Chaparral Javelina Hunt - Times are a-changing?

[goofiefoot]

Did anyone here get drawn, or chosen for stand by for the javelina hunt this past weekend?

4 of us went down on Friday to try to get in on stand-by. This hunt has been a tradition of ours for many years, and we've been pretty successful in years past - both either in getting drawn or chosen for stand-by, and in taking animals. The staff at the Chaparral have traditionally been pretty accommodating for everyone who shows up, and until the past few years, we rarely saw folks get turned away. It's a fun hunt, and we absolutely love hunting that area!

This year, we weren't chosen. It happens. They turned away almost half of the groups that showed up for stand-by (which wasn't near the numbers I've seen accepted in the past). We hung around for a while after the drawing in case something opened up, but ended up making the 3-hour drive back home.

Last year, only my dad was able to go for stand-by, and he wasn't chosen. At that time, it was only 2 hunters left, and they were both sent away. That was disappointing, but again - it happens.

The Chaparral got new management a few years ago, and that seems to coincide with the more restrictive hunting accommodations. They claim their herd numbers are lower, so maybe that's a factor. I'm curious if anyone here has insight into this?

We would love to continue our tradition of hunting down there, and completely understand the conservation aspect of limiting the draw, however, I'd love to understand better how/why these changes are put in place.

I hope whoever hunted there this weekend had success!

[bowhntrmatt]

That stinks. Not getting drawn on a standby when you expect to be is the worst kick in the plums ever. It happened to my group on Matagorda Island a few years back. We were the only standby group not picked.

[Flint knapper]

I believe that "Log" got drawn. Haven't heard back from him to see if he did any good!

[SC-001]

They are just doing what most other draw WMA's have been doing for years, been spoiled. Go try and standby Richland Creek WMA, I'm convinced they don't like hunters much. Its really sad because it used to be hunting by APH permit out there.

[simek]

Did you ask the WMA staff about their standby policy? Chap WMA has a pretty good FB site. You could probably inquire that way.

[Walker]

Should have taken a youth with you. I heard Chap does whatever they can to get kids in.

[WinslowBoy]

Their Facebook page said they would only be accepting 9 cards for standby for that hunt and then they said that would be the last opportunity for standbys for the year. Guess that means zero standbys for the final Javi hunt in 2 weeks.

I know they used to take pretty much everybody but started limiting javelina standbys last year. If you add up javelina kills in previous years in all of their hunts, they hammered them pretty good. Last year was the first year they didn’t kill over 100 of them.

Talking with staff it sounds like the biologists are concerned because the javelina numbers are down and the hog numbers are up. Trying to figure out the impact of hogs on javelina populations. Because they are technically a research facility first and not a hunting preserve, they need to insure native populations are stable first and foremost.

I hunted multiple times for javis there on standby by myself and with my kids. Always got picked. I guess we were spoiled. Still a decent opportunity to get drawn but a long way home if you don’t.


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[doug]

I dont know anything about last weekends hunt but it sucks you didn't get picked. Glen, Chew, and i got drawn and went to the multi species hunt mid january. I think they had 30 stand by spots for that one. Seemed like a lot of spots since I think the hunt was only for 10 or 12. There were probably 50 or so people there so some got turned away including one tbh'er but I don't remember his name. Maybe they got the amount they wanted killed that hunt?

[WinslowBoy]

I dont know anything about last weekends hunt but it sucks you didn't get picked. Glen, Chew, and i got drawn and went to the multi species hunt mid january. I think they had 30 stand by spots for that one. Seemed like a lot of spots since I think the hunt was only for 10 or 12. There were probably 50 or so people there so some got turned away including one tbh'er but I don't remember his name. Maybe they got the amount they wanted killed that hunt?

Doug that was me that came and talked with you guys. My wife and I didn’t get drawn that weekend. 23 cards in the bucket and they drew 18. Whitney said to come back for the javelina draw but warned me they would be limiting them at that point. Probably had a kill figure in mind when they started the season. How did y’all do on that hunt?


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[doug]

Doug that was me that came and talked with you guys. My wife and I didn’t get drawn that weekend. 23 cards in the bucket and they drew 18. Whitney said to come back for the javelina draw but warned me they would be limiting them at that point. Probably had a kill figure in mind when they started the season. How did y’all do on that hunt?


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I remember your name now! Well we all got does and javis. Didn't see any quail or other critters though. I actually ended up with a full blown case of the Corona crud while we were down there so I didn't hunt much. I spent most of the time in camp under the covers. Very cool place though that I hope we can go back to!

[Eastwood]

I have definitely noticed a shift in management style at the Chap. I have been going down there quail hunting off and on for years depending on the quail numbers. I missed a few years and went down there in 2020 with a buddy and his son for youth weekend quail. The first thing we noticed was in the office they walled it all off into offices or something. They used to have cool sheds and rattle snakes to look at in that room. The staff seemed a little colder than usual. We got checked by the wardens multiple times in the field. In the past they checked us at headquarters. At one point they sped toward us in a side by side with lights flashing. We didn't see a single quail, but could've easily limited out on doves while wearing blaze orange. Even during youth weekend they don't allow doves to be taken on quail hunts. That really limits the opportunities for the kids. I asked the manager to consider changing it in following years and was told no way. I'll still put in for the deer draws down there, but it's definitely not as welcoming as it used to be.

[goofiefoot]

Did you ask the WMA staff about their standby policy? Chap WMA has a pretty good FB site. You could probably inquire that way.

Their Facebook page said they would only be accepting 9 cards for standby for that hunt and then they said that would be the last opportunity for standbys for the year. Guess that means zero standbys for the final Javi hunt in 2 weeks.

I know they used to take pretty much everybody but started limiting javelina standbys last year. If you add up javelina kills in previous years in all of their hunts, they hammered them pretty good. Last year was the first year they didn’t kill over 100 of them.

Talking with staff it sounds like the biologists are concerned because the javelina numbers are down and the hog numbers are up. Trying to figure out the impact of hogs on javelina populations. Because they are technically a research facility first and not a hunting preserve, they need to insure native populations are stable first and foremost.

I hunted multiple times for javis there on standby by myself and with my kids. Always got picked. I guess we were spoiled. Still a decent opportunity to get drawn but a long way home if you don’t.

Yes, I saw they had limited the stand-by cards to 9, so we knew ahead of time the odds were lower. They did have one of the drawn hunters back out, so that grew to 10 cards. There were 19 stand-by cards total. Funny enough, while there were groups of 3 and 4 like ours, 2 of the stand-by cards drawn were single hunters, and 2 were 2 hunters, so there was a potential for 10 more hunters to have a chance to hunt. Again, I'm not complaining we didn't get drawn, just a bit disappointed the opportunity has become more limited. You said it right - we've been spoiled over the years.

Should have taken a youth with you. I heard Chap does whatever they can to get kids in.

That's a good point. My daughter may be ready for this hunt next year, so we may give that a shot.

[goofiefoot]

I have definitely noticed a shift in management style at the Chap. I have been going down there quail hunting off and on for years depending on the quail numbers. I missed a few years and went down there in 2020 with a buddy and his son for youth weekend quail. The first thing we noticed was in the office they walled it all off into offices or something. They used to have cool sheds and rattle snakes to look at in that room. The staff seemed a little colder than usual. We got checked by the wardens multiple times in the field. In the past they checked us at headquarters. At one point they sped toward us in a side by side with lights flashing. We didn't see a single quail, but could've easily limited out on doves while wearing blaze orange. Even during youth weekend they don't allow doves to be taken on quail hunts. That really limits the opportunities for the kids. I asked the manager to consider changing it in following years and was told no way. I'll still put in for the deer draws down there, but it's definitely not as welcoming as it used to be.

Yes, that's certainly the case. We always get down there early the day of the hunt to look around and catch up with the staff. The past few years they haven't seemed as "friendly" - much more businesslike and somewhat stand-off-ish. The gentleman that ran the place for many years (I'm blanking on his name) was a heck of a nice guy and liked to sit around and chat with the hunters. It was part of what made hunting down there so great.

[Eastwood]

Yes, that's certainly the case. We always get down there early the day of the hunt to look around and catch up with the staff. The past few years they haven't seemed as "friendly" - much more businesslike and somewhat stand-off-ish. The gentleman that ran the place for many years (I'm blanking on his name) was a heck of a nice guy and liked to sit around and chat with the hunters. It was part of what made hunting down there so great.

Yeah, I know who you're talking about. He would talk with hunters about the wildlife and what they were doing, very personable. He also allowed dove to taken on quail hunts.

[gingib]

Their Facebook page said they would only be accepting 9 cards for standby for that hunt and then they said that would be the last opportunity for standbys for the year. Guess that means zero standbys for the final Javi hunt in 2 weeks.

I know they used to take pretty much everybody but started limiting javelina standbys last year. If you add up javelina kills in previous years in all of their hunts, they hammered them pretty good. Last year was the first year they didn’t kill over 100 of them.

Talking with staff it sounds like the biologists are concerned because the javelina numbers are down and the hog numbers are up. Trying to figure out the impact of hogs on javelina populations. Because they are technically a research facility first and not a hunting preserve, they need to insure native populations are stable first and foremost.

I hunted multiple times for javis there on standby by myself and with my kids. Always got picked. I guess we were spoiled. Still a decent opportunity to get drawn but a long way home if you don’t.


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Very good info!