Aransas NWR 2021 Archery

[fish4food]

I’ve been on 2 rifle hunts. Both were TOUGH!!! We saw deer and had shot opportunities each hunt, but I feel like we had to earn them.

Have killed lots of pigs though.

[panhandlehunter]

I wouldn’t hunt out there if I got paid to. Lol. I tried it one time when I was broke and just out of high school, there isn’t a deer in the world that is worth that kind of abuse.

[fish4food]

^^^Hahaha

[Muddy Bud]

For you guys that are worried about forgetting to pay the fee, don’t worry I’m pretty sure they will have a lot of spots open. The ranger will usually post open spots on here, for certain days where you could just pay online or at the gate. There were a couple groups that just showed up the morning of the hunt and paid there and hunted during the rifle hunt. This was a couple years ago. Don’t know if they do this during bow season but sure they will.

[JakefromstateTX]

I got drawn for the Archery hunt on Aransas NWR. This will be my first year ever to hunt public land.
Where do people tend to pile up on the refuge?

[Overbcec]

I drew the archery tag also but I've never hunted outside of the piney woods. I've been reading on the other posts and it sounds like the mosquitos are going to be thick. On the map that they provided they marked out the water tanks of the refuge and I was wondering if they would be worth to set up a blind on one of them or would the mosquitos be too thick on that water that even the deer wont hang out long? Would it be better for me to spend a day scouting for feed sources and bedding instead?

[Muddy Bud]

Find the high ground on heavy trails. Water holes probably won’t be very productive since the entire place is almost a swamp. Hunt off a tripod. We used old 10’ fold out aluminum ladders and painted them camouflage . Tucked them into a oak mott or thick canopy under big live oaks. Hopefully they won’t be conducting one of their controlled burns that always occur during the archery hunts.

[SoTXAg06]

I drew the archery hunt, haven’t paid yet.
Trying to figure out my schedule for those dates. Saw a couple of studs during the gun hunt last year. I live about an hour from there, so it’s not a big thing to drive in for the hunt.


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[SoTXAg06]

I drew the archery tag also but I've never hunted outside of the piney woods. I've been reading on the other posts and it sounds like the mosquitos are going to be thick. On the map that they provided they marked out the water tanks of the refuge and I was wondering if they would be worth to set up a blind on one of them or would the mosquitos be too thick on that water that even the deer wont hang out long? Would it be better for me to spend a day scouting for feed sources and bedding instead?

Grass is super thick with trails running through it. I would get a good set of snake boots.


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[lordvader]

My group got drawn for the first rifle hunt. This is the first time we will be hunting this place. I have always avoided Aransas in the past. To many horrible stories of bug infestations. But also didn't want to waste my preference points on this place, as I always try for the NWR's down South in the Valley. It was a last minute decision to apply for this hunt as I figured we had a good chance of getting drawn with as many permits as were being given. We'll try it and if we like it great. And if not we will avoid it like the black plague.

[SoTXAg06]

My group got drawn for the first rifle hunt. This is the first time we will be hunting this place. I have always avoided Aransas in the past. To many horrible stories of bug infestations. But also didn't want to waste my preference points on this place, as I always try for the NWR's down South in the Valley. It was a last minute decision to apply for this hunt as I figured we had a good chance of getting drawn with as many permits as were being given. We'll try it and if we like it great. And if not we will avoid it like the black plague.

I did third rifle last year and it wasn’t too bad. Did see a ton of hogs. None of the gators though.


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[SoTXAg06]

Decided to let my archery permit go. It looked doubtful that I would be able to hunt more than a couple of days that week.


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[Haunting]

We got drawn for the archery hunt also. Spoke to someone at the refuge a while back and was told we would receive an email with a link to a video orientation. I have not received it yet, have any of y'all?

[isaiahcruz16]

If this government shutdown happens, the archery hunt will be canceled due to the refuge closing.

[JakefromstateTX]

We got drawn for the archery hunt also. Spoke to someone at the refuge a while back and was told we would receive an email with a link to a video orientation. I have not received it yet, have any of y'all?

I have not received it either.

I have been looking for info on if there are antler restrictions.
Does anybody know anything about that?