How Crowded is Old Sabine Bottom WMA?

[McLovin82]

I am extremely new to bowhunting (as in my first bow arrives UPS tomorrow) and have been reading about public hunting opportunities around the Tyler area (Athens technically). It looks like Old Sabine Bottom WMA is the place to go for deer. I thought about Lake Whitney/Lake Aquilla where I have turkey hunted many times, but Old Sabine is an hour closer and that means 2 hours more in the woods every time I go out. But I digress...

How crowded is OSB? Looking at the map I was planning on hunting the west side because the east side has the ATV trails (and my short time in east Texas has shown me that about everyone and there mother has an ATV). I was figuring that if I am willing to walk then I should be able to get away from the crowds. Or does everyone else have the same idea therefore making the west side more crowded than the east side?

Any help would really be appreciated.

[hand grenade]

if you walk be ready to walk far to escape the crowd. then be ready to drag a kill out on a very long drag. i have an atv and have never run into any traffic or anyone driving up to my hunting site period. trust me having an atv on this very huge piece of property has its perc's.

[fordxpress]

Osb

You will need 100% water proof boots (knee high) if you are going to hunt the westside of 1804. You dont have to wear them all the time just make sure you have them everytime it rains. That is where I started hunting OSB, saw plenty of deer but walking in the flooded water will ruin your hunt.

I only know of one person taking a deer last season and he did not have an atv. OSB has plenty of hogs and deer but they get smart as soon as the season starts.

Last year was my 2nd season with an atv, the first season I saw three other atv hunters all season long..,last year I saw plenty of atv hunters, the downside was hunters cruising and scouting while you are trying to hunt but that's the price you pay for public land.

If you have a muzzleloader, October is a good time to go and hunt hogs plus scout around for deer..,Good Luck!

[Barn]

Another option for you would be to try the public lands south of you. I shot my first deer in Angelina Nat'l and hunted Sam Houston too.

[sprayn2]

the osb is really crowded, i mean super crowded. there were days last season where 2 trucks had to share the same parking area, dadgum internet has the word out on this place.

[hand grenade]

the osb is really crowded, i mean super crowded. there were days last season where 2 trucks had to share the same parking area, dadgum internet has the word out on this place.

ya i know what ya mean. the camping area was so crowded that we just shared tents and didnt even bother setting one up.

[sprayn2]

it was a little busier this year then i have seen it in previous years, still a good place to hunt if your willing to learn and willing to walk

[McLovin82]

Does it at least clear up once general gun season opens? The reason I bought a bow was to hunt public lands closer to home thinking they would be less crowded... Looks like I was not the first person to have that thought.

Well, my dad used to tell me when I was a kid that you can't catch a fish unless your line is in the water. No matter how crowded it is, I'll miss 100% of the deer if I am not there at all. I'll just plan to scout as much as I can, buy a good aerial photo and/or topo map, and put some miles on my boots.

[sprayn2]

its only real busy during the first weekends and holiday weekends, during the week and after the season has been going its not that bad. only bad thing about the bottom is that it is not open all season, archery season starts in the middle of oct till nov, then from mid nov till dec sometime and closes for a few weeks then reopens till the end of season. lots of good people is all i have meet out there and never had a problem with other hunters getting in my way really. another good one thats about the same distance from you is the alazan in nac. its archery only as well

[bmac]

I bow hunted out there last season and saw a max of 13 people out there at anytime, most of the time less than 4. For sticking to the west side because the ATV issue, I have noticed that they usally go farther then I am willing to walk and drag something out if I harvest anyhting. The people are nice and there is plenty of woods but not a lot of thick cover to hunt.