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
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
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