Matador or Whitney?

[30-30]

Looking at the antlerless/spike category in the draw hunt booklet. Which one and why? I have wanted to hunt Lake Whitney sp for a while now and I think this year is the first that has offered hunt dates that I could make. However I have also heard Matador is a beautiful WMA with a good population of deer. Whitney is closer (live in Dallas) but Muzzleloader only, which would require Dad to buy or borrow one. Never been to Matador. I can't decide!

I have 4 preference points for this category so I'm hoping this year is the year. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[trm]

I did a standby and hunted Whitney a few years back. Just a heads up, the hunt is literally in the park. Some assigned blinds were in view of picnic tables, bathrooms, etc.. The blinds consisted of a circle of welded wire wrapped in camo with a chair inside. There were shooting windows in certain directions, and you were strictly instructed not to stand and shoot over the top or in other directions because of safety issues and relatively close quarters. Park personnel had corned the area in front of my blind. The deer werent exactly tame, but certain aspects just seemed wrong to me. It is, afterall, a hunt to control numbers of park deer. If that type of hunting is ok with you, then by all means, go for it. Its an easy hunt with a good success rate. Ive done another "assigned blind" hunt with similar conditions, safety issues require you to sit and watch a very limited area, wait to be picked up, etc.. Safety is a good thing. I'm Pretty sure I'm allergic to bullets...
And of course, your scouting is done before you get there...
But I'd take Matador in a second...

[Razorback01]

I posted this to your same thread on the Campfire this morning, basically the same as trm- I was at Whitney SP this past year just a day or two prior to one of their hunts. By assigned blind was a little bit of camo netting out in an open area. The thought went through my mind to scrounge up some wood and build a portable box blind or two.

I started calculating cost, one doe/$50 hunt fee plus camping fees, three days vacation and it didn't make much sense to me. Now if your taking your son/daughter/family/friends for a hunt it would be nice. They didn't fill their hunts this year and were accepting standby hunters, so this coming season you may be able to hunt standby.

[Johncantrl]

Whitney

[BrianL]

Gun or bow? Matador is a nice place to hunt, and wild hunting(this isn't a park and these deer aren't use to seeing people) with no hunter improvements. I think doe/spike with gun would be a high sucess rate. Patterning and setting up for deer in a particular area will be much tougher for a short term archery hunt. I've hunted Matador 3 times, and could have shot deer on two of the hunts. I just didn't see anything I wanted.

[Buckshot-73]

Depend's.. Do you want meat for the freezer?? If so, Whitney.

I have never been to Matador,so i can't comment.

[TxTechsan]

Matador will require you to actually hunt. It's big semi open country. No guarantee's for sure but you should see deer. Check the hunt dates b/c it can get bone chilling cold at Matador. I was there a couple of years ago in early January and my group was one of only a few left after just a couple of days due to the cold weather.

[Limbwalker]

Matador, no question. It's a real hunt. It's the real West.

[Outback77]

Matador is all about the compartment you draw. A few are close to neighbors with corn feeders and the deer are on those like crack. It's a beautiful place though.

[switchback]

I posted this to your same thread on the Campfire this morning, basically the same as trm- I was at Whitney SP this past year just a day or two prior to one of their hunts. By assigned blind was a little bit of camo netting out in an open area. The thought went through my mind to scrounge up some wood and build a portable box blind or two.

I started calculating cost, one doe/$50 hunt fee plus camping fees, three days vacation and it didn't make much sense to me. Now if your taking your son/daughter/family/friends for a hunt it would be nice. They didn't fill their hunts this year and were accepting standby hunters, so this coming season you may be able to hunt standby.

I did the hunt last year and it was $80 hunt fee. It was the first hunt like this I've done but shot a doe the first evening. I bowhunt all season, so I put in for it just to have a chance to use my muzzleloader. Just so it gets shot once in a great while. Just wish they dropped you off sooner. Definately would like to hunt matador.