This Way To My Blog

This Way To My Blog

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Hunting Is Big Business In South Texas

Everywhere you look they are getting ready for the big day. Deer blinds and deer feeders being moved to what someone surmises will be a better location. Last week I was behind a man in check-out at Walmart* who had sack after sack stacked on his cart of deer corn. I didn't even know they sold such a thing. Yes they start feeding weeks ahead of time. Some ranches have even gone to leasing out hunting rights instead of raising cattle. When we went to the ranch this afternoon we were surprised to see the hunters on the west area and the back forty had planted oats or something to draw in the deer and the wild hogs. We were just out there yesterday and that little crop wasn't in the ground. They were busy while we were at church. We have time to visit before church and one man who lives down the road from the church said a wild hog had attacked his dog and he had to patch him up. He also says the hogs come up to the church at times. They can be vicious and destructive so they do need to be done away with but the pretty deer? Yes they need to be thinned out too and what is the difference in eating vinison and beef? I had a chance to kill one once with a pretty stack of horns and I couldn't pull the trigger. I think that's called "buck fever". I did enjoy sitting in a deer blind with Mel on his grandmother's ranch on a cold late afternoon watching for a deer to come out of the brush. I always secretly wished he wouldn't get a perfect bead on that deer. Would have much prefered him aiming with a good camera. It was some good times together though and was worth me getting scolded for my stomach growling. He thought that would scare the deer off. If I got tired sitting on that uncomfortable can and my eyes so cold I couldn't see well into the brush I would count Daddylonglegs spiders up in the corner of the blind. It did get cold in winter back then here in south Texas. Now it's hot for most of the season or goes back to hot after a cool spell. I don't know when the deer season actually starts here, probably not until November but when it does we won't be spending much time on the back forty and the cattle may be penned out of there so someone doesn't look at a cow and see a deer and aim.

6 comments:

TARYTERRE said...

I LOVE deer and hate hunting season.

TexWisGirl said...

oh, the dog attacked by the hog is scary. i always worry about them here - i've seen them just down the dirt road a bit.

i thinking hunting any animal for food is fine. hunting for trophies... not so much.

jack69 said...

I was a true hunter for years, that is I hunted, but never did FIND. hahaha
Most of the folk I know who hunt, eat the harvest and it augments the dinner meals.

Daddy used to bring home rabbits ans squirrel, loved them both.

About deer corn, I had never heard of it, but once in Texas I saw a pickup with a utility trailer loaded with bags labeled DEER CORN, my first. That is aboub the time I learned that hunting was a BIG cash crop in Texas.
Thanks for another good entry..

Chatty Crone said...

I heard in some places the men start letting their beards grow out!

The dog attacked by the hog - not good.

I am not a hunter! lol

Wendy said...

They are getting ready around here too for deer hunting season. Bow season starts at the end of Sept. The landlords daughter and I are disgusted with her brothers. Their father hasn't even been gone a month and they already have deer stands up. Makes us sick as their father never allowed hunting and fed these deer, so they are really tame. Such a shame and the boys in my opinion are showing disrespect to their deceased Dad. Wait a year at least. We hunt on our property but only take one or two bucks and we take them for the meat, not the rack. I do not buy deer corn as that is outrageously priced. We have salt blocks out all year and I also feed 10% horse feed, which they love, and it's cheaper than deer corn or feed. This year we are also keeping water tubs filled for them. We don't have a game fence so they can come and go and it's a challenge but in our opinion it gives the bucks a fair chance.

Lori said...

I love seeing and watching deer, but I love eating them too. Here bow season starts in October and gun season starts in November. It's probably very similar there.