TPWD Draw Hunt success story

[Hydestik]

If you have been drawn by TPWD for a draw hunt and were successful at taking game , Please share your story. It seems difficult to get drawn with the current system . I was just wondering what the success rate was really like . BTW I've never been drawn .

[Hawkpuppy 1]

First year we put in I got drawn for the Aoudad hunt at Caprock Canyon. Didn't score on a sheep, but shot several hogs. SUPER thick stuff and hard to hunt....

[hooligan]

Took about 4 years but my dad and I got drawn for Kerrville 2 seasons ago. I saw a bunch of white tail on day 1 but we couldn’t shoot any buck. I was at one of the furthest sites and didn’t see any exotics.

My dad saw some black buck but they were outside of his comfortable range. Took a good size doe on the last day.

Lost of people on the spots closer to the road and the park station saw exotics, nobody got anything. There were a couple missed shots from what I heard

[SCREAMINREELS]

I shot javi on an archery deer hunt at the chap, no bucks were harmed by me that weekend and I shot a few does on a private land hunt. Hunted Huntsville state park with no luck didn't see anything but there were deer killed just not out of my stand..if you do a search or maybe so wine will post the link there's been threads on this over the years with lots of good pics including the truly lucky ones like Shane who drew the bighorn tag

[solocam_aggie]

Crazy story with me 2 years ago. We were going on our 3rd year of applying for the archery hunt at Chaparral. Both of my buddies decided they couldnt go this year, so I put my wife's name on the card. She had 0 points and actually reduced my chance of getting drawn. I was sitting at work when the email came through that we had been selected. I was pretty excited. The hunt ended up being a rough one. The weather stayed rainy and barely above freezing most of the hunt. I scratched my eye setting up a pop-up blind and paid a visit to the ER. I shot a Javi and that was it.

[Slick8]

I've been applying for years and have drawn a few along with my dad. I may not draw as often as some but typically put in for the more difficult to draw hunts.

I've hunted James Daugherty on a doe and spike hunt several years back. It was a fun hunt and much blood was spilled. We killed two does each, two hogs, two Javi's and three yotes. That's a fair amount of work for a two day hunt.

I've been drawn twice for Javi on the Chap. The first several years ago was a strike out, partially due to bad weather. The second we both killed a Javi.

I was drawn for Kerrville City Park doe and spike. I was more interested in the chance of an exotic. I was sick that week and couldn't make it.

Last year I was drawn for Matagorda Island State Park. It was a fun hunt with me killing a little 10 but decent deer for the island. Here's a link to the hunt thread.

I shot my deer from those dunes which are on the surf at 452 yards.

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=565419

[sqiggy]

Since the new system, I haven't drawn a hunt. Before the new system, I have drawn several.
2 Archery hunts at Kerr WMA. Didn't kill anything, but came close both times, one being a big buck. I don't think they even have a archery hunt there anymore.
2 Spring Turkey hunts at Kerr. Killed my first ever turkey on the first hunt and couldn't make the 2nd hunt. My dad kill one on that hunt though.
2 Archery hunts at Richland Creek. Came close on the first hunt and shot a doe on the 2nd and passed on several other does waiting on a good buck. My buddies tagged out with 2 does apiece.
4 Archery hunts at Fort Boggy SP, 3 were as stand by. Got to sling an arrow on every hunt, but for one reason or another, I missed every shot!!
1 Exotic Archery hunt at Devils River. Missed a aoudad but killed some kind of a cross sheep. Had to cut that hunt a day and half early to make my Fort Boggy SP hunt!!!
Several rifle hunts.
2 hunts at Atlanta SP. Didn't make the first hunt but my brother killed 3 deer. 2nd hunt, I didn't even see a deer.
1 hunt at Colorado Bend SP. Killed a spike, but missed a huge 9 point with my bow on the first morning. My brother also missed a BIG 8 and his son tagged out with a doe and NICE 10 point.
1 hunt at Guadalupe River SP. Didn't get a shot. Got busted before the deer got in my shooting lane. My brother killed 2 does.
1 hunt at Mineral Wells SP. My brother, dad, and I all tagged out. All does.
Youth Hunts
When my son was of age, he drew at least one hunt 5 years in a row.
He killed his first 2 deer at Gus Engeling. Made 3 trips out there.
1 trip to Richland Creek. Saw a lot of deer, but all were out of his range.
2 trips to Keechi Creek. Killed one doe.
Drew 2 hunts to James Daughtrey but couldn't make it both times!!
That's all I can remember for now.

[rockco222]

We got pick at Chaparral with no luck it was way to hot. Then we got picked for a spot and stalk at elephant Mountain tough hunt but my buddy got a mule deer buck and
i got a javi boar. All in all just practice be ready.

[wilded]

Since 1987 I killed a mule deer at Elephant mountain, a mule deer at Big Bend Ranch, a sika at Kerr, an aoudad at Caprock and a gator at J D Murphee. Have not been drawn since they switched to the new system.

[SolocamShooter]

Just depends on where you go. Seems like several places operate on the good ole boy system and the staff's buddies get the choice spots. The new system sucks though it's broke and needs to be fixed bad.

[Deers & Beers]

They need to raise the prices for NRs to something like $10 instead of $3 per app, or $20 instead of $10.. Or ban them all together but I doubt they would ever do that.. They also need to restrict the app choices to 1-3 per category.. I think that would help a ton and TPWD should still see the same amount of $$$ if not more

[SCREAMINREELS]

They need to raise the prices for NRs to something like $10 instead of $3 per app, or $20 instead of $10.. Or ban them all together but I doubt they would ever do that.. They also need to restrict the app choices to 1-3 per category.. I think that would help a ton and TPWD should still see the same amount of $$$ if not more

Agree Its nice that it's cheap but I wish the apps were more. Just look at the difference in amount t of people that apply for private land compared to public and it's only a $7 difference.

[Shake N' Bake]

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[wellingtontx]

I put in for my kids just about every year. Seems like they were getting drawn about every three years. Last year on their youth hunt they both shot nice bucks. Last year my BIL went with us to hunt with one of the boys. We all had a great time.

I really appreciate the TPWD running this program and having given us the opportunity to hunt together through the years.


IMO - if they are currently eligible, Non-Residents should be banned from applying for the draw hunts.

[Shane]

We've been drawn lots of hunts through the years - adult and youth gun and archery versions of just about everything...doe/spike/exotics, mule deer, whitetail, turkey, hog, desert bighorn (no youth bighorn).... I've been putting in since 1989 (drew Matador mule deer that year). We drew the Exotic hunt at Devil's River last year (new system). I had 21 preference points in that catagory. First time to ever draw that hunt. I still have never drawn pronghorn. One of these days....