"Official" Sam Houston Natl. Forest 09/10

[huntinfool]

I will be hunting the SHNF this opening day and was wondering if anyone wanted to meet up for lunch? Possibly in New Waverly or Huntsville?

Also It would be great to meet some guys hunting the area and talk.

[huntinfool]

I plan on scouting on Sat. Sept. 26 (early am) and maybe the 27th in the afternoon.
I plan on hunting on opening morning, am I going to be the only one?

[Big Brass]

I won't make it out opening day but I will spend the 4th in a tree. I've got a good spot scouted out on the east side. Good luck.

[TreeStandMan]

I will be on the east side on the 3rd and 4th have a few spots picked out, good luck to all

[huntinfool]

Do you think there is less pressure on the East side or do you hunt there because it is closer to home? I have scouted a place on the East side and it looked good along a creek. However it was very open, not much underbrush. I don't really know if the deer would use this area because of it's openness.

[ColinK1983]

I was planning on hunting opening weekend but gotta work so ill be out there from the 2nd weekend to the end of the month

[rvt1000rr]

My mother is getting a crossbow and she was trying to find out the best grain broadhead for a 150lb limbed....any help would be appreciated. I will be off of hwy 2296 opening day. Just my dad back into bowhunting. It will be the first time hunting with him in 12yrs. Cant wait.

[TreeStandMan]

I started hunting on the east side because its closer to home, nice to be able to sleep in your on bed, but I dont know if the pressure is any different on either side, I have a buddy who has some land by little creek wilderness and the number of deer seems about the same, I think you just have to put in the time and effort. Huntinfool which creek are you talking about on the east side? is it winters bayou?

[TreeStandMan]

rvt1000rr, I bet it will be nice to hunt with you dad after 12 years that is a long time, did you find a place to hunt them hogs that you were looking for?

[Big Brass]

Do you think there is less pressure on the East side or do you hunt there because it is closer to home? I have scouted a place on the East side and it looked good along a creek. However it was very open, not much underbrush. I don't really know if the deer would use this area because of it's openness.

Both. It's closer to home so I can get there more often and quicker allowing more time to scout. That gives me more time to locate areas with good sign and deer sightings. Trust me, it does not take long to find LOTS of cover on the east side. I also think it gets less pressure because it is more chopped up into smaller sections. On the west side you have basically one huge mass of land.

[huntinfool]

We are hunting a small section broken away from the big mass on the west side. We have another piece that we are scouting also and may start hunting there too.
As far as which creek on the East side I don't know. I thought my buddy said it was off the San Jacinto river. (but I don't think that is right) He has a small piece of property up there and we chased pigs in the forest near his property.

I should be up there Sat. to scout with or with out my buddy. I might even take my bike with me to get way back in one place.

[rvt1000rr]

I should be fun...This will be the first time he has picked up a bow in 12 years also....been doing a lot of practice. I met a guy around here who owns 3500acres and has wayyyy too many hogs on it. He let me come out and shoot one. I got a boar that we estimated between 180 to 220lbs. Big tusks. First hog iv ever even seen in the wild. If you know some other places treestandman maybe we could meet up and go stick a pig.

[huntinfool]

I'm lucky I still get to hunt with my dad every year. However lately we have been hunting different places and not hunting together, but we still do every chance we get.

[Bowhnt247]

I'm planning on being in the woods opening morning. My buddy and I scouted out a few areas on the west side of the lake, found a couple of decent spots. Its quite a ways in, so hopefully I will see some action. Does anyone have advice for early season hunting in the forest? Should I try some scents or stay near food sources, grunt call, etc.? Just wondering what has worked best for everyone else in the past. Good luck!

[huntinfool]

I'm sure there are others who have had success, but I'm not one of them. I'm still learning how to hunt East Texas. I'm staying away from scents and calls so far. I feel that just about every hunter with a gun has tried those things and probably edjucated every deer out there. But that is just me. I sure wish some on the other guys that hunt there regularly would chime in.