Lake Amistad Public Hunting

[hogdaddy]

seen grown sheep in unit 2 with undocked tails. not escapees but born on amistad nra protecting them is bull s..... jmo.

[Limbwalker]

Agreed. Hopefully this will change. Because grilled goat is good stuff!

I suspect it will change. The domestics can only do so much damage before someone will want to turn the hunters loose on them.

John

[ducks-and-bucks]

Good info. I won't even waste my time.

[Limbwalker]

Ducks and bucks,

I'd never try to run anyone off from Amistad because it is a beautiful place, and a pretty unique hunt. Just want folks to know what to expect. That's all.

I think if I lived a few hours closer, I'd make the trip a couple times each year. It's just dissapointing to see what it's become compared to what we used to enjoy, and dissapointing to drive 5 hours only to park next to 3-4 vehicles where there used to be one or none at all.

The quality of the deer hunting has most definitely gone downhill. A lot. Used to, we could find a good ridge and glass for hours - spotting 10-15 deer in that time - and then come up with a game plan to go after them, or cut them off if they were feeding in a particular direction. My brother and I had enough success doing this that we would make the long drive every year and really looked forward to it.

But then, this was back when camping was free (albeit very primitive) and there was no fee to hunt there. The nice thing about the "old" camping facilities is that they weren't overrun with partyers every Fri. and Sat. night the way they are now. It wasn't uncommon for my brother and me to be the only tent in the campground - even on the weekend. Nowdays, I fully expect to be woken up at 1:00 a.m. by a carload of drunks looking for their friend's campsite where they have a party and obnoxious music blasting. Either that, or the 3 generators that are running all night for the pop-ups and RV's that are parked nearby.

Pretty tough to hunt that area already, nevermind after getting only a few hours of sleep in a tent.

These days, the best use of the area is a good place to hike and view the scenery, and maybe chase a mouflon sheep around if you find a few of them. I think every now and then, in some units, you can find javelina.

I came pretty close 2 years ago to getting a shot at a nice buck that was traveling with a few does, but that was mostly luck. A couple of other hunters had kicked them over a ridge into the drain I was sitting in. Otherwise, I never would have gotten that close.

John

[Bowhuntamistad]

Its not what it used to be...but I have been known to buy a last minute plane ticket to fly back home for a quickie hunt in the past...if that tells you anything. Look up some of my posts in the hunting reports.


Amistad is one of the reasons I picked up the bow full time, so I am very fond and attached to it. I am very dissappointed at the way its headed.


It was also very nice when I used to live a 10 minute drive away. Now, since I got stationed in Vegas, it takes a little longer for me to get there but I get there.

[Limbwalker]

yea, for me it's as much about the good memories of hunting with my brother and "discovering" the place 20 years ago, as it is about the hunting. About 5 years ago, I started taking my son and we had some epic hunts with my brother. My son got to watch over my shoulder as I took a mouflon sheep at 35 yards with a heart shot from my longbow. He said "you missed" and I just looked at him and smiled and said, "no I didn't"... Then he ran off after the herd as I calmly walked down the draw that one sheep never came out of...

Stuff like that is priceless.

One summer day, my brother and I went out there to fish and scout - by boat - the area that's only accessible by boat. It looked pretty good and we some a couple nice bucks, but it was hard enough to get to that I never felt like dragging my boat 5 hours one way to try it. I'm sure that's the least pressured area of the five. Also the area I hear that has more Auodad sheep too. But it's a pain to get there.

The wide open scenery and views of the lake, rocky landscape with agave, ocotillo and other prickly plants is just a nice change of pace from the tree stand, eastern whitetail style hunting we normally do. That's what my son enjoyed. He liked being on foot and having options.

Guess Amistad has it's place.

John

[yanta61]

Well we will be headed over to amistad nov 9-12....only 5 more weeks. Probably going to be hunting area 4 if the weather allows us to cross the lake..

Anyone been this year or plans on going

[justletmein]

I took the boat several times last year to area 4 but every time ran into several other hunters. I think this year I'll be packing light and just walking in to 2 or 3. The only thing I worry about is leaving my truck in the parking areas as I heard of some break-ins last year. Yall ever have any problems with that? How are things looking for this year?

[Limbwalker]

I've worried about break-ins more and more in the past few years. I've never had a problem, but then I'll usually find a Border Patrol vehicle to park near too.

John

[Pedernal]

FYI I have been out a couple times in area 5 scouting for mouflon this past week... Have not seen very many... Starting to think hunters(stalkers) have already started pushing them out of the hunt area... In early August there were a bunch hanging around area 5 including a huge ram... Wish people wouldn't run around chasing them but I guess it just makes for a bigger challenge for the rest of us I am just learning to bow hunt but I am willing to share my scouting report if any one is coming out... I live in the area and try to get out there often

[Limbwalker]

Pedernal, it's early in the season. By January, the part-time bowhunters will be cleared out and sitting in boxes, and the sheep will be back

John

[Pedernal]

Pedernal, it's early in the season. By January, the part-time bowhunters will be cleared out and sitting in boxes, and the sheep will be back

John

John, I hope you are right. I was just hoping the heat would keep the early birds out and I might be able to sneak in some undisturbed hunts I guess this cool front ruined that I have already seen a lot of trucks and sign of hunters all over the place

[Bowhuntamistad]

John, I hope you are right. I was just hoping the heat would keep the early birds out and I might be able to sneak in some undisturbed hunts I guess this cool front ruined that I have already seen a lot of trucks and sign of hunters all over the place

I see its your first year hunt the areas?

[rolbar93]

I agree with all the comments about how tough the hunting is and having to deal with lots of other hunters pressuring the areas. You have to be willing to put in long hours and hike to areas that most others do not have the motivation to get to. Last year I managed to take a nice 7 point(nice for public land with a bow) and a javalina. I also passed on countless does while out there. I think I am heading out this weekend to give it another go.

[Limbwalker]

Rolbar, you're right. There are some places you can get to that nobody else bothers to go. Takes some work, but it's usually worth it.

Part of the "problem" with Amistad is how open it is. You can see other hunters (as can the deer) from literally a mile away. On most public areas, you can't see them 100 yards away. So, in some ways it just seems like there are more people out there, and ceratainly they have more of an affect on the game than they would in a more "closed" landscape. Like most things "out West," It takes 10x the amount of land to do the same thing you do "back East."

Something I think I'm going to try this year is to backpack in my entire camp to the far end of one of the hunt areas, cross the hunt area boundary, and set up a primitive campsite. Then just hike back to the hunt area in the mornings instead of trying to walk in 1 1/2 or 2 miles every single morning and back out in the evening.

A boat would be great for this. Heck, you could camp in your boat for that matter, and then just haul the game to the lakeshore and retrieve it in the boat.

Only problem with this plan is that I don't have a motorboat anymore, just kayaks! ha, ha.

John