Question about Public Hunting Opportunities in Texas

[XLT]

One more question about public hunting opportunities in Texas...most likely won't get an opportunity on public or private land this season...

Anyway... do the online maps for TPWD show ALL of the opportunities, or are there more listed in the map they give you when you buy the permit? The ones they have listed only show the WMA's themselves, no private land leased by TPWD....

I appear to be in the wrong end of the state for a walk-in deer hunt if that is all they've got...

[fisherman66]

Those available on the internet are the same as those in the book. I drew a goose egg in Sam Houston Nat. Forest this year after a 5 day camp in. I got a couple does off private land this weekend. We are going to do a late winter feral hog hunt up in Caddo Grasslands and scout for next years deer general season.

Sam Houston was THICK with undergrowth. We were the only fools without climbing stands.

[XLT]

wow, well that stinks... thanks for the info tho.

I guess I will have to look at nonresident opportunities in NM next year...

[Desertfox]

Just a little more info. I took a nice buck off the Caddo Natnl. Grasslands 5 years ago. I lived in the Sherman/Denison area than.
I have since moved but still hunt the Texas Type 2 land as it used to be called. I put in for draw hunts every year and have had some luck.
I just finished a hunt out your way (El Paso) at Sierra Diablo WMA. Yep it was a draw and i got lucky. I took a nice mule deer for the first time.
Just saying, put in for the draw hunts and you will be happy. It is the cheapest deer lease you can find. Millions of Texas pubic hunting acres for so little money.
To give you my run-down of the WMA's from my experience;
Caddo Natnl Grasslands is good for hogs but heavy on the people. You need to get there early and actually walk a mile into the woods. Most hunters are within 500 yards of the roads. Put in for a doe tag there.
Richland Creek- (draw hunt) THICK and hard to traverse. Take a tri-pod and find a trail crossing. Loads of deer in there. You will be put in a compartment so pressure isn't a problem.
San Angelo State Park - Great walk in deer hunting for archery. I have taken 5 deer there in 4 years. Alot of opportunity for numerous deer but you will have hunting pressure. They do draws by compartment for rifle.
Sierra Diablo WMA Good place to draw a mule deer buck hunt. Put in and draw preference points if you miss out. It is worth it.
Mason Mountain Great draw hunting. I have taken a nice trophy white tail (rifle)and have seen from my blind some sweet exotics. I keep putting in for the exotics and have yet to be drawn but my preference points are piling up. Treatment like a king when you arrive. Big stone house with big screen tv. Roughing it!
Elephant Mountain is out west near you. I have yet to be drawn for there, but the TPWD biologist on my last hunt said it was full of game.
James Daughtrey Loads of deer and box blinds already set up. Not too hard to get drawn for.
I did a private land hunt in Austin that was unusual. Not alot of deer at all and from my blind I could see large houses and hear traffic. I was hunting with a center fire rifle and was surrounded by traffic. Not my favorite hunt but I did take a doe.
I keep putting in for the draws and have had some success. This is my list and I am sure others have more. I don't put in for antlerless/spike hunts anymore due to the travel time. It was 850 miles one way for me to hunt Sierra Diablo last week. I get to hunt Oklahoma during the regular season so my draw hunts in Texas are used for bucks or exotics now. Plenty of does around here to harvest in archery, muzzleloader and rifle season.
I hope this was a little helpful.

[fisherman66]

Thanks for the write up DF!