Choke Canyon

[lonestarjae]

Drew out for Choke Canyon north shore unit dec. 16-20. Just looking for someone who as hunted there to get some advice on best way to hunt this area.

[Muddy Bud]

Don't know about the north shore but the south shore is mostly very short brush with very big bucks. Can you feed corn on this hunt? If you can you should be all right with a pop up blind set up over hand tossed corn.
Good luck

[lonestarjae]

Yes we can feed. I have just never been to this area so every tip helps. Thanks for the advice.

[jakhunter]

Lots of animals around choke. Should be a great year since you got some water

[DeadEyeB]

My ranch actually borders this area. Caught a guy sitting my fence once in a popup raised hell with the park but it fell on deaf ears. All I can say is the area is over run with hogs. Any feed you put out will be found by said hogs. Blast away =D

I took down my trail cams because they'd have 2000 pictures of hogs in a weeks time.

Another thing is that same time the duck hunters are out in droves. Choke made some duck hunting magazine as the top duck hunting lake in Texas so it sounds like a war zone in the morning during the entire deer season just about.

Main thing to take from that is beware where you position yourself next to the lake. The deer seem to be use to it for the most part.

There is a major power line running right through it that they keep cleared that would be a decent place to put some corn out potentially. The brush is SUPER thick and most of the trees are short so a ground blind or if you can position yourself in the brush is the best method i'm sure. In a lot of places you can't even get through it w/out sticking yourself with thorns.

If I recall the rules state any buck less than 8 points? Most of the 1.5 - 2.5 bucks are 4-6 pointers. Just about anything older than that will usually be an 8 point. I have seen once though a REAL nice 4.5 yr old 7 point. It was a year like this when there was a major drought though and I let him go. He'd be 6.5 this year unless someone shot him. I didn't see him again.

Not sure if that is still the rule.

Not a whole lot of hunting pressure up there so the deer don't spook all that easy. Lots of young bucks and not over run by doe.

Main issue is that hogs own the place so you might want to set up more than one feed spot and move between them. Some days its works on my place. Deer will be at one feeder and hogs at the other.

Also unless a northern is coming in the wind is almost always blowing pretty good from the south. Keep it in mind when you set up your blind.

Good luck

[DeadEyeB]

another thing to keep in mind is that they have done a lot of gas/oil drilling in the area and there are some wells on the state property. Gaugers and pipe people are out there from time to time. There have been several occasions where I asked the guy "See anything?" just to find out he was out there working on some well site.


Should be easy to keep clear of those things, but also don't want to be too close to the road they have running through that part of the park to avoid running into trucks.

[30-06]

I was drawn on a muzzleloader hunt on the north shore about five years ago. The area I hunted was at the end of the park road. There were a few horse trails off the main road and for the most part the brush was pretty thick. I’d look for areas the previous hunters were baiting and set up near these. Also, look for trails where the deer are going to the lake for water. That’s what paid off for me on a doe I took. I did see several javelina but they were not on the menu when I was there.

[lonestarjae]

This is what we are allowed during this archery hunt.
Thanks for all the help guys.
Three white-tailed deer (either sex, limit one antlerless
and two bucks). Bucks must have 7 or less antler points with an inside main
beam spread of at least 12 inches, at least one unbranched antler, or an inside
main beam spread equal to or wider than the ear tips. Limit one buck with an
inside main beam spread equal to or wider than the ear tips.
One javelina (either sex). Unlimited feral hogs.

[Dejashoot]

Anyone have a map of the compartements for North Shore?

[Palehorse]

My son was picked for the youth management hunt at Choke Canyon-North shore unit as well. We will be there 12-3 and 12-4. I'll let you know if we get a compartment where we see any decent bucks.

[lonestarjae]

Thanks that would be greatly apreciated.

[Dejashoot]

I'll be there Dec 12-14 hunting North Shore. I can let you know what I saw as well. I wish I had a map before hand.

[lonestarjae]

if you find a map let me know....i hate going in blind.

[Kills-myth]

I've been there during the summer, and the place is just lousy with deer. Good luck. I'm putting in for that as soon as I have the time. If you do have to go in blind, at least it will be in a target rich area!

[Brazos Hunter]

You shouldn't have a problem drawing blood...