Question: “My hunting group has the opportunity to get on a deer hunting property that is located in both Motley and Hall County. We have been through the area, but are not familiar with the whitetail or mule deer numbers in the Motley County area. Can you tell me how this part of Texas is for deer hunting, both whitetail and mulies? We know the lease has both whitetail and mule deer, but what is the ratio? More whitetail or mule deer? Thanks for all help.”
Response: My college roommate was from that area. He live and hunted near Hall County growing up. He was located southwest of Estelline and north of Turkey. In that area, he said the deer hunting improved immensely during his youth, with very good numbers of mule deer on their ranch, although not so many whitetail deer. It is difficult to get good numbers of both of these animals in one area since they prefer different habitat types.
This was over 10 years ago, so things could have changed, and probably have to some extent. I have heard from other hunters more recently that whitetail numbers have been increasing in many parts of the Texas Panhandle, which is a bad deal for buck quality. Too many deer will make for more deer, but hurt the buck quality. As for what is classified as good deer hunting, there is a fine line between seeing lots of deer and good, quality bucks.
Drought has hurt habitat and the deer herds somewhat recently, as would be expected. The deer numbers will bounce back when it rains. But deer numbers will fluctuate no matter where you hunt. I know a hunter that has killed some big whitetail deer near the town of Roaring Springs. Whitetail prefer shinnery habitat and mesquite flats, while mule deer like the breaks, or the badlands where there is more grass and less brush.
As for hunting in Hall County/Motley County versus Aspermont, I would say go north. From what I know about deer hunting in the Aspermont area it can be okay or really bad. Not to say that there could not be some really great areas, but on the whole the habitat and the animals are better, at least from what I know, around Hall and Motley. Habitat is the key. If you can hunt closer to a river, then you will have more deer, regardless of the county.