hunters love Brown County for good reason, because there is some amazing deer country out there! Although this area produces solid whitetail bucks year-in and year-out, it seems one lucky hunter really got even more than he could have imagined this season. Let’s just say the results are, well, non-typical.
Here is what I received via email:
“Attached are photos of a freak whitetail buck that was supposed to have been killed this morning between Thrifty and Grosvenor. I received two calls this morning telling me that the non-typical buck was at Weakley Watson Sporting Goods. Since I was already in town, I stopped and took the attached photos. The buck had been scored at 208 and had 27 points. There was quite a crowd gathered to see this big whitetail buck.”
I believe that big whitetail bucks can be produced just about anywhere where high quality deer habitat is found, Texas or otherwise. Time and time again I’ve helped managers on private ranches increase the antler size of bucks on their property by improving habitat, regulating harvest, and implementing good all-around deer management techniques.
Sure, it never hurts to have a genetically exceptional buck make a place look good, but there are certain things every hunter can do to improve the quality of every deer found on their land. The easiest way to ensure the deer found on your deer hunting property are healthy is to shoot enough of them, but allow the buck part of the herd to attain and maintain good age structure. If there are some old ones there will always be some good ones!
The white-tailed deer gun opener was slow in Central and North Central Texas. The second weekend was not much better. However, cooler temperatures and good reports of rutting bucks moving throughout much of the state should make this coming weekend a great time to head out deer hunting! Although much of the state’s abundant acorn crop is now depleted, deer still have a choice between cool season forbs and lush winter food plots (where they exists). Areas that were barren during the summer are now a hodge-podge of high-protein forbs.
Except for the last couple of months, 2009 has been a tough year for most of Texas’ white-tailed deer population. The preceding winter, spring, and summer were dry. Very dry. Extremely dry. But all of that has changed. Deer that were in poor to fair body condition during the summer have gorged on fat-rich acorns are now looking to be in good shape. Although many ranches are reporting that deer body weights are lower this year compared to previous years, rainfall received during September and October have “saved” the year.
Winter food plots, which are typically the most reliable plots, found themselves high and dry at this time last year. But not this fall. Anyone that stuck a seed in the ground is now the beneficiary of a lush food plot, regardless of what was planted. Recently, however, not all food plots were being hit hard. I suspect that many hunters that were reporting low food plot use by deer up until now should find that cooler temperatures will move more deer onto those plots, and earlier in the day.
More deer is a good thing, especially during the rut! I’ve received reports from throughout much of the state, except South Texas, of bucks following does for the past couple of weeks, but I’ve seen a marked increase in chasing activity over the past four to five days. Central Texas hunters heading to the field over the next week should expect to see good action. If you can find the does you will find the bucks, and deer should be hitting food sources well thanks to cool, brisk weather over much of the state.
As always, make sure to keep the deer population in check with available habitat. On average, the body condition of deer has increased greatly going into the fall thanks to a solid acorn crop and additional forage provided by much-needed precipitation. Antler quality has not improved; lower than average antler growth was a result of the tough winter, spring, and summer we experience through most of Texas. However, keeping proper deer numbers where you hunt is an important component of deer and habitat management.
Too many deer means less food per mouth, and if the rain turns off, next year could be particularly tough since we are still way behind on total rainfall. In short, don’t hesitate to harvest deer where needed. Get out and enjoy the cooler weather and put yourself in position to take advantage of increased white-tailed deer rutting activity. And remember, squeeze the trigger!
Growing big bucks is all about age, genetics, and nutrition, but when it comes to producing mature bucks year after year nothing in white-tailed deer management is as important as harvesting bucks at the proper rate. So what is the proper harvest rate for bucks? The general rule of thumb is to harvest no more than 20% of the buck herd throughout all age classes in a given year. This includes young, middle-aged, and old cull bucks as well as mature trophy bucks.
The white-tailed buck pictured above was shot on the evening of November 7, 2009 by bowhunter Joyce Ooten. She was hunting on her 23 acre Grayson County property when she arrowed the 19 point buck standing at 20 yards. Of course, the mature buck did not spend its entire life on Joyce’s 23 acres, but did I mention that her property is next door to the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)? And Hagerman NWR provides solid white-tailed deer habitat. Continue reading “Female Bowhunter Bags 19 Point Buck”
When it comes to deer hunting, you just never know what you will see when you enter the woods. Over my hunting career I’ve seen some amazing things in nature. Some of these events I would have considered unbelievable had I not seen them with my own two eyes. But one of the benefits hunters get from sitting motionless, scentless, and undetected is that animals do what they normally do, except that we get to witness some of these normal–yet amazing—things that few people ever will.
Bowhunters often get to observe white-tailed deer up close and personal. Or at least that is the goal. However, I’ve been busted by a deer’s eyes and nose so many times that you would think it’s entirely impossible to sneak up on one. Of course, that’s what makes bowhunting so darn challenging. Yet, numerous times I’ve literally walked up to within 10 yards of deer and went undetected. As you know, it depends on the situation—and a little bit of luck. Hunting, like anything else, is all about timing. No hunter understands that more than Ben Bartlett. That’s because his right place at the right time allowed him to arrow one of two big fighting white-tailed bucks.
Ben Bartlett was at his deer hunting lease located in Angelina County before sunrise on the day of October 23. Interestingly, killing a deer was the farthest thing from Bartlett’s mind as he boarded a canoe and paddled his way down the old Neches River channel. His main objectives were to scout for acorns in a stretch of woods in the remote back country and ultimately find a good spot to take his 12-year old daughter, Alli, hunting the following morning.
Ben was making his way down an old logging road shortly before sundown when the distinctive sound of clashing antlers and crackling brush overpowered the hum of a light breeze whisping through the treetops. Past experience told him what he was hearing was a pair of heavyweights going at it. Certain the battling bucks were close, probably within 200 yards, the hunter raced down the road to shave some distance before ditching his day pack and peeling into the dark woods.
“It was pretty obvious this was not a couple of pencil horn bucks sparring. The sound of two mature bucks locking up has a real distinctive sound to it. I had no doubts this was the real deal.”
He said he pushed his way through a dense thicket that eventually opened up into an oak flat that was cluttered with clumps of palmetto and underbrush. He spotted the two whitetail bucks at about 40 yards, but dim lighting made it impossible to tell much about either deer, other than both were shooters.
“Both of the bucks had their heads down and it was just a tangle of horns. I could see their muscles bulging as they pushed and braced for leverage against one another. It was a pretty awesome sight.”
The hunter played on the fit of rage to trim the gap even farther. He inched closer each time the battle moved behind a palmetto clump, eventually moving to within 18 yards before he dropped to one knee on the soggy ground and brought his compound bow to a full draw.
“I was a little nervous about taking the shot, because their movements were so erratic. They stopped for a split second when one of the deer coiled to push back and it gave a me a clear shot, so I took it.”
The arrow found its mark, just behind the shoulder, and passed completely through. However, neither deer reacted or appeared alarmed. The hunter said the heated battle continued for about eight more seconds before the wounded buck collapsed and died. The larger buck then used its antlers to hook and gore the lifeless body of its adversary multiple times before finally fleeing the scene a minute or so later. Bartlett said he passed on multiple opportunities to shoot the second buck, which easily had 10 inches on the 140-class whitetail that lay motionless on the ground.
Bizarre as it might seem, Bartlett’s recent bowhunting encounter is not his first with stalking fighting whitetails in two decades of hunting with a stick and string. However, it is the first time he has been successful at killing one. In looking back, he thinks his success may have hinged on the fact that he threw caution to the wind and moved in quickly on the brawling bucks, before they had time to finish their business.
“I’ve tried sneaking in on fighting buck before and each time the fight was over by time I got there. In retrospect, I think I have always been too cautious and moved too slow to avoid making a bunch of noise. If it ever happens again, you can bet I’ll be trying to get there as fast I can.”
Witnessing a brawl between two mature white-tailed bucks at any distance is a prize encounter few deer hunters are fortunate enough to experience in a lifetime of hunting, but getting a ringside seat and drawing blood with a bow and arrow is virtually unheard of. Just goes to show you that anything can happen in the deer hunting woods.
Fall is here, food plots are in the ground and the deer hunting seasons are underway. Except for conducting a couple of controlled burns in the near future, the only thing left to do deer management wise for me is to harvest and record the deer we need (or would like) to remove. Though most deer hunters hunt whitetail by setting up over a food source, whether it be a feeder or a food plot, there are much more active ways to bag a buck.
When it comes to hunting there really are only two ways to go: Either you can go to the deer, or you can bring the deer to you.
Rattling for Bucks
Though many hunters have read about rattling bucks in, or have at least seen it on TV, many have yet to give this method of hunting a serious shot. Or maybe you tried it once, but didn’t feel confident, it didn’t work so you packed it in. Ratting for bucks can work, especially if you incorporate the technique into your hunting on a regular basis.
I suspect many deer hunters have picked up a set of shed or cut-off antlers and have at attempted to rattle up a buck, but their lack of success caused them to quickly dismiss the effectiveness of antler rattling. Those antlers then went back to collecting dust at camp. So as effective as rattling can be for whitetail, most of time it will not work and you are not going to bring in a buck on a string. It does work, however, and when it’s hot, it’s hot!
Best Time to Rattle?
Rattling can work at any time during the hunting season, but it is typically most effective just prior to the rut, during the pre-rut. At this time, antler rattling can be an effective way to bring whitetail bucks right up into spitting distance. I’ve seen bucks come running out of the brush with as little as two seconds worth of antler rattling!
Of course many, many times I’ve rattled antlers together only to attract the attention of area squirrels, or even worse, nothing at all. During the pre-rut, bucks are busy establishing dominance for breeding purposes, setting up territories, and working off an excess in testosterone. It is also during this time in which they are most vulnerable to rattling, so this is the BEST time to rattle.
Rattling Antlers Attracts Attention
When it comes to rattling, let me tell you that you never really know what you are going to attract. I’ve had all sorts of deer respond to rattling. I can only guess they all want to run over and see who is fighting — and who will win? Some bucks want to participate, some are just curious. I’ve had does, spikes, middle-age bucks and mature bucks all come to a set of rattling antlers.
All age classes of bucks will respond to rattling more or less at the proportion in which they occur in the population. Younger bucks probably respond at a higher percentage overall and mature bucks probably a little less overall, but it’s not easy to measure since mature bucks are smarter. Older bucks often respond to the sound of rattling antlers by moving downwind of the action and then creeping in. Younger bucks do not always take such precaution, so there is a chance some of those more experienced bucks are detecting us before we detect them.
If a good percentage of the local buck herd is made up of young bucks, then that is probably what you will bring in. If, on the other hand, there are a good number of older bucks in the area, then you have just as a good of a chance of bringing them to you as younger-aged bucks. In fact, you probably have a much better chance of bringing them to you rather than simply sitting and waiting to see them — because they may have stayed “brushed up.”
Rattling, Battling Bucks
A friend of mine spotted a huge whitetail buck last year on public land right as the season started. The buck showed up on a couple of his game camera photos before season, but he got a glimpse of the buck the second day of archery season as the animal walked by at 200 yards. At that point, he then made it his personal mission to hunt that deer for the remainder of the season, even if it meant he ended the year with no buck at all.
To make a long story short, he hunted long and hard with no success, but one cold morning a few weeks later he decided he needed to be more aggressive. He had decided that if he didn’t change then his success rate was not going to change. The best trick in his book: try to get near the buck’s core area and rattle him up for a battle.
The right day came: Temperature perfect, wind great and he was able to rattle that buck to within 25 yards and made a perfect double-lung shot. He said after his first rattling sequence he could see the buck, which scored over 170 Boone and Crockett inches, running at him from over 400 yards! Sometimes it helps to bring them to you.
So rattling can work, but don’t expect it to work every time.
