Laguna Atascosa NWR 2022-23

[TXOUTLAW]

If they have a disabled permit, 4 wheelers are allowed

They told us disabled hunters were only allowed in section two if they wanted motorized vehicles

[Mr. Public]

Ughhhh. Yes they were at LANWR. I recognized one landmark and the speed bumps when they are riding in the truck. It’s on their Facebook page

Watch the number applicants more than triple next year, and the increase in out of state hunters bombard the draw.

Draw odds will plummet from being able to hunt there annually/semiannually, to likely less than 10% due to the YouTubers. So be sure to unsubscribe.

They asked me to do a podcast about Laguna, which I refused. Likely their way of fishing for spots and intel. I offered to chat and help with preparations, guess it wasn’t what they wanted. Then when they went down there a year ago, I asked Vampire how it went a couple times as I was genuinely curious, but I never got a response.

Some content has irreversible effects on the future of Texas draw hunts, being as limited as they are. This type of irreversible content will be felt by the guys that enjoy returning to Laguna the most, and likely forever. But, subscribers, likes and content are really important to some folks I guess.

Off my soap box!(for now)[emoji28]


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[Tiburon1]

Watch the number applicants more than triple next year, and the increase in out of state hunters bombard the draw.

Draw odds will plummet from being able to hunt there annually/semiannually, to likely less than 10% due to the YouTubers. So be sure to unsubscribe.

They asked me to do a podcast about Laguna, which I refused. Likely their way of fishing for spots and intel. I offered to chat and help with preparations, guess it wasn’t what they wanted. Then when they went down there a year ago, I asked Vampire how it went a couple times as I was genuinely curious, but I never got a response.

Some content has irreversible effects on the future of Texas draw hunts, being as limited as they are. This type of irreversible content will be felt by the guys that enjoy returning to Laguna the most, and likely forever. But, subscribers, likes and content are really important to some folks I guess.

Off my soap box!(for now)[emoji28]


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Maybe Texas will do the same thing Wyoming and other states are doing to non-residents. One can only hope.

[Mr. Public]

Maybe Texas will do the same thing Wyoming and other states are doing to non-residents. One can only hope.

Doubtful, TPWD is about money over opportunity. But, maybe you’re right, MAYBE?


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[BigRed323]

Doubtful, TPWD is about money over opportunity. But, maybe you’re right, MAYBE?


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Only way to convince TPWD is to make out of staters buy a license before being able to apply and then that will bring in the money they want

[Mr. Public]

Only way to convince TPWD is to make out of staters buy a license before being able to apply and then that will bring in the money they want

In favor of that!


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[TXOUTLAW]

Was just a matter of time

[TN_boy]

I want to say thank you to everyone who answered my questions and provided advice over the last couple of months. In the end, it's the collective knowledge which helped put me in the right spot.

After the December archery hunt I had a clear plan with exactly where I was going to hunt and how to access. The spot was only 1.2 miles in on gravel with a 600 yard foot march and had great activity with both Nilgai and Deer.

While conversing with guys on here and tossing around ideas, I planted doubt in my mind about that location for the rifle hunt. On scouting day while waiting for another guy I was going to help setup nearby, I ran through where I was going to hunt and the waterhole was dry. Strike two.

I go back to the truck and meet with Chris. We go get him setup and start riding around check out different spots. Coming back around we see 6 nilgai running. We are at 600yds and Im sure we didnt spook them. 3 minutes later here comes a pumpking along the edge near where I had planned on hunting. Strike 3. Chris gets a flat and heads back to the truck. I decide to go ride around and look at areas suggested by TBH members. 30 miles later Im back at the truck. E-Bike.

At the hotel Thursday night I make up my mind that I'm headed stupid deep. Friday early setup at 8am I decide I'm too far North and start headed back South stopping every 40 feet glassing edges as far out as I can see with my 10x42s.

About a mile South of my initial location I stop at a bend in the road, wide open except a palmetto tree with clump of salt grass and small bush. Standing on the bike I'm looking out...hmm that tree looks different, like a giraffe head! Oh snap, its a nilgai. No 2, no 3, no 4 oh crap get down! At this point they are 692yds. I slowly lay the bike down and back crawl to the palmetto about 10yds away. I crawled behind so I was hidden by salt grass and could watch them with my binos. They slowly feed out the island point and then back in eating tree leaves working their way out into the grass. After 20min on my knees I decide to get out my chair and setup camp for the waiting game. At some point they don't like the sound of a barge horn and turn to walk to the island that is closer to me. Now at 435.

At this point I'm in my ultralight pivot chair with my swagger bipod setup on the gun so I can get a better look through the Zeiss. After about an hour they finally turn and start heading my direction. 350, 250, 100, 70, ****. They stop, 4 bulls, 3 brown and 1 salt/pepper. I like the darker one and line him up. He's facing me. Turn, please turn, turn! He turns and I squeeze the trigger. He side steps and slowly turns 180, none of the run. I put another round in opposite shoulder. They all run together directly away from me and he falls. When he falls the other 3 turn hard left and are kind of trotting then stop. Bang! I SHOOT The second one. He's hurt, you can tell by the way he's running off, still to my left broadside. Bang! Round 2. The 3 stop just before going off a back, bang round 3. They go off the bank out of view but dont come back into view. 5 minutes later 2 bulls run up bank and headed out of dodge at mach 2. That's weird. 5 minutes later buzzards are circling and landing in the low spot where they had ran.

I'm down to 1 shell left. Turning my attention to where the first bull had fallen, he's no longer in view...uh oh. I start my slow walk in the direction gun and bipod in hand. About 60 yards away 1st bull gets up from grass and starts walking like nothing was wrong. Bang, round 3. He takes 2 steps and falls. I officially can't hear at this point. I had forgotten to put in my ear pro...I back out and head to truck for ammo and game cart.

Chris met me at the truck and I gave him the location. Back in I go. Heading back in I see what the buzzards, car caras were doing. Pecking the eyes of 2nd bull. A guy I had met the previous day named Jaimie rode out to see if we needed help and boy am I glad. I don't think most people understand the shear size of these animals. Jamie talked us through the quartering explaining and giving pointers. He was a huge help. After the 1st bull was quartered and in bags he left to go back hunting. It's now 3pm. Off to the other bull in saltgrass.
This one went much faster and parts taken to road. Cart loaded I'm headed to teuck with load #1. I tell Chris to stay and hunt out of my chair. As I'm riding out I see a cow running from island, boom! A shot from in front of me. I hold for 5 mins then ease that way. It's Jaime. He shot a calf. I help him pull it out of a mud pit and while talking another boom! Chris texted and he shot a cow from my chair and tells me to hurry back. Im still 2.5 miles from truck.

Trailer is too heavy and I have to dump some meat. I leave 6 shoulder/hams in game bags and wrap them with a blue tarp. I now have 2 hams and 2 heads heading to truck. Dump and head back in to Chris and his cow. Down to 2 bars on ebike motor. Uh oh. Make it to Chris and he has 2 quarters at the road and is a little frantic. He quartered her up at dark, left his gun and 2 quarters in fields and carried 2 out, but didn't drop a pin where he was. We spend the next 1.5 hours tromping through grass and Mesquite looking. Finally find it no where near where he thought it was. Back at bike and loaded at 840. Start riding out and battery dies 100 yds. Now pushing an 80lb bike with 150lbs meat for the next 3 miles.

Get to the truck at 10 and start skinnging quarters.
Headed to check station to wash meat and place parts in cooler. Rough day.

Hook up the battery to charger at 1145. Wake up at 4, only 50% charge. Go back to sleep. 6am 75%, go back to sleep. 8am 100%, lets go! Load up and head out for 2nd load. Ride in and load up. Back at truck by 10am, skin, and off to check station.

I'm wore out.

[txoutdoorsman24]

I want to say thank you to everyone who answered my questions and provided advice over the last couple of months. In the end, it's the collective knowledge which helped put me in the right spot.

After the December archery hunt I had a clear plan with exactly where I was going to hunt and how to access. The spot was only 1.2 miles in on gravel with a 600 yard foot march and had great activity with both Nilgai and Deer.

While conversing with guys on here and tossing around ideas, I planted doubt in my mind about that location for the rifle hunt. On scouting day while waiting for another guy I was going to help setup nearby, I ran through where I was going to hunt and the waterhole was dry. Strike two.

I go back to the truck and meet with Chris. We go get him setup and start riding around check out different spots. Coming back around we see 6 nilgai running. We are at 600yds and Im sure we didnt spook them. 3 minutes later here comes a pumpking along the edge near where I had planned on hunting. Strike 3. Chris gets a flat and heads back to the truck. I decide to go ride around and look at areas suggested by TBH members. 30 miles later Im back at the truck. E-Bike.

At the hotel Thursday night I make up my mind that I'm headed stupid deep. Friday early setup at 8am I decide I'm too far North and start headed back South stopping every 40 feet glassing edges as far out as I can see with my 10x42s.

About a mile South of my initial location I stop at a bend in the road, wide open except a palmetto tree with clump of salt grass and small bush. Standing on the bike I'm looking out...hmm that tree looks different, like a giraffe head! Oh snap, its a nilgai. No 2, no 3, no 4 oh crap get down! At this point they are 692yds. I slowly lay the bike down and back crawl to the palmetto about 10yds away. I crawled behind so I was hidden by salt grass and could watch them with my binos. They slowly feed out the island point and then back in eating tree leaves working their way out into the grass. After 20min on my knees I decide to get out my chair and setup camp for the waiting game. At some point they don't like the sound of a barge horn and turn to walk to the island that is closer to me. Now at 435.

At this point I'm in my ultralight pivot chair with my swagger bipod setup on the gun so I can get a better look through the Zeiss. After about an hour they finally turn and start heading my direction. 350, 250, 100, 70, ****. They stop, 4 bulls, 3 brown and 1 salt/pepper. I like the darker one and line him up. He's facing me. Turn, please turn, turn! He turns and I squeeze the trigger. He side steps and slowly turns 180, none of the run. I put another round in opposite shoulder. They all run together directly away from me and he falls. When he falls the other 3 turn hard left and are kind of trotting then stop. Bang! I SHOOT The second one. He's hurt, you can tell by the way he's running off, still to my left broadside. Bang! Round 2. The 3 stop just before going off a back, bang round 3. They go off the bank out of view but dont come back into view. 5 minutes later 2 bulls run up bank and headed out of dodge at mach 2. That's weird. 5 minutes later buzzards are circling and landing in the low spot where they had ran.

I'm down to 1 shell left. Turning my attention to where the first bull had fallen, he's no longer in view...uh oh. I start my slow walk in the direction gun and bipod in hand. About 60 yards away 1st bull gets up from grass and starts walking like nothing was wrong. Bang, round 3. He takes 2 steps and falls. I officially can't hear at this point. I had forgotten to put in my ear pro...I back out and head to truck for ammo and game cart.

Chris met me at the truck and I gave him the location. Back in I go. Heading back in I see what the buzzards, car caras were doing. Pecking the eyes of 2nd bull. A guy I had met the previous day named Jaimie rode out to see if we needed help and boy am I glad. I don't think most people understand the shear size of these animals. Jamie talked us through the quartering explaining and giving pointers. He was a huge help. After the 1st bull was quartered and in bags he left to go back hunting. It's now 3pm. Off to the other bull in saltgrass.
This one went much faster and parts taken to road. Cart loaded I'm headed to teuck with load #1. I tell Chris to stay and hunt out of my chair. As I'm riding out I see a cow running from island, boom! A shot from in front of me. I hold for 5 mins then ease that way. It's Jaime. He shot a calf. I help him pull it out of a mud pit and while talking another boom! Chris texted and he shot a cow from my chair and tells me to hurry back. Im still 2.5 miles from truck.

Trailer is too heavy and I have to dump some meat. I leave 6 shoulder/hams in game bags and wrap them with a blue tarp. I now have 2 hams and 2 heads heading to truck. Dump and head back in to Chris and his cow. Down to 2 bars on ebike motor. Uh oh. Make it to Chris and he has 2 quarters at the road and is a little frantic. He quartered her up at dark, left his gun and 2 quarters in fields and carried 2 out, but didn't drop a pin where he was. We spend the next 1.5 hours tromping through grass and Mesquite looking. Finally find it no where near where he thought it was. Back at bike and loaded at 840. Start riding out and battery dies 100 yds. Now pushing an 80lb bike with 150lbs meat for the next 3 miles.

Get to the truck at 10 and start skinnging quarters.
Headed to check station to wash meat and place parts in cooler. Rough day.

Hook up the battery to charger at 1145. Wake up at 4, only 50% charge. Go back to sleep. 6am 75%, go back to sleep. 8am 100%, lets go! Load up and head out for 2nd load. Ride in and load up. Back at truck by 10am, skin, and off to check station.

I'm wore out.

Good recap bud! Made my back and legs start hurting just reading that
Next time don’t pass up a frontal shot. In the chest they will fold like toilet paper and never move again.

[Tiburon1]

Doubtful, TPWD is about money over opportunity. But, maybe you’re right, MAYBE?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I doubt they will too but a guy can dream as he buys preference points and has to deal with how other states treat non-residents.

[TXOUTLAW]

I want to say thank you to everyone who answered my questions and provided advice over the last couple of months. In the end, it's the collective knowledge which helped put me in the right spot.

After the December archery hunt I had a clear plan with exactly where I was going to hunt and how to access. The spot was only 1.2 miles in on gravel with a 600 yard foot march and had great activity with both Nilgai and Deer.

While conversing with guys on here and tossing around ideas, I planted doubt in my mind about that location for the rifle hunt. On scouting day while waiting for another guy I was going to help setup nearby, I ran through where I was going to hunt and the waterhole was dry. Strike two.

I go back to the truck and meet with Chris. We go get him setup and start riding around check out different spots. Coming back around we see 6 nilgai running. We are at 600yds and Im sure we didnt spook them. 3 minutes later here comes a pumpking along the edge near where I had planned on hunting. Strike 3. Chris gets a flat and heads back to the truck. I decide to go ride around and look at areas suggested by TBH members. 30 miles later Im back at the truck. E-Bike.

At the hotel Thursday night I make up my mind that I'm headed stupid deep. Friday early setup at 8am I decide I'm too far North and start headed back South stopping every 40 feet glassing edges as far out as I can see with my 10x42s.

About a mile South of my initial location I stop at a bend in the road, wide open except a palmetto tree with clump of salt grass and small bush. Standing on the bike I'm looking out...hmm that tree looks different, like a giraffe head! Oh snap, its a nilgai. No 2, no 3, no 4 oh crap get down! At this point they are 692yds. I slowly lay the bike down and back crawl to the palmetto about 10yds away. I crawled behind so I was hidden by salt grass and could watch them with my binos. They slowly feed out the island point and then back in eating tree leaves working their way out into the grass. After 20min on my knees I decide to get out my chair and setup camp for the waiting game. At some point they don't like the sound of a barge horn and turn to walk to the island that is closer to me. Now at 435.

At this point I'm in my ultralight pivot chair with my swagger bipod setup on the gun so I can get a better look through the Zeiss. After about an hour they finally turn and start heading my direction. 350, 250, 100, 70, ****. They stop, 4 bulls, 3 brown and 1 salt/pepper. I like the darker one and line him up. He's facing me. Turn, please turn, turn! He turns and I squeeze the trigger. He side steps and slowly turns 180, none of the run. I put another round in opposite shoulder. They all run together directly away from me and he falls. When he falls the other 3 turn hard left and are kind of trotting then stop. Bang! I SHOOT The second one. He's hurt, you can tell by the way he's running off, still to my left broadside. Bang! Round 2. The 3 stop just before going off a back, bang round 3. They go off the bank out of view but dont come back into view. 5 minutes later 2 bulls run up bank and headed out of dodge at mach 2. That's weird. 5 minutes later buzzards are circling and landing in the low spot where they had ran.

I'm down to 1 shell left. Turning my attention to where the first bull had fallen, he's no longer in view...uh oh. I start my slow walk in the direction gun and bipod in hand. About 60 yards away 1st bull gets up from grass and starts walking like nothing was wrong. Bang, round 3. He takes 2 steps and falls. I officially can't hear at this point. I had forgotten to put in my ear pro...I back out and head to truck for ammo and game cart.

Chris met me at the truck and I gave him the location. Back in I go. Heading back in I see what the buzzards, car caras were doing. Pecking the eyes of 2nd bull. A guy I had met the previous day named Jaimie rode out to see if we needed help and boy am I glad. I don't think most people understand the shear size of these animals. Jamie talked us through the quartering explaining and giving pointers. He was a huge help. After the 1st bull was quartered and in bags he left to go back hunting. It's now 3pm. Off to the other bull in saltgrass.
This one went much faster and parts taken to road. Cart loaded I'm headed to teuck with load #1. I tell Chris to stay and hunt out of my chair. As I'm riding out I see a cow running from island, boom! A shot from in front of me. I hold for 5 mins then ease that way. It's Jaime. He shot a calf. I help him pull it out of a mud pit and while talking another boom! Chris texted and he shot a cow from my chair and tells me to hurry back. Im still 2.5 miles from truck.

Trailer is too heavy and I have to dump some meat. I leave 6 shoulder/hams in game bags and wrap them with a blue tarp. I now have 2 hams and 2 heads heading to truck. Dump and head back in to Chris and his cow. Down to 2 bars on ebike motor. Uh oh. Make it to Chris and he has 2 quarters at the road and is a little frantic. He quartered her up at dark, left his gun and 2 quarters in fields and carried 2 out, but didn't drop a pin where he was. We spend the next 1.5 hours tromping through grass and Mesquite looking. Finally find it no where near where he thought it was. Back at bike and loaded at 840. Start riding out and battery dies 100 yds. Now pushing an 80lb bike with 150lbs meat for the next 3 miles.

Get to the truck at 10 and start skinnging quarters.
Headed to check station to wash meat and place parts in cooler. Rough day.

Hook up the battery to charger at 1145. Wake up at 4, only 50% charge. Go back to sleep. 6am 75%, go back to sleep. 8am 100%, lets go! Load up and head out for 2nd load. Ride in and load up. Back at truck by 10am, skin, and off to check station.

I'm wore out.

Awesome write up

[Rwc]

Just reading your recap made me tired!

Rwc

[Texas Grown]

In favor of that!


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2X

[RiverRat00]

To those that have shot Nilgai on public, what is preferred method to break animal on field to get it out fast?

What do u take , just quarters and back strap?

[Clay89]

How many NR to Residents even put in? I’m NR I’m only out state tag I’ve seen I figured numbers would go way up in draw after that guy released that TikTok video last yr but idk. Honestly any of my hunting buddies I tell about it don’t really seem to interested in it