Amistad: What I learned in my first hunt

[Efren]

I just got back from hunting Amistad for the first year. This, by far, has been the hardest hunt I have ever done. I've been bow hunting for about six years now and it's always been hunting at a feeder. But this, this is the real deal. I give credit to anyone who has had success in harvesting an animal on public land.
With that being said, before I went out on my adventure, I did as much research as I possibly could about the land, what type of animals there were, what area they were at, and how to hunt it. Well, all that research and at the end, I felt like I was still not fully prepared for the hunt, and I'll tell you why. Unlike hunting a feeder, where do you set up? On a trail, right? Well, if you look at a map of Amistad, you can see a few trails on there, so I mapped out a few trails and some places where deer could possible be bedding. Well, when I got there and started my hike, the trails that are on the map, are not there anymore (I was using the map on my iPhone). So, I improvised and I had a general idea about where I was going. The other problem is that you cannot tell on the map if you're going uphill or downhill, and the places where you thought deer would be bedding, is dried out. So, what I did is find high ground and look for a place to set up. But, the place is so thick, is hard to pinpoint a place. The first day I was there, I hiked up about 1 1/2 miles to a place I thought would be good. (I read that you have to go further to better your chances because you had to separate yourself from other hunters). Well, that first evening I actually left half hr before sundown because I was afraid that I would not find my way out (I was hunting solo). I know it was prime time, but I wasnt going to risk it. TBC

[hogdaddy]

welcome to hunting amistad. get a boat & don't hunt #4 too many people with boats go to #4. Boat the mile and 1/2 in while plotting GPS course going in in daylight, hunt close to boat (far from road) boat out in dark following GPS track. be careful. take ice chest, kill deer take ice chest to deer, or deer to ice chest, quarter deer, arrive at boat ramp w deer& cammo out of sight. looking like a sad sack fisherman raises less questions. good luck next trip.

[jt400]

So how many animals did you see while sitting? A lot of other hunters?

[RifleBowPistol]

It has been about 11 or 12 years since I last hunted Amistad. I used to love doing so. It is much harder hunting than people will ever realize. I hunted there for quite a few years, spent a lot of time out there, when I did hunt the area. I learned a lot. You have to adopt new hunting styles. Sitting all day in a spot from before sun up till after sun down, is how you will learn. You likely won't be sitting in the right spot for a while. But if you sit most of the day, enough days, you will start to see what is going on throughout the days.

The game animals do not have any set trails they follow each day, they do not go from the same general area to the same general area everyday at the same time of day. Now I can tell you that they do typically move at the same time of day everyday and they feed on the same types of vegetation everyday. I am not going to give out too much detail about what I have learned about the place. But I have learned a lot. If I made it much easier for a lot of guys to hunt out there successfully, there would be a hell of a lot more guys out there. Which would really screw things up. It is very hard hunting to begin with and there is a lot of hunting pressure. So you have to take what you know about animals and humans and just keep that info in your personal notes in your head. Then sit and watch what goes on from before sun up till after sun down, enough days in a row. You should start to see how things work out there. Then you use your head and come up with a game plan to put yourself where you might have a chance at a deer or ram. Then keep trying.

I met a guy out there years ago, as I was figuring out the place. The guy himself was like a ghost, he killed one or two nice bucks every year. The years I hunted there, he was killing two a year. I saw him bring two out one season, both were very nice bucks. As I learned the place and learned to become part of the place. The other guy, who had been mostly a ghost to me before, became someone I saw more often. Even though we hardly talked, he seemed like a hunting buddy. That guy probably still hunts out there, if he does, probably most don't or won't ever see him.

I hunted the place a lot for about five to maybe seven years. I got to where I would see numerous nice bucks every weekend. Always saw the same groups of doe, I knew each group of doe. I regularly saw the same bucks, but would often see new bucks. I have seen a lot of very nice bucks out there, getting close to them is a lot harder than you would think. I could tell you a story about this one heavy bodied older buck, with a very nice, heavy blond rack. I saw him numerous times. He had a trick for staying alive, he was part billy goat, for starters, but then he obviously read the map on where the hunt areas are and what areas are off limits to hunting. He would stay in a area, where you had to be part billy goat to get to him, then if you went after him, he quickly ran to a area, that was off limits to hunting. I learned you were most likely never going to be able to shoot that deer. There was so little of one hunt area, that he travel, but where he traveled was an area, many hunters passed through. So many people saw him, but nobody really had a chance at him.

I learned enough over the years I was there, I could regularly get within 10 yards of bucks or doe. It was not hard, once I learned some things, on top of what I had known long before I started hunting that place. You definitely have to hunt that place differently.

[jt400]

It has been about 11 or 12 years since I last hunted Amistad. I used to love doing so. It is much harder hunting than people will ever realize. I hunted there for quite a few years, spent a lot of time out there, when I did hunt the area. I learned a lot. You have to adopt new hunting styles. Sitting all day in a spot from before sun up till after sun down, is how you will learn. You likely won't be sitting in the right spot for a while. But if you sit most of the day, enough days, you will start to see what is going on throughout the days.

The game animals do not have any set trails they follow each day, they do not go from the same general area to the same general area everyday at the same time of day. Now I can tell you that they do typically move at the same time of day everyday and they feed on the same types of vegetation everyday. I am not going to give out too much detail about what I have learned about the place. But I have learned a lot. If I made it much easier for a lot of guys to hunt out there successfully, there would be a hell of a lot more guys out there. Which would really screw things up. It is very hard hunting to begin with and there is a lot of hunting pressure. So you have to take what you know about animals and humans and just keep that info in your personal notes in your head. Then sit and watch what goes on from before sun up till after sun down, enough days in a row. You should start to see how things work out there. Then you use your head and come up with a game plan to put yourself where you might have a chance at a deer or ram. Then keep trying.

I met a guy out there years ago, as I was figuring out the place. The guy himself was like a ghost, he killed one or two nice bucks every year. The years I hunted there, he was killing two a year. I saw him bring two out one season, both were very nice bucks. As I learned the place and learned to become part of the place. The other guy, who had been mostly a ghost to me before, became someone I saw more often. Even though we hardly talked, he seemed like a hunting buddy. That guy probably still hunts out there, if he does, probably most don't or won't ever see him.

I hunted the place a lot for about five to maybe seven years. I got to where I would see numerous nice bucks every weekend. Always saw the same groups of doe, I knew each group of doe. I regularly saw the same bucks, but would often see new bucks. I have seen a lot of very nice bucks out there, getting close to them is a lot harder than you would think. I could tell you a story about this one heavy bodied older buck, with a very nice, heavy blond rack. I saw him numerous times. He had a trick for staying alive, he was part billy goat, for starters, but then he obviously read the map on where the hunt areas are and what areas are off limits to hunting. He would stay in a area, where you had to be part billy goat to get to him, then if you went after him, he quickly ran to a area, that was off limits to hunting. I learned you were most likely never going to be able to shoot that deer. There was so little of one hunt area, that he travel, but where he traveled was an area, many hunters passed through. So many people saw him, but nobody really had a chance at him.

I learned enough over the years I was there, I could regularly get within 10 yards of bucks or doe. It was not hard, once I learned some things, on top of what I had known long before I started hunting that place. You definitely have to hunt that place differently.

I sent you a pm

[VictorG830]

It has been about 11 or 12 years since I last hunted Amistad. I used to love doing so. It is much harder hunting than people will ever realize. I hunted there for quite a few years, spent a lot of time out there, when I did hunt the area. I learned a lot. You have to adopt new hunting styles. Sitting all day in a spot from before sun up till after sun down, is how you will learn. You likely won't be sitting in the right spot for a while. But if you sit most of the day, enough days, you will start to see what is going on throughout the days.

The game animals do not have any set trails they follow each day, they do not go from the same general area to the same general area everyday at the same time of day. Now I can tell you that they do typically move at the same time of day everyday and they feed on the same types of vegetation everyday. I am not going to give out too much detail about what I have learned about the place. But I have learned a lot. If I made it much easier for a lot of guys to hunt out there successfully, there would be a hell of a lot more guys out there. Which would really screw things up. It is very hard hunting to begin with and there is a lot of hunting pressure. So you have to take what you know about animals and humans and just keep that info in your personal notes in your head. Then sit and watch what goes on from before sun up till after sun down, enough days in a row. You should start to see how things work out there. Then you use your head and come up with a game plan to put yourself where you might have a chance at a deer or ram. Then keep trying.

I met a guy out there years ago, as I was figuring out the place. The guy himself was like a ghost, he killed one or two nice bucks every year. The years I hunted there, he was killing two a year. I saw him bring two out one season, both were very nice bucks. As I learned the place and learned to become part of the place. The other guy, who had been mostly a ghost to me before, became someone I saw more often. Even though we hardly talked, he seemed like a hunting buddy. That guy probably still hunts out there, if he does, probably most don't or won't ever see him.

I hunted the place a lot for about five to maybe seven years. I got to where I would see numerous nice bucks every weekend. Always saw the same groups of doe, I knew each group of doe. I regularly saw the same bucks, but would often see new bucks. I have seen a lot of very nice bucks out there, getting close to them is a lot harder than you would think. I could tell you a story about this one heavy bodied older buck, with a very nice, heavy blond rack. I saw him numerous times. He had a trick for staying alive, he was part billy goat, for starters, but then he obviously read the map on where the hunt areas are and what areas are off limits to hunting. He would stay in a area, where you had to be part billy goat to get to him, then if you went after him, he quickly ran to a area, that was off limits to hunting. I learned you were most likely never going to be able to shoot that deer. There was so little of one hunt area, that he travel, but where he traveled was an area, many hunters passed through. So many people saw him, but nobody really had a chance at him.

I learned enough over the years I was there, I could regularly get within 10 yards of bucks or doe. It was not hard, once I learned some things, on top of what I had known long before I started hunting that place. You definitely have to hunt that place differently.

I couldn’t agree more with you about just sitting and seeing the games behavior out there , so much hunting pressure they are so inconsistent ..!!!! It sounds like an awesome hunt to some when they hear it’s only $20 bucks , but it ain’t no looking at the feeder pen hunt and seeing what shows up that’s for sure, it’s a hard hunt..!!!!!


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[Pedernal]

It has been about 11 or 12 years since I last hunted Amistad. I used to love doing so. It is much harder hunting than people will ever realize. I hunted there for quite a few years, spent a lot of time out there, when I did hunt the area. I learned a lot. You have to adopt new hunting styles. Sitting all day in a spot from before sun up till after sun down, is how you will learn. You likely won't be sitting in the right spot for a while. But if you sit most of the day, enough days, you will start to see what is going on throughout the days.

The game animals do not have any set trails they follow each day, they do not go from the same general area to the same general area everyday at the same time of day. Now I can tell you that they do typically move at the same time of day everyday and they feed on the same types of vegetation everyday. I am not going to give out too much detail about what I have learned about the place. But I have learned a lot. If I made it much easier for a lot of guys to hunt out there successfully, there would be a hell of a lot more guys out there. Which would really screw things up. It is very hard hunting to begin with and there is a lot of hunting pressure. So you have to take what you know about animals and humans and just keep that info in your personal notes in your head. Then sit and watch what goes on from before sun up till after sun down, enough days in a row. You should start to see how things work out there. Then you use your head and come up with a game plan to put yourself where you might have a chance at a deer or ram. Then keep trying.

I met a guy out there years ago, as I was figuring out the place. The guy himself was like a ghost, he killed one or two nice bucks every year. The years I hunted there, he was killing two a year. I saw him bring two out one season, both were very nice bucks. As I learned the place and learned to become part of the place. The other guy, who had been mostly a ghost to me before, became someone I saw more often. Even though we hardly talked, he seemed like a hunting buddy. That guy probably still hunts out there, if he does, probably most don't or won't ever see him.

I hunted the place a lot for about five to maybe seven years. I got to where I would see numerous nice bucks every weekend. Always saw the same groups of doe, I knew each group of doe. I regularly saw the same bucks, but would often see new bucks. I have seen a lot of very nice bucks out there, getting close to them is a lot harder than you would think. I could tell you a story about this one heavy bodied older buck, with a very nice, heavy blond rack. I saw him numerous times. He had a trick for staying alive, he was part billy goat, for starters, but then he obviously read the map on where the hunt areas are and what areas are off limits to hunting. He would stay in a area, where you had to be part billy goat to get to him, then if you went after him, he quickly ran to a area, that was off limits to hunting. I learned you were most likely never going to be able to shoot that deer. There was so little of one hunt area, that he travel, but where he traveled was an area, many hunters passed through. So many people saw him, but nobody really had a chance at him.

I learned enough over the years I was there, I could regularly get within 10 yards of bucks or doe. It was not hard, once I learned some things, on top of what I had known long before I started hunting that place. You definitely have to hunt that place differently.

Awesome write up. Thank you for sharing it and giving a realistic perspective on some extremely tough hunting.

[Efren]

Agree. It was a very hard hunt, no doubt about it. At one point, I almost considered to call it quits. But, I love to hunt and realizing that if and when I do harvest an animal, there, it will be a a great feeling of accomplishment. Like mentioned before, the area I huge and finding a good place to hunt is the hardest part. Scouting is going t be the key to your success. You cannot just show up and go to a spot and hunt. ESPECIALLY in the morning hunt because you will have no idea where you are going and you could seriously hurt yourself.

[RifleBowPistol]

Agree. It was a very hard hunt, no doubt about it. At one point, I almost considered to call it quits. But, I love to hunt and realizing that if and when I do harvest an animal, there, it will be a a great feeling of accomplishment. Like mentioned before, the area I huge and finding a good place to hunt is the hardest part. Scouting is going t be the key to your success. You cannot just show up and go to a spot and hunt. ESPECIALLY in the morning hunt because you will have no idea where you are going and you could seriously hurt yourself.

So are you going to make it back out there this season?

I have not hunted out there in quite a while. I really miss hunting out there. I shattered my left knee in a bunch of pieces years ago, could not even think about bow hunting for quite a while afterwards. It sucked, I had just bought a new bow that season. I sold all of my archery gear, figured I was done with archery hunting after what the doctor told me. But I have gotten about 90% of the way back to where I was 11 or so years ago. I finally bought another bow last winter. The bow I bought back before the accident, was a very nice bow, really liked it. But obviously bow technology has improved a good bit since I last bought a bow. The one I bought last winter, is so easy to shoot, very quiet, short and light. Perfect bow for Amistad. I bought it primarily to hunt Amistad again. I am going to try and find the time to make it back out there this season. I really miss that place. I have a lot going on from now till January and likely a ways beyond, but I really want to make it back out there.

[RifleBowPistol]

So did you find any rams, when you went? How about the deer, how many and what? Then what hunt areas did you hunt?

[RifleBowPistol]

Agree. It was a very hard hunt, no doubt about it. At one point, I almost considered to call it quits. But, I love to hunt and realizing that if and when I do harvest an animal, there, it will be a a great feeling of accomplishment. Like mentioned before, the area I huge and finding a good place to hunt is the hardest part. Scouting is going t be the key to your success. You cannot just show up and go to a spot and hunt. ESPECIALLY in the morning hunt because you will have no idea where you are going and you could seriously hurt yourself.

That is pretty much the case. The rams, spot and stalk seems to be the most used method. But with the deer, spot and stalk is very hard or just dumb luck, if you manage to get in close to one.

[Efren]

I'm planning on going back sometime before x mas, then once again in Jan and Feb. I first went to area 2. I did an evening and morning hunt with no success. I did not see any animal or any droppings. Doesn't mean there aren't animals there, just need to do more scouting. Then I went into area 2. I did see a doe and plenty of deer droppings. No other animals other than the one doe.

[snappertapper]

I've only hunted it once, and it was late December. An hour into the first hunt I had a mature 8 that was probably upper 120s following a doe right into my lap. Long story short, doe came through and the buck hung up. Ended up seeing a handful of deer throughout the 3 days we hunted, but it was tough.

We hunted 2 and 5 and had a good idea of what was going on. If I were going to go back it would be the first week of bow season or during the rut. Outside of that I think you put yourself at a disadvantage due to the pressure that place gets.

[RifleBowPistol]

I am going to try and make is some time next month got a lot going on this month and a lot next month.

I thought about trying to kayak out to hunt area number 4, never having been there, it's hard to say if it's worth all of the effort. But it might be a nice place to take a nap, probably kind of quiet over there.

[RifleBowPistol]

I'm planning on going back sometime before x mas, then once again in Jan and Feb. I first went to area 2. I did an evening and morning hunt with no success. I did not see any animal or any droppings. Doesn't mean there aren't animals there, just need to do more scouting. Then I went into area 2. I did see a doe and plenty of deer droppings. No other animals other than the one doe.

Good luck, hope you get back out and find a lot more deer next time and maybe get a shot off.