Devil's river draw hunt info

[The Insurance Guy]

I searched and found pretty good info on the hunt but have a few questions.

My daughter drew this hunt for mid January. We are both very excited about this opportunity.

She has a .243 and I want to know if that's enough gun. She shoots it very well and is a little gun shy so having her shoot my .270 is prob not an option. What bullet for .243? She shoot federal fusion 95 grain right now and it will flatten a whitetail.


I see the bunkhouse is where everyone is suggesting to stay. Where is that and how do I make a reso?

Do we have to keep the meat from the aoudad when we kill them? The reason I ask will I need a frame pack to pack it out?

What kind of exotics have been seen here? I know aoudad and feral sheep are around. Anything else?

Anything special I should think about since this is a hunt for a 9 almost 10 year old? My daughter is not new to hunting but is to this type of hunting.

Any advice is appreciated

[The Insurance Guy]

[rjtkdplus]

I don't know about the rest but a 243 with that load will kill anything you shoot out there.

[Shane]

.243 wouldn't be the first choice for a bigger hunter, but it'll do. Shot placement is everything anyway. Have her shoot where the neck joins the shoulder, dead center.

Look on the Devil's River WMA page on TPWD's website, and it will have the phone number to call for bunkhouse reservations.

There are a few axis and other exotics occasionally, but you'll probably just see aoudad and corsican-ish sheep. You don't have to keep any meat if you don't want to (I wouldn't, unless you luck into an axis or something other than aoudad or corsican).

It's ROUGH country. There are not a lot of roads. You'll be doing a lot of hiking and climbing. Take good boots for that. Get her a hiking stick. It's hard to take a step anywhere out there without stepping on a round rock that is likely to roll under your boot. Take shooting sticks to shoot off of, and have her practice that before you go.

It's a long way from town, so take everything you'll need for the duration. Mountain House meals and a little propane camp stove to boil your water (take all you'll need) are good and easy after a long day of hunting. Take sandwich stuff to put in your packs during the day while you're hunting. Take water bladders in your backpacks. Take first aid stuff and keep it in your backpack. Take some good binos. Keep a couple game bags or trash bags in your pack to put a head and cape in. Pack some cord or rope or straps to lash a skull to your pack. Carry all the water you can in your pack so you can stay out hunting. If you hunt all day and have everything you need to eat and drink and be comfortable during the day in the field, then you don't have to walk in and out multiple times every day. Once a day in and out is plenty.

Did I mention good boots? Pack extra socks and some tape and whatever you need to prevent blisters. Do a lot of walking in your hunting boots before you get there wearing your packs. Go up and down hills and sidehill as much as you can to get your boots broken in good, if needed, and to toughen up your feet. Your hunt will be as good as your feet allow it to be. Take care of your feet.

Get out there and enjoy it. It's a GREAT place to hunt. Good luck!

[Hot4huntin]

.243 wouldn't be the first choice for a bigger hunter, but it'll do. Shot placement is everything anyway. Have her shoot where the neck joins the shoulder, dead center.

Look on the Devil's River WMA page on TPWD's website, and it will have the phone number to call for bunkhouse reservations.

There are a few axis and other exotics occasionally, but you'll probably just see aoudad and corsican-ish sheep. You don't have to keep any meat if you don't want to (I wouldn't, unless you luck into an axis or something other than aoudad or corsican).

It's ROUGH country. There are not a lot of roads. You'll be doing a lot of hiking and climbing. Take good boots for that. Get her a hiking stick. It's hard to take a step anywhere out there without stepping on a round rock that is likely to roll under your boot. Take shooting sticks to shoot off of, and have her practice that before you go.

It's a long way from town, so take everything you'll need for the duration. Mountain House meals and a little propane camp stove to boil your water (take all you'll need) are good and easy after a long day of hunting. Take sandwich stuff to put in your packs during the day while you're hunting. Take water bladders in your backpacks. Take first aid stuff and keep it in your backpack. Take some good binos. Keep a couple game bags or trash bags in your pack to put a head and cape in. Pack some cord or rope or straps to lash a skull to your pack. Carry all the water you can in your pack so you can stay out hunting. If you hunt all day and have everything you need to eat and drink and be comfortable during the day in the field, then you don't have to walk in and out multiple times every day. Once a day in and out is plenty.

Did I mention good boots? Pack extra socks and some tape and whatever you need to prevent blisters. Do a lot of walking in your hunting boots before you get there wearing your packs. Go up and down hills and sidehill as much as you can to get your boots broken in good, if needed, and to toughen up your feet. Your hunt will be as good as your feet allow it to be. Take care of your feet.

Get out there and enjoy it. It's a GREAT place to hunt. Good luck!

Congratulations to your daughter on being drawn for the hunt!! Shane has solid advice!! I have never hunted out there, but Hunter and I visited this past Memorial Day weekend and did some hiking. It is ROUGH!! It took us about 45 minutes to just get to the SNA from 277. From 277 it is about 20 miles (give or take) down a rough gravel road to the HQ. We had a big herd of axis cross in front of us on the way in. We were in a 4x4, which is recommended or a high clearance vehicle. I now understand why. Town is a long way away. Follow Shane's advice and it is spot on. Good boots are a must! It is beautiful out there. Good luck to y'all!!

[The Insurance Guy]

.243 wouldn't be the first choice for a bigger hunter, but it'll do. Shot placement is everything anyway. Have her shoot where the neck joins the shoulder, dead center.

Look on the Devil's River WMA page on TPWD's website, and it will have the phone number to call for bunkhouse reservations.

There are a few axis and other exotics occasionally, but you'll probably just see aoudad and corsican-ish sheep. You don't have to keep any meat if you don't want to (I wouldn't, unless you luck into an axis or something other than aoudad or corsican).

It's ROUGH country. There are not a lot of roads. You'll be doing a lot of hiking and climbing. Take good boots for that. Get her a hiking stick. It's hard to take a step anywhere out there without stepping on a round rock that is likely to roll under your boot. Take shooting sticks to shoot off of, and have her practice that before you go.

It's a long way from town, so take everything you'll need for the duration. Mountain House meals and a little propane camp stove to boil your water (take all you'll need) are good and easy after a long day of hunting. Take sandwich stuff to put in your packs during the day while you're hunting. Take water bladders in your backpacks. Take first aid stuff and keep it in your backpack. Take some good binos. Keep a couple game bags or trash bags in your pack to put a head and cape in. Pack some cord or rope or straps to lash a skull to your pack. Carry all the water you can in your pack so you can stay out hunting. If you hunt all day and have everything you need to eat and drink and be comfortable during the day in the field, then you don't have to walk in and out multiple times every day. Once a day in and out is plenty.

Did I mention good boots? Pack extra socks and some tape and whatever you need to prevent blisters. Do a lot of walking in your hunting boots before you get there wearing your packs. Go up and down hills and sidehill as much as you can to get your boots broken in good, if needed, and to toughen up your feet. Your hunt will be as good as your feet allow it to be. Take care of your feet.

Get out there and enjoy it. It's a GREAT place to hunt. Good luck!

Congratulations to your daughter on being drawn for the hunt!! Shane has solid advice!! I have never hunted out there, but Hunter and I visited this past Memorial Day weekend and did some hiking. It is ROUGH!! It took us about 45 minutes to just get to the SNA from 277. From 277 it is about 20 miles (give or take) down a rough gravel road to the HQ. We had a big herd of axis cross in front of us on the way in. We were in a 4x4, which is recommended or a high clearance vehicle. I now understand why. Town is a long way away. Follow Shane's advice and it is spot on. Good boots are a must! It is beautiful out there. Good luck to y'all!!

Wow!! Thank you for the advice! I've got a bunch of planning to do

[ColinR]

I used to hunt on the ranch that boarders the park, we drove thru the park to get to our ranch. Like the others have said it is rough country. Good broken in boots she is used to will be key. And yes a .243 is enough gun. I shot a huge (34") ram out there with my wife's .243. Dropped it in its tracks with 2 shots. He was looking at me and would not turn so first shot was square in the chest. He turned and tried to walk off, he was hurting bad and may have went down with the one shot but as he turned I sent another round right behind the shoulder and he dropped. So I would say with a .243 be prepared to make a quick follow up shot. Congrats to your girl.

[Kingslayer]

I bet, with a muzzlebrake. On your 270.. It would kick about the same as a 243..

[outlook8]

Like Shane, we hunted out there last January...awesome hunt. We killed 6 aoudad with 4 people in the group. Some other groups saw some goats, but we didn't see any.

Definitely stay at the bunk house, need to call an make a reservation ASAP. Since town is so far away (~1.5 hours), we actually brought an old chest freezer with extra ice an plugged in into the cabin with an extension cord. Worked out great as we had plenty of ice for us and others, and when we shot something we could freeze the head/cape.

It was COLD the weekend we were out there and we used a propane heater on the porch.

Be prepared to hike A LOT. We covered ~35 miles in the 3 days we hunted. I wore my Chippewa snake boots and the others in my group wore regular hiking boots. While the Chips might not seem ideal, I loved them for the leg protection as everything out there with stick you. It's pretty crazy how rugged that terrain is.

Take a good pack to hold water and pack out heads/capes.

Take a bone saw and be prepared to skin an animal on the ground.

Take good binoculars, you will spend a lot of time glassing as they can be very hard to spot.

Take good shooting sticks. I used the Trigger Stick tripod and it was great.

Be prepared for long shots. I took one at 287 and one at 252 yards.

Definitely get ready for a quick follow up if shooting a .243.

PM me with any questions, I think I have some maps somewhere.

Chris

[The Insurance Guy]

I bet, with a muzzlebrake. On your 270.. It would kick about the same as a 243..

She is so kick sensitive I have a brake on her .243 lol. We are going to shoot my .270 this weekend and see how she does. I'd feel more comfortable with a longer shot with the .270 because I know that gun so well

[The Insurance Guy]

Like Shane, we hunted out there last January...awesome hunt. We killed 6 aoudad with 4 people in the group. Some other groups saw some goats, but we didn't see any.

Definitely stay at the bunk house, need to call an make a reservation ASAP. Since town is so far away (~1.5 hours), we actually brought an old chest freezer with extra ice an plugged in into the cabin with an extension cord. Worked out great as we had plenty of ice for us and others, and when we shot something we could freeze the head/cape.

It was COLD the weekend we were out there and we used a propane heater on the porch.

Be prepared to hike A LOT. We covered ~35 miles in the 3 days we hunted. I wore my Chippewa snake boots and the others in my group wore regular hiking boots. While the Chips might not seem ideal, I loved them for the leg protection as everything out there with stick you. It's pretty crazy how rugged that terrain is.

Take a good pack to hold water and pack out heads/capes.

Take a bone saw and be prepared to skin an animal on the ground.

Take good binoculars, you will spend a lot of time glassing as they can be very hard to spot.

Take good shooting sticks. I used the Trigger Stick tripod and it was great.

Be prepared for long shots. I took one at 287 and one at 252 yards.

Definitely get ready for a quick follow up if shooting a .243.

PM me with any questions, I think I have some maps somewhere.

Chris

Thank you for all this info! Do you think I will need a gps for out there?

[glpoe1]

She is so kick sensitive I have a brake on her .243 lol. We are going to shoot my .270 this weekend and see how she does. I'd feel more comfortable with a longer shot with the .270 because I know that gun so well

Just my $.02 but I really would shy away from her shooting the .270 and stick with the .243, JMO. I have hunted with both and have not had any bad experience with the .243 and if she is already a little recoil shy I would not push it. This is looking like a great experience for you and her. I have hunted in that region of the state before and like everyone has said it is rough and remote, very remote. If you have not been out there before be prepared. Be the one that everyone else goes to to borrow what they didn't bring not the borrower. One thing we have done in advance that works very well is make a lot of stew or soups and freeze it in small containers for your evening or mid day meal in camp, you can't take too much. If it thaws out in the cooler it won't ruin. Tweezers, take tweezers. If you and her end up with blisters it will ruin your hunt so proper boot fit and check with a hiking shop for neoprene socks and wool socks over them, google it. I bought some snake gators from Amazon this year that just strap on and they work very well to ward off thorns, etc.(Scent Blocker), I think they might hold up to the terrain. Your comfort and well being is most important when in an area like that so try and prepare, which it seems you are doing a great job of. Best of luck to you and if that country doesn't kick your butt too bad you will fall in love with it.

[GtownBowhunter]

She is so kick sensitive I have a brake on her .243 lol. We are going to shoot my .270 this weekend and see how she does. I'd feel more comfortable with a longer shot with the .270 because I know that gun so well

No need to overthink it, .243 is more than enough. Like Shane said shoot where the shoulder meets the neck right in the center. I would take my 22-250 before I took any other rifle on that hunt simply because I know for a fact I would make a good first shot. When I went to South Texas to hunt on La Oruga my dad told me to take my .270 WSM which I hate because it kicks like a SOB. He told me my 22-250 wasn't enough gun. When I arrived at camp both guides sported 22-250's I ended up shooting a buck that weighed 215 pounds with a 22-250 (50 grain) where the neck and shoulder meet killed him dead as a hammer. I will sacrifice caliber for accuracy every time.

[The Insurance Guy]

Just my $.02 but I really would shy away from her shooting the .270 and stick with the .243, JMO. I have hunted with both and have not had any bad experience with the .243 and if she is already a little recoil shy I would not push it. This is looking like a great experience for you and her. I have hunted in that region of the state before and like everyone has said it is rough and remote, very remote. If you have not been out there before be prepared. Be the one that everyone else goes to to borrow what they didn't bring not the borrower. One thing we have done in advance that works very well is make a lot of stew or soups and freeze it in small containers for your evening or mid day meal in camp, you can't take too much. If it thaws out in the cooler it won't ruin. Tweezers, take tweezers. If you and her end up with blisters it will ruin your hunt so proper boot fit and check with a hiking shop for neoprene socks and wool socks over them, google it. I bought some snake gators from Amazon this year that just strap on and they work very well to ward off thorns, etc.(Scent Blocker), I think they might hold up to the terrain. Your comfort and well being is most important when in an area like that so try and prepare, which it seems you are doing a great job of. Best of luck to you and if that country doesn't kick your butt too bad you will fall in love with it.

No need to overthink it, .243 is more than enough. Like Shane said shoot where the shoulder meets the neck right in the center. I would take my 22-250 before I took any other rifle on that hunt simply because I know for a fact I would make a good first shot. When I went to South Texas to hunt on La Oruga my dad told me to take my .270 WSM which I hate because it kicks like a SOB. He told me my 22-250 wasn't enough gun. When I arrived at camp both guides sported 22-250's I ended up shooting a buck that weighed 215 pounds with a 22-250 (50 grain) where the neck and shoulder meet killed him dead as a hammer. I will sacrifice caliber for accuracy every time.

Your both right I'm over thinking it. Going to stick with .243. Do you think I need a gps for out there?

[Lone_Wolf]

If the same guy runs the hunt, back when I hunted down there, he didn't really like anyone using anything smaller than a .270, but that was before they started doing the youth hunts, so maybe things are different. You can get close if you get lucky, I shot my first one at about 40 yds, and my second one at about 50yds(dumb luck), but then I looked down in the ravine to see a monster standing there at about 200 and I shot right over his back. He was about 3 times as big as the first two I had shot. A .243 is to small for long shots on big mature audad rams, but for females and small rams at close range, it'd work. I would feel very inadequate hiking those Mountains carrying a .243......but I realize this a youth hunt, so they may cater to yall and drive you in to some spots, who knows.

When I was down there they said you could leave them lay'n. They consider the audad invasive, and want you to kill as many as you can. This is a serious hunt with some serious hiking up some steep terrain. Some good shooting sticks are a necessity.

YES you need a GPS