Uncle Swamp asked me to make this post so I would leave him alone lol

… what’s yalls favorite government woods deer hunting techniques?

.. I like to wait till October… ease into to likely looking spots and find scrapes close to bedding thicket

Climb a tree downwind and kill what comes in

.. I won’t climb unless the sign is smoking hot … old sign can be a waste of time

… I like acorn trees amongst pine thicket with fresh feed sign as well

…. It does come with its challenges but cheaper than farming them lol

… you always have competition

… like this yahoo that goes around blowing up spots putting cameras everywhere and never killing anything lol

I grab a lever gun, get on the downwind side of a big chunk of thick brush, and sneak through it. Try to go on weekdays so I don't have to contend with the urbanites that harass us on the weekends.

… sounds like good way to keep the freezer full bigsam

It's kept the kids fed thus far.

The results.

Drive em.

…. I’m also lucky that I happen to live in the middle of a bunch of it

Like to study the land, where people park & enter, and find the escape routes....Get there early and hang a stand overlooking a draw that funnels deer going out the back door.

Killed several nice bucks like that letting the other hunters push them.

Are there very many bears left in Texas ? Read a couple of really good books about hunting bear in the post-Civil War era. East Texas was mentioned frequently.

… there was one down the road last year knocking deer farmer buddy of mines feeders over and posing for the cameras … a male … they’re few and far between… definitely not a breeding population anymore

… they say any we see are males roaming from Louisiana

Aim higher and farther forward next time!

Well Dave, he was running straight away and I was hungry. I had to time the shot just right to take off his manhood and cleanly field dress him at once. But I'll work on it and report back.

I like when my uncle POS puts up a sign.

First name POS last name TED.

We call it the $75 hunt club. Only pay when you get caught.



Really though, I like to find the thickest swampiest spot there is. If I was hunting government land.


I hunt a mess of private I have permission on and pay zero lease fees for. Land owner wants them gone, so that’s what I do.

#makekillingdoesgreatagain

What are acorn trees?

Oaks

… well my young Canadian… they are trees that acorns fall from

…. I know crepes , syrup and communism falls from y’all’s lol

Why not call it a leaf tree then?

… because acorns aren’t leaves… they’re a nut that deer eat … although the trees drop leaves as well … the falling of acorns sets them apart

And that’s what the deers like to eat.

…. I think he gets it now …. Maybe?

Is there no oak trees in Canada?

I think you guys are missing what Jurassic was getting at.

For mature bucks I like to find clearcuts ( <5 years old) and set up down wind during the rut, catch them cruising the edge scent checking for does.

… good technique where there’s fields

… but I think you’re reading too much into Jurassic Park lol

Thickest Mountain laurel patch in the area, get up a tree early.

I like to make mock scrapes on public ground about a quarter mile from the parking lot. Then come in the next weekend and see some city boy set up in a tree stand over it. Lol

Ol dad

I hope I’m right, more for his sake than mine lol

Leroy get’s it lol.

Yes we have OAK tree’s here.

Good save lol

Right now I’m trying to find a couple big old boys that are hammering a food plot on private ground. Can’t figure out where they’re coming from or going to because it’s so open, but trying to trace them back to their beds

… when does your season open? . It’d be a waste of time to figure them out now around here

October 1 for archery. If you can find their route from bed to evening feed you’ve got maybe a week before they switch schedules

…. Season opens the same time here .. but the acorns start dropping then at times and the pattern changes instantly

… I wish you good luck partner

The books I read talked about how a lot of the bears they hunted were sold to feed the railroad crews. And they shot a bunch of bears. I'd like to see them re-established, but then, that's easy for me to say when they don't become my problem.

I like to slip around on high ridges that have some of those “acorn” trees on them. Sometimes you get lucky. This buck was feeding on post oak acorns.

…. That’s a goodun OK


… Aaron … if we could back to the 1800’s bears and all … I’d be for it lol

Me, too.

Hey Aaron … why you being nice tonight… you was bearing down on me a couple days ago lol

Incredible buck OKforester.

Wine

… I had him on my camera… his name was Randolph Cunningham the 3rd lol

… carry on

Lol

Boys I’m sitting on the front porch and them coyotes are singing a gospel hymn at this full moon

Getting ready to sit on my porch with my gun , waiting on them. We have a pear tree that's loaded and it's drawing them in . They raid it routinely . Not so much worried about the loss of pears, but I've counted up to seven lounging around snacking. That's a bit much for my liking.

Partner of mines got a persimmon tree out front of his place … a case of beer and a 22mag has been the death of many over there in the summer time

Living in the Ozarks, locating persimmon trees was my go-to . Foxes love 'em. I can see that.

Nothing deadlier than a .22mag at night when they don't know you can see them.

Aaron,most blackbears in deep SE Texas (beaumont/port arthur area) are pretty much gone. Still get some coming over from Northern and Central LA though into Savell's area and even more in NE Texas. There is a somewhat viable population in NW Louisiana/Ark and we get a lot of crossover.

We also had pretty common bear accounts along the Red River coming from Oklahoma. Mostly in Red River County and surroundings. Most of them were males coming from the mountains in Oklahoma. Those sightings have dropped off quite a bit since OK put a restricted season on them; and I don't blame them. A coon getting in the chicken house can be dealt with, bears are a whole other issue.

Lots of bears in the Mountains of west Texas. Too many.
Many bears still come up through the corridor of Eagle Pass and go into the Hill Country and there are numerous accounts in the Rocksprings, Utopia, Leaky, area. Some have even been hit by vehicles. Still no breeding population that I know of though in Texas other than the mountains of west Texas.

Historically, the hill country of Texas with all its oaks and savanna was known as "bear country". We still get a few coatamundis coming up a along these same dispersal routes as well. Seeing a coatimundi in Texas is cool.

I miss Oklahoma. I used to work up there all the time back when the SCOOP was booming. Spent a lot of time in Duncan, Lawton, Chickasha, and Lyndsay. Loved the country and the people.

Chancey,

I live just outside Lawton. Two miles east of Ft. Sill's east range fence. Makes for some great shows, especially on rocket day. Of course, every time one goes off , I think , " There just went $168,000. ".
But you're familiar with the area, I'm convinced we have bear in the Wichita range. Maybe not many , but some. Lion sightings are becoming increasingly common.

…. We’ve got some roaming lions in East Texas …. # 2’s ain’t enough for them

…. Mounded up and twisted out


. Bobcat set

What's the state consider them ? Fair game ?

No regs at all … any means necessary

… at least it was that way … who knows now with the yanks and Californians moving in

Still that way Savell. They are predators and can kill trap on site, don't even need a trappers license. On the other hand, the Yanks and Californians are moving the dice in the legislature to stop it in Texas.

Anyone specifically target them ? Hound guys, maybe ?

I know they can be called as I did it twice . Two separate lions on two separate occasions. Super cool experience. But that would be difficult country to do that in.

I don't doubt that one bit. That area is beautiful and has the country to support them; both bears and lions, but especially lions.
Wished I would have know you were up that way. I spent a many a night in a hotel in Duncan back in the 2014-2019 days.

Can't help themselves.

No kidding ! Yeah, you were just right up the road.

.. ain’t enough of them to fool with in East Texas … I shot one off the road in the brazos river bottoms years ago after it killed a couple black mouth cur hog dogs… only one I’ve seen in person

They destroy everything good they touch.
Fight like (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) to keep them out of Oklahoma. Talking about Yankees and Californians.

Right now ,they seem to be concentrated in Tulsa. That's why the mayor is talking reparations. Pathetic.

Keep guard. They used to be concentrated in Austin, DFW, and Houston here as well.
That was until, they decided to move out of the city and start buying up all the rangeland and building houses on it and putting in solar and wind stuff. We had Govs and legislatures not only promote it, but incentivize it. At the same time, they started strategically selling off our water rights.

I think the biggest immigration problem Oklahoma will have in the immediate future is rural ranching Texans selling out and moving your way. Either way, it will increase the cost of everything. We are all F'ed by this absurd policy of grow, grow, grow. Insanity really.

Black bears are protected in Texas are they not ?

Yes, black bears are protected. Lions are still considered predators and can be killed.

I think that law is going to change though given the changing demographics of the state.

…. I like to carry a short carbine as most shots are within 75 yards

We tend to agree with the short carbine idea. This little guy decided to argue a little bit, short handy gun with a couple quick follow up shots settled him down.

That's awesome !

Hopefully Savell will continue to allow the bear pictures on his deer thread. This was another one that needed a serious talking to at the end of a blood trail. Only ever had problems with two bears, and quick shooting levers saved the day.

Thank you Aaron. I was pretty proud of her.

Y’all can put whatever you want in here lol

… nice bears

The whole pic is awesome ! The entire family is stoked. Great share, bud.

Thank you.

The ultimate for me is the up and close ground game spot and stalk in my socks. Deer,elk,bear, antelope, i want to stalk it and shoot it with a wooden stick

D.T, that's pretty dang sweet! I hunt with traditional equipment myself, and there's nothing like getting up close on the ground.

Since there are so many bears ill add this govt land bear. Went the opposite way though. Started on the ground and ended in the tree. Nothing like pulling a dead bear out of a tree in the middle of nowhere.

Well done!

Very cool D.T! If you don't mind my asking, what make of bow is that?

Allegheny National Forest (ANF) is as remote
and far away from people as I could find in Pa.
Deer are smaller but taste better than
the agriculture fed ones.
ANF is BIG, scouting food sources is key.

Toelke whip with the bear. Toelke 2 piece pika with the buck. Locals bowyers I know that make world renowned bows

Awesome pics and experience. Way, way cool!

Ill beg to differ, ag fed animals eating corn, beans, etc. taste a lot better than deer eating browse, twigs, & grass.

Savell........out of curiosity, what caliber is your Henry levergun ?

You can have the deer fat Snyder,
I'll pass.

45 long colt

Hey DD, don’t you have them live oaks down there that are evergreens? That would throw another wrench in you oak nut trees for us yanks.

I've had local deer that have ag crops and ornamentals, and Catskill deer with essentially no ag crops, just natural browse, I always found the upstate deer tastier...

No they don't. Those dang things taste like beef eating all that ag stuff.

I like to still or jump hunt the brush, although glassing in more open terrain can also be fun and effective. And tracking down deer or running down elk is a real blast. Better be in good shape though to run down elk until they are standing there with their tongue hanging out, looking back to see what is chasing them.

Of course my first love of hunting is hound hunting, I've never hunted where you can run deer with dogs, but bears, lions and bobcats I won't hunt any way but with dogs.

[/quote]
No they don't. Those dang things taste like beef eating all that ag stuff.[/quote]
I wish, I'll take beef over deer any day, but we finish our cattle on grain too, no grass fed lean meat here.

I guess I'm spoiled.
Pretty much all of the green, red, gray, and white land is my "government woods". Some of the white is private, but only 4.2%, and the rest is State owned public land that can be hunted.
BTW, you coud cut this State into two States, and Texas would then still only be the third largest State.