PS- I' ve got to agree that the BBQ alone is worth the drive. I' ve been on a few real good dove hunts down around Mason as well

Your right< Coopers in Llano is great, but you need to take out a loan to eat there!

JC,

I agree - they' re proud of their BBQ. Almost has to be a special occasion to make it worth it. My problem is that I so rarely get down to that part of the country that when I do make it, I kind of get starry eyed and many budgetary disciplines just flat out go out the window.

BTW, how' s hunting season going for you?

Big Sandy is near the Tyler/Longview area of East Texas.

I have only had the chance to hunt in Llano a couple of times about 8 years ago. Been hunting in Uvalde until last year. I am going back to Llano this year. My new landlord has about 2000 acrea there and is going to take me a couple of times as soon as our football season is over.[:-]

Coopers is proud of that BBQ, but what is a few extra $$ when you spend all that $ on the hunting and travel etc. How long was the line when you were there?? It was backed up the that little station next to it the last time I went. It was about an hour wait or so.[X(] Never seen porkchops so thick! yum yum.

I saw plenty of does and took a management doe, but no bucks. The biggest deer anyone admitted to seeing on the lease was an eight point, but I take that with a grain of salt because everyone stays pretty tight lipped about seeing a big buck.

Have seen lots of deer, but the big one has eluded me. Passing on all the eights this year. We are trying to correct some management issues right now(doe ratio) and can' t seem to catch up. All hunters are expected to take 4 does/ 1 buck this year and it won' t even be close to corrected. I have taken 2 already with my bow and I have seen about 40 more that need to go. We are surrounded by wheat fields and the deer love it!

I have a 640 acres in Hays county. Last saturday morning I was in my blind from 5:30am till 11:30 am. Say a total of 2 shooter bucks (8 point), 3 spikes, 9 does and about 40 turkeys. Saturday evening I saw 10 turkeys and a single doe. Sunday morning I say 12 turkeys, 2 spikes (one huge one he is going down next time) and 1 doe.

Just heard from my buddie who hunting this afternoon and took a spike. Dressed weight of 105 pounds with 8 inch spikes.

Keep in my these are hill country deer so 105 pounds dressed is not bad out here.

The bucks we took around Mason typically dressed in the 95lb. range (8 pts. with 15-16 inch spreads). I shot an old 6 point one year that wasn' t particularly impressive looking but he dressed out at 114. I don' t think anyone else ever took one within 10 pounds of that though there were several with prettier racks.

Opening weekend while hunting in cutoffs and a t-shirt I saw the start of the rut in central Texas. 2-1/2 & 3-1/2 year old bucks actively running young does and making the rounds checking scrapes. Saw two bucks get into a down and dirty fight. This weekend and the next week could be the peak of the rut on our lease.

I have hunted all week, it has been just pot luck so far. On our East Texas club, 8 bucks and five does have been taken between 15 members. With the heat and moon there has really been no pattern. Some are seeing only does, others only bucks.
I have seen only one 4 point buck, but have seen does on every other hunt or so.
It looks like the deer are moving to feed and the rut is going on, but I think the bucks are mostly saving their energy for the nightime hours. It looks like it will be pretty slow until we have a major weather change. I had to come back in, I' ve got to work this weekend, so that is when the weather will probably change.[:' (]