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Drawn for Aransas NWR

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    #91
    By Tuesday midday (when I had to head for home), the big buck of Rifle 2 was still a 10 point taken early last Saturday. But on Monday afternoon I SAW the biggest Texas buck I've ever seen, an absolute monster with horizontal main beams and enormous tall vertical tines, at 230 yards in fading light and high wind. I was not confident in my ability to (1) kill him at that distance in high wind or (2) even if I somehow made a perfect shot, find him in the darkness. He could have gone down in extremely thick brush 20 yards in any direction from where he stood and I would have never found him before the vultures and coyotes got to him. So I watched him walk and told another hunter about him to hopefully get a good shot on him on Tuesday afternoon, after I left. I couldn't hunt on Wednesday.

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      #92
      Originally posted by ppeeks59 View Post
      Yes, hunted from a tripod set up at half height (that is, modified to work without the bottom half of each leg), tucked tight into a gap between two mesquite trees. I also have the chair curtained with blind canvas down to below my feet so it really just looks like part of the tree foliage, even when I'm up in it. Saw deer every day (not always shootable, sometimes driving out), shot a big sow on Tuesday morning, after which I had to head for home. Number of hunters and number of deer shot were surprising low throughout the hunt, given the start last Saturday, and the harvest tally was especially surprising given how many deer I saw. I guess others didn't see what I saw. Also, there are huge gators in the water holes -- I stayed away from water.
      Here's the pig: https://imgur.com/RABMJIt

      Awesome, thanks. How were the roads?


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        #93
        Originally posted by SoTXAg06 View Post
        Awesome, thanks. How were the roads?


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        It was before the rains came, so they were rock hard bone dry dusty washboard, everywhere. If there's anything loose on your truck, or in your teeth, it would fall out from the rattling. Though it wasn't as bad as 160 miles of worse washboard on logging roads in Northern Quebec, after the pavement ended. So that's how I compare. Some guys think that they should go slow on the washboard, but I think just the opposite. You gotta find the sweet speed where your tires sort of fly over the ridges -- it is right "around" the legal 35 mph limit for my particular truck. Then just watch out for the sand holes and you're good! This weekend's rain will turn the place to mud, for sure, and the dry water holes might actually fill with water, I'd guess.
        Last edited by ppeeks59; 11-27-2020, 05:26 PM.

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          #94
          Might just go out next weekend for a standby spot.

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            #95
            Originally posted by fish4food View Post
            Might just go out next weekend for a standby spot.
            Do it. There were 18 standby spots available for Rifle 2 and I'm sure they were not all taken. Sunday had the most hunters at 75. First day of hunt (Saturday) was 73, Monday was 66 or something like that, and I left Tuesday afternoon so I didn't see the board totals for Tuesday or Wednesday. That last day was surely not well attended being the day before Thanksgiving. When I checked out on Tuesday midday, though, I was the only guy to have put an animal in the clipboard harvest log for that day.

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              #96
              Bump.

              A few questions for those who have been. What’s a good height tripod? Are there places you can sit on the ground in case the tripod isn’t working out?


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                #97
                From what I understand - just depends on where you're located - I have heard that around 10' to 12' - I have a Hawk Quad Pod I've used at laguna Atascosa NWR and it worked great. I have drawn and paid for my permit, but I might not be able to go due to work and school - if things work out I might be able to go for a day .... maybe (probably not haha. Good luck to you and everyone else!!

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                  #98
                  I'm sure you can find a place to sit on the ground - you probably know this but I'll just reiterate - just make sure not to silhouette yourself and back up next to a tree or some seriously thick brush - that place is pretty "marshy" find some "islands" within the marsh - I'll be there in the spring for some picture taking!

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                    #99
                    Bump. Anyone scouting Friday? I’m planning to, but I’m not exactly sure when I will make it out.


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                      Originally posted by SoTXAg06 View Post
                      Bump.

                      A few questions for those who have been. WhatÂ’s a good height tripod? Are there places you can sit on the ground in case the tripod isnÂ’t working out?

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                      I was there for the last hunt, and the only places that I found to hunt off the ground was near watering holes, fire breaks, boundary lines, and some of mowed lines they created. If you want to hunt these you better be in line early during scouting day. Hunters seem pick those spots first. I arrived at the refuge at 1200 on Friday, and these spots were already marked off. I used a 6 ft tripod which works ok to see over the tall grass and brush. Unless you have help or a light tripod it will a pain trying to setup going thru the high grass and brush. Most of the watering holes I hunted had only small puddles if that. They have waist high grass around them with some skinny reddish brush right on the edge of the watering hole. Which makes it difficult to shoot anything near the water.

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                        Bump. Anyone else scouting tomorrow?


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                          I’m around 10th in line at 7:40


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                            Found a unclaimed shredded fire break and a few decent spots off of it early this AM. Set up for tomorrow. Have some space to move around if needed. There was only one guy waiting for standby when I went through the gate this AM.


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                              Lucky!
                              I’m working all weekend or I would have tried again.

                              Good Luck.
                              Hope the mosquitoes don’t carry you off.

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                                Originally posted by fish4food View Post
                                Lucky!
                                I’m working all weekend or I would have tried again.

                                Good Luck.
                                Hope the mosquitoes don’t carry you off.

                                They were buzzing pretty good by the time I left. Have to plenty of deep woods off with me.


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