By Brandon Ray

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

Snow continues to fall in the Texas Panhandle. On Christmas Day, I got another four inches at my house. What that means for deer hunters in the region is simple: Deer are really keyed in on food sources now. At two of my bait sites, trails through the snow are like spokes on a wheel going back into canyons and thick brush. The deer need the extra calories to fend off the cold weather. If you hunt such a spot, there’s a good chance you’ll see lots of deer. Corn is the best attractant I’ve tried in the late season, but they also eat alfalfa hay.

By Brandon Ray

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

Bucks at the top of Texas are more concerned with food and survival than does right now. I’ve seen and heard others report about bucks hanging in small bachelor groups near food sources like wheat or corn feeders. I’ve also heard a couple of guys report that they tried rattling and grunting to a distant buck with zero response. Like any other place you hunt post-rut bucks, look for the best food sources and setup nearby.

By Brandon Ray

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

Texas has a lot more to offer than just four million deer and world-class buck hunting. Exotic species are common across the state. The most common of these exotics are axis deer, blackbuck antelope and aoudad sheep. Middle Texas has the highest concentration of these common exotic species, and many more super exotics on some properties. Some are found on high-fenced ranches, but almost as many are found on low-fenced properties.

There is no closed season or bag limit on these introduced, exotic species. Management is basically left in the hands of the landowner. Depending on where you hunt, ranchers might want their exotics shot on sight, since some compete directly with native whitetails. Others foster those populations and charge trophy fees for harvested animals.

By Brandon Ray

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

Ty Day is having a good season. First, he shot a big 160-class whitetail in the Texas Panhandle with his rifle. And recently, he followed it up with a big-bodied buck from northwestern Oklahoma.

Ty was hunting a stand in a creek bottom. The stand set near two well-traveled trails along the brushy river corridor. He’d only been in the stand 30 minutes when the first deer of the afternoon sauntered through the woods. All Ty could see was a big body and a flash of antler. He positioned his Hoyt bow in case it was a shooter.