Anybody else get drawn for Laguna Atascosa Exotic Hunt 2/19-2/21?

[Huntindad]

Nilgai and pigs there.

On the actual Laguna Atascosa part, there has been a couple of sightings of fallow and Auodad, but definitely not enough to be any sort of focus on them. Likely just a couple of escapees passing through from neighboring ranches our there. Bahia has very few neighboring ranches and its all low fence areas and larger places that don’t stock any sort of exotics.

Wish I would’ve drawn Bahia. Good luck out there!

I kinda thought pigs was a given

[JackRyan]

I kinda thought pigs was a given

They specify all exotics not necessarily because there are other exotics there but because on some NWR hunts not all exotics are on the list. Like East Lake, the only exotic you can shoot is Nilgai even though there are others there.


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[Huntindad]

hmmm...wonder why they would exclude other exotics?

[ArcheryNerd]

I wish good luck guys

[ppeeks59]

There are EXTREMELY ENDANGERED ocelots. If you even breathe in their direction, you are asking for a federal striped clothes holiday and legal fees you would not believe. Every year one or two guys see one of them. Don't shoot at a cat, it is pretty simple.

Huntindad is right -- Bahia Grande unit is basically the north border of Port Isabel. You could even take the spouse for a South Padre Island holiday, it is still just a few minutes away.

[Mr. Whiskers]

We were drawn for the Bahia Grande Unit 2/26 - 2/28

[ppeeks59]

I had the map upside down in my head -- BG is south of 100, below Port Isabel and Laguna Vista. The entire east end of the unit is actually within the Port Isabel city limits. I'm looking forward to learning how we are supposed to hunt the BG unit. The vehicle access road is 8 miles end-to-end from Rte 48 to Rte 100, but there's only parking at the 48 end. I sure hope we can drive in and park along the access road. There's also a huntable area at the west end of the unit that seems to have no vehicle access at all, and at least a mile and half walk in from 100 (though there's apparently no parking there) through a no-hunting zone before you reach the huntable area. Not a problem as long as we can actually park and the trail is usable. Last year my stand (in the Laguna unit) was more than 2 miles in from my truck and it was no problem walking in and out every day, plus the walking I did during the day. A few guys walked in and out a lot further. Nilgai are not exactly like white-tail deer -- they sleep at night are are active all day long, though it is true that there are activity peaks in the early morning and late afternoon. Leaving the area for the middle of the day makes no sense at all to me -- I saw more Nilgai closer to lunchtime than at any other time of day -- maybe they were being pushed by other guys leaving their stands to go somewhere for lunch. Getting close enough to take a shot with my bow -- that's another matter -- I couldn't do it last year, hoping to do it this year.

[Graysonhogs]

I had the map upside down in my head -- BG is south of 100, below Port Isabel and Laguna Vista. The entire east end of the unit is actually within the Port Isabel city limits. I'm looking forward to learning how we are supposed to hunt the BG unit. The vehicle access road is 8 miles end-to-end from Rte 48 to Rte 100, but there's only parking at the 48 end. I sure hope we can drive in and park along the access road. There's also a huntable area at the west end of the unit that seems to have no vehicle access at all, and at least a mile and half walk in from 100 (though there's apparently no parking there) through a no-hunting zone before you reach the huntable area. Not a problem as long as we can actually park and the trail is usable. Last year my stand (in the Laguna unit) was more than 2 miles in from my truck and it was no problem walking in and out every day, plus the walking I did during the day. A few guys walked in and out a lot further. Nilgai are not exactly like white-tail deer -- they sleep at night are are active all day long, though it is true that there are activity peaks in the early morning and late afternoon. Leaving the area for the middle of the day makes no sense at all to me -- I saw more Nilgai closer to lunchtime than at any other time of day -- maybe they were being pushed by other guys leaving their stands to go somewhere for lunch. Getting close enough to take a shot with my bow -- that's another matter -- I couldn't do it last year, hoping to do it this year.

Did you see a lot of animals?

[Graysonhogs]

We were drawn for the Bahia Grande Unit 2/26 - 2/28

I'm the week before. Hopefully I'll be able to provide some useful intel.

[Mr. Whiskers]

I'm the week before. Hopefully I'll be able to provide some useful intel.

That would be greatly appreciated sir

[J-Bob]

I’m in for 2/19 - 2/21 along with a buddy. Looks like a tough one based on terrain and parking but fun to give it a try.

[AHunter]

I drew the hunt as well. Never been, so I'm trying to do research on that unit

[BigRed323]

I drew the hunt as well. Never been, so I'm trying to do research on that unit

FYI, nobody has ever been lol. It was just opened this year to hunt, so won’t find much info on where to hunt etc.

Good luck!

[AHunter]

FYI, nobody has ever been lol. It was just opened this year to hunt, so won’t find much info on where to hunt etc.

That explains it. Thanks for saving me from searching around more lol.

[Graysonhogs]

FYI, nobody has ever been lol. It was just opened this year to hunt, so won’t find much info on where to hunt etc.



Good luck!

That’s good to know. So I’m kind of like a pioneer. [emoji51]


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