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Aransas NWR 2019

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    #16
    So Aransas is a draw hunt now? I went for 20+ years in late 90s and early 2000s and know the place well. Everything I read above is great advise. It is as tuff of a hunt you’ll ever go on and is dangerous. How many do they draw? Used to be open to the public - went from 600 to 700 hunters back in late 70s and 80s down to 150 the last I went in 2009. Bucks die of old age there - there are some big ones there. Good luck. Skeeters are the most challenging obstacle at Aransas. Oh and the heat and the water the hard to find the right spot to set up in.

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      #17
      How congested is it with other hunters during archery?

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        #18
        Originally posted by texastrouthunte View Post
        Anybody know if they will do standby this year?
        The TPWD draw system says that there are no standbys available but last year there were 40 standbys for archery.

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          #19
          Originally posted by C-dubyah View Post
          How congested is it with other hunters during archery?
          There are some hot spots to avoid but for the most part it’s not congested at all. The first weekend will have the highest attendance usually around 150-200 show up and throughout the week it gets down into the 50s. A lot of new people going to see what it’s about then quickly realizing it’s a pretty tough hunt and backing their stuff up the first Sunday. Mostly due to the mosquitoes.

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            #20
            Tyler is right, definitely plan on combating mosquitoes, i took two thermacells and has sprayed everything down with Stewarts and it was not too bad, cottonmouths everywhere. I had good luck out of a tripod, had a 12' but it was a little tall, will be taking a 6' down to LANWR this year.
            It is a tough hunt but very fulfilling, good luck!

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              #21
              Originally posted by thisisbeer View Post
              I drew here and Laguna Atascosa. First year for both.
              I had the same luck for archery this year. Super excited to try it out.

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                #22
                Any mandatory orientation? Can you show up on say day 3 and start hunting?

                Thanks in advance!

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                  #23
                  Originally posted by mgperez View Post
                  Any mandatory orientation? Can you show up on say day 3 and start hunting?

                  Thanks in advance!
                  No orientation... You can just show up.

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                    #24
                    I was down there for 5 days at last years hunt. It was the most miserable fun hunt i had been on in TX. Was hoping to go again this year, but no dice. It was VERY wet, we got some bad weather, and Cosway is right about the mosquitoes, no joke!
                    I suggest soaking your clothes in permethrin and running at least 1 if not 2 thermacells, and mosquito face mask. Walking to and from truck was the worst for mosquitoes and it would take a good half hour to kill all those *******s that got inside the truck.
                    I used my saddle, and was able to find some trees that were good enough to get me 12’ up. (And the mosquitoes were a little better at that altitude). The landscape varies so be prepared with ground blind, hang on (saddle), tripod.
                    We caught some bad weather early and it made it a very soggy trek, and the roads went to crap pretty quick. Lots of folks got stuck. The conditions (mosquitoes) cleared out the number of hunters pretty quick. I think after the first day of the hunt the campground went from full to about 20%.
                    It was a long hard hunt, but would go back again. I finally patterned a bedding area the day before i had to leave, wish I had had one more day.



                    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                      #25
                      I see you captured one of the little mosquitoes from that day's hatch.

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                        #26
                        My brother and I were drawn, first time for both of us. Gonna try to find somewhere to camp with RV. I bought a small one last year just for hunting trip.

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                          #27
                          killed my first eight pointer w bow there WAY before thermocells were invented. cream rose to the top then, cream will rise again. I'm old now and others have taken my place. good luck to all.

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                            #28
                            I donated a lot of blood at that place in 1986 with some high school buddies. Sleeping in the roadside ditch waiting on the gate to open at 4:30 a.m..........None of us have gone back! Good luck to those of you going out!

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                              #29
                              Whats the general outlook on weather for this year? I saw the forecast was calling for rain. I am an hour and half above it and plan on being down there for the 21st and 22nd for scouting to see how it looks then. Planned on packing in my rubber boots and normals though.

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                                #30
                                Also got drawn for general season so it looks like Ill be donating a fair bit of money to hunts this year.

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