Sam Houston closed until further notice

[agdave112]

just wanted everyone to know. this is a bummer for me. anyone have anywhere else to go?

[mossman500]

Yep...it sucks. And my lease is in SE Texas.

[txbowhunter31]

you might want to look into somerville wma..
fort hood or robertson county wma

[Archer23]

Has anyone heard how long they are keeping Sam Houston closed for?

[quickstrike]

I heard they are going to try to have it open by gun season but as far as bow season goes it is not looking good because it is unsafe in the woods because of all the trees that have fallen or are about to fall, so I am guessing as soon as they start cleaning things up they willl know when it will be open.

[Archer23]

wow, that does suck. all that gas money driving there to scout for bow season wasted. Well at least they are leaning on the side of safty, and fortunitly I can still hunt. My prayers go out to those that can't this year do to the hurricane, sure makes you cherish what you have.

I heard they are going to try to have it open by gun season but as far as bow season goes it is not looking good because it is unsafe in the woods because of all the trees that have fallen or are about to fall, so I am guessing as soon as they start cleaning things up they willl know when it will be open.

[agdave112]

well i am hoping to find a place to go. I have been to both those other places you mentioned and i have had much better success at the shnf.

[Archer23]

Yah, Sam Houston sounds like that is the palce to be. I saw pics from last year that the Ranger showed me and thier were some real nice bucks taken.

[brushsniper]

I'm not buying the safety aspect of closing the forest down....I can understand closing the campgrounds until the sites are cleared but not the forest. The same risks of going to the forest are there everytime you go in. Theres no telling which trees are going to fall at any given time...common sense tells you to stay away from a tree that is leaning or walk around a tree that is uprooted. Severe thunderstorms cause damage as well but the forest isn't closed or evaluated after they pass through. I was planning on walk-in day hunting and purchased the APH because it is required to hunt the forest. Let's see if I'm going to get my money back for the APH since I probably won't be able to use it for the archery season.

[arrowsmack324]

This is by far the ****tiest thing that Ike has done to me. I can live without power but come on now this.

[huntinfool]

We had been scouting the forest for weeks now and had some great stand locations picked out. Now we have no where to hunt. We could go to Somerville, but i believe everyone else is going there now too. With that many people going to Somerville it will be very crowded.

[brushsniper]

I drove around the west half of the forest (west of 45) and I really can't see too much damage. There are some trees down but nothing catastrophic. I didn't check the campsites but then I wasn't going to campout either. I did check the parking lot off of 149 and there is a notice posted that the forest is closed from Sept 11 to Dec 11. I hope they re-evaluate their decision and reopen, at least west of 45, the forest before archery season is over.

I too have done some scouting at the forest since May because I just didn't want to get on a lease this year....looks like next year I will re-evaluate my decision and get on a lease.

[Archer23]

Yup, Somerville will be supercrowded now!!! Thats why Ill be hunting during the middle of the week!!

We had been scouting the forest for weeks now and had some great stand locations picked out. Now we have no where to hunt. We could go to Somerville, but i believe everyone else is going there now too. With that many people going to Somerville it will be very crowded.

[JTTMI]

Time and fuel spent scouting, and now no hunting. Well that just Bites!

[airbornehunter]

I was just there a month ago...seen a decent buck too. Helped my old man do all the scouting. I wonder if he knows the forest is closed. Best of luck finding new spots before season starts