Matador WMA info??

[Jerry D]

I've hunted Matador many times and have killed several hogs. I also spent a night in the truck due to sand a couple years back.

Matador is my favorite place to hunt in Texas.

[boss bowman]

When I was there, the third archery hunt in 2005 I think, only one whitetail doe was shot, but alot of hogs were taken. Its a tough hunt especially with a bow but the scenery was amazing. The first day of the hunt we saw two monster muley bucks, but that was it for mature mule deer. I believe I saw between 80-100 mule deer total, 90% being yearlings, the buck doe ratio I saw was right at 50/50.

[eradicator]

Boss,

When we were there it seemed like it was about 6:1. I'm not saying I was looking in the right spots, but mostly spikes and forkies. Have they changed the antler restrictions, or are they the same? We stuck with a spot that was mostly whitetails and a few mulies just to stay away from the crowd. There was one six-point whitetail arrowed. I can't remember if we drew the first or second hunt. Has anyone been on the spring turkey hunt? Seems like a pretty sure thing(as far as turkeys go) if you can get drawn. We saw a ton of turkeys and I'm not sure as to why the limited draw.

[piggyBack]

I have heard nothing but good stuff about Matador turkeys. Supposedly the limited draw hunts in the spring are not meeting the harvest requirements for the WMA and they are foregoing the draw hunts in lieu of just having the aph permit. Seems like crowding could be an issue, but to be able to hunt almost unhunted tukey populations sounds darn good. My grey 2500 quad cab will be there at 2am opening sat in the parking lot close to the gate by the river and private and if you see my truck, please know that i have already found the roost and you can keep goin until you find your own spot. Thank You!

[buzzcut]

Nah piggy,we'll just pay you a "Finders Fee" for finding them for us! I'll leave a $1 dollar bill under your windshield wiper blade as I'm walking out with my longbeard! Now,tell us again EXACTLY where will you be parked.....?

[eradicator]

Is that you piggy? I swear by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin. So we meet again. Do you think I could hitch a ride to Matador with you opening weekend? Will your brother be attending or is he going to OK? You can film my hunt for me.

[piggyBack]

Whats up BOSS? Will probably scout matador m,t,and w next week-they will be gobblin and struttin for sure. No thanks on the finders fee. Picture taking takes place in feb and march. seriously guys, please give me a wide berth, just not because i'm phat, but also cant stand someone walking in on my setup. some people just dont have any respect for a brotha.

[eradicator]

I take that as no ride to Matador.

[boss bowman]

Eradicator in response to the antler restrictions at matador, the buck was required to have at least 4 points on one side, don't know if they've changed it to the 13"/spike rule but it seemed they needed to, and alot of guys complained about that in their exit survey. Nearly all the muleys we were seeing were either spikes or fork horns, we had one guy who could have shot one if they had been legal, I could have shot a muley doe, but they weren't legal either. As far as the muley vs. whitetail population it just depends where you are on the place its BIG, we only saw two whitetails the entire 5 days.

[eradicator]

It's 4 points on one side now? It was 3 the year I went. I think they're going the wrong way. Don't get me wrong, we spent one whole day where all we saw was mule deer.(just no shooters) A friend of mine hammered a
180" muley during a rifle hunt two years before I went. That's what got me turned onto it. But like you said, all we saw was spikes and forkies. It sure is a pretty place though.(as far as Texas goes) They need to shoot some skinheads.

[buzzcut]

Yeah I was one of those who complained about the 4 point rule.That's why I didn't pony-up the $125 for a permit last year.The people running the place know bowhunters dont stand a snowball's chance in hail of sneaking to within archery range of a mature muley! Lets do some math; if they issue 60 archery permits,and ANY buck were legal,I figure about 8 of the 60 guys will kill a buck,mostly spikes,forks and the odd 3 x 3. Is that gonna wipe out the deer herd? NO!!!! A lot of guys drive several hours,spend 2 or 3 hundred dollars,burn vacation days,etc. only to leave empty handed.I say keep the 4 point rule for the rifle hunters but let the bow hunters shoot any buck.

[eradicator]

I second that!! Anyone else have any thoughts?

[Jerry D]

They used to allow spikes bucks to be killed and I know of several that were killed. I could have killed a spike every year. They are almost as easy to stalk as the does. You really need about a week to find and figure out the Muley's. Three years ago I missed 2 monster 5x5's. The largest was 34 yards.. I stalked him for 2 hours and had a perfect broad side shot and just missed! I had 8 stalks on mature bucks but getting within 40 yards is tough. A gilley suit is must IMHO for getting close. My cousin killed a 5x4 that year and another guy stuck a 5x5 in our group but hit him high in the shoulder and we never found the buck. That year there were big deer everywhere. Last year we didn't see as many.
My son killed a 11 point W/T on a youth hunt that scored 145" year before last.

Our group has killed 3 W/T over 140"s a 5x4 Muley, 2 spikes and probably 30 hogs in the last 12 years out there.

[eradicator]

Do ya'll usually go on the early or later hunts? Ever any sign of rutting activity when you're there? Do you go on the rifle hunts also, or just the archery?

[boss bowman]

Yeah I was one of those who complained about the 4 point rule.That's why I didn't pony-up the $125 for a permit last year.The people running the place know bowhunters dont stand a snowball's chance in hail of sneaking to within archery range of a mature muley!

Amen to that, I would compromise if they just adopted the antler restrictions some of the counties have, basically it has to be either 13(maybe 15 for muleys) inches inside spread or at least one spike.

Do ya'll usually go on the early or later hunts? Ever any sign of rutting activity when you're there? Do you go on the rifle hunts also, or just the archery?

YOU HAVE TO BE DRAWN to hunt there, so you don't get to pick when you hunt TPWD picks that for you. As far as getting in one of the rifle hunts they only draw 12 people every year and thousands apply so basically your lucky to get drawn in your lifetime.