New to APH, lots of questions

[stevolabo]

My usual hunting has been the drawn hunts (which with my luck, i think i have better chances getting stuck by lighting then getting drawn), a few management hunts on ranches, and hunting out of state. I am only going to get a few days of out of state hunting, so i am trying the APH program. I am new to the APH permit, and I leave near San Antonio. When I think public hunting in texas, i think it would be like fishing at Bob Hall pier during a holiday weekend.... As$es to elbows. Am I wrong on this? I am willing to do a little traveling to hunt at a descent location. As i am looking at the map, doesn't look like there is too much land around San Antonio for whiltetails. Any help pointing me to a park would be great. Don't want to take anyone's hunting spot, I treasure my hunting time too.

thanks guys

[ground level]

The closest APH Unit for whitetails is San Angelo State Park and that is Archery Only, no firearm hunting except through the drawing hunts. Here is the list for Units within the APH that allows white-tailed deer to be hunted (not all Units allow firearms).

Region 3 – Central Texas:
San Angelo SP – Unit #1166

Region 4 – Dallas/Ft. Worth:
Cooper WMA - Unit #731
South Sulfur Unit-Cooper Lake SP - Unit #1155
Caddo National Grasslands WMA - Bois D’ Arc Unit #901N
Caddo National Grasslands WMA - Ladonia Unit #901S
Tawakoni WMA - Unit #708
Pat Mayse WMA - Unit #705

Region 5 - Pineywoods:
White Oak Creek WMA - Unit #727
Angelina Neches/Dam B WMA - Unit #707
Caddo Lake WMA - Unit #730
Alazan Bayou WMA – Unit #747E
Alazan Bayou WMA – Unit #747W
Campbell Timberland Mgmt. Newton County - Unit #122
Sabine River Authority Panola County - Unit #630
Moore Plantation WMA - Unit #902
Campbell Timberland Mgmt. Unit #106
Bannister WMA - Unit #903
North Toledo Bend WMA - Unit #615
Old Sabine Bottom WMA - Unit #732
Alabama Creek WMA - Unit #904

Region 6 – Austin/Waco:
Somerville WMA - Unit #711
Luminant Texas - Robertson County - Unit #607

Region 7 – Houston/Beaumont:
Sam Houston National Forest WMA - Unit #905

Please check each Unit for seasons, legal means & methods that may be used. Not all species may be taken on all units. Refer to the Legal Game legends on individual unit maps to determine which species may be taken on each unit. If a species or season is not listed in the Legal Game box, there is no hunting allowed for that species or by that particular means on the unit. Example, if under deer there is only an archery season listed, then there is no gun hunting allowed for deer on that area.

[zacm1979]

@ steveo - If you decide to check out the San Angelo APH please let me know how it goes. I too am new to APH hunting and am very interested in giving it a try. I live just outside of San Antonio so it would be closest for me also. Thanks.

[buzzcut]

Your best bet would probably be head east to the National Forest lands around Huntsville. Supposedly there is an archery-only WMA in that area. If possible try to hunt mid-week,thats when those areas are least visited. I hunted a lot in the Palestine-Rusk area back in the day and seen deer almost every trip,so I know there's decent whitetail hunting in that area.

[stevolabo]

Thanks for the info guys. @zacm1979, I will let you know how it turns out.