Black Gap-- any one been out there?

[txnduckhntr]

anyone been out to black gap for mule deer?
i drew the archery hunt in late october and was curious how it was out there?
hunt water holes or spot stalk etc?
any info would be great

[Bilbo]

You got the October one huh? Late November here. Make sure and give me tips when you get back. I've just began gathering maps etc.

[Mr Hood]

Awesome place, rugged, and as wild as wild gets! We had kangaroo rats dashing out of the underbrush around camp snatching crumbs falling off a sandwich like they were calling for a fair catch! Coyotes will come right into camp at night, and there are a few black bears that happen into the area now and then. Go PREPARED FOR ANYTHING. Bring everything you need with you and I mean EVERYTHING. My cell phone was useless. Closest water faucet is twenty miles or so if you hunt down toward the river (you could drink the river water?), No stores near and no ice for 40 miles or more. Best hunting is along the trails to and from the guzzlers, and they have a set distance you have to be away from the guzzler itself. I suppose the best hunting is above the ranger station in the open brush, although we hunted closer to the river in the mountains and draws. We hunted hard for 15 days from a camp a few miles from the river. I saw 7 or 8 mulies, and 2 REALLY good bucks but failed to connect on anything but a fox. (Predators were legal on our hunt) Some of the guys hunting the upper parts were more successful; but remember it is a BIG place and they are Desert Mule Deer, they live with extreme heat. They don't move much after the sun is up and water is the key to everything.
I never been stabbed, cut, scraped, or bitten more in my life, but STILL a memory I will never forget.

[Mr Hood]

Wish they would open it up for the entire bowseason again. Way back when, bowhunting was allowed without a draw...the wind whistling through the caves at night---something that will haunt your dreams forever...Oh and I think they have Mountain lions too.

[El Paisano]

Hunted out there in 1967 or '68. I would love to go back. It is real hunting.

[GMAR]

My son and I got drawn there two years ago. Had no idea how to hunt them but still had one of the greatest hunts we've ever had. For five days, the only human we saw was the guy in the next compartment. Saw several bucks and a few javis but got no good shots. Hunt near guzzlers, and if you use a pop-up,HIDE IT WELL! The deer stayed well away from anything that looked out of place. Everything out there will stab or cut you but its still worth every bit of it. Went in early Dec. and was really cold in the morning and pretty hot during the day. Deer moved very early and very late. On the last morning it was really cold and we decided to sleep in and then at the last minute decided to go out. Got to my spot late and as I crept in, jumped a nice 3x3 right where I was gonna sit. Long drive and take everything you could possibly need cause the store (15 miles? each way) has only basics and they charge an arm and a leg for what they have. Good luck and enjoy a stark but beautiful place.

[Mr Hood]

The store must be new. ? I seem to remember there were some buildings up on the highway that were a combination tourist trap--store, but they had very little of anything and at the time---92' or 93'---and NO ICE....we were told we were on our own once we left the highway, lucky we were prepared. But the place on the highway was where we did find the water faucet to wash all the dust off!
I noticed the literature TPWD puts out about the Black Gap is EXACTLY the same as it was then.

[Mr Hood]

Our hunt was in the first part of Oct. Low 90's upper 80's during the day, 70's at night. We rigged a 40x40 tarp by pegging one end down with rocks and had poles holding up the other, slept on cots in the open under it maybe 12" off the ground. Dug a pit for our coolers with ice at the back of the tarp where the rocks pinned it down, put down another tarp in the pit and packed the coolers in around the sides with wet sand and the good 100qt igloos kept it for the 15 days. We were so tired after the hunts, the only thing that woke us at night was the coyotes smelling the food we cooked and coming up close after the fire died down.

[txnduckhntr]

this is too cool........keepit coming

[Mr Hood]

We wished for a predator call but didn't have one, and most of the time at night were too whooped to get out of the cot and shine a light. Remember the heat is a big factor and water is the key to everything. INCLUDING your own survival---take plenty with you when hunting especially if you intend on moving around.
We tried it all being neophytes and discovered that spot and stalk was not very productive for us. The deer we saw, in fact almost everything we saw was moving to and from a guzzler. We hunted from pit and brush-blinds (nobody had heard of a pop-up back then ) and found out they change trails from day to day coming to the guzzlers. One of my partners shot at a nice 3x4 but it was at 40 plus and he missed clean. I nabbed a pretty fox and several scaled quail which were also legal and delicious cooked at camp that night! We also saw a wild Mule wandering back and forth between Mexico and Texas on several occasions. Bellering at us all the way as he came and went.
A trip down to the river beats the heat and a good soak in the Rio feels great! We caught some perch one afternoon and ate them too.
I think it is as close to being dropped out of an airplane and left behind in Alaska as you can get in Texas...
It's surely the closest you can get to working and still have fun.

[Bilbo]

Got my permit in the mail today...One mule deer or whitetail buck, one javelina and unlimited coyotes.

[txnduckhntr]

Got my permit in the mail today...One mule deer or whitetail buck, one javelina and unlimited coyotes.

same here brother........im stoked..
people are already giving me a hard time about going.. i tell them if i see a deer, a bighorn, or just make some tracks out there im satisfied...
have you called out there yet?
i have a unlisted number for the biologist i will pass on if you need it.....he's a helpful and honest guy and thnks we will have a good hunt do to lack of rains..
we shall see.
were did you get your maps if you dont mind me asking?

[Bilbo]

I have talked to Pittman over there once. He told me the same thing about rain and good deer #'s. All I've got is topo maps from a program we have at work. I would LOVE to get ahold of a compartment map before I go. Still trying to find one of those. I've got an idea of the area I want.

[txnduckhntr]

I have talked to Pittman over there once. He told me the same thing about rain and good deer #'s. All I've got is topo maps from a program we have at work. I would LOVE to get ahold of a compartment map before I go. Still trying to find one of those. I've got an idea of the area I want.

if you could get me a topo map of BGWMA i will be willing to compinsate you!
i talked to Pittman, and he directed me to a lower level guy who pretty much stays at black gap, instead of spending time at the other wma's... he is a darn nice fellow..
are you camping or staying in town?

[txnduckhntr]

i saw a compartment map online somewheres, but it was just lines drawn on a plain map...ill see if i can find it and get it too you.