Where are you folks hunting this year in Amistad? I know of several places I saw last year that had several Pope and Young bucks sighted and shot at. Where are you folks looking?
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You shot at several P&Y bucks? At what distance? I've only ever seen one out there that might go P&Y, and that was 2 years ago after 20+ years of hunting the place.
I usually hunt area 2 and 5, but then again so does everyone else it seems.
I will sound like a broken record, but that place is overrun with hunters anymore. I miss the days when my brother and I could hunt for days and maybe see one other hunter. It's a wonder any deer stay in the hunt areas anymore.
Ground that open just can't handle the level of pressure it's been getting the past few years. Every deer out there sees 10-15 hunters/week.
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Hi John,Originally posted by Limbwalker View Post
Yes...several P&Y in area 2. There is the 12 and 10 that I have seen at about 20 yards through the bushes right next to the ant hill. One large 8 was taken last year on the east side of the hill but the 12 and 10 still exist. One other large 8...about a 120 class...was taken next to the road intersection which leads to the firing range. I missed a large ten...about a 135 class there last year. The level of pressure does not do anything especially with Guajiala Bay where they cannot shoot a deer but someone did...a 140 class 8 point. The deer are there...period. Enjoy!Comment
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I try. I know the deer move around the hunters. And I do love the place. It's just a different place when you constantly see other hunters as opposed to how it used to be. My brother and I hunted there in the early 90's and we could hunt for days without seeing anyone at all. It was pretty special.Comment
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Also another overlooked place is area 3 just prior to the bridge...2 entrances and one is right next to the campground at the rock quarry. Easier access and very seldom hunted which lends to good deer movement. And, with the lake this low you can access the ravines more easily. Another place is area 5 about 1.5 miles back in. The Kelly ranch is on the left and as soon as you go down into the 2nd set of ravines there will be a number of side trails on the hills and you will also see a lot of Mouflon back there...need to bring a deer carrier. Hope this helps.Comment
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I hunted there in 1974 when I was a freshman in high school. I only saw 2 deer in a week of hunting. It sounds like thinks have changed for the better. I haven't been back there since but have thought about it lately. It would be a shot in the dark though without knowing anything about the place.Comment
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I think 1995 or so was the hey day of Amistad. It was nothing for my brother and I to go out there and see 40 or 50 deer in a day between the two of us. We did that several times in fact. And over 3-day weekends we might see 2 or 3 other hunters tops.Originally posted by Texas5o View Post
Last two times I went out there, I came across more hunters than deer. Seriously. And folks have the sheep so stirred up in 5 that it's become a circus out there.
Articles like this haven't helped...
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If I go back this year, I'll be backpacking into the furthest part of Area 1 just to get away from the other hunters. If that's even possible.Comment
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We did not hunt the their last year but hunted the 5 years before that. We are trying to plan a hunt over there this years but still too early. We try to hunt area 4 just because of the lower hunting pressure.Comment
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Hunt Area 1
A buddy and myself used to hunt way in the back of hunt area 1. Follow the road way to the very very back where the old cattle pens are. We would cross behind the cattle pens and go straight down the draw that takes you to the water. This was back in the 90's. We never had other hunters there when we were at this location. Lots of Big bucks here. Make yourself a good brush blind with the sticks and branches out there, and sit half way up a draw and shoot down into the draws. To get way back into hunt area 1, we would ride bikes way to the back and park them at the cattle pens. If we killed a deer, we would gut it, strap the deer onto the bike (front legs and head on the handle bars, the bike seat would go inside the belly, and the hind legs would be tied away from the back tire). Just get on the bike without sitting on top of the deer and "ride" out of there. Good luck!Originally posted by Limbwalker View PostComment
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Fashing, my brother and son and I all tried to ride bikes back there about 5 years ago. No go. The road is too grown up now. But we did walk out a sheep on a bike like you describe after we drug the sheep back to where we left the bikes.
Only concern I have is parking by the highway if I spend the night back there. I'd like to think my vehicle would still be there the next day. ha, ha.Comment
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For boat owners going into area 5...there are two inlets about a mile from the 277 bridge that will be good to get you into the ravines/cuts. You will know one by beaching the boat and it will look like there is a cliff on the right overlooking the cut. Great place to stage from.Comment
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have never been but was hoping to this yearComment
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You need to go...the animals taken in area 2 numbered only 8 I think...that count is extremely low for what it should have been...or people did not report their harvest. I have given some really good general locations that I think present really good opportunities for everyone. Hunting from the ground is not hard...you just need to adapt. I stay away from artificial ground blinds and utilize man made from the natural blowdown. An 8 foot tripod will work wonders as well. You can also decoy deer now but you still cannot practice on targets in the boundaries of the park. Give it a try...it is a great resource.Originally posted by Txfire409 View PostComment
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I'm going hunting tomorrow morning not sure witch area but ill be out there anybody wanna tag along let me know!!!!Comment
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