2011-2012 Laguna Atascosa Rifle Hunts

[SLICE & DICE]

Does anyone know the Format for the Rifle Hunt?
I got drawn this year and don't really know what to expect.
Do they just turn you loose like the bowhunt or are you assigned to a section?
Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

[SLICE & DICE]

ttt

[chancito1]

Not sure I've never been drawn. If you get a chance hunt north west side of 6 saw nilgai, deer and pigs. Take a big gun!

[nanny_slammer]

idk me and my little brother have been drawn and are headed down december 13th. i do know that you have to get your permit verified by a refuge game warden or the refuge people in general before your allowed to hunt. we went on the bow hunt last week and it was a blast but theire will be no survivors in the gun hunt. when are you heading down?

[nanny_slammer]

Not sure I've never been drawn. If you get a chance hunt north west side of 6 saw nilgai, deer and pigs. Take a big gun!

im packing my 30-378 weatherby and my little bro is taking his 416 rigby. if this ain't enough power then im heading home !!!! when were you last out there chancito?

[SLICE & DICE]

I will be heading down Dec. 20-22.
I saw several Nilgai during the Bow hunt and a few does and fawns.
I am taking my 30-06 but I don't know if i will have time to sight in with a heavier bullet.
Probably end up sticking with 150 grains.

Good luck.

[nanny_slammer]

150 will suffice...shot placement is the key amigo. were going big bc i hate tracking animals.

[DPerez905]

I can't wait to hit something with that 400 grain bomb shell of a bullet. Especially a running nilgai!!!

[nanny_slammer]

I can't wait to hit something with that 400 grain bomb shell of a bullet. Especially a running nilgai!!!

no joke its gonna be fun

[T-Bolt]

I shot a Nilgai last year on rifle hunt. Shot placement is key, 170 grain 30/30, ran 40 yards. Heart shot. My brother and I had to drag that sucker over 400 yards to nearest road. Luckily 4 other hunters helped us load it onto my pickup. It was a blast. I kept saying, I should have shot the smaller one. LOL

[SneakyPhil]

Last time I was drawn for the gun hunt we sat thru an orientation then they turned us loose. There are no assigned areas so its prety much like the archery hunt.

[stxhunter]

My last rifle hunt there was a total of 4 hunts over 3 days. The first day is orientation and you get to hunt from 12-dark, second day was all day, and the third day was only in the AM. I believe sections 1 & 6 were closed off, which was different from the archery hunt. There were plenty of deer to be had, but oddly enough only 8 animals were taken ( I tagged out with both a buck and doe). There really aren't a lot of people that get selected for each rifle hunt (good thing because pressure was almost nonexistent unlike the archery hunts), and it seemed like many that were in my group were relatively new to hunting in general. One of the hunters even took his daughter who was probably 10 yrs old (not that there's anything wrong with that, but you could really tell they weren't prepared). By the third day I think only 3 people even hunted. Let me know if you've got any more questions.

[SLICE & DICE]

Thanks for the info.

Sounds like it will be a good time.

[Kolpin10]

I got drawn for the last rifle hunt 12/28-30

[chancito1]

im packing my 30-378 weatherby and my little bro is taking his 416 rigby. if this ain't enough power then im heading home !!!! when were you last out there chancito?

I was there for the archery hunt. I love that place! Been going over 20 yrs now. You guys should be covered with that calibure. I watched a guy loose 1000.00 dollar bet guiding on king ranch. He bet he could shoot through and drop a mature bull. Lost the first bet for 500 when bullet did not pass through and ran 80 Yds. Lost 2nd bet (double or nothing) when again bullet did not pass through and bull went about 20 Yds. He was shooting a 460! You dont drag a full sized mature bull out. My buddy shot one last year that took everything we had to get it out it only weighed 270lbs field dressed. I shot one the year before that we couldn't roll over! He was over twice the size of my buddys. A mature bull is a massive animal! We tried to carry out the hind qtrs and couldn't do that either. I carried out an 85lb pig 2 miles last week but couldn't carry out a hind qtr! It took 5 of us with bat powered sawzall, 3 large back packs, 3 large duffle bags and one sports equipment bag to get the meat and cape out. Vitals are farther up in cavity than wt so try to catch them low and qtrd away. Good luck!