Balcones Canyonlands NWR

[ScottyBTX]

Anybody have any insight on Balcones Canyon Lands? A buddy and I got drawn for the gun hunt. I read some old post about it not being so good. Wanted to open it back up and see if anybody has any insight?

[jaredmartin]

I went a few years ago. I was really disappointed with the hunting experience. I was in an area with a large number of others, which greatly reduced my ability to move. Saw plenty of pigs, not a single deer. One doe and a turkey were harvested from the area I was in. And I believe that was 10 people hunting.
There was also a ton of construction directly across the fence from me. Maybe it has changed the last two years, but my experience was more of a nature walk than a hunt.

[jnd1959]

My son and I hunted it four years ago. We saw deer and hogs but deer were way off. It's mostly juniper and live oak. Our best success was to post up on a hillside and glass. We hunted the unit just east of the facility. If we had been practiced at shooting long distances we could both have gotten bucks.

Some units had antler restrictions and some didn't. Back then, Travis county did not.

I never found any concentrated food source nor got a handle on what they were eating. We found doe beds but never saw any.

[03GruntUSMC]

I was drawn for the December 2-4 hunt with my dad. Looking forward to it. Following this thread for any advice. We drew compartment 1-3

[Budman68]

Worse public land hunt I've been on. Limited deer, roads require 4x4 if there is any kind of weather, and the cone system was a joke. I had to drive thru a dozen hunters assigned areas to get to mine. I hope your experience is better.

[ScottyBTX]

I was drawn for the December 2-4 hunt with my dad. Looking forward to it. Following this thread for any advice. We drew compartment 1-3

We drew compartment 1-3 also but we will be the weekend after December 9-11. It looks like we are 2 of 7 hunters in the compartment. The parking spots seem decently spread out. We'll see how it goes. Let me know how yours goes.

[Colehump]

I got drawn and hunted 3A in 2018. Scouted the first day and found some rubs/scrapes and set up tree stand in that area. Lucked out - the fella came to see me the next morn. 8 point.

[RobinBradbery]

Worse public land hunt I've been on. Limited deer, roads require 4x4 if there is any kind of weather, and the cone system was a joke. I had to drive thru a dozen hunters assigned areas to get to mine. I hope your experience is better.

Seconded. The absolutely worst "hunt" we have ever been on. I'm sure you read my thread on the archery hunt there. If the gun areas are anything like the archery spots I would stay home.

[ScottyBTX]

I got drawn and hunted 3A in 2018. Scouted the first day and found some rubs/scrapes and set up tree stand in that area. Lucked out - the fella came to see me the next morn. 8 point.

Nice deer! This gives me good reason to be excited.

[Txfire409]

I use to hunt it every year before tpwd took over their draws. I loved it out there. Very challenging hunt. What unit did you draw?

[ScottyBTX]

I use to hunt it every year before tpwd took over their draws. I loved it out there. Very challenging hunt. What unit did you draw?

Unit 1-3. Have you hunted it?

[Rounder]

My son hunted Unit 12 on a youth hunt a couple of years ago. No baiting makes is a little more difficult for sure but our unit had a couple of food plots and we saw some game. Wasn't constant action but enough to keep you interested.

Saw some does just no shots and a good buck ran through chasing does but never stopped long enough for a shot. Had a shot at a smaller buck but we were in an AR county so wasn't legal. He ended up shooting a big hog one evening right at dark.

Another hunter in our unit shot a doe and a couple of turkeys.

[Txfire409]

Unit 1-3. Have you hunted it?

Wow, just looked up the refuge hunt map and they have changed alot. I dont think I've hunted that unit.

[zhall]

My son was drawn for this upcoming weekend, unit 1-7. Looks like we will have plenty of company. And we have to drive through a bunch to get to ours. But we are going to give it heck. I'll try and post up.

[jnd1959]

My son was drawn for this upcoming weekend, unit 1-7. Looks like we will have plenty of company. And we have to drive through a bunch to get to ours. But we are going to give it heck. I'll try and post up.

That's the spirit. Enjoy it for what it is. We didn't get anything but my youngest got to watch two bucks duke it out for about 20 minutes. That was worth the price of admission.