Aransas NWR Draw 2024

[cphillips]

Did anyone else on the green screen get selected or am I the only one dumb enough to go get carried away by skeeters. With that being said I plan to ride it out all 9 days. I have some friends in the area who say that some costal swamp donkeys reside with in the NWR and outside of the NWR, but are extremely hard to hunt. Baised off of what my local buddies tell me and what I have read on the numerous forums, we are talking about two totally opposite calibers of deer that I’m seeing get harvested and what they are saying I should be holding out for. This is why I put in for the archery draw. So a few questions I have that hopefully someone can answer.

Is the NWR open for public hiking everyday I know it says it is online for a daily fee but I also live 7 hours away so if I want to go look around for a couple of days is it worth it or just go in blind.

Can you set out trail cameras?

Does anyone know where I can get a map of the place I’ve looked everywhere and must be overlooking it.

Lastly is it worth going in deep for those who have done it or should I pay attention and not overlook the easily accessible places. I do realize there is lots of hazards on the place.

[SwampBuck]

We started hunting it a few years ago and we planned to this year until I drew something that pretty much anyone would call a higher caliber hunt, so I didn’t even put in for it this year. But I plan to gun hunt it.

The hunt area is not accessible until the designated scout days and the hunt itself.

Find a short light tripod. You’d be surprise, you don’t have to find something fancy, you can some cheap ones online used and modify them to work great.

The map has always been found out the bottom of the “hunt brochure” either on TPWD or when they email you after you buy permit.

Not sure on trail cameras, honestly wouldn’t waste time with them out there.

There’s decent places to hunt all over the place.
If you’re not from the area, No matter how hard you scout on x or google earth or whatever…you can’t fathom how thick the place is until you step foot out there.

If theres water somewhere, assume there’s a gator in it.

we’re currently getting rain and have been. It won’t be a dry year out there so be ready for turkey sized mosquitos by the thousands and snakes.

It’s a fun hunt.

[Static1968]

Did anyone else on the green screen get selected or am I the only one dumb enough to go get carried away by skeeters. With that being said I plan to ride it out all 9 days. I have some friends in the area who say that some costal swamp donkeys reside with in the NWR and outside of the NWR, but are extremely hard to hunt. Baised off of what my local buddies tell me and what I have read on the numerous forums, we are talking about two totally opposite calibers of deer that I’m seeing get harvested and what they are saying I should be holding out for. This is why I put in for the archery draw. So a few questions I have that hopefully someone can answer.

Is the NWR open for public hiking everyday I know it says it is online for a daily fee but I also live 7 hours away so if I want to go look around for a couple of days is it worth it or just go in blind.

Can you set out trail cameras?

Does anyone know where I can get a map of the place I’ve looked everywhere and must be overlooking it.

Lastly is it worth going in deep for those who have done it or should I pay attention and not overlook the easily accessible places. I do realize there is lots of hazards on the place.

No !!! you are not the only insane hunter that will be there this year. LOL
I will be hunting the first Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Then back to work Tuesday, Wednesday and half day Thursday, then back for the Thursday evening hunt Through the end of the hunt on Sunday.
The hunting area is not open to the public.
They do have a drivable tour loop that's about 13 miles long that have a few trails you can hike in the first half of it. You should have received the map with your permit you receive via email. You are allowed 2 stands, so I usually set one up pretty far in and then the other a little easier to get to and out of in case of bad weather.
The first-time hunting Aransas is usually an eye-opening learning experience, especially if it is very wet. Check out all the past threads on here and believe 90% of what you read is very good advice. Best advice from me is ThermaCell's, snake boots, hip waders, bug suits and as much Deep woods off as you can carry. If possible, make the 2 days scout the weekend before. Yes, you can put out trail cameras.
Good luck to you and all of us hunting it his year.

[dchavez21]

You can set up trail cameras but only throughout the hunt period. Just don't expect to come out with a monster out of there.
Most of the bucks harvested are in the 110" range or smaller and only about 6% of hunters get one. With very few bucks making the 120-130 range.
I have found success going to the places other hunters aren't willing to go. It may seem dreadful at first with how thick it is but it is definitely worth it.
If you are doing the archery hunt stay away from the fire breaks in the rifle hunting zone, the deer there are smart enough to steer clear from those. Scout until you actually see deer because you could be absolutely covered in deer tracks and never see a deer.
Take a 4x4 vehicle as sometimes it can get real muddy.
Lastly stick around later than everyone else as a lot of the deer start to move around noon when all the trucks are moving in and out from their lunch break.

[KardiacBowHuntr]

Did anyone else on the green screen get selected or am I the only one dumb enough to go get carried away by skeeters. With that being said I plan to ride it out all 9 days. I have some friends in the area who say that some costal swamp donkeys reside with in the NWR and outside of the NWR, but are extremely hard to hunt. Baised off of what my local buddies tell me and what I have read on the numerous forums, we are talking about two totally opposite calibers of deer that I’m seeing get harvested and what they are saying I should be holding out for. This is why I put in for the archery draw. So a few questions I have that hopefully someone can answer.

Is the NWR open for public hiking everyday I know it says it is online for a daily fee but I also live 7 hours away so if I want to go look around for a couple of days is it worth it or just go in blind.

Can you set out trail cameras?

Does anyone know where I can get a map of the place I’ve looked everywhere and must be overlooking it.

Lastly is it worth going in deep for those who have done it or should I pay attention and not overlook the easily accessible places. I do realize there is lots of hazards on the place.

Me and my two cousins will be there. This is my first time drawing so I understand it's going to be a learning experience. We grew up fishing/hog hunting a property in Austwell so no stranger to getting carried off by mosquitoes. There is a map of the place with the brochure they send you once you buy your permit. We are going in blind, but our fathers/uncles have been hunting out there since they were our age. I think our plan will be to focus on oak motts and edge lines near the coastal flats.

[MasterOfNothing]

My wife and I will be there. We're first timers also. I'll be there till Tuesday and be back on a work trip the rest of the week. Good luck to you guys. We're not going to be picky, just trying to back some meat and content for my YouTube channel.

[cphillips]

As much rain as the coast keeps getting looks like we will be in for a wet muddy hunt.

[dchavez21]

Don’t forget yalls hip waders and a tow strap just in case

[Bucknaked]

If you pack In a tripod and plan on leaving it in the spot you picked , don’t be surprised when you walk up and see someone climbing out of it in a hurry. It happened to two of us and we were way off of the beaten path. From then on we packed them in and out after every hunt. The Mott’s in the swamps hold deer because no one is stupid enough to wade off in there … other than myself and my BIL

[KardiacBowHuntr]

What’s y’all’s opinion on a mobile saddle setup? Will I have enough trees around? Haha

[Static1968]

If you pack In a tripod and plan on leaving it in the spot you picked , don’t be surprised when you walk up and see someone climbing out of it in a hurry. It happened to two of us and we were way off of the beaten path. From then on we packed them in and out after every hunt. The Mott’s in the swamps hold deer because no one is stupid enough to wade off in there … other than myself and my BIL

THIS !!!!
also you will most likely see many spot and stalkers unless you go in deep and even then you may see a few.
A few years back on a rifle hunt. I had some nice fellow leave his 30/06 empty cartridge in the seat of my backup tripod.

[SwampBuck]

I haven’t had that happen any of the times I’ve gone. Guess I’m lucky. Only time I saw other hunters was on places that you just know everyone’s gonna use to access areas, like the mowed fire breaks

[Iowa1210]

Hunted Aransas many times, one year during an extremely dry year we walked up on place that held brackish water. Water hole was probably 40 x 40 yds. We counted over 30 alligators in this hole.

[Josha6783]

What’s y’all’s opinion on a mobile saddle setup? Will I have enough trees around? Haha

I took my saddle setup last year. Set up in a hackberry a few times. Great setup, actually. Then a big willow, once or twice. If I can find 2 feet of vertical trunk, I'll hang a platform, at least for observation sits.

[KardiacBowHuntr]

I took my saddle setup last year. Set up in a hackberry a few times. Great setup, actually. Then a big willow, once or twice. If I can find 2 feet of vertical trunk, I'll hang a platform, at least for observation sits.

That’s exactly what I need to hear for some confidence. Thank you!