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I am new to the area (Dickinson tx), but it seems like shnf is going to be the closest public hunting land near me, that isn't a draw. With that being said, I think I'm a little too late to try and get up there to scout this year, so I'll probably have to sit this season out. Are there good trees up there to use my climber, or should I invest in a ground blind? Also, do the deer seem to move by the solunar calendar, or do they usually move by weather and pressure of human traffic?
Sorry if I'm asking this in the wrong place, I'm just trying to gather as much info before I start investing money and time. Thanks for any help!Comment
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Axeman, I figure the only wrong question is the one you don't ask. There are plenty of trees in the Sam for climbers, think almost everyone of us use them. I am scouting at least once a week now, others will not start for some time yet.
I tried a few weeks ago to put bicycle tires on a ladder stand, it did not work out for me. Have to try to redesign it.Comment
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There is absolutely no reason you can't hunt this season. That being said, be prepared to put in some work. You will need to pick an area and at least scout one day. Pick out an area where you find sign and mark a spot to hunt. Then, it's an ongoing chess match. If you see deer from the stand, move. If after a couple sits you don't see any deer, move. It's all a matter of finding a good area. Climbing stands are about the only way to go. Be prepared to climb up high too. 20 is good, but 30 is better.
I'm going to hunt some new areas this year and was supposed to be scouting today, but the weather has me home. So it's never too late.
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Huntinfool and wanderin39 Thanks for the info. While I was hunting in ga/al my spots were public and within 20 mins of my house, so I am still trying to figure out how to include hunting into the work/family rhythm with shnf being 2-3 hrs away. I figured I would at least sit this bow season out, and maybe hunt during gun, because I know how it feels to be walked in on by someone new to the area scouting during season lol. Also at shnf do they have a call system where you can see how many hunters are in you area? Like a sign in phone system that limits numbers of hunters that day?
Also if you are saying 30ft up in a tree, the visibility must be good, are we talking 100m plus pretty open?Comment
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Axeman, if you can bow hunt I'd do it. Gun season has a lot more traffic. Go online to the SHNF website and get a map as soon as you can. They're $11 and worth it. Weekdays are less crowded. And be prepared to do a little walking to get away from the crowd. Good luck out there.Comment
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No call system. Mostly a car gate system. If you go to a gate and there's a bunch of trucks, move along. The Sam is 161k acres of broken up properties. So there is no way to keep up with it all.Originally posted by Axeman149 View Post
Bow season is not that busy, however opening weekend of general season it is very crowded. Especially the first couple weekends and around holidays.
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No sir, there is nothing like that.Originally posted by Axeman149 View Post
It's first come, first served here. In the Sam, you will be hunting one of the most pressured public hunting units in the nation. You will eventually be walked in on, or vice versa. Normally if there is a truck or two at the gate I will move on to another spot, unless I know for sure there is a bunch of land to spread out. I also like to find a couple of spots that are not behind a gate, just pull off on the side of the road and walk in and hunt. I typically do not have any competition in these spots.
edit: HF types faster than I do lol!Comment
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As for visibility, it just depends on the area. Some areas yes, others no. I mostly bow hunt, so I don't need to see that far, however I plan on hunting with my muzzleloader more this season, so I may hunt more on the ground.
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Thanks Kevin and Daimon, looking at where they plan to cut. Looks like the spots Kevin have been scouting are due to be cut. I did not see a time line there. Just got things figured out after all the burns this spring.
Axeman like Kevin said, bow season is best in my estimates.Comment
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David, if they do cut it, all it will do is make it awesome!Comment
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Amen to that. So David, you're saying they did already do some burns over there? I've got three spots I need to check on.Originally posted by TMiddleton View Post
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They burned in March and it was over grown by June. It's thicker now then it was before they burned. There were a lot deer in there eating but the grass got so high you couldn't see em. The letter HF sent was about thinning. If they do that like the timber company's it's more like cutting lanes through the trees. It says they may burn in the future in the letter. The public comments were due back in May. It may still be beneficial in the future it all depends on when they do it.Comment
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Thanks everyone for the info, it looks like I have some serious learning to do about shnf! I plan on only bow hunting while im here for the next 3 years, so I will be frequenting this site to learn as much as I can about Texas hunting.Comment
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