TPWD Draw Hunts

[bullets13]

Do any of y'all sign up for the texas parks and wildlife draw hunts?  After not getting drawn for four years, my dad and I have been drawn 4 times in 2 years.  We got a spring turkey hunt at Matador WMA last April, a doe/spike/pig hunt at Fairfield state park last December, a doe/spike/pig/buck hunt at Balcones WMA last December, and then we just lucked out big time and got drawn for a 2 buck hunt at Chaparral WMA this December.  They kill a lot of bucks out there, with some big ones over 150 inches taken nearly every year.

Edited September 16, 2015 by bullets13

[bullets13]

Anyway, I brought this up because I've talked to some pretty serious hunters who didn't know about these hunts.  We spend about $100 a year and enter for about 15 hunts. You get to hunt areas that are normally not hunted to help control the animal population.  You can sign up for whitetail, mulies, pigs, turkeys, javelina, antelope, exotics, alligators, etc. it's a cool way to get to hunt some land that we don't see around here, and if you get really lucky and drawn for the right hunt, a chance to hunt for the buck of a lifetime.  If you've been, share your experiences.

Edited September 16, 2015 by bullets13

[bullets13]

Fairfield was a good hunt for us, with my dad and I each taking a nice doe, and me passing on a spike because it was broken off and me not being sure if I could take it.  Balcones kinda sucked, but we got unlucky and drew a bad area, and were also the third group of hunters in.  We lucked out double on chaparral this year, because not only is it probably the best buck hunt offered, we're in the first group of gun hunters, so there will be more deer, and they'll be less cautious due to a lack of pressure.

[mat]

I entered a few years without success. When they went to the electronic format and increased the entries allowed I figured it would just lower my chances even more; even though your odds are supposed to increase the longer you submit.

[bullets13]

I entered a few years without success. When they went to the electronic format and increased the entries allowed I figured it would just lower my chances even more; even though your odds are supposed to increase the longer you submit.

the hunt we got drawn on this year is probably the most popular in the state.  We had a group of four of us, and had 7 or 8 preference points each, so maybe it does help.  i know somewhere around 4500 put in for it a year, with 40 drawn.

[marshman]

I got drawn for Abilene state part 2 years ago, nothing last year but this year I drew a antler less hunt at Gus Engeling in Dec

[bullets13]

I got drawn for Abilene state part 2 years ago, nothing last year but this year I drew a antler less hunt at Gus Engeling in Dec

how was the Abilene hunt?

[marshman]

It was a blast.  I went by myself but there was a great group there.  Everything that went with normal deer hunting you could throw out the window.  There is alot of camping at that park along with a kids playground, softball fields and a big swimming pool.  Its one of the busier state parks in the state so the deer are used to people. One guy stuck a doe and we ended up tracking  the blood trail across the tile by the pool! We all had a good laugh over that.  We joked around alot about things like instead of applying cover scent, just get a fire started and start frying bacon and turn on the truck radio.  I got 2 does inside one of the campsites about 40 yards from the bathrooms and shower house.

I've put in for it last year and this year and I will keep on putting in for it.  Only thing was the drive.  I'm in Orange so it was about 9hours.

[bullets13]

Fairfield was similar.  One guy killed a doe in a cemetery that's on the property from the 1870's.  The lane I was hunting was parallel to a road, and I actually watched her walk across the asphalt about 10 seconds before I shot her.  It's kind of weird to hunt that way, but it makes it pretty interesting.

[Lefty99]

I've always intended on putting in for the draw hunts but wait too long before I think about it.  Have an uncle that has been on several in Mason and really enjoyed it.

[44stack]

Are you allowed to throw out corn?

[bullets13]

Are you allowed to throw out corn?

some hunts yes, some hunts no. Last year we were allowed to at Fairfield state park, but were not allowed to at matador wma.  We will be allowed to at Chaparral wma this year.  Not sure how they decide whether you can or not.

[robanadana]

bullets, you ever get far west texas. it would be cool getting drawn for the mulies and big horns out there. i'm gonna try my luck next year, thanks for posting this.

[robanadana]

BTW, I'm hunting Type 2 this year.

[bullets13]

bullets, you ever get far west texas. it would be cool getting drawn for the mulies and big horns out there. i'm gonna try my luck next year, thanks for posting this.

those are hard hunts to get drawn for, but we  have put in for them every year, so with our preference points building up maybe we'll get picked in the next couple of  years.

[bullets13]

Got some super cool news about my draw hunt at chaparral this year.  They're having some problems with warthogs that have gotten out of high fences around them, and we'll be allowed to shoot them if we see them!