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    #61




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      #62
      Seeing that brush makes me want to go back if only for one more hunt there. I saw a guy running out of there one opening morning. I hear this clanging noise.....it grew louder and louder. I could finally see a hunter jogging out with his aluminum ladder stand dressed in a white t-shirt. Had I not seen it I would have a hard time believing it. Guy was just not prepared for the mosquitoes. I would have left the ladder.

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        #63
        Originally posted by ByronB View Post
        Seeing that brush makes me want to go back if only for one more hunt there. I saw a guy running out of there one opening morning. I hear this clanging noise.....it grew louder and louder. I could finally see a hunter jogging out with his aluminum ladder stand dressed in a white t-shirt. Had I not seen it I would have a hard time believing it. Guy was just not prepared for the mosquitoes. I would have left the ladder.
        If you have never been to Aransas it's an erie feeling when you get settled in the stand way before daylight on that first morning. You are covered in Deep Woods Off, Head netting and Thermacell's (yes 2) and you can only hear what sounds like a swarm of bee's all around you, but it is not bee's . LOL

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          #64
          Originally posted by Static1968 View Post
          If you have never been to Aransas it's an erie feeling when you get settled in the stand way before daylight on that first morning. You are covered in Deep Woods Off, Head netting and Thermacell's (yes 2) and you can only hear what sounds like a swarm of bee's all around you, but it is not bee's . LOL
          Facts!

          If you’ve ever thought mosquitoes were bad, you’ve never been to AWR.

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            #65
            The sheer size of the place blows my mind.

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              #66
              Originally posted by fish4food View Post
              Facts!

              If you’ve ever thought mosquitoes were bad, you’ve never been to AWR.
              I can still hear the swarms 45 years later. I spent eight years in a row hunting that place. The brush is awesome there. Some stuff to thick to even crawl through. I hope some folks have some luck down there this season.

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                #67
                Originally posted by SwampBuck View Post
                The sheer size of the place blows my mind.
                Wish I had made it as a standby. The amount of land opened up to the archery hunt is ridiculous compared to the rifle hunt.

                Hopefully I’ll make it out to the rifle hunt.

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                  #68
                  Originally posted by ByronB View Post
                  I can still hear the swarms 45 years later. I spent eight years in a row hunting that place. The brush is awesome there. Some stuff to thick to even crawl through. I hope some folks have some luck down there this season.
                  I remember going down there back when I was a kid. I wore a pretty new pair of Red Wing boots. I spent a morning walking around and got into a couple areas like you mentioned, super thick, knarly brush, full of briar. By the time the morning was over my pants were shredded and so were the Red Wings. Deep cuts all though the boots, couldn't believe how crazy some of that brush is.

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                    #69
                    First weekend

                    Originally posted by ByronB View Post
                    How did the first weekend go?
                    I was down there from Saturday-Thursday and had a blast. The mosquitoes are terrible but as long as your prepared, it’s manageable. Tons of hogs. I stuck a little 100 pounder the first morning. Saw hogs almost every sit. The full moon had the deer moving all night so the morning hunts were a bit slow. I tagged a doe Sunday evening. On Tuesday evening I shot a nice 10 pt. Though I made a clean shot. Tracked good blood for about 300 yards and then the trail went cold. Pretty bummed about it but has me excited for next year. Overall I saw about 8 bucks but the ten was the only one that gave me a shot. Saw numerous moccasins and a few copperheads. This was my first time on the refuge and before going out there I did what everybody did and read through all of these forms. Everything had me thinking this was going to be the hardest hunt of my life but it was honestly not that bad. There were alligators everywhere but they did not seem to be that aggressive you just have to pay attention to what you’re doing. Lots of snakes but whatever just wear snake boots and don’t be stupid. Take a thermocell, buy some off spray yourself down and get downwind and you’ll be just fine. This place has tons of wildlife so as long as you do your research you should be able to get yourself in a good spot. I saw deer every day on the refuge whether it was at my stand or driving to my stand. Everyone also said you need a tripod which is a very good idea if you have one however I did not. I just found some good brush and sat with my back against it. The doe and the buck that I shot were within 20 yards of me and had no clue I was there.

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                      #70
                      I believe had it been a normal year or a wet year for our area that hunt woulda been a bit more complicated. Being dry this year helped out for hunting that place a lot.

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                        #71
                        If ever there was a year to hunt it, this would be it. After next week it will be a different story with 3”+ forecasted. But weather will be fantastic after that.

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                          #72
                          Originally posted by Dallash8789 View Post
                          I was down there from Saturday-Thursday and had a blast. The mosquitoes are terrible but as long as your prepared, it’s manageable. Tons of hogs. I stuck a little 100 pounder the first morning. Saw hogs almost every sit. The full moon had the deer moving all night so the morning hunts were a bit slow. I tagged a doe Sunday evening. On Tuesday evening I shot a nice 10 pt. Though I made a clean shot. Tracked good blood for about 300 yards and then the trail went cold. Pretty bummed about it but has me excited for next year. Overall I saw about 8 bucks but the ten was the only one that gave me a shot. Saw numerous moccasins and a few copperheads. This was my first time on the refuge and before going out there I did what everybody did and read through all of these forms. Everything had me thinking this was going to be the hardest hunt of my life but it was honestly not that bad. There were alligators everywhere but they did not seem to be that aggressive you just have to pay attention to what you’re doing. Lots of snakes but whatever just wear snake boots and don’t be stupid. Take a thermocell, buy some off spray yourself down and get downwind and you’ll be just fine. This place has tons of wildlife so as long as you do your research you should be able to get yourself in a good spot. I saw deer every day on the refuge whether it was at my stand or driving to my stand. Everyone also said you need a tripod which is a very good idea if you have one however I did not. I just found some good brush and sat with my back against it. The doe and the buck that I shot were within 20 yards of me and had no clue I was there.
                          Glad you had some success there. We used chairs or six foot ladder stands mainly. I never carried a tripod out there myself. Glad you caught the place on a dry season. I have seen that place with mud slick roads. Trucks stuck on the side in ditches. When the place fills up with water it makes navigating it difficult. Every year I hunted it I would pray it would not rain weeks before the hunt. The mosquitoes just plain suck out there. That in itself makes it difficult for some hunters. I have never been anywhere in the state of Texas where mosquitoes are that bad.

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                            #73
                            Originally posted by ByronB View Post
                            Glad you had some success there. We used chairs or six foot ladder stands mainly. I never carried a tripod out there myself. Glad you caught the place on a dry season. I have seen that place with mud slick roads. Trucks stuck on the side in ditches. When the place fills up with water it makes navigating it difficult. Every year I hunted it I would pray it would not rain weeks before the hunt. The mosquitoes just plain suck out there. That in itself makes it difficult for some hunters. I have never been anywhere in the state of Texas where mosquitoes are that bad.
                            I'm glad to see the enthusiasm for Aransas. I hunted Aransas for many years and taken some nice deer.

                            Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk

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                              #74
                              Originally posted by Iowa1210 View Post
                              I'm glad to see the enthusiasm for Aransas. I hunted Aransas for many years and taken some nice deer.

                              Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk
                              I was used to the crowds out there. Would be quite a change with far less hunters. Everyone should try it at least once if they have the opportunity. I would love to bow hunt the place in December if they would ever allow it. Lot less critters of the biting variety moving around.

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                                #75
                                It’s just not the same since we can’t camp on the side of the roads anymore.

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