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    Draw Hunts ??

    I have drawn 3 bow hunts in different areas this season and looking for confirmation on one in paticular. Just wondering if any of you guys can confirm that there are any sizeable bucks worth the efforts in the Aransas National Refuge. Ive researched the area online and will share the few buck pics i discovered. This area has a large population of large gators as well. Not sure i wanna go tromping around out there at 3am to set up after seeing some of these pics. Im not asking for paticular spots just wondering if there is anything in that region holding better deer than these 2. IF not i may pass on that hunt and focus on my northern areas.

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    #2
    I hunted rifle there last year. Its a really hard place to hunt. I enjoyed it immensely but came home empty handed. A couple folks took 10 pointers I think, a couple of spikes and does and a few hogs. I think the success rate on deer was between 10 and 15%. If you’re up for a challenge you should definitely do it. If you are on the femce already it may not be for you.

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      #3
      Originally posted by MetalMan2004 View Post
      I hunted rifle there last year. Its a really hard place to hunt. I enjoyed it immensely but came home empty handed. A couple folks took 10 pointers I think, a couple of spikes and does and a few hogs. I think the success rate on deer was between 10 and 15%. If you’re up for a challenge you should definitely do it. If you are on the femce already it may not be for you.
      Thank you.

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        #4
        Don't shoot the whooping crane behind the deer

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          #5
          I started bow hunting the refuge back in the mid to late 80s, when I was about 16 or 17. A buddy and I hunted it almost every year, for many years. We had a good lease in south Texas through those years, but the refuge was always fun for us. But we grew up in the area, so the heat and humidity was just a way of life. We were also used to the mosquitos, but not in the insane volume they exist out on the refuge. We found over the years, if you find a water hole, does not matter how big or small it is, there is a gator that claims that water hole. There are some huge gators out there, they don't like sharing their trails with anyone, they will let you know, you are on their trail and you need to get off of their trail. If they are in the water, they are probably hunting, if they drop below the surface after they see you, they are hunting you. We have seen other hunters being stalked by gators, as the hunters were looking at deer and pig track in the mud around a small water hole. We had to yell at them to get away from the water hole, we saw a outline of a gator in the grass sticking out of the water, moving towards them. Then there are a lot of water moccasins, they don't like to get stepped on, very ill tempered. Then there are also rattle snakes, we did see one, there years ago, dang near struck my buddies leg, neither of us were expecting to see a rattler slithering across that dried creek bottom in the middle of the day.

          As for the deer. They are there, they know that place well, they have more places to hide than you could ever imagine. They hide in places you would not expect. That being the case, most of the deer out there die of natural causes, which would most likely be from being bled to death by mosquitos or not being very alert and fast, while getting a drink and wind up gator food for a few days. The deer that survive the mosquitos and gators, will grow to be big and old.

          If you ever want to get a idea of what some of the bucks look like out there. Take the whooping crane tour, in the winter. Take a good pair of high power binoculars or a good spotting scope. When the boat gets to where the cranes are, along the east shore of the refuge, keep your eyes open, the whole time. That marshy area, all the way back to the trees will have deer and often bucks in it. You will see some bucks that will surprise you. Now getting out there, finding and then killing one of those bucks is a whole different thing. You are only allowed into the area where the cranes stay, during bow season, because the cranes are not there yet. During rifle season, that whole area and anything close, is closed for hunting.

          While bow hunting, we have found some nice bucks there many years ago. I actually got a shot at one, just grazed his neck. We also jumped a really big, old mature buck from his bed, out in the marshy area, where the cranes stay. He jumped up from inside of 20 ft. and took off running. We also found that out in that area, the gators dig tunnels for long distances away from the water holes out there. Be careful. I fell through, down into one of those tunnels. We had no idea what dug the tunnel, till we got to looking around in the bottom of the tunnel and found gator tracks. The tunnel was big enough, I could have crawled down it, but there was no way I was going to even consider that. We found a pond near by, then figured out the tunnel was heading towards the pond, then eventually found the entrance to the tunnel near the pond. I have never heard anything about gators doing that, but we found out first hand they do.


          There are a lot of pigs down there, they seem to be the main source of food for the gators. Some of those pigs, get flat huge. I followed a huge hog in my truck for about 1/4 mile, before sun up, on my way to my favorite spot. That pig did not care at all that I was riding behind him, yelling at him, honked the horn a few times, he just kept trotting. I would be that pig was 400 lbs. I have seen a lot of 150 to 200 lb. pigs, that or young pigs, is typically what you see. There are coyotes, lots of turkey and a few javelina, but they are all off limits.


          I have rifle hunted the place I think three occasions, it was not near as fun, because the places we found we like, are all well inside the areas that are closed to hunting. So each rifle hunting trip, was more of a scouting trip, to try and find deer or pigs. The pigs just randomly show up. If you can find dense scrub oaks, covered with acorns, the deer and hogs, will be in the area, just set up and be quiet and have some good cover up sent on. You likely will watch doe for hours, but you might get lucky and find a buck moving during the day. Then try and endure the mosquitos.


          We thought for years, getting on that place with a rifle, would be great, which it would be, if you could hunt the whole refuge. There are guys that hunt a long ways away from the areas that are closed to rifle hunting, they typically bow hunt and some of those guys kill deer, and or pigs every season, typically they will get a buck, not huge, but any buck is very respectable out there, with a bow. That is before the whole deal turned into a drawn hunt.

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            #6
            If you didn’t catch on, the common theme in that story was the hordes of mosquitos ^^^

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              #7
              Originally posted by Greenheadless View Post
              If you didn’t catch on, the common theme in that story was the hordes of mosquitos ^^^
              Yep, we have called it the Aransas Mosquito Refuge, since the 80s.

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                #8
                I rifle hunted out at Aransas National Refuge last year. I ended up shooting a hog and could have shot many more. I saw deer that looked pretty nice outside of the refuge but didn’t see any while I was there. I was hunting in mid December and it was chilly so didn’t have to worry about the mosquitos. I had heard that most of the deer hang out in the area not accessible during rifle season like riflebowpistol said.

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                  #9
                  So this is my first year to apply for drawn hunts and I happened to draw an archery deer tag. Being that I've never set foot on the Aransas NWR I have some questions beyond the quality of deer. Where is the nearest place to stay/camp? What sort of footwear is most useful hunting this area? Are my "waterproof" Irish Setter hunting boots gonna do the job? I'm curious what methods have been most successful? I'm generally more a spot and stalker, so I'm wondering if that has been successful or people lean more toward pop-up blinds or carried in stands? I'm likely gonna buy the permit and go for it regardless just for the experience but any help with some of those details would be greatly appreciated!

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Slim79x View Post
                    So this is my first year to apply for drawn hunts and I happened to draw an archery deer tag. Being that I've never set foot on the Aransas NWR I have some questions beyond the quality of deer. Where is the nearest place to stay/camp? What sort of footwear is most useful hunting this area? Are my "waterproof" Irish Setter hunting boots gonna do the job? I'm curious what methods have been most successful? I'm generally more a spot and stalker, so I'm wondering if that has been successful or people lean more toward pop-up blinds or carried in stands? I'm likely gonna buy the permit and go for it regardless just for the experience but any help with some of those details would be greatly appreciated!
                    I havent discoved much Information regarding this hunt myself. I drew a tag As well and have been looking into it. Over all so far ive discovered its a tough hunt with lower success rates. I may still run that way and spend a few days like you said, Just for the experience.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Slim79x View Post
                      So this is my first year to apply for drawn hunts and I happened to draw an archery deer tag. Being that I've never set foot on the Aransas NWR I have some questions beyond the quality of deer. Where is the nearest place to stay/camp? What sort of footwear is most useful hunting this area? Are my "waterproof" Irish Setter hunting boots gonna do the job? I'm curious what methods have been most successful? I'm generally more a spot and stalker, so I'm wondering if that has been successful or people lean more toward pop-up blinds or carried in stands? I'm likely gonna buy the permit and go for it regardless just for the experience but any help with some of those details would be greatly appreciated!
                      We drew an archery tag as well. I have seen that people have recommended snake boots. Not much info out there about the place, I tried calling the biologist but no answer.

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                        #12
                        Drawn

                        I drew archery tag as well, will probably purchase because all of my hunting has been E TX and S TX and wanted to try a new area. Haven't found much info, other than quite a few big gator pics, but any hunt will be a good hunt.

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                          #13
                          Snake boots, Thermacells, and there is tent camping or Rv hooks ups are at Hoppers. Motels in Port Lavaca are 40 miles from the refuge gate. There's also camping in Austwell at the city Rv park 5 miles from the gate.

                          Hasn't been a 150 class buck taken off the refuge in 30 years. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard refuge personnel say "we do not manage this refuge for deer" I could buy a new bow. Lots of predators, especially bobcats. And then there's liver flukes, not many aged deer on the refuge. Lots of hogs, snakes, and gators.

                          Watch your speed(they have radar), and do not liter or run over any critters. Personnel collect and record both. No alcohol, corn/bait, or shooting off the roads. I'd advise wearing some hunter orange and use a flashlight going in before sunrise and coming out at sunset. Its not required but we're now hunting with scoped crossbow hunters and some hunt until dark 30.

                          Most deer taken are 1.5yrs old and Harvey took out most of last years fawn crop according to the locals. I've even taken a couple of fawns after shooting a doe in the talk grass only to find out she had a fawn, figured an arrow was better than the coyotes. You hit something and can't find it that evening hogs and coyotes will 95% of the time.

                          Those alligator trails are 6' wide in the talk grass and easy walking, but at some risk. Good thing about the refuge alligators is they are mostly afraid of humans and you're not on the menu. Around the ponds do not put yourself between an alligator hiding in the grass/brush and the water.

                          A 6-8 foot light weight tripod works best.

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                            #14
                            Last years ANWR thread with reports.

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