Question: “We are going to start deer hunting in Lampasas County this coming season. We have hunted on the western edge of the hill country for two decades, but now we are on the east side and it’s a whole new game. Got on a 700 acre deer lease about 10 miles south of Lampasas that is located just off of Highway 183. One of the guys we met in town said that some decent bucks come out of Lampasas County. Do you have any knowledge of the area.”
Deer Hunting Pros: All of the Texas Hill Country can produce good deer, but Lampasas County really has the potential to grow some big bucks. I’m quite familiar with the Lampasas area because two of my good friends have hunted up there for years. Still do. I think Lampasas County is a sleeper county that not many talk about, but I’ve seen some good bucks in the back of trucks up that way. The deer hunting up that way can be good, but of course the productivity of your lease will depend on many factors.
Based on the location you gave, it sounds like you will actually be deer hunting near the town of Watson, which is in Burnet County. This area is similar to Lampasas County in that the habitat can vary quite a bit. Depending on the location of your lease, it can range from wide open prairie lands with a low deer density to wooded creeks and pockets of habitat that are basically overpopulated with deer. Either way can be good hunting. The areas with low deer densities will produce larger bucks without a doubt.
Like much of the Texas, this part of the state can get over-hunted in a hurry. It’s not uncommon for ranches to have poor habitat and deer management in the area. A drive down any of the county roads in that area will reveal the culprits. Amazingly, these are typically the same people that will give you dirty looks for leasing land near them and shooting “their” deer. As a plus, there are some exotics running around that country, namely axis deer, fallow deer and even some black buck.
Find a good travel corridor, whether it be a wooded strip, creek or fenceline and get your stand and feeders up soon. It’s hot as hell right now, but the deer hunting season is just around the corner. Burnet and Lampasas County tend to have decent acorn crops in most years, so plan on that happening. The rut takes place during the first two weeks in November, sometimes even late October can be hot. If you want to do the food plot thing keep it simple and go with oats. Fertilize it if you can afford to do so.