# Heard County 2013



## broach0018

Ok, let's hear it! What's the activity looking like?


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## arrow2

LFTT been sitting all day have not seen anything yet this year


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## outdoorlife99

*same here*

I think heard is still trying to recover from the brown its down years, yes back in the day we had enough deer for people to shoot as they please. just not the case now. BUT, talk with any club president they always see lots of deer, big bucks also. Funny how that works..........


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## Rocko

I've hunted the last 5 days. 1 deer seen. I sat from day light to dark. every day. No bucks and only 4 does on 6 cameras, since August. 150 acres, not feeling good about Heard Co.


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## blood on the ground

Hunted from Friday to Sunday and seen plenty of does but no bucks yet. Our rut is still a few weeks away so I think things will pick up soon.


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## Ehampt

Headed down for the first time this weekend. Hopefully this cold front will get some moving. Reading what yall wrote doesn't sound too promising, though.


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## Rackmaster

*Heard*

Electricman we have the same problem.  These locals go down the main dirt roads and dig out the ditches with their 4x4s and 4 wheelers, they take their trucks and push on our gates until they are in a u shape.  Our land borders the West Point WMA and they are tearing up the roads on the WMA as well.  We have talked to the Game Warden and he can't seem to catch them either!


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## WestGaJohn

Hunted Sunday morning & evening.  Two different spots & saw & heard 0.  It won't get good in Heard Co until closer to Thanksgiving.


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## blood on the ground

WestGaJohn said:


> Hunted Sunday morning & evening.  Two different spots & saw & heard 0.  It won't get good in Heard Co until closer to Thanksgiving.



Yep!


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## Jay Hughes

Seen a few scrapes. Got a couple of almost shooter bucks on camera. Don't usually start getting pictures of the big boys until November.


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## JM52388

Had over 10 different bucks in 1 food plot last week on cam with fights everyday!! Dad saw 4 bucks 1 being a shooter right at last light but couldnt shoot on saturday. I saw 3 bucks sunday an watched 2 four pts fight sunday. Rubs everywhere an scrapes starting to stay clean. Been good at our place.


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## Meriwether Mike

Saw nothing on Saturday afternoon. Only heard one shot which was early. Did have a cool encounter with a bobcat though.


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## broach0018

Slow at our place.  Only a few deer on camera and two bucks since season started.  Should pick up closer to thanksgiving.


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## 308 WIN

Very poor in Heard for us. Been getting worse for years. Anyone who hunted in the 80's and 90's knows it's just sad that our deer herd could now be in this situation.


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## Redneck Maguiver

Its only getting worse IMO.  last year got weak toward the end of the season and this year is starting out just as it ended.  Got alot of pics during the spring and summer and now nothing hardly.


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## JM52388

They are really tearin the food plots up 200+ pics a week! I saw basket rack an  and my dad saw 7 does saturday morning 3 does sunday morning and dad saw 3 does last night and went ahead an took one. Rubs on every cedar tree i walk by. Seein plenty of deer.


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## toolmkr20

I keep hearing the same thing about our county. I just don't understand how the deer herd in Heard Co. can be so different property to property. I have seen deer almost every trip to the woods this year. I took a nice doe a few weeks ago. I haven't seen any shooter bucks but like others have said it will still be a week or two before the big boys make an appearance. Are you guys that aren't seeing anything just not seeing deer period or just not seeing bucks? Also what areas of the county are you hunting because the 100 side  closer to Ephesus seems to be loaded with deer to me but I guess some tracts could be better then others depending on how much people are willing to put into the property. As far as the locals tearing up personal property I haven't noticed that on our lease yet and hopefully I won't, i'm a local myself and have never felt the need to act like an idiot and mess up someones property. Hope you guys catch the morons messing up the roads and damaging your gates. Also hope the hunting gets better for you guys and y'all get a crack at one the beasts that I know Heard has hiding out in the pines


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## UCFdanny3

From my views today, the rut is starting up! At 8:00 this morning I saw what I guessed was an 8-point (because he never looked up) on a bee line for a doe that had run through the area a few minutes before. I tried grunting, blowing, calling, everything and couldn't get him to stop for a shot.

On the side of the bypass (just west of 16) there is a deer that was hit by a car and the neck is bigger around than the chest.


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## Hogwild80

I dont hunt heard county i hunt lamar,last year was good,i didnt kill a single deer off of it my brother inlaw killed two and seen plenty of deer,this year i hunted all week and seen zero,food plots didnt do well,and dont have acorns like we did last year dont understand it,maybe its a combination between the two we have a total of five foodplots on 125 acres maybe it will come around


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## Ehampt

hunted this weekend, not too much movement. too warm, plus full moon. Starting to see more scrapes though. Where we hunt in Texas off 219, rut hits hard 12/8-12/15. That is the week to be in the woods. Not a single buck on our cameras, though.......


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## kvbbro

My son shot his first buck,  a 4-point this past weekend (Friday afternoon).  Saw one buck on trail cam and starting to see fresh rubs and scrapes.  Near Texas.


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## ehunt

maybe the state of Alabama should "buy" heard county so we could hunt they're hunting season dates and actually get to hunt heard co deer the way they should be hunted.  im saying it gets good and then season closes. frustrating since 1994 when I started hunting there


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## JM52388

Got this buck checkin scrape this past week! Saturday had doe pee in front of and buck came running from pines grunting and went straight to pee and peed on top of it. Heard more grunting and limbs breaking but never saw him yesterday. Getting good at our property just outside of franklin!


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## Pseman17

*got this nice one on camera lastweek*

this one is pretty nice got him on camera last week his neck still aint swole but there starting to lay scrapes but its still the little guys right now


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## JM52388

Heres a few from the plots! Got some others but not real clear.


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## Pseman17

JM52388 said:


> Heres a few from the plots! Got some others but not real clear.



them are some nice deer what part of heard if you dont mind me asking


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## JM52388

East of franklin. PSE you got anymore pics of that buck? Looks pretty tall!!!


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## Pseman17

JM52388 said:


> East of franklin. PSE you got anymore pics of that buck? Looks pretty tall!!!



I only caught him two times but it's the same way I'll have to get on the laptop and look I think I got him in the plot but I'm not sure if it's the same deer but least we got him in the daylight them big boys are starting to show thereselves and we hunt right out of Glenn.


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## Pseman17

Do you think this is the same deer


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## toolmkr20

Had this little guy come in to my Tinks this morning grunting and acting like he was boss of the woods lol. He really thought he was the man. So far its just these little guys but it won't be long and their daddy's and granpappies will be showing up.


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## Pseman17

toolmkr20 said:


> Had this little guy come in to my Tinks this morning grunting and acting like he was boss of the woods lol. He really thought he was the man. So far its just these little guys but it won't be long and their daddy's and granpappies will be showing up.



Yes sir


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## broach0018

Found scrapes and starting to see more bucks on the camera. Slowly but surely picking up in the Frolona area.


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## ehunt

texas update-7 different scrapes found to and from atv. on 115 acres. woo wee its fixin to get nasty boys.


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## broach0018

Yes sir!! Thanksgiving week is when it's Hot!! Every year!


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## blood on the ground

I haven't been to our club in centralhatchee since opening weekend, I'm headed down Saturday morning.


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## Dustin Pate

broach0018 said:


> Yes sir!! Thanksgiving week is when it's Hot!! Every year!



Yep. I have seen it get good around this time (20-21) on very cold years. Other than that the last weekend of November and first week of December is go time.


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## JM52388

1 lonely doe seen this morning. Got card from cam on scrape and scrape has grew about 2 ft in diameter since sunday!


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## Pseman17

JM52388 said:


> 1 lonely doe seen this morning. Got card from cam on scrape and scrape has grew about 2 ft in diameter since sunday!



Was there any pics on it


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## JM52388

The battery was dead when this morning but sunday morning it was fully charged! Dont know what happened! Had 1 pic of this 7 looks like he may have been a 8 but broke one.


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## Ehampt

nice mass!



JM52388 said:


> The battery was dead when this morning but sunday morning it was fully charged! Dont know what happened! Had 1 pic of this 7 looks like he may have been a 8 but broke one.


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## JM52388

Got alot of buck activity on the 19. This 7 pt from the previous scrape pic passed by the cam in food plot multiple times. Had a doe walk by cam with 4 pt about 6 mins behind her. No more rutting activity pics after that day.


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## toolmkr20

Well anybody given ole mossy horns a truck ride yet? I hunted Saturday morning with my bro-n-law on his lease off of 219 and found two fresh scrapes about the size of small car hoods. Its gonna be good the next few weeks I just wish the rain would hold off. Good luck to everyone.


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## ehunt

ready and waiting for the storm to pass and im going after my avatars brother!!!!!! hope they get nasty this weekend. 11/29 is my day in heard. good luck to all.


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## JM52388

Been real slow this week with all the wind! All my pics have been at night pass 3 days did a new big bodied buck in plot last night and found some more scrapes today!


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## toolmkr20

Anybody huntin in the rain this morning? I'm hoping tomorrow when I get to go that it'll be snowing instead. I hate miserable rainy hunts that are cold. Good luck to everyone.


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## Ehampt

Good luck! Let us know whats going on. taking the 11th-13 off and will be in the woods hard that whole long weekend.


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## Meriwether Mike

Hunted the evenings this past weekend. Saw two Saturday and gave a big doe a ride in the truck Sunday evening. The doe Sunday was alone, but no buck showed. I was up against darkness or I would have waited longer. This was my last Heard County hunt before doe days go out as I will be in Jasper County this weekend. I heard several shots Saturday and only two on Sunday.


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## broach0018

Been at it since Monday morning. Slow so far. Off all week hunting morning and afternoon. Hoping for some luck in the morning! Good luck fellas!


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## ehunt

I will be at it starting tomorrow afternoon till dark sunday. will post updates from tree.


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## Perry Hayes

The Bucks are on the move in Heard, several seen last week. I took a 9 and he was stinking to high heaven.


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## Ehampt

Good luck, ehunt!


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## toolmkr20

Didn't see anything this morning except for another lone spike but it was cool hunting in the snow again.


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## ehunt

thx ehampt. and good luck to everyone else. lets show the forum what heard has left to offer! or maybe we'll just keep it to ourselves. tried to make this eve hunt but couldn't. will be n tree at 6:15 tomorrow am. as long as I got air in my lungs! I plan on eating lunch Saturday at j.j's if any of yall want to stop by


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## Jay Hughes

Ran deer out of my plot walking to my stand this morning. Frozen mud is LOUD! Seeing deer, but no bucks with them. Hoping that changes this morning. Hearing several shots. Happy Thanksgiving and good luck!


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## loglayer

It s happening n Texas ga RIGHT NOW...


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## ehunt

Well I'm n Texas haven't seen a deer yet


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## ehunt

Sure is a nice morning for it though maybe they will get up soon


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## ehunt

loglayer its sho nuff on! heard some chasing right at dark off in the distance and seen blood in a fresh scrape so we all know what that means.


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## kvbbro

Hunted the first part of the Thanksgiving week but didn't see anything (all the wind and rain sure didn't help). But heard two bucks sparring for the first time in my life.  That got my heart racing...just didn't have a doe bleat call to try to get them over to me.  

Couple of bucks on the trail cam too...


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## JM52388

Shot this guy this morning! Came in to my grunt lookin for a fight. Big body hocks black and neck swole.


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## toolmkr20

Congrats JM.


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## ehunt

Congrats jm


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## Dustin Pate

Had spike running a doe all over me this afternoon. I think it is just getting good in my area and I have to go out of town for work for the next week.


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## ehunt

shut out today. deer seen =0


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## toolmkr20

I'll be back out Tuesday I hope.


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## Ehampt

Coming down by 12 noon on the 11th. Hope they hold off til then..b in the woods looking for the big.boy.


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## ehunt

ehampt you might be in the chips cause I hunted hard over the holiday and didn't see the first deer. By the way did you get my text?


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## Perry Hayes

No deer seen on my lease this weekend.


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## ehunt

All I can say is wow. Checked a cam that's been running since last year. Wow


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## Ehampt

That is fo sho a monster!!!Hope he is still on the hoof ten days from now. Hopefully all the rain and warm temps this week will for sure hold the rut activity down til the second week of dec..


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## Ehampt

That ain't good! Where do u hunt?


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## Electricman

Roopville


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## toolmkr20

I'll be out there in the morning hoping for biggun to make an appearance. Good luck to everyone.


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## ehunt

71degrees Thursday and 72 for Friday high temps? welp that aint gonna help matters any at all.


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## toolmkr20

I know what you mean. It seems like every time I get a day off its either hot, windy or raining.


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## Pseman17

it will be second week of December for us with the weather like its going to be this weekend


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## Rocko

7 deer seen since bow season opened, 1 doe killed , hunted 3 days each week the entire season. I do believe this is my last year for heard county.


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## Redneck Maguiver

Rocko said:


> 7 deer seen since bow season opened, 1 doe killed , hunted 3 days each week the entire season. I do believe this is my last year for heard county.



I hear ya brother.  I got over 50 hours on the stand since just before Thanksgiving and only seen one small spike. 6 years of hard work to make a nice club and then get no rewards at all.  Heard is a joke.  It was Great at one time but a lot of locals shooting deer at night and shooting 1000 rounds of ammo every day on the weekends.  It will be years before I think it will ever recover back to the way it used to be.  

Just my two cents worth.


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## toolmkr20

You will be missed.... Not


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## Rocko

ouch that really hurt.  NOT


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## Redneck Maguiver

toolmkr20 said:


> You will be missed.... Not



Uncalled for.


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## Dustin Pate

Redneck Maguiver said:


> I hear ya brother.  I got over 50 hours on the stand since just before Thanksgiving and only seen one small spike. 6 years of hard work to make a nice club and then get no rewards at all.  Heard is a joke.  It was Great at one time but a lot of locals shooting deer at night and shooting 1000 rounds of ammo every day on the weekends.  It will be years before I think it will ever recover back to the way it used to be.
> 
> Just my two cents worth.



I agree! While there are certain areas are decent it is not the county it once was and I will challenge anyone on that.

I picked up a smaller tract this year and I am the only person on it. I don't think it has been hunted in a while and you can tell. I have seen more deer on it than I have seen in the other tracts I hunt by long shot. Thank goodness the land owner wants to do something long term and hopefully I can keep building on its potential.


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## specialk

hey guys, deer season is over Jan. 2nd....if any of you want to go rabbit hunting i got a decent pack of beagles and go every weekend thru february......i hunt around powers crossing area, but will go farther......if you want to put a hunt together PM me....good luck with the deer!!


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## Ehampt

So, is anyone actually hunting in Heard this weekend? If so, r u seeing any rut activity?


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## toolmkr20

Redneck Maguiver said:


> Uncalled for.



Really? Whats uncalled for is you blaming your lack of hunting success on the locals. I am a local and take offense to you blaming locals for poaching deer at night and blowing the woods up every chance they get. It seems like on this forum every time people  have issues with their hunting success rate the easy thing to do is blame it on the locals  and it really gets old. Now  that I have that off my chest get out there and shoot a biggun, good luck to ya.


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## Electricman

I blew my doe bleat this morning and had a spike come charging over the hill straight at me, he stopped about 20' from me and stared at me, then walked away (his hocks were very dark and he smeeled pretty strong). I also found a large scrape that was clean with no leaves in it. What would you guys make of that, rut activity?


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## broach0018

Electricman said:


> I blew my doe bleat this morning and had a spike come charging over the hill straight at me, he stopped about 20' from me and stared at me, then walked away (his hocks were very dark and he smeeled pretty strong). I also found a large scrape that was clean with no leaves in it. What would you guys make of that, rut activity?



I would say so.  They are still stinking around my place. Usually rut later at my house than others. It's prime right now. It will slow up a bit then heat back up right as season comes to an end.  Almost 2nd rut like. Been like this for the last 15 years of hunting my property.


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## ehunt

Dry. It's been very dry all but the weather. My rain suit is getting worn out.


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## Electricman

I found 3 new rubs and a scrape yesterday, I hope to hunt them in the next few days. Hopefully I will get to post a pic of Buckzilla soon.


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## Ehampt

Coming down by noon wed and hunting through sunday. hoping it pours rain til about tuesday night. they gotta be getting ready to bust there after all this rain and warm weather. wed-sun. looks real good weather wise. Good luck to all.


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## hc slickhead

I'm a local and have been for 41 yrs. the deer hunting here sucks to say the least . Don't hear of any night hunting much anymore like it was back in the 80's. the 12 deer limit and all the season being doe days have killed us. Also some if the timber co's that have bought up a lot of the timber cut every hard wood tree in sight and don't replant them. No mast crop , no food, no deer! I haven't seen how a pine tree will produce food for natures critters. We tried to pass qdm here back in 2000 and it failed so had the deer heard. I have seen 3 deer total this season and probably will not kill one here at home this season. This will be the first year since 86 that I haven't . It's pitiful!!


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## fuller729

Seen 6 doe this evening and a little 8 chasing one and grunting up a storm.  I have hunted Heard for 14 years now and turn down hunting anywhere else but here.


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## specialk

specialk said:


> hey guys, deer season is over Jan. 2nd....if any of you want to go rabbit hunting i got a decent pack of beagles and go every weekend thru february......i hunt around powers crossing area, but will go farther......if you want to put a hunt together PM me....good luck with the deer!!



bumping it up.....


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## fuller729

I have seen a ton of deer this week and alot of rut activity.


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## Buckhead

I agree with others in that hunting in Heard isn't as good as it was 20-30 yrs ago.  That said, I do think it is improving as of late.  We have a 900 acre lease near Corinth and have seen lots of deer this season.  

I have passed on several decent bucks holding out for a couple of bruisers we have on trail cams.  I probably screwed up.  No sign of them and I think the rut may have been early.  Deer movement is way down since Thanksgiving weekend.  

Hope to go a few more times, but won't hunt in a monsoon.


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## hc slickhead

Well if I knew how to post pics I would show a 10 I got yesterday morning at 8 am in the rain


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## Dustin Pate

hc slickhead said:


> Well if I knew how to post pics I would show a 10 I got yesterday morning at 8 am in the rain



Here you go! Nice deer my man!


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## Ehampt

GREAT deer slickhead!! I shot a pretty decent 8 Thursday evening in Texas. He was scent checking, but his neck was not swollen and tarsals barely stained. Weird.


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## toolmkr20

Nice buck, congrats.


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## ehunt

Great buck! Good to see some of us still know how to get it dun in HEARD. Where there ain't any more deer!


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## hc slickhead

Thanks Dustin!!! He was stinkin, and swelled. Western side of the co. December has always been good in that side


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## 308 WIN

Rocko said:


> 7 deer seen since bow season opened, I do believe this is my last year for heard county.



I'm gone as well. May be just as bad elsewhere, but it sure can't be any worse!


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## toolmkr20

Had a great day in the woods today. I saw a spike right after settling in and then later this evening I had two doe come in feeding. Right before dark had 5 jakes come creeping through.


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## toolmkr20

Happy New Year fellas! Here's to hoping everybody has a great last day of the season. I will be heading out to Oaky Woods WMA with some fellow Heard Co. boys to try and get on some hogs so I won't be going today. Good luck and hunt Safe everybody.


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## blood on the ground

My daughter killed one of the biggest does I have ever seen yesterday morning. We needed one more for the freezer.


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## Buckhead

Goose egg for me this season.  I hunt near Corinth in eastern Heard.  Passed on several 2 - 3 yr old bucks early in the season, but activity really dropped off after Thanksgiving weekend.  Was holding out for a mature buck caught on trail cam.  Never showed.

Our club leases approx 900 acres.  For the season, our tally was 2 bucks and 3 does.  Based on pics and sightings, things are improving, but nothing like back in the 80's.  Hoping a lower doe harvest will boost numbers.


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## Pseman17

seen a lot more mature bucks on trail cam this year then ever from my perspective the deer herd is starting to pick up a lot if the deer have more to eat then you will see more deer if they have no food source then you want see as many deer


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## Pseman17

Let's see some trail cam pics yaw guys captured this year I have a dozen good ones


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## kvbbro

*11 pt Buck on last day!!*

My son shot a nice buck on the last day of the season.  11 pt.

Turns out it had a huge wound from a few weeks back- i'm guessing by the looks of it.   Someone took a head-on shot and missed low and blew out a huge hole.  Tough animal. 

Here's a pic.


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