Texas deer calibers

[big k]

This isn't what you think i know what to shoot i want to know what everyone else shoots, Because i get the empression that with all the 4 wheeler f-350 drivin hunters out here that they use to big of a caliber

[big k]

Hope i did not offend anyone with the 4 wheeler f-350 comment

[dougk]

I was offended that you did not include Chevy 2500 Diesel 4x4 owners in that comment.  My wife owns one of those Chevy's and shots a mean .270  She could have taken 3 does today but held back waiting for that 10-12 point buck.

Maybe she will get that buck tomorrow.

[longwinters]

I never hunted in your great state of Texas, but if I could I would bring my 280.  Can't imagine needing anything else.

Long

[big k]

Sorry about that dougk    Hey from now on please leave a post on y you use the caliber you selected. Like i picked 44 magg and use this cause most of my shots are close and I am a firm believer in the smaller the caliber the better

[FWiedner]

Sorry about that dougk    Hey from now on please leave a post on y you use the caliber you selected. Like i picked 44 magg and use this cause most of my shots are close and I am a firm believer in the smaller the caliber the better

While it's been proven to be possible to use one gun to hunt all of God's creatures, I am not a subscriber to that particular theory.

At one time or another I have used anything from a .22CB to .30-06 to take game animals in Texas.  Most of my hunting has been in the north-central region, but I have hunted in east, south-central, south and west Texas.  That range of bullets seems to have done the job quite well, fitting bullets to hunting range and application.

What I use "mostly" is a .356Win.  When properly applied, it handily dispatches medium to large critters out to 200yds, but it is not a very good squirrel or rabbit gun.

My vote for an "all-around" caliber, at least for the hunting I've done, goes to the .357Mag.  Good on medium sized critters out to almost 100yds and makes a fair rabbit gun if it's not loaded too hot.

[trappenjoe]

Well bigk from what i see in this great state (haha) a 22 would surpass the
needs of texas hunting( There is no hunting just abunch of canned hunts)
I moved here about a year ago to find the only hunters are middle
classed and up people with money . Where I come from people used to pay me to rid there ranches of varnmets . here you have to pay 100 bucks a day per gun sorry thats abunch of bs.... Don't mean to sound so negative about Texas but were I'm from hunters are more than having a hunting lease , we were a close nit family that didn't think of high fences as a income, Sorry guys I just would never have realized the greed these people have....
 Once again I'm sorry for my post.
    Little Joe

[FWiedner]

Well bigk from what i see in this great state (haha) a 22 would surpass the
needs of texas hunting( There is no hunting just abunch of canned hunts)
I moved here about a year ago to find the only hunters are middle
classed and up people with money . Where I come from people used to pay me to rid there ranches of varnmets . here you have to pay 100 bucks a day per gun sorry thats abunch of bs.... Don't mean to sound so negative about Texas but were I'm from hunters are more than having a hunting lease , we were a close nit family that didn't think of high fences as a income, Sorry guys I just would never have realized the greed these people have....
 Once again I'm sorry for my post.
    Little Joe

I can relate to the lease thing.

Sounds like you're really just a fella who doesn't want to work for it.

As my Pap used to say:  WAH.

[markc]

So where are you from?  Could you go back now?  Just kiddin.  Maybe your 1 year in Texas has given you a bad taste in your mouth.  From where I am, born and raised here, it just isn't quite the way you want to paint it.  Maybe you are visiting the wrong watering holes and just keep meeting the wrong people.

Hunting in Texas is not all about money.  Atleast not in the circles I hunt in.  We are hard working folks who can't afford most leases or high dollar trophey hunts.  I lease two places to hunt on.  Leases are the way things happen here, not happy about it, but thats the way it is, get used to it if you plan to hunt in Texas.  That or you could pony up the dough and buy your own place.  Or contact the TP&WD and hunt the over 1 million public acres in the state for around a $40.00 permit.

I lease one small ranch 183 acres for $200.00 for 12 months of hunting/camping rights and it is 10 miles from my front door.  I also lease 200 acres for $400.00 per gun (wife and I only this year) and it is 278 miles from my front door.

I work OT in order to pay for those two places and enjoy the heck out of both of them.  Both are full of feral hogs and I run feeders for the hog traps on one place and two small feeders on the other to get the hogs in.  Thats the way the ranch owner wanted it, thats the way I do it.  Niether place is high fenced.  183 acres isn't even fenced at all on most of it.  

If you want to see greed, visit the Texas Trophey Hunters Association Show in August in Houston.  My wife and I go every year, great food, neat stuff etc.. But somebody please bring the reality back to the sport.  It's crazy to see some of the deer farms and costs to shoot a deer.  it is only a deer afterall.  But honestly, not all of the farms are even located in Texas.  There are  quite a few across the country, Michigan, Illinois, and a few other northern states are just as bad.  So don't mess with Texas little joe.

[huntsman]

6.5x55

If I had known about this cartridge from the get-go, I'm sure I would never have shot anything else.

[FOsteology]

It depends on where I'm hunting. Typically, I use my 25-06. However, whenever I hunt in the heavy brush country of South Texas with shots under 100 yards, I prefer the trusty 30-30.

[big k]

Well bigk from what i see in this great state (haha) a 22 would surpass the
needs of texas hunting( There is no hunting just abunch of canned hunts)
I moved here about a year ago to find the only hunters are middle
classed and up people with money . Where I come from people used to pay me to rid there ranches of varnmets . here you have to pay 100 bucks a day per gun sorry thats abunch of bs.... Don't mean to sound so negative about Texas but were I'm from hunters are more than having a hunting lease , we were a close nit family that didn't think of high fences as a income, Sorry guys I just would never have realized the greed these people have....
 Once again I'm sorry for my post.
    Little Joe

 Read you load and clear i am just lucky enought to have some land in the family.

[williamlayton]

Well now, that leasing thing was/is the reason I got out of deer hunting 30 year ago. Just could not see the cost and fun against the family needs. It was during those years that public hunting lands, while available, were not productive.
The advent of game management controls were starting but had not made a great impact. They are better these days and have reintroduced deer into areas previously danged scarce of these critters (E Texas).
I have been reconsidering getting back into it, though no decision has been made. Still seems to be a sizeable chunk of money to get outfitted these days.
In those days of old a 30-30 was a good brushgun for the east and, well if you were completely honest, for most of the shots from most any place I ever hunted with the exception of the Davis mountain area.
The couple or three years out there I used a .270 to good effect and found it to be flat and effective out to 300 yards.
Blessings

[markc]

the 30-30 is still a good gun for the Piney Woods.   There are some big whitetail and hogs in there, but non of them can handle a well placed 30-30 round.

I think the license or use fee for public lands in Texas is still around $40.00 for the year. Tx Parks & Wildlife will furnish you with maps of the land and show you where to go for the species of game you are after.   They also have some good bird hunting areas included during their respective seasons.

Some caution though.  Most of the areas do not allow wheeled vehicles. This includes carts for hauling deer out by hand.  Most of the slob hunters will be 100 or so yards into the woods, so they don't have to walk far.  If you are in good shape, then spend a considerable amount of time in the off season, scouting the areas with a friend, using the furnished maps.  

Don't use really expensive stands if you can avoid it.  There are osme thieves in them woods.

Check out the TPWD web site, click on hunting and follow the links.  Good luck.

[roninrus1]

Love my Rem 700 BDL 30.06 I paid $115 for in 1971. :toast:
And my F-350 crew that has room to take my kids and grandkids hunting and fishing.  
AND part of what TRAPPERJOHN said is true about the cost of hunting. Part is untrue about a .22 being enough rifle for ALL TX deer, the ALL is mine. The typical deer in the Austin area is a different animal from the brush country deer down south or the piney woods in the east.
Between foreigners from across the rivers driving up prices, and the poachers, things have gotten pretty bad here.  Wish I had an answer!
Of course, if somebody don't like it here the borders are always open!

[ponydog80]

If it were not for a friend of mine that has several thousand acres down there...I could not afford to hunt there either.....the allow no maoney to change hands for a hunt....but they just invite friends and family....about 20,000 acres of the best S texas brush country you'd ever wanna hunt...6 miles away they pay 4500.00 bucks for a week , a guide and a 10 point, or 12 point deer......I paid for my gas to get there.....and a few rounds from a .270.........aint friendship a great thing ??

[rockbilly]

A number of things caused the "pay to hunt" mentality here in Texas.  First, as a whole, most hunters are nice folks, but those few rectums who tore up property, left gates open, shot stock, windmills, water tanks then drove off leaving all their beer cans and trash on the ranchers property put it off limits to all hunters.  I let some folks hunt a piece of property several years ago, during deer season we were moving cattle.  I pulled a trailer load on the property and was in the process of unloading when a guy I never seen before came over, pointed his gun at me and asked what the hell are you doing.  I told him I owned the property and ask who he was and what he was doing there.  He said some guy who was related to the guy I agreed to let hunt had given him permission to hunt there.  I had to call the game warren to have him removed.  I didn't press any charges, but should have, I caught the same guy and two of his friends there the following week-end.  I did press charge that time, trespassing with the intent of poaching.

Last, but not least, we live in a sue crazy society.  One local rancher was sued because a bull damaged a vehicle that belonged to an individual he let hunt on the property.  Sad thing, the rancher ended up paying.  I don't think that place has been hunted for over 25 years for that reason.

Bottom line, if you want to hunt and can't pay for a lease, offer to help the rancher/farmer for the right to hunt on his property.  Lots of land owners will find a place for you to hunt if they are approached right.

[roninrus1]

Rockbilly, on the nose!
I'm old enough to remember when most of E. TX was open range.  No fences to speak of and ya could hunt about anywhere ya wanted.
Then civilization voted out open range and the farmers/ranchers started making people pay to hunt to re-coup the money they spent on fencing.  Then it just escalated w/high dollar corporate leases driving prices up.
Used to do just like you said.  Had some places we could hunt and I had hammers, fence staples and some wire in my truck all the time.  Even got "caught" fixing some fence and the guy was surprised we were doing it.  Said he wondered who had fixed a couple of other places and was certainly appreciative.  Problem is some many old-timers have died and places have changed hands so often we can't keep up.
If U need help just hollar.  Don't mind working some weekends for a place to hunt! :grin: