TPWD Hunt Best Practices

[EatemUpCats]

Any advice for James Daughtrey. I won the Predatory Game hunt there in February. This is the first time I have ever won a TPWD draw. Thanks

[topduarte]

Anything on Bastrop? Im hunting there January 4th thru the 6th.

[Slick8]

Another thing to mention if you're hunting a high pressure area as I am on the Daughtrey in Jan is to corn lightly.

I went on a cheap day hunt this weekend, really just a fun hunt with family and friends. One guy was hunting not too far from me, basically opposite side of the feeder and we were both about 250 yards off the feeder on the same draw. I saw deer every sit and he saw one. He corned a huge X in front of his blind a foot wide and mounded up. I slung the corn out of a bucket and only put out a few pounds per sit.

He also didn't brush his blind in very well but the deer hardly touched his corn even at night. The draw was loaded with sign so I'm sure they new it was there.

I feel it works better and by only putting out a little bit they'll keep coming back to check on it but not fill up over night.

[Slick8]

Any advice for James Daughtrey. I won the Predatory Game hunt there in February. This is the first time I have ever won a TPWD draw. Thanks

Make use of the long roads and bring a decoy, I like the mojo critter myself. I was down there several years ago on a doe and spike hunt. I killed a large doe and left the stand to get my truck and go pick up the doe. By the time I got back, a huge bob cat was on the deer licking blood from the bullet hole...Too bad they wouldn't let us shoot cats cause it wouldn't leave that deer, would have been an easy shot.

Not sure if they will allow you to bait but if so, save a couple of heads and leg quarters from some deer kills this season.

[TXHunter12]

1.) tips for cleaning deer and disposal of carcass
2.) can you use a suppressor on your rifle
3.) is rattling allowed and / or calls

[bowhuntercoach]

My son got drawn for the doe/spike hunt next weekend at the Daughtrey. Are there blinds in the hunt areas? I will be bringing a popup along also. Can you drive in the area you are assigned to hunt? Just wondering how light to pack.

[boomerball]

will be on my first of these draw hunts in just over a month..... doe/spike at cooper (by compartment). would love some input if anyone has been on that one!

[careybirdwell]

I'll talk about Laguna Atascosa. I like section 8. Find where the game trails intersect. Sometimes you find three or four trails intersecting. Set up a tripod to take advantage of the prevailing southeast breeze. Otherwise, the wind blows the opposite. Believe it or not, I've seen many deer crossing into the private ranch across the road. You can hunt close to the road if you find the right trails. Also, there are not many tall trees, so use a tripod no more than 7-8 feet high. Chiggers are bad there. Cover yourself with bug repellent often. Section 5 is cool too. You can set up on Horse Island and watch deer cross to you if you find a current used trail.

I was selected for the rifle hunt on Dec 30th - Jan 1st. I have been researching as much as I can. I have a pop up, but I think I'm just going to bring a portable stool & shooting sticks. I have never done a spot & stalk but from what I gather, I should just stay on the edge of an opening and use the brush as my cover to walk through and try to close the distant. I will be shooting a 7 Rem Mag, what kind of distance should I close to. I very seldom gun hunt, but can shoot pretty good from 200 yards in ( I never taken a shot over 200 yards)

Also, should I bike in or just walk and pull a wagon in to retrieve any game?

Also will a mounted bipod be better than shooting stick?

Any other info that you would be happy to share, It would be greatly appreciated

[SabreKiller]

I drew Sierra Diablo...

about 4 years ago. I thought this would be a good chance for me to go back to west Texas and hunt my favorite, mule deer. I had gotten off the lease we had north of Van Horn for 30 years, just couldn't justify the expense anymore.

Anyway, I figured this would be a good chance to hunt for a really big deer. Unpressured for the most part and a lot of country to hunt. There's 26,000 acres in the WMA. Met the TPWD biologist that would take us in on I-10 between Sierra Blanca and Van Horn. Its a two hour drive in tot he WMA through a lot of private ranches so everyone goes n at the same time. Saw a nice bighorn ram standing on top of a rock outcropping on the way in. That was worth the drive to me.

We got in, set around for awhile then picked hunt areas. I didn't realize we would be hunting compartments. Found out that we can't hunt the entire property cuz some of its left for the bighorn sheep to go unmolested. My compartment would be 1300 acres and I had it to myself.

I hunted hard all three days. 4 water guzzlers in my compartment with lots of tracks. Saw one nice herd of bighorn with a real bruiser of a ram in the bunch. Only saw two bucks. One was a young forky and the other was a freak. I decided I would take the freak on the third day. When I found him, he was on private property.

The last night, the bad weather set in. Woke up to high winds and sleet/snow blowing everywhere. Everything was frozen up. We all decided to bail out rather than hunt and possibly not get out.

If I did it again, I would take a larger tent. My two man backpacking tent was inadequate.

[OleTomTalker]

My son got drawn for the doe/spike hunt next weekend at the Daughtrey. Are there blinds in the hunt areas? I will be bringing a popup along also. Can you drive in the area you are assigned to hunt? Just wondering how light to pack.

Sent you a PM. Will have my son there in December, any info from your experience would be greatly appreciated.


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[Slick8]

Sent you a PM. Will have my son there in December, any info from your experience would be greatly appreciated.


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Tagging on, I'll be there Jan 3rd for the bow hunt. Anything you guys can share will be greatly appreciated.

[OleTomTalker]

Tagging on, I'll be there Jan 3rd for the bow hunt. Anything you guys can share will be greatly appreciated.

Will do. We'll be there 2 weeks before you, so hopefully can give you good report minus 1 buck!


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[Wence]

My boy and my cousins boy drew Daughtery for the youth GDE December 17-20. I think I'm more excited than my boy.

[Slick8]

You guys save a few for my dad and I. Hopefully that two week brake will allow them to calm down before our bowhunt.

[Jen-Man]

Ive been hunting Texas WMAs for over 30 years I guess. Alot of youth hunts. Five yrs ago was the last youth hunt with my daughter for mule deer doe at Sierra Diablo. Late season hunt, bucks rutting, it was brutal. There were several nice bucks seen. And she did get her doe. Had a nice hunt at the MATADOR a few years back. Archery Mule deer. I was the only successful hunter that week. Not sure what compartment but it contains the main large canyon. I made brush blinds on trails and saw some really nice whitetail bucks. On the third day I walked back to truck waiting on another hunter I had met there. I decided to check the back side of compartment and walked in about 400 yds and there laying out on a point across the canyon was nice mule deer buck, looking straight at me. I turned an d walked away. Two hours later due to lack of cover and crawling is slow I was able to take him at 50 yds. I was a little excited. He scored 146 making P&Y, not huge but my best Desert Muley with a bow. The hunt was even better than the kill. Never thought he would stay there that long. So I have had some great hunts on WMAs and some not so great. But success or not they are what you make them. I never go in thinking it will be a cake walk.