Garner State Park Axis Deer Hunting??

[salth2o]

Just got back from the youth hunt at Garner with my two kids. We had a great time, and I'll say that all of the negative reviews I have read about staff and the experience were completely wrong. Shooting lanes and shooting times are strict, but I understand why. You don't get to trail your animals if they fall out of sight of your blind but that's pretty common and I felt that the staff had plenty of experience and desire to track animals. There were a couple of mistakes made by hunters and I felt that the staff handled them in a very common sense manner. They definitely want the axis off and aren't crazy about the whitetail harvest right now because their whitetail numbers are pretty low. I felt like the staff and volunteers were GREAT with the kids and very personable. Hunting is from pop ups that have chairs in them and feeders with defined shooting lanes that you can not shoot outside of. It was really no big deal. They have some a frames up to clean animals but no cover over it and not on cement. Cleaning animals in 38 degree rain sucked but we made it work and the staff was helpful of those with little experience cleaning deer.

The bad part is that deer numbers are low and they are not coming to bait at all. There were only 9 animals killed by 21 kids and several never saw a deer the entire weekend. I think it was 5 axis and 4 whitetails. After last years hunts they had government shooters come in and wipe out the axis so numbers are way down. Add in the fact that everything is still green and you have some tough hunting. Still plenty huntable numbers of axis but they just don't need to move much with green grass and less competition for food. I felt like baiting was a waste of time and money but that could change later this month. Everyone that killed said they were just passing thru for the most part and ignoring feeders and bait. I did heavily corn the shooting lanes, especially along deer trails, and that seemed to work to get them to stop long enough for a kid to shoot.

On the plus side, my kids got 3 of the axis and I called my daughter off another one. They both killed spikes and my daughter killed a stud buck. My son shot the only axis he saw all weekend, but my daughter was in the hot blind and we saw axis every hunt except for one. My son saw a giant whitetail buck outside of his shooting lane and a handful more whitetails, my daughter never saw a whitetail all weekend. We had a great weekend in some terrible weather and left anxious to go back.

Hope this helps others hunting later this month!

Congrats on the hunt. I'm leaving in a little over a week. Hoping for at least one axis to cruise by.

I was planning on bringing a chair for the blind, but it sounds like it may not be necessary.

What blinds did y'all hunt?

[capn]

I can't get pics to load on the site, but I posted a bunch on the B&C Facebook page if someone wants to look it up. Search Blast & Cast Men's Ministries.

The hot blind of the weekend was my daughter's, number 9. My son was in 19. I'm not sure it matters though since they draw numbers out of a hat for blind assignments and there are axis throughout the park. As far as I know though, we were the only blind that saw axis bucks... And we could have killed a second buck easily on Saturday morning had we been allowed an additional fork antlered buck.

Personally, I'd go back in a heartbeat even with the tough hunting. It's gorgeous! The skyline in the moonlight is out of this world.

[TXFireFighter]

Here you go! Congrats on the kiddos getting some axis! Nice buck!

[Dan T]

That is awesome!!! Congrats to your little ones, that is a bucket list animal for me, I have 2 preference points, maybe I'll draw next year!

[capn]

I am proud of em. Their experience showed and they made perfect shots in narrow windows and poor weather. The Lord blessed us with opportunities and they both remembered their training when it counted.

The buck grew on us big time once it hit the ground. I had no clue how big it was as we were both so focused in on finding an acceptable window for a shot. There were 12 or 13 animals packed together and I was focused on a smaller buck since I couldn't see that lane well from my position. She said "Daddy, there's another buck behind them. He's bigger." I shifted to see him and then we went to looking for the shot. The does and fawns were being jumpy and I was worried she'd get nervous and almost had her shoot the smaller one at one point. Finally the does spooked at something and jumped out of the lane. He looked back at them and was about to do the same. I told her it had to be right now and she didn't hesitate. For a 10 year old girl to have a split second opening on an animal at 98 yards and drill him through the shoulders... Proud daddy! He grew big time when we put hands on him. Won't ever forget that uncontrollable smile she had!

[careybirdwell]

Congrats to your family. Great Looking Axis

[Adam G.]

Congrats to you and your kids!!! Your daughter sure did kill a nice one!

[Muzzy100]

Congrats that was a really cool place to go hunting

[car]

Congrats to you and your kids, great memories for all!

[SwampRabbit]

Wow!!!! that is an awesome story right there!

[sector42]

Congrats. Nice Axis. My son was drawn for the Whitetail/Axis hunt this weekend, then I was drawn for the Exotic gun hunt the following 3 days. Looks like it will be 5 days trying to bag Axis and whitetail for us. Anyone else gonna be down there for either of those hunts?

[salth2o]

Congrats. Nice Axis. My son was drawn for the Whitetail/Axis hunt this weekend, then I was drawn for the Exotic gun hunt the following 3 days. Looks like it will be 5 days trying to bag Axis and whitetail for us. Anyone else gonna be down there for either of those hunts?

Any luck in the youth hunt?

I'll be there Wednesday thru Friday.

[sector42]

No. Only 1 out of 10 kids even saw deer, and that kid shot an axis doe. They could have shot white tail too, but there were none to be seen. We didn't see anything other than jack rabbits. My advice, is pray you draw blinds 9 or 10. The other blinds are set up right on camp sites and no one was seeing any deer. They do have feeders, but nothing came to our feeder and there was still corn under it everyday. Good luck to you on your hunt.

[salth2o]

Garner State Park Axis Deer Hunting??

I drew stand 12. Hoping for the best.

I'm trying some Vanilla corn.

[Hillary]

Congrats to your kids, capn!
That's the way to do it!

Good luck to all this weekend!