Standby question

[Mule Skinner]

I’ve been playing the TPWD drawn hunt game for about 30 years. I was always under the impression—granted, possibly wrong impression—that standby was only available for drawn permits that weren’t paid by the deadline. If, that particular hunt area offers standby.

Last week I spoke on the phone with a hunt manager for a hunt that my son and I were drawn for. The hunt is next week. We paid prior to the deadline, all good.

My son cannot make the hunt due to his work schedule. I am confirmed to go. I shared this with the hunt manager on the phone and he said he would offer up my son’s paid spot for standby.

I didn’t want to question him and risk pissing him off.

So, my question is, can paid spots for no shows be offered up for standby?

Thanks in advance.

[BigRed323]

Yes they can. They have a quota they’re trying to fill and if someone doesn’t show up, they will (and should) let someone who wants to hunt, hunt it.

Just out of curiosity, are you against that happening? And if so, what’s the reasoning?

[Killer]

The biologists that run those WMA hunts can pretty much do what they want up to a point if the animals are there to hunt.

[Mule Skinner]

10-4. Thanks for the responses.

[SC-001]

Every place has their own d@mn set of rules, some will not offer standbys no matter what even if no drawn hunters show, some will only offer standbys if drawn hunters confirm they won't make the hunt, and others will give drawn hunters spots away to standby if you miss the check in/orientation time the first day of the hunt. One place in particular I hunted if you weren't in the gate by 10am sharp they locked it and you were SOL, one drawn guy showed up 30 minutes late and called the hunt manager wanting in, they told him to drive home, the area was closed for the hunt.

[BTLowry]

Every place has their own d@mn set of rules, some will not offer standbys no matter what even if no drawn hunters show, some will only offer standbys if drawn hunters confirm they won't make the hunt, and others will give drawn hunters spots away to standby if you miss the check in/orientation time the first day of the hunt. One place in particular I hunted if you weren't in the gate by 10am sharp they locked it and you were SOL, one drawn guy showed up 30 minutes late and called the hunt manager wanting in, they told him to drive home, the area was closed for the hunt.

Where was that?

Only hunt I know of that does that is the post card hunts and that is clearly stated in the rules for the ones we have done. There is no hunt fee on them, you pay the application fee

Unless someone says they will not be there I have never known any of the hunts we have been on to give a paid spot to a standby hunter. If you show up late you have to go through the orientation process before you can hunt though

I am all for using the manager's discretion for standbys. If they are over or have come real close to their quotas for take it makes sense to not have standbys run those numbers over. They still let the drawn hunters hunt

[SC-001]

Devils river, back when Wardlaw ran the hunt

[Yakinthebox]

Every hunt I've seen listed for Devil's River straight up said no stanbys. Must have changed from how they used to operate.

[bowhntrmatt]

I figured paid spots that no-showed were mostly what standbys were comprised of. If drawn hunters didn't pay, it would go to second draw. I've also seen some properties that will pull a few extra standby hunters, depending on the harvest numbers they are wanting to hit.

[ZINS708]

Devils river, back when Wardlaw ran the hunt

Devils River doesn’t do standbys anymore. I asked the hunt coordinator about it last week and he said they didn’t want people driving all the way out there to get turned away.

[SC-001]

Devils River doesn’t do standbys anymore. I asked the hunt coordinator about it last week and he said they didn’t want people driving all the way out there to get turned away.

A standby didn't fill his spot, my point was they sent a drawn hunter home because he was late to the gate.

I figured paid spots that no-showed were mostly what standbys were comprised of. If drawn hunters didn't pay, it would go to second draw. I've also seen some properties that will pull a few extra standby hunters, depending on the harvest numbers they are wanting to hit.

There wasn't a 2nd draw until 2014, the year they changed to online applications for draw hunts.

[MtnMike]

I drew an Antlerless Hunt at Enchanted Rock in 2020. Twenty permits were issued. On the day of the hunt, 12 hunters showed up for Standby positions. The Hunt Coordinator added 10 Spots for Standby Hunters(something that I did not know they did) and One of the Drawn Hunters Daughter was unable to make the hunt(her Father notified Coordinator) so they gave 11 more hunters permits to hunt on that hunt for a total of 30 hunters on the area. Only one hunter went home without a permit. I found out most were locals or did not travel very far for the Standby Spots.

[BarBBar]

I tried standby at Enchanted Rock last year and two of twelve were drawn out of the hat. Some guys said they were driving all over the state from standby to standby. Not sure about their work schedule, but all that driving would wear me out.

[MtnMike]

I tried standby at Enchanted Rock last year and two of twelve were drawn out of the hat. Some guys said they were driving all over the state from standby to standby. Not sure about their work schedule, but all that driving would wear me out.

Did you get picked?

[turnerr]

Chaparral used to take all standbys on the youth doe hunts if they had room.