Gus Engeling___Oct 21-25 Archery

[MtnMike]

Did you Draw a permit or did you go the Stand By route when you were able to hunt there?

Good luck. I didn't draw Gus for GDE either. I did draw RC Trinity Unit Archery and Big Lake Bottom archery though!

I am hunting a place this year about 5 miles West of Montalba. Seeing a lot of young Bucks but not anything that I would send an arrow on!

[PecanBuck]

My favorite place to hunt, camp, or fish. GEWMA is an amazing place, I'm not a local but I get up there at least once a year and sometimes more.

I'd recommend a unit adjacent to catfish creek and I'd recommend to look for a unit with plenty of edge habitat. There's a lot of places there where they've done controlled burns and selective land clearing to create nice areas where grasslands are right next to thick woods. Goodluck, hope I get drawn for that hunt someday!

[skrobo]

Gus Engeling Oct 21-25

I'll have my saddle getup and the prototype carbon fiber tripod.

What is this prototype cabron fibre tripod? I'll be on the same hunt. I've hunted there a few times 5 and 15 years ago... I can't remember the unit numbers I hunted. I saw some big deer, lots of does, and saw nothing over several days a few times.

If you got a house on the north side, you might have to drive around the place to drop your washer on the board at headquarters. It sounds like they run a pretty tight ship and require check in/out. I'm planning on staying at the campsite.

[Katch66]

What is this prototype cabron fibre tripod? I'll be on the same hunt. I've hunted there a few times 5 and 15 years ago... I can't remember the unit numbers I hunted. I saw some big deer, lots of does, and saw nothing over several days a few times.

If you got a house on the north side, you might have to drive around the place to drop your washer on the board at headquarters. It sounds like they run a pretty tight ship and require check in/out. I'm planning on staying at the campsite.

Unless they change how they do things, there is a booth at the north and south entrances that have sign in cards that you fill out on entry and leaving. There are drop boxes at the booths for the cards. You don't check in at headquarters.

[Pat Miller]

The booths and sign in cards are for when the WMA is open to the public. A drawn hunt is not open to the public therefore the protocol is first an orientation at either the biologist check station on the north side or the public educational house on the front side of the SOUTH side.
You don't use one of your license tags at all. They provide you with the extra tags for the hunt. If you're late for the orientation, no hunt for you until you are taught the rules of the WMA.
The check station is well appointed with a cooler for your deer. bathrooms, water, first aid, skinning stations, fire pit and the washer wall board.
The washer board is used to let the biologists know who has checked in to hunt and who has vacated at night or permanently. Its sort of a hassle to do but its the lesser of several evils that were problems in the past. It guarantees no one is lost or injured out there overnight.......but this will be gone over at the orientation.

I've had at least one hunt drawn for there every year for the past 10 or more years. Last year I was drawn for 3......archery, doe/spike, and management buck.
It's my favorite WMA to hunt and I've shot some nice deer there even though that is not my intention. I hunt to enjoy the scenery, the wildlife, the simplistic adventure of Mother Nature.

Every one is right about Catfish Creek. Or a spring-of which there are several that feed into Catfish Creek. The daily routine for most of the deer is in the morning most migrate from the bottoms-SE to the hills in the NW. The really big bucks are in the bottoms or following the water ways.
The biologists have been actively trapping the hogs for a few years now so they are not as prevalent as they were 8-10 years ago. Lots of coyotes, bobcats, raccoons,grey and red squirrels, and they transplanted a few eastern turkeys about 5-7 years ago. I don't believe they have a season for them yet.

The main reason to be there is have fun. I'll be there for the doe/spike hunt in December 11-15. Good luck. Pat Miller

[chino]

The booths and sign in cards are for when the WMA is open to the public. A drawn hunt is not open to the public therefore the protocol is first an orientation at either the biologist check station on the north side or the public educational house on the front side of the SOUTH side.
You don't use one of your license tags at all. They provide you with the extra tags for the hunt. If you're late for the orientation, no hunt for you until you are taught the rules of the WMA.
The check station is well appointed with a cooler for your deer. bathrooms, water, first aid, skinning stations, fire pit and the washer wall board.
The washer board is used to let the biologists know who has checked in to hunt and who has vacated at night or permanently. Its sort of a hassle to do but its the lesser of several evils that were problems in the past. It guarantees no one is lost or injured out there overnight.......but this will be gone over at the orientation.

I've had at least one hunt drawn for there every year for the past 10 or more years. Last year I was drawn for 3......archery, doe/spike, and management buck.
It's my favorite WMA to hunt and I've shot some nice deer there even though that is not my intention. I hunt to enjoy the scenery, the wildlife, the simplistic adventure of Mother Nature.

Every one is right about Catfish Creek. Or a spring-of which there are several that feed into Catfish Creek. The daily routine for most of the deer is in the morning most migrate from the bottoms-SE to the hills in the NW. The really big bucks are in the bottoms or following the water ways.
The biologists have been actively trapping the hogs for a few years now so they are not as prevalent as they were 8-10 years ago. Lots of coyotes, bobcats, raccoons,grey and red squirrels, and they transplanted a few eastern turkeys about 5-7 years ago. I don't believe they have a season for them yet.

The main reason to be there is have fun. I'll be there for the doe/spike hunt in December 11-15. Good luck. Pat Miller

Thanks for the info!

Very helpful

[dpg481]

It's been about five years since I hunted the Gus draws, but I have seen tons of deer while in the blind. I've been really close to some really nice bucks in there but they never presented a bow shot. I saw a monster buck that walked up on me one time when I was there for a doe only rifle hunt and couldn't shoot him. I just looked for trails in the bottoms close to a White Oak tree, deer love those big a** acorns. As stated, the deer walk right by hand corn.

[HogHunter34]

I grew up on catfish creek & my dad fished that creek for years. Largest flathead taken was 35 lbs. we own private property approx 1-1/2 miles from the place. Lots of pigs, oh & alligators

The creek bottom is pretty dense. There’s a private land owner that high fenced his place along the Eastern edge of the WMA. I’ve seen some bruisers in his pastures on late evening drives

I recall on a youth hunt years back a Buck was taken that scored 167
I’ve personally never hunted it since we have private property to hunt nearby
Used to do a lot of squirrel hunting on it years ago

Good luck to all

[BTLowry]

Dad called today, apparently they are drawing one card for standby

We decided you can't get drawn if you are not there so we will be there to take our chances on getting drawn

Anybody else gonna try and get the standby draw?

[bossbowman]

I mentored my nephew on a youth hunt there last year. Its a tough hunt if you aren't a local. They give the best units to the people they know. Sad but true.

100%, GE and RC are the worst about this.

[BTLowry]

No luck on the standby draw

[Lone_Wolf]

I’ve been 3 times on a youth hunt. My son is now 26 and was around 9 & 10 back then, so it’s been a while. Back when we went, the compartments were lettered not numbered. On a doe/spike hunt, I videotaped a massive ten in compartment S. Have no clue what number it is today but it’s across catfish creek and left side of the road. You can’t see it from the road, but just thru some scrub brush is a open field about 5 acres in size. The department had burnt it off about 3 weeks prior to the hunt. Had green shoots coming up and looked like a winter wheat field. Anyway he came across it and all we could do was watch it. He did end up killing 2 does that next morning.
Another spot we hunted was in B. It’s like in the north west corner. It has a small pond on it and being as dry as it is, would be a good spot. The year we hunted it, we were in a drought year. Saw a nice 8, but again, it was a doe/spike only hunt.

Think they switch it up compartment designation every few years just to keep draw hunters on their toes.

[SC-001]

Was this hunt over at noon today or at dark?

[Mr. Public]

Was this hunt over at noon today or at dark?

Neither.


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[bullets13]

Anyone on here hunt this one?