Balcones Canyonlands NWR

[philipolsen]

Same here. Should've brought the big camera so I at least could've "shot" some birds!

Weather looks like it'll be nasty tomorrow! Y'all gonna tough it out for the last day?

I'll just see how the day goes, I plan on staying the whole day but we'll see

[Yakinthebox]

Last day men! Let's give them hell! Assuming that there is a "them" anywhere on this land!

[Yakinthebox]

Had a spike move through pretty quickly but never had a shot opportunity! Dang!

[ATXRaider83]

This place is the dead sea. Walked about 6 miles today hoping to push something bedded but nothing. As anyone who has done the dove hunt here or hunted close to 1-3 knows there is one landowner that hates that he has a public area close to him and declares war on certain weekends. Yesterday sounded like a small army shooting over my head. Without bait I dont think you can see much here and from what I've seen over the weekend there isn't much of a deer herd anyways. All sources of water on 1-3 are bone dry too so I doubt there's any turkey activity now.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Yakinthebox]

I saw the one spike that didn't present a shot and that was it! Will not be putting in for this hunt again and I'll suggest the same for anyone who asks. It was a waste of money and vacation time, not to mention loyalty points!

[philipolsen]

I called it quits after the wind picked and the tower blind was rocking. Never did see anything all weekend. I'm never one to be negative about any of these drawn hunts, but this one might be different. pretty much everything negative said about this hunt is spot on, and I am probably right there with everyone else and won't be putting in for this hunt in the future

[jaredmartin]

Sorry for all the bad hunts. I posted about my bad experience, but I understand it is hard to not see for yourself. I did the same thing, then I believed the bad reviews.

With the way loyalty points changed, I highly doubt this place getting much activity in the future, and many places like it will also suffer. Nobody will risk loses points on inferior hunts. I think the loss of money for the entire draw system will bring an increase in price per entry. I put in about 40 each year, that will now be lowered to one per category. If everyone follows suit, which most will, the money lost will instantly be noticed. I expect 10$ per draw within 3 years.

[Yakinthebox]

Sorry for all the bad hunts. I posted about my bad experience, but I understand it is hard to not see for yourself. I did the same thing, then I believed the bad reviews.

With the way loyalty points changed, I highly doubt this place getting much activity in the future, and many places like it will also suffer. Nobody will risk loses points on inferior hunts. I think the loss of money for the entire draw system will bring an increase in price per entry. I put in about 40 each year, that will now be lowered to one per category. If everyone follows suit, which most will, the money lost will instantly be noticed. I expect 10$ per draw within 3 years.

I hope you're wrong about this but I believe you're right as that is my plan pretty much for next year too! Except I'll probably do like my top 2 or 3 choices in each category instead of only 1...

[fakeworest]

Sorry everyone had a bad time! I saw 3 deer the first afternoon and 2 the next morning. I really enjoyed my unit [emoji17].


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KLThreeSeven]

My wife and I parked at the gate and walked in. You don?t need an ATV. The deer and pigs came from the top hill in the middle of the unit. I would recommend not going up there. It?s really think and they were bedding up there. I can send you some screenshots of where we saw them and where we hunted.

M10, my wife and I drew the same unit this year. Did y’all happen to hunt the back part of the unit as well? I see the hill in the middle and what looks like another hill in the very back. I’m planning on scouting on our days but trying to gather intel to make sense of the aerials right now. My first thought is to get up high on an opposite hillside. Your comment about spooking up deer on the way in has me wondering what the best path in is going to be if there’s a potential for deer up in the front. Thanks!

ps- the forums making me add a photo to this reply for some reason so I’ll attach the aerial.

[m10]

M10, my wife and I drew the same unit this year. Did y’all happen to hunt the back part of the unit as well? I see the hill in the middle and what looks like another hill in the very back. I’m planning on scouting on our days but trying to gather intel to make sense of the aerials right now. My first thought is to get up high on an opposite hillside. Your comment about spooking up deer on the way in has me wondering what the best path in is going to be if there’s a potential for deer up in the front. Thanks!

ps- the forums making me add a photo to this reply for some reason so I’ll attach the aerial.

Yes. I sat on the top of the hill in the back. You can see the animals coming off the middle hill from there. I did see a spike on the first day come down off the back hill. Most activity is was on the back side of the middle hill though.
You can walk the trail all the way thru to the back, wont disturb much.

[KLThreeSeven]

That's fantastic to hear. Thanks! I'm going to scout it in a few weeks and I'll report back after the hunt in a little over a month. Thanks again!

(For some reason this forum keeps asking me to upload a photo in order to post so apologies for that)

[MacHunt]

I run Blue Lacy tracking dogs, if you need assistance tracking your deer. No charge, just want to continue to get as many blood tracks for my dogs as possible. Text or call 512-838-1698.

[Rounder]

My son and I will be in 1-11 this weekend on the youth hunt. Anyone have any experience in that unit? Looks like a cool front is coming through Thursday night so hopefully the weather change has the deer up on their feet.

[vogeldaddy]

My son and I will be on the youth hunt this weekend too. We drew 1-1 and I haven't seen any info on that anywhere yet. I have been known to be blind though...

Any of y'all know anything about 1-1?