Saw we had two threads going and thought we'd just combine all the Somerville posts here instead.
Thought I'd answer this question from one of the other threads:
"good" is always relative.
Somerville produces deer every year for experienced bowhunters, and those who just plain get lucky. It's not an easy place to hunt by any means, but there are deer there. More than there were when I started hunting there 20+ years ago.
I like to go there just to get away from home and hunt public land. I get tired of seeing the same 80 acres here at home that I have permission to hunt on. BUT, nearly every piece of private land I've ever hunted gave me a better oppportunity to harvest a deer than any public land I've hunted.
That's just the way it is.
Public land like Somerville is nice because once you buy your permit and read the regulations, you're essentially done. No worrying about a lease, paying for it, no maintenance, no wondering who else is on the lease and no wondering if the deer are just on the other side of the fence where you don't have permission to go.
When we hunt public land, we know the deal and it's fair chase. No feeders and no permanent stands or blinds. To me, that's the real draw in hunting public land. Because if you take a deer there, you earned it, straight up.
I've been fortunate to have a lot of experience on the Somerville WMA now over the past 20 years and know the place like my own back yard. There are some areas where you can always count on seeing deer. There is also about 70% of the area where you'll probably never see a deer. Only way to figure it out is to do your homework. Get out there and observe, track and plan.
Keep in mind that the place will be swamped with bowhunters on opening weekend, and the following weekend. Once folks start gearing up for gun season, it thins out, and if you can get up there during the week, you might just have part of the place to yourself.
The deer are smart as any I've ever hunted. I have places in the National Forest that I ride my mountain bike into where the deer very rarely EVER see people and they are out during the day. Not so at Somerville. They sneak around early and late and mostly at night. They usually leave the area for adjacent private lands during the day, or bed down in the best possible areas for their escape from hunters.
I've also seen deer at Somerville lay in their beds and watch hunter after hunter pass by without ever moving.
They are smart.
If you get one, you've accomplished something that very few Texas hunters have ever accomplished.
John
Thought I'd answer this question from one of the other threads:
So have most of the people in this thread who've hunted yegua and nails actually harvested deer good does and bucks? I'm probably going to be doing some public hunting this year and somerville seems to be the only place close enough to do some archery hunting. Just wondering how good it really is.
Somerville produces deer every year for experienced bowhunters, and those who just plain get lucky. It's not an easy place to hunt by any means, but there are deer there. More than there were when I started hunting there 20+ years ago.
I like to go there just to get away from home and hunt public land. I get tired of seeing the same 80 acres here at home that I have permission to hunt on. BUT, nearly every piece of private land I've ever hunted gave me a better oppportunity to harvest a deer than any public land I've hunted.
That's just the way it is.
Public land like Somerville is nice because once you buy your permit and read the regulations, you're essentially done. No worrying about a lease, paying for it, no maintenance, no wondering who else is on the lease and no wondering if the deer are just on the other side of the fence where you don't have permission to go.
When we hunt public land, we know the deal and it's fair chase. No feeders and no permanent stands or blinds. To me, that's the real draw in hunting public land. Because if you take a deer there, you earned it, straight up.
I've been fortunate to have a lot of experience on the Somerville WMA now over the past 20 years and know the place like my own back yard. There are some areas where you can always count on seeing deer. There is also about 70% of the area where you'll probably never see a deer. Only way to figure it out is to do your homework. Get out there and observe, track and plan.
Keep in mind that the place will be swamped with bowhunters on opening weekend, and the following weekend. Once folks start gearing up for gun season, it thins out, and if you can get up there during the week, you might just have part of the place to yourself.
The deer are smart as any I've ever hunted. I have places in the National Forest that I ride my mountain bike into where the deer very rarely EVER see people and they are out during the day. Not so at Somerville. They sneak around early and late and mostly at night. They usually leave the area for adjacent private lands during the day, or bed down in the best possible areas for their escape from hunters.
I've also seen deer at Somerville lay in their beds and watch hunter after hunter pass by without ever moving.
They are smart.
If you get one, you've accomplished something that very few Texas hunters have ever accomplished.
John
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