More WMAs for archery

[hopedale]

How many WMAs are open for archery, and should there be more?

Why can't TPWD open all of the WMAs to archery?

[buzzcut]

I keep hoping TPWD will allow an archery deer season at Ray Roberts WMA. That would add 41,000 acres for public deer hunting. An archery season at RayBob might take some of the pressure off LBJ,Grapevine and Cooper WMA's,which get hammered every season.I've fished the lake quite a bit and seen deer on several occasions.The best spots would be accessable by small boat or canoe only.

[Pat Miller]

Ray Bob is actually Corps land that the TWPD oversees for small game and duck hunting.
I'm sure the Corps has some input on what can or can't be hunted out there.

[buzzcut]

Ray Bob is actually Corps land that the TWPD oversees for small game and duck hunting.
I'm sure the Corps has some input on what can or can't be hunted out there.

Several WMA's are owned by the COE... Pat Mayse,Cooper,Grapevine,White Oak Creek,etc. I dont see why Ray Roberts should be any different?

[ground level]

The public land surrounding the lake is very narrow in most areas (200 yds or less) and with the amount of private land surrounding and encompassing the lake, there is too great a chance of deer wounding/trailing onto private property which could lead to hunter/private landowner conflicts. The main reason why the Corps does not allow archery deer hunting on Ray Roberts WMA and TPWD agrees since they lease it from them for hunting with the Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH).

[buzzcut]

The public land surrounding the lake is very narrow in most areas (200 yds or less) and with the amount of private land surrounding and encompassing the lake, there is too great a chance of deer wounding/trailing onto private property which could lead to hunter/private landowner conflicts. The main reason why the Corps does not allow archery deer hunting on Ray Roberts WMA and TPWD agrees since they lease it from them for hunting with the Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH).

Then why is hog hunting allowed on the area 8 months out of the year? Hogs dont also run off onto private land after they're shot? I'm guessing landowners around the lake dont want public land deer hunters coming around the area period.

[Red_RaiderHTC]

I can tell you that i hunt cooper and it is extremely narrow. So i doubt that has anything to do with it. Also if a corp property is leased by TPWD then TPWD makes the decision on what gets hunted. There are some good deer on RR but like said above hunting areas are tough to get to. Second there actually is no biologist stationed at RR so i think there is just a lack of management and nobody has pushed for a deer season to be opened. I grew up hunting and fishing roberts and would love for them to open it up to more oportunity.

[hand grenade]

yep that would be nice for them to open up ray bob for deer. a close drive for me.

[buzzcut]

All I know is what I can see from the boat when I fish the lake,I cant see where the property lines/fences are,on the map some spots look a lot wider than 200 yards. Granted some areas are nothing but tallgrass open areas, but in some spots the woods are VERY heavy. I Googled "Ray Roberts shoreline" and it says the shoreline is 209 miles long. That's a strip of public land that would stretch from Dallas to Oklahoma City!