Old Sabine Wildlive Area

[White Falcon]

Who hunts it ??

[crash8005]

I hunted out there on a TPWD gun draw hunt last year. Tough hunt is all I can say. The check in area and all of the roads and parking areas are excellent. They had just had 2 days of heavy rain 3 days prior to the hunt. Had to wade through knee deep water through most of our area. Only saw one doe and we bumped her as we were walking to set up our gear.

Again, I've only been there once so I am sure the locals down there know it much better than me.

[Fordman]

I hunted there last season and will be there again this season.

[LeanMachine]

Pretty decent unit for pigs but it is no cake walk. And by no cake walk I mean that we hunted it once or twice a week all last spring and I only managed to kill 2. We hunt with recurves though. Sometimes we were getting on pigs frequently but the wind is always swirling and has ruined many attempts.

I deer hunted it a few times last year. Opening weekend was crazy. Parking lot was full. I was the last one to pull in I think and it was full when I got there. And I got there early enough for a 30 minute walk in and to be set up before daylight.

Overall I would rate the deer hunting as poor. You would think the unit would hold a better population but it just doesn't. We have probably literally put 100 miles on boots out there and there just isn't much deer sign there. Are there deer there? Yes. There are even a few good deer there. But it can be a very discouraging place to hunt. It's a place I feel like I could sit in a great spot for 3 days straight and still not see a deer most times. The deer density just isn't there and it is almost 6k acres. Lots of places for them to be and not a lot to dictate their travel. I will hunt it a few times this year in a new spot I scouted. I would consider it a huge accomplishment to take any deer with a bow there. It is an hour drive for me. It doesn't take many sits without seeing deer for me to get tired of wasting gas.

[Fordman]

Pretty decent unit for pigs but it is no cake walk. And by no cake walk I mean that we hunted it once or twice a week all last spring and I only managed to kill 2. We hunt with recurves though. Sometimes we were getting on pigs frequently but the wind is always swirling and has ruined many attempts.

I deer hunted it a few times last year. Opening weekend was crazy. Parking lot was full. I was the last one to pull in I think and it was full when I got there. And I got there early enough for a 30 minute walk in and to be set up before daylight.

Overall I would rate the deer hunting as poor. You would think the unit would hold a better population but it just doesn't. We have probably literally put 100 miles on boots out there and there just isn't much deer sign there. Are there deer there? Yes. There are even a few good deer there. But it can be a very

discouraging place to hunt. It's a place I feel like I could sit in a great spot for 3 days straight and still not see a deer most times. The deer density just isn't there and it is almost 6k acres. Lots of places for them to be and not a lot to dictate their travel. I will hunt it a few times this year in a new spot I scouted. I would consider it a huge accomplishment to take any deer with a bow there. It is an hour drive for me. It doesn't take many sits without seeing deer for me to get tired of wasting gas.

I have given up trying to hunt hogs there, I just cannot find them during the day. They are there but they are just about completely nocturnal. I have had a couple trail cams out there for a couple months trying to find deer but I got lots of pics of hogs, every single picture was at night usually around 2:00am and 6:00am

[LeanMachine]

I have given up trying to hunt hogs there, I just cannot find them during the day. They are there but they are just about completely nocturnal. I have had a couple trail cams out there for a couple months trying to find deer but I got lots of pics of hogs, every single picture was at night usually around 2:00am and 6:00am

Dont give up but give up on stand hunting for them. They have no pattern and are very mobile. Do lots of walking in mornings and evenings. I had quite a few pig pics in broad daylight last year on trail cam during deer season....until my cam was stolen.

[Fordman]

Dont give up but give up on stand hunting for them. They have no pattern and are very mobile. Do lots of walking in mornings and evenings. I had quite a few pig pics in broad daylight last year on trail cam during deer season....until my cam was stolen.

Walking down there is no fun at all and the pigs see me before I see them.
I will give it another try after deer season.

[willie14228]

I have found a couple of good spots but had a couple of hunters try and tell me that crossbows are not allowed on any type 2 anyone know anything about this?

[Felix40]

It is terrible for deer hunting. I hunted it every weekend during bow season and only saw one deer. Lean machine and I hav had good luck finding hogs but killing them is pretty hard with a bow. That's pretty much all I have to say about that. I will still hunt it because I have no other option but I think the odds of killing a deer there are less than bad.

[Felix40]

I have found a couple of good spots but had a couple of hunters try and tell me that crossbows are not allowed on any type 2 anyone know anything about this?

Crossbows are legal. Those guys are misinformed. I don't like them but they are legal.

[willie14228]

I would put a pic in but this forum has some stupid rules about pics and posts
They are hard to find but possible.
I haven't seen any doe's and only brush bucks but I'm not interested in trophies

[willie14228]

Thanks Felix
What area have you been hunting

[Fordman]

Crossbows are legal. Those guys are misinformed. I don't like them but they are legal.

Crossbows are legal but you cannot use them at old Sabine River bottom. The special regulations says only hunters with permanent upper limb disability may use a crossbow.
This is on page 67 in TPWD booklet upper right corner

[rcopester]

Crossbows are legal but you cannot use them at old Sabine River bottom. The special regulations says only hunters with permanent upper limb disability may use a crossbow.
This is on page 67 in TPWD booklet upper right corner

Could you post a link because I can't find where you're looking. Thanks.

[Fordman]

Could you post a link because I can't find where you're looking. Thanks.

Sorry but I am talking about the actual book not on the website.