Aransas NWR 2019

[Seatruckn]

Purchased permit for December rifle. Do most folks only hunt the weekends? Thinking about only going on the weekdays. Never been.

[caalexander4]

Purchased permit for December rifle. Do most folks only hunt the weekends? Thinking about only going on the weekdays. Never been.

Generally how it goes for most guys.


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[caalexander4]

Also for those who didn’t get out an scout this weekend, Burgentine lake road is pretty rough after the ConocoPhillips HQ on the map. So if you are in a car either be careful or avoid it. It’s got some wicked pot holes.


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[mdoug1076]

Also for those who didn’t get out an scout this weekend, Burgentine lake road is pretty rough after the ConocoPhillips HQ on the map. So if you are in a car either be careful or avoid it. It’s got some wicked pot holes.


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Thank you for the heads up! I have a Chevy 4x4 but no lift yet so we will see. I’m headed down Thursday afternoon and will be tent camping at Goose Island SP. Plan to get up early Friday morning and scout all day, hopefully will find 1 spot for my hang-on stand if not I’ll be tucking up in the brush. Not expecting to kill anything on this hunt based on what I’ve heard and seen in the past posts, but it’s opening weekend so I’m just happy to be able to hunt in a new terrain with my bow in hand and enjoying the outdoors! I’ll be there hunting Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Good luck to everyone and be safe!

[caalexander4]

Thank you for the heads up! I have a Chevy 4x4 but no lift yet so we will see. I’m headed down Thursday afternoon and will be tent camping at Goose Island SP. Plan to get up early Friday morning and scout all day, hopefully will find 1 spot for my hang-on stand if not I’ll be tucking up in the brush. Not expecting to kill anything on this hunt based on what I’ve heard and seen in the past posts, but it’s opening weekend so I’m just happy to be able to hunt in a new terrain with my bow in hand and enjoying the outdoors! I’ll be there hunting Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Good luck to everyone and be safe!

I would call ahead and double check, but I’m 99% sure you can’t scout on Friday. The only scouting days were the 21st and 22nd. You shouldn’t need a lift kit unless you go in the holes though. I did fine with my standard 1500 and I don’t have 4 wheel drive either.


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[Muddy Bud]

I was there for the rifle last year in December. Waited for mid week to let the crowds thin. Think I only saw one other truck out there, but alot of the roads were completely underwater and they were bringing belly dumps of caliche the entire time fixing roads. Only saw 5 hogs, and three gators.

[mdoug1076]

I would call ahead and double check, but I’m 99% sure you can’t scout on Friday. The only scouting days were the 21st and 22nd. You shouldn’t need a lift kit unless you go in the holes though. I did fine with my standard 1500 and I don’t have 4 wheel drive either.


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I double checked the regulations. You can scout September 21,22,27 from 0730 to 1900.

[caalexander4]

I double checked the regulations. You can scout September 21,22,27 from 0730 to 1900.

Dang, my bad then. Ill have to look at that again and come down on Friday. I saw a decent amount of flags on everything from the main road to the conoco hq. I took the right to keep going down Burgentine road(I think, the road that leads to the edge by the water) and there seemed to be way less down there as a reference point. Took me a good 20-30 minutes to drive out from back there though so it should help with limiting the amount of guys.

[mdoug1076]

Dang, my bad then. Ill have to look at that again and come down on Friday. I saw a decent amount of flags on everything from the main road to the conoco hq. I took the right to keep going down Burgentine road(I think, the road that leads to the edge by the water) and there seemed to be way less down there as a reference point. Took me a good 20-30 minutes to drive out from back there though so it should help with limiting the amount of guys.

Thank you for advice and update. Yeah, there will probably be a lot of hunters near the private property border at the entrance since there may be corn feeders going off. Not a bad plan, but I’m not going to fight all the others for that spot. I just hope we aren’t all sitting in the rain hunting! Then also the roads may get bad too.

[AransasRanger]

Standby Permits Available

Anybody know if they will do standby this year?

We have 84 standby permits available. Cost is $130 for the 9-day hunt. Youth under 17 hunt FREE, but must have a permit. If you are interested in a permit, you must be here in person on Friday, September 27. Permits will be available starting at 9 am until 4 pm (or until permits are sold out, whichever comes first). Please bring exact change (cash only), your hunting license and proof of hunter education, and be prepared to scout/set up Friday. Call 361/349-1181 with questions.

[caalexander4]

Thank you for advice and update. Yeah, there will probably be a lot of hunters near the private property border at the entrance since there may be corn feeders going off. Not a bad plan, but I’m not going to fight all the others for that spot. I just hope we aren’t all sitting in the rain hunting! Then also the roads may get bad too.

If it rains I am either gonna see if I can borrow my FIL's truck since it has 4 wheel drive or I am gonna be busting out the waders to get off the road. My ram does terrible off road when it gets wet with my all season tires so I wont be playing around with that.

[fish4food]

We have 84 standby permits available. Cost is $130 for the 9-day hunt. Youth under 17 hunt FREE, but must have a permit. If you are interested in a permit, you must be here in person on Friday, September 27. Permits will be available starting at 9 am until 4 pm (or until permits are sold out, whichever comes first). Please bring exact change (cash only), your hunting license and proof of hunter education, and be prepared to scout/set up Friday. Call 361/349-1181 with questions.

Thanks for the information!
Very useful.

I’ll be trying for the gun hunts

[caalexander4]

Just as an FYI for those who didn’t scout, google maps and onyx are way off on what ground conditions look like. Was gonna meet up with another member while we scouted and what was supposed to be a service rod turned into the thickest crap to get turned around in. Thought the opening was only 20-40 yards away and that was not the case.

Mosquitos went that bad out today either.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!


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[AransasRanger]

Thanks for the information!
Very useful.

I’ll be trying for the gun hunts

Ok! I will know probably next week how many standby permits we will have for each rifle hunt. We only sold 5 out of 84 standby archery permits.

[mdoug1076]

Saw a 6pt early this morning at 30 yards before rain hit. I had sprayed a ton of bug spray on my neck, head, face ...so of course the contact lense in my right eye goes blurry from bug spray dripping down from forehead as I’m drawing back. Couldn’t see anything, eased arrow back down. Wind was in my favor so he never spooked. Also saw two does out of range earlier this evening so far. The cloud cover today is nice, it was hot scouting Friday!