"Official" Somerville 2013-2014 thread

[Duckthwacker]

Yeah but he is still out there ill just get him from another location. Yeah I'll be pit there for the next few days to try to cut my first tag out. It should be amazing on Monday.
I'm huntin private land tonight And this front is feelin good for sure.

[Limbwalker]

Be there tomorrow sometime. 1st hunt on the area this year, finally.

[Duckthwacker]

Good luck today. I will be there for tonight and Tomarrow all day

[Bullwinkle]

In the pop up Somerville Public Land Hunting. We(my buddy hunting about 1/2mile south of me) got here good and early, rain coats on, on the way in, about daylight rain stopped. 7:45 4 does just appeared about 25yds in front of me. Decided to pass on them then got caught moving around to get my camera. Oh well, planning to set it out all day. About 10am I snuck out and got SD out of cam that is on acorn tree. Does where here at midnight and fork horn at 3:30am. So they may be moving mid day. Sure would like to drag one out today. It's been awhile. Good luck Hunters

[Duckthwacker]

Really hopeful to poke something Tomarrow!!!!

[Bullwinkle]

From 7:45am, nothing til 6:20pm, a lone doe passing through. Not sure I want to do the all day thing again til rut!

[Limbwalker]

Finally got out there this evening. Only saw one other vehicle, much to my surprise. Rain this a.m. must have thinned the crowds.

Managed to screw up a good opportunity when I moved my hand to swat a mosquito, only to look down and see a doe staring up at me and stomping her foot 20 yards away! UGH. She didn't blow, and just walked off, but she took the two does behind her with her. So no shot this evening. But I still consider that a successful hunt, on public land, with a traditional bow. Hopefully tomorrow will result in a shot opportunity.

Seeing deer every time out, but only one or two does each time.

Sure did feel good when the sun went down this evening! Finally!

[Bullwinkle]

I hunted The Pasture Pond today because I forgot to mention yesterday for lunch my buddy and I met-up at a half way point (oil pad on gov land) for lunch. While sitting there a land owner with about 5 people came riding up on 3 ATVs. We talked, they where checking to see if the levies where holding water. They are getting ready for duck season. So I guess it's time to find a new spot.
And that's why I hunted the Pasture Pond this morning. I saw close to 8 does and 5 fawns/yearlings, no bucks. But I liked the spot.

[Limbwalker]

While sitting there a land owner with about 5 people came riding up on 3 ATVs.

And this is the kind of crap I'm really getting sick of. It's apparent that many of the neighboring landowners think they own the public land as well. And with little or no enforcement effort, why should they think otherwise?

Trespass livestock, off road traffic (both by public land hunters and neighbors), permanent stands and at least one 50 gallon tripod corn feeder on the WMA are what I've seen in just the past 3 years.

GRRRRRR.

Somerville has to be one of the most abused pieces of public hunting land I've ever hunted.

[Dirtymike]

I hope my stand is still up from last season just kidding limbwalker...

[Dave_]

I went scouting yesterday and found a horse feeding around

[Limbwalker]

Yup, they're on the place again... Unfortunately. It's a full time job for the TPWD staff to keep the trespass livestock out, esp. when the neighbors overgraze their own properties so much that their livestock have nothing to eat, and they can't help but get across the fence (or sometimes, they have a little "assistance" from their owners) just to find food. If I were TPWD, I'd round them up and sell them at an auction. Or at least, hold them until the owners claimed them, then fine them for trespass livestock.

I enjoyed a nice cool morning out there today. Dead stock still. Strange when it gets that still. You could hear a twig snap 1/4 mile away this morning.

Saw 5 does, but they were high-tailing it off the WMA. Looked like they had been spooked by another hunter who was coming out. That's why I always stay in my stand - when I can - until at least 10:00. I want any deer that are bumped by hunters leaving early to have a chance to get to me before I get down.

Had a sweet stand location picked out this morning, but it didn't pan out. Oh well, that's how it goes on public land. I figure if I see a deer, it's a good hunt. Getting a shot is just icing on the cake.

Hope to get out there again this week sometime. I hate the drive, but I really enjoy the place.

John

[Limbwalker]

I also noticed that the "locked gate" we were promised South of box 2 isn't locked. Been wide open the last three days, and folks are driving through to who-knows-where...

[Limbwalker]

Seeing VERY FEW deer on the area right now. Trailcams confirmed it. They picked up just 3 deer in the past 4 days, where there had been over a dozen the week before. Looks like weather or hunting pressure or both is starting to change their patterns...

Nice morning in the stand, but thank goodness for my Thermacell! Mosquitoes would have carried me off otherwise.

[unionmade482]

Need some napalm for the skeeters lol