I like that last photo, pretty funny.  That deer is really checkinh out the camera.

As for them being resilient, it does help when you are feeding and watering them.  Not baggin on what you do there, just making an observation.  Those deer, with your help, are still getting good water and nutrients.

Now, go take some photos in the backcountry, where they are truly living off the land.  See if the antler size is comparable or not, that would be the real test.

Some great looking bucks there!  Best of luck this fall!!!

Good post as I have been wondering how things have been holding up down there. I hunted for the first time last year for Whitetail in Texas and did well and will be going back again this year. I don't remember much for water in the area we hunted so I'm not sure how it will be. We will be hunting up in the panhandle in some agriculture areas so I'm betting there was more water around than I was aware of.

I will be hunting free range aoudad as well in March but the guys down on the border tell me that as long as the cactus are still alive the aoudad will be fine and not leave the area.

Alot of the stock tanks are starting to dry up too and more and more wildfires start up everyday. So far Texas has had over 3.5 million acres consumed by wildfires. Where is Smokey the Bear when you need him? Once we get some rain, all these fires will actually be beneficial to the wildlife and the pastures. The only bad thing is we aren't expected to start seeing rain again until later this fall sometime.

Yeah supplemental feeding has become a large part of deer herd management in Texas. It helps get the fawn recruitment up and keeps deer's home ranges smaller so they don't get blasted by non-management-minded hunters. All of the supplemental feeders you see in the pictures are free choice that feed 20% protein pellets. All these feeders have a 300 yard sanctuary boundary and will not ever have a deer shot by one. Doesn't matter if I have a 200" buck sticking his tongue out at me by one, as long as he's by that feeder he's safe. This allows for the deer to feed there without the pressure of hunting it. The actual hunting stands are over food plots several hundred yards away.

I'm still trying to get pictures and video of some of my big bucks from last year. I had (1) 15 point and (1) 16 point that were both 4.5 yo deer that I watched last year. With the improvement of horn from the two deer pictured above, I am anxious to see what my (2) big non-typicals look like this year. When I get pics I will post them.

Those are some really nice looking bucks. I can't wait to see some pictures of your giant non-typical bucks. Thanks for sharing your pictures and keep them coming.