So i got drawn for a usfws archery hunt, nilgai and/or wt. Given the opportunity to scout for 3 days, then 3 days of hunting. Set up my pop up off a creek bottom in a 4 way game trail. Well only seen a cow nilgai not even in bow range, moving fast, and very dense vegetation. Followed her movement and Found 3 huge nilgai dung piles in a triangular shape. So i reset up my popup almost in the middle with only being winded by the SE to NW wind at 1 pile if the nilgai come in from same game trail.

Needless to say this is my first public land hunt and its been a hard days work, but awesome. Walking in over half a mile in thick stuff and not over a feeder cant bait either. This has really showed me the difference of Texas hunting and all the places that dont allow baiting. I can ALMOST, understand why they give us a hard time about feeders and deer corn.

It gets pretty creepy too walking in at dark before sunrise in grass almost waist high. So day 1 was unproductive, but have high hopes for tomorrow. Will keep yall posted! Im really digging this public land gog.

Keep us posted. I hope you're successful and get hooked on public hunting -- it's my favorite way to hunt. You can also do walk-in hunts at several areas around the state.

Was out there for the past couple of days and this has been the toughest it has ever been. In the past it was common to see a lot of movement. This year and in conversing with a couple of other hunters out these few days it has been real slow. Quite a few trails but actually seeing game movement, only a handful saw a doe here and there and some pigs. In our group we only saw a few and I mean a few pigs, a couple of does and 1 nilgai bull. Don't know if all the rain has moved most of the game to higher/ dry ground???

So here is how day 2 and 3 went.

Day 2: i got out about 15 min later than i wanted. I ended up spooking up what i thibk was a good size nilgai and bull. Got to the blind which was 17 yards from a massive dung pile. I had high hopes, but i sat from sun up to 1030 am. I was going off my lunar calendar app and minor time was 745 to 945 then major from 1215 to 345 pm. So took a short nap in my truck and was in blind at 1215. Didnt see a thing, ended up walking out at 4 pm. Spoke to several hunters and same response as javier (javman).

Day 3: i met up with spinone from the forum and we hunted quail at my place instead. I just couldnt sit for 10hrs again and not see a thing. Especially, when i had a chance to hunt quail over some dogs. Had a great time with spinone and his son, stand up guy, and had a blast. Set up a feeder on our place and will check game cams in the am for piggies.

So the take away is i really love public land hunts, its hard work and i can see how rewarding it can be, but i think ill really enjoy it with rifle and shotgun hunts. I think public land hunts imo are pure spot and stalk. In analyzing what i did i think setting a pop up was a fatal flaw. It probably spooked the game and pushed them to utilize other game trails. Spot and stalk i think is the name of the game. All in all it was a great time met some good people amd had fun. Never drew back or put anything on the ground but it was hunting.

Hope other hunters had success.

Hey George, I think you ran into my BIL's cousin, Roland. He told me he met with someone who had setup by the watering hole you mentioned in your post. We were a group of 5 out there.

Were bouts this hunt take place ? Public hunting is different, not for every one... On a lease every one pretty much knows every one else.... Each has own stand, feeders foodplots... Ones i was on after opening weekend could swap stands with others... Most time some one ta help if something down, can usualy drive up, less dragging... Got on forum ta hook up with others for WMA hog hunts... Can't complain... Tis not for every one...

Nilgai are EXTREMELY wary, as I'm sure you know. They see anything out of place, they
Better luck next time. Would've been a good set up for WT, methinks.