texas draws

[ABWGTX]

I put in for 17 Hunts this year, missed on the Archery hunt I put in for. I drew 2 Hunts last year(Enchanted Rock and Gus Engeling Antlerless hunts) so I burned a few loyalty points there. We will see what happens. I will probably try for a Standby spot on some of the hunts this year. Last year about 10 hunters got in with a standby spot at Enchanted Rock, only one guy was turned away. Most everyone that showed up at Gus Engeling on Stand By got a spot and was able to hunt.

Keep putting post up like that and watchem line up. Saw this happen with YouTube post advertising at a good standby place and turned it into a mad house.

[MtnMike]

I've yet to participate in a compartment hunt and have always been curious about how much land you'd have access too. I'm sure that it varies from property to property, but what size range have you seen hunting all of the places you mentioned?

At a minimum, the Compartments that I have hunted were 100 acres up to 300 at Gus Engeling WMA. I have been drawn there 9 times over the last 30 years.

[Magoo]

I put in for 17 Hunts this year, missed on the Archery hunt I put in for. I drew 2 Hunts last year(Enchanted Rock and Gus Engeling Antlerless hunts) so I burned a few loyalty points there. We will see what happens. I will probably try for a Standby spot on some of the hunts this year. Last year about 10 hunters got in with a standby spot at Enchanted Rock, only one guy was turned away. Most everyone that showed up at Gus Engeling on Stand By got a spot and was able to hunt.

How did you like Enchanted Rock? Were you successful?

[MtnMike]

How did you like Enchanted Rock? Were you successful?

I enjoyed hunting there and I tagged a Doe and a Pig. Beautiful Country, my spot was just west of the dome. I only saw two deer and a dozen hogs in my area, overall the harvest was low in my opinion. The most deer we saw were in the Park Superintendent's Yard eating his lawn. We saw more deer on the road driving from the RV Park we stayed at between the Park and Llano. But, I would go back again!

[Texas Grown]

I enjoyed hunting there and I tagged a Doe and a Pig. Beautiful Country, my spot was just west of the dome. I only saw two deer and a dozen hogs in my area, overall the harvest was low in my opinion. The most deer we saw were in the Park Superintendent's Yard eating his lawn. We saw more deer on the road driving from the RV Park we stayed at between the Park and Llano. But, I would go back again!

I will second this. I was on this hunt also. And got to meet some pretty cool people. MntMike was one of them. Deer numbers were not anywhere near what I was expecting for this area. In fact, they were extremely low. I could have gone to the public lands by my house and seen more for the same given time I was there (1 buck the first eveing, and hand full of doe on the last evening hunt). And the over all kill number on this hunt was very low. Only one hunter saw any exotics. And it was an audad. He missed on his only opportunity that he saw one. No other exotics were killed or sighted. Several hogs were killed over the multiple days of the hunt.

The hunt, and the people running the hunt, were top notch. Things were very polished as far as how it was run. And it is a beautiful place. I was in blind #16, the last to be dropped off, and last to be picked up, on the NE side of the dome. On some of the blinds, you're only allowed to shoot in certain directions per the direction the blind is facing. Blind locations have not changed since this hunt was first started by the original Ranger. Blinds were also pre-selected by the staff before we all got there. There was no drawing for what blind you were going to sit in. However, if someone left the hunt early, or didn't show up, then you could ask to be moved. But that wasn't until the end of the hunt. Like Mike said, I'd go again. But not for the hunt it's self. I'd go just cause it's a beautiful place. And as someone who has an intrest in geology, I thought it was pretty Cool place!




Edit: Oh yah, if you have a choice of a ride to your blind, use the UTV. Even though I sat on the floor of the bed of the truck one morning, it's and extremely rough ride. Frame kept bottoming out on the rocks and road. The cab is not as bad, from what I heard.

[MtnMike]

Texas Grown is Spot On!! The ride out to the Blinds will rattle every bone in your body. The Hunt Coordinators were well organized, friendly and very helpful. When you harvest your animal, they will pick it up for you and bring it back to the Skinning Facility. Blind locations could be better, but I made my spot work for me. As I sat in my blind next to the Dome, I reflected on the history of the Area. I tried to imagine when in 1840 Texas Ranger Capt. Jack Hays was pinned down on top of the dome by a Comanche War Party and repelled their advances each time they charged up the dome attempting to kill or capture him. After killing or wounding half of the War Party, the Comanches abandoned their Mission and left for easier prey.