2 Day Only Hunt Help

[David DeAnda]

I posted a while back about an e-card drawn hunt for Big Lake Bottom WMD. I got some great feedback, and I really appreciate that.

We are heading out tomorrow (3:50 am) to drive down to the WMA from Lubbock so we can make check in. We will hunt the weekend and Monday morning, but will have to leave Monday afternoon. It is myself, my hunting buddy, and my 14 year old son. I have been bow hunting for about 5 years, but almost completely from a blind. My son has sat in blind with me while bow hunting and has been shooting a bow for about 3 years. My hunting buddy has never bow hunted, but has been on a bow for about a year. We have all rifle hunted for years.

Our only goal is to get my 14 year old on a deer. What I am asking is for advise on is how to make this as possible as we can. He broke his femur last year at the beginning of hunting season, so this is his first time out is a good while.

1) Should we attempt to spot and stalk?
2) I have 2 ground blinds. Should we set one or two of these up? Or is this a waste of time given our time constraints.
3) Should we set a tree stand? I do not own one, but am not opposed to buying one. I have never used one, so I'd be learning on the fly.

One thought process I had was to bait an area and set a blind. Hunt the blind in the evening and attempt to spot and stalk the morning and early afternoon. Temps look to be warm, so not sure how movement will be. The stalking will also have to depend on the size of assigned compartments.

I have a couple of bait ideas, such as a mineral block, an hand corning, but I am a bit out of my element and feeling like a rookie. So, I would appreciate any advise you all are willing to share.

We are also camping, which I have not done since I was in the Marine Corps. Needles to say, my son is more excited about that aspect than I am.

[sqiggy]

First, I have never been to Big Lake, but, if it's like the rest of east Tx and in the Trinity river bottom, spot and stalk will probably be useless. You will encounter to much underbrush. The best ways to hunt these places is up in a tree. Since you don't have a tree stand and only ground blinds, it still can be done. When using a ground blind, what I look for is a place I can see out to about 100 yds. Set the blind in an area where there are trails, lots of deer poop, and acorns on the ground. Back the blind up in some underbrush. Don't worry about brushing it in. Let the deer see it. Me and my son has hunted 2 WMA's not far from there. He killed 3 deer out of my ground blind, course this was a rifle hunt, but 2 of the 3 deer came from over a hundred yards to check my blind out. He shot one at 35 and 40 yds out. No telling how close they would have got if he hadn't shot.
Second, make sure you bring a Thermacell or 2.

[David DeAnda]

Thanks for the info Sqiggy. Got the Thermacell ready to go for sure!

[Swamphunterfw]

I will start out with I have never hunted there
With that being said east Texas wma I have had good luck with folding chair setting where s couplr trails come together and where you can see down the trail far enough to get ready by the time deer is to you ,
My brother uses crossbow so he has had an easyier time with this not having to draw back
But we have both had deer on top of us multiple hunts

[DeerBySchultz]

I posted a while back about an e-card drawn hunt for Big Lake Bottom WMD. I got some great feedback, and I really appreciate that.

We are heading out tomorrow (3:50 am) to drive down to the WMA from Lubbock so we can make check in. We will hunt the weekend and Monday morning, but will have to leave Monday afternoon. It is myself, my hunting buddy, and my 14 year old son. I have been bow hunting for about 5 years, but almost completely from a blind. My son has sat in blind with me while bow hunting and has been shooting a bow for about 3 years. My hunting buddy has never bow hunted, but has been on a bow for about a year. We have all rifle hunted for years.

Our only goal is to get my 14 year old on a deer. What I am asking is for advise on is how to make this as possible as we can. He broke his femur last year at the beginning of hunting season, so this is his first time out is a good while.

1) Should we attempt to spot and stalk?
2) I have 2 ground blinds. Should we set one or two of these up? Or is this a waste of time given our time constraints.
3) Should we set a tree stand? I do not own one, but am not opposed to buying one. I have never used one, so I'd be learning on the fly.

One thought process I had was to bait an area and set a blind. Hunt the blind in the evening and attempt to spot and stalk the morning and early afternoon. Temps look to be warm, so not sure how movement will be. The stalking will also have to depend on the size of assigned compartments.

I have a couple of bait ideas, such as a mineral block, an hand corning, but I am a bit out of my element and feeling like a rookie. So, I would appreciate any advise you all are willing to share.

We are also camping, which I have not done since I was in the Marine Corps. Needles to say, my son is more excited about that aspect than I am.

Bring thermacell

[mpotts]

I will start out with I have never hunted there
With that being said east Texas wma I have had good luck with folding chair setting where s couplr trails come together and where you can see down the trail far enough to get ready by the time deer is to you ,
My brother uses crossbow so he has had an easyier time with this not having to draw back
But we have both had deer on top of us multiple hunts

That is one huge turtle in your Avatar!!!

[axisbuck]

Me and another tbher rifle hunted there 3 years ago. There is a slough that runs in the middle almost the entire length of the place. I set up w hand corn w a view of less than 75yards to where I saw some trail crossing the slough and had 4 deer the same evening. Pop up or chair w brush worked for me. I ended up shooting a doe and could have shot another one. Its thick low canopy bottom land get your rubber boots or atv access. We paralled the slough spot n stalk next day and had couple more shot opportunities.its doable but I had better success sitting on handcorn. I would do a quick scout and have two spots corned and ready to hunt the first day.
Good luck pm me for more info

[SCREAMINREELS]

Good luck. For areas I can't set up ahead of time I've had better luck making a small brush blind than a pop up. Seems like the deer see the pop-up every time but don't pay attention to the brush blinds and I don't do anything elaborate just thick enough to break up outline hopefully in something that's already there.

I've never hunted that area but I prefer to be in a tree,brush blind then pop up in order for a new place. And I used popups alot on my deer lease but they get to stay out

[Sideler]

I have hunted a few WMA's and this is how I do it, I'm not saying it's the best or only way but it's worked well for me.

Day one- I find three huntable areas. The main thing I look for is a group of bushes that can easily be made into a brush blind and provides a 30 to 40 yard view upwind. Most places have trails and deer sign everywhere, so that's why I pick my spots bases on how easy it will be to conceal myself. Once I have found a spot I will throw a coffee can of corn out and place a game cam on the that spot. I then find two more spots and do the same. I then pick my favorite spot of the three and go build a brush blind. By the time I'm done with all that it's usually getting late so I just go sit in my truck on a sendero and do a little more scouting.

Day Two- Hunt the stand I built the night before. After hunt check cameras and build another ground blind based on game cam results. If I don't have any good deer on camera I will find new spots.