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Garner State Park #5818850 07/06/15 01:57 AM
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jmh004 Offline OP
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Has anyone ever hunted Axis at Garner State Park? If so, how was it? Thanks for the help!

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5819745 07/06/15 06:15 PM
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Elkhunter49 Offline
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I've never hunted there but there are alot of Axis deer in and passing thru the park. I think the sucess rates are decent.


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Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5820310 07/07/15 12:05 AM
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My son and I went there about 5 years ago. We saw about a dozen axis. My son got one. Was very cold when we went. Nice place.

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5820354 07/07/15 12:25 AM
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jmh004 Offline OP
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were there a lot of bucks? I've always wanted to hunt axis because I hear the meat is very tasty, but I'd like a chance at a decent buck if there is a shot. I've driven through that part of the state many times, and you can see axis all over just roaming wild. So I'm guessing it's more of a numbers control hunt more than anything.

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5820689 07/07/15 02:59 AM
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I understand that they would be happy to get rid of all the Axis. From what I have been able to find out, the hunt is in the park itself and you may have a narrow lane where you are allowed to shoot. Depending on where you are assigned, you may see multiple Axis with good shot opportunities, or you may be hard pressed to get a shot at any due to the restrictions on where you can shoot. One guy last year claimed that his son had an angle of fire of about 15 degrees. They saw several, but none stopped in the shooting lane.

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5834191 07/16/15 03:16 PM
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Did a GDA 3rd Hunt as a walkon, that they had empty spots left over on even after I showed up and did not have to have a straw lottery pull to get a Permit... ummm in late Fall of 2010. THAT shoulda told me something but I paid my $$'s anyway 'cause I had driven 9 hours to get there and was eat up with the idea of harvesting an unlimited # of Axis.

I did see an Axis Buck, by the front gate before you get to the Visitor Center that looked like he was counting the number of cars going by him, and couple mature Axis does on the way to the blinds located next to the brick wash house - wish't they'd left the door unlocked so's I could used the potty!!! in one of the improved campgrounds where you have to watch your angle of fire so's you don't hit one of the water/power service outlets or steel posts and picnic tables next to a concrete RV pad that afternoon...and that's that last time I saw anything except some 35-40lb yearling WTail does over the 3 day "Hunt"....with Campers lined at up at the Gate honking their horns to get in 2 hours early, when we were forced to leave before the Stated Hunt Hours were over. There were only 4 hunt periods of about 4 hours each over the 3 day Hunt, with hunters distributed by TPW trucks, and LOTS of additional Regs I've never seen anywhere else.

That'll be the last time I'll do a Lottery Hunt at Garner for me, or go to Garner for any reason except to play in the river like all the other tourists, that TPW courts and fawn over far more than they do Lottery Hunters.

Just Sayin', TPW Lottery Hunts are not the same as they once were IMO. I've been drawn 6-8 or mebbe more times over a 15+ year period under the old system. Been successful sometimes and not sometimes 'N that's OK. I'll put in for a few Hunts again this year, on WMA's where there are NO Tourists allowed to hold my Loyalty Points until they drop that LP Carry Over system too, with little or no expectation of being Drawn under the New Loyalty Point System and reduced #'s of Hunts this year...FWIW remember WE WERE IN A SEVERE DROUGHT FOR SEVERAL YEARS THAT HEAVILY IMPACTED GAME POPULATIONS NEGATIVELY...but you'd never know it to look at Lake Texoma nowdays, that's still 18'/19' over Flood Stage (at 638'+ today instead of the normal Summer Pool Level of 619' max) with the ACOE keeping the flood gates closed so Shreveport et al down river can drain all of THEIR flood water off before our overflow flood water gets there. So Called "Normal" lake levels will prolly not be acheived at Texoma until sometime in mid/late October or mebbe Novemeber... or mebbe even Christmas at this rate??? But then I was using a machete to cut the weeds with BEHIND my boathouse on the ??water side of it to keep the mocassins from nesting under it in mid April this year before the rains hit. My boat has been in dry storage since October 1st of '13, when I barely made it up the ramp for the last time.
Ron


Last edited by WileyCoyote; 07/16/15 03:38 PM.

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Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5834543 07/16/15 06:25 PM
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jmh004 Offline OP
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Anybody have any good experiences at Granger?

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5834659 07/16/15 07:36 PM
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There were some good threads here on THF with lots of pics, at Granger last year for the late season shotgun only GDA or Mgmt hunts...enough success to get me interested in buying a dedicated slug gun...still haven't but it's on my Want List.

Don't get me wrong, Garner is a wonderfull SP and worth the drive from mebbe Ausitn/SA area's as a Tourist to play in the river and dance on the old Pavillion with your honey...but I cannot justify driving down there from up here ever again the way the Lottery Hunts are managed and excuted. Drive to SLR, or Enchanted Rock, even Choke Canyon yup I'll continue to put in for "High Value" hunts, especially ones that are easy to get around on at my age and "State of Grace" since I usually hunt alone and need for someone to come find me if I miss a head count. For a Lottery Hunt, Garner IMO is over managed, with way too many Reg's, and too much pressure to provide a quality experienece for the Camping Audience at the Expense of the Lottery Hunt audience. I've been other places with the need for tight management, but never had the feeling I was just a number to get processed in & outta there as fast as possible and in the way of the real work to be done, like I had at Garner. Oh Well BTDT and got my ticket punched, and no need to stand in THAT line again. Hope ya'll have a better trip than I did, if you go....georgous country too that the Better Half will enjoy in the fall leaf peepin season some day.
JMHO & YMMV
Ron


It is TIME for Term Limits, cause Politicians are like childrens diapers and for the same reasons...Robin Williams

"These are the times that try men's soul's"...Thomas Paine

"Those who fail to learn from History are doomed to repeat it" ....Santayana
Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5836891 07/18/15 03:27 AM
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It might be alright for a youth hunt, but I am sure they will still drive you to your stand then drive by your stand and honk to see if you wanted to take a brake and come into camp then go back in the next 2 hr trip they make, now this is if you get to hunt across the river I heard they drove the hunters to the stand in the park side as well. Of course the only heard of axis stay up around the camp grounds were they get feed by the campers and make the trip thru the woods on the west side of the park up to the front gate area to look around as if they are watching for the campers to back to feed them. The animals are there, they could cut down on the numbers of blinds and give the hunters more lanes. They could change things there to make it better for the hunters. We seen a few animals on the other side of the river but no body in our party shot anything, IMO probably very limited on a mature axis buck in the park, sure there are plenty of "forked horned" bucks. Don't get me wrong, its a very nice area down around there, would like to find a year round lease, I just think they could handle the hunts differently and they may for the youth, don't know. Good luck.

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5857951 08/01/15 03:02 AM
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Garner State Park usually has a resident herd of about 200 Axis at the most, half of which you'll see at any given time. They hole up in the heat and feed in the evening. Early morning will produce about half of the available Axis. Late evening is the best time with the best odds.

My first glimpse of an Axis or any knowledge of them was in 1998 when we went to Garner. I told my wife that if I ever had the opportunity to hunt them I would never hunt a Whitetail intentionally again. So far so good.


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Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5858053 08/01/15 04:20 AM
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I hunted garner last year with my girlfriend they do drop you off at the stand and they have set times to be picked up you can stay out all day if you really wanted to but I wouldn't recommend it, we saw a group of 15 the first morning and 10 the same evening . It was a great hunt for us I shot a doe and she shot a busted up buck, but as far as huge trophy axis not many seen and most of the bigger axis were taking by the youth the weekend before. There was also a rule change last year don't know if it stands for this year but they actually had feeders set out and started feeding way before the hunts. Also once you shoot there's no tracking your deer if it runs off they do that for you and there is no cold storage either.

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5858267 08/01/15 02:01 PM
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jmh004 Offline OP
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Ok good stuff. Thanks guys! Is there any cold storage in Leakey or Concan?

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5858645 08/01/15 08:14 PM
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There's a cold storage locker in Leakey, ummm 9 miles north of Garner in the big Shell Station?? Exxon ?? with a decent C Store with Lunch grub on the right - east side of the hwy- that was cheap enough too.

If you got kids hunting with you, check out their Trophy Registery deal for kiddo's...pretty neat deal too.
Ron


It is TIME for Term Limits, cause Politicians are like childrens diapers and for the same reasons...Robin Williams

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Re: Garner State Park [Re: john308] #5860985 08/03/15 04:08 PM
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Originally Posted By: john308
I hunted garner last year with my girlfriend they do drop you off at the stand and they have set times to be picked up you can stay out all day if you really wanted to but I wouldn't recommend it, we saw a group of 15 the first morning and 10 the same evening . It was a great hunt for us I shot a doe and she shot a busted up buck, but as far as huge trophy axis not many seen and most of the bigger axis were taking by the youth the weekend before. There was also a rule change last year don't know if it stands for this year but they actually had feeders set out and started feeding way before the hunts. Also once you shoot there's no tracking your deer if it runs off they do that for you and there is no cold storage either.


What do they do if you track your own deer?

Re: Garner State Park [Re: kdkane1971] #5861062 08/03/15 04:45 PM
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john308 Offline
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I don't really know but they would probably get pretty upset. I think the reasoning for this is because of the shooing lanes they have placed and don't want you out of those. It's just a safety thing but it does suck you have to wait for them to do it

Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5862803 08/04/15 04:53 PM
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I saw a guy get booted off the Hunt because he moved the dead critter out of the bright sunshine into the shade in what turned out to be 70*+ temps...or at least threatened by the Hunt Mgr in a not so quiet or professional manner....for about 20 minutes in the parking area at the HQ during the mandatory Lunch break.

We were told in the Hunters Meeting to stay in the blinds no matter what, not to get out of the blind and go see if the critter was dead or not, or where it was in your Shooting Area, and above all DO NOT MOVE IT so you can prove you killed it inside your shooting area.

This is some of why I will never Hunt at Garner again.

Only thing I saw at Garner that I liked..was the mandatory Target Shot to confirm that your could hit a target's KZ at 85-90 yards off a picnic table. Been on lots of other Hunts where that would have disqualified several of the Hunt Participants...or had the poowah scared out of me with muzzle blasts that sounded like I was in the line of fire INSIDE my box blind, or listen to someone empty a 30-30's magazine, reload, and continue shooting s'posedly at the same unharmed deer....with his scope flopping around loose back at HQ's. I got my blind assignment MOVED.
Ron


It is TIME for Term Limits, cause Politicians are like childrens diapers and for the same reasons...Robin Williams

"These are the times that try men's soul's"...Thomas Paine

"Those who fail to learn from History are doomed to repeat it" ....Santayana
Re: Garner State Park [Re: john308] #5864156 08/05/15 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted By: john308
I don't really know but they would probably get pretty upset. I think the reasoning for this is because of the shooing lanes they have placed and don't want you out of those. It's just a safety thing but it does suck you have to wait for them to do it

while never hunted their... From what read... Safety & might be out of respect ta other hunters... In past hunts they may have gotten complaints about people getting in othets area.... If its a rule its a rule... i've seen people on here complain about others pudding stand next to fence.. confused2 ain't figured that out ? If they chooten on their side of fence, dont have ta worry bout stray bullets... Lease was on our son's stand was in lower bottom little over 100yrds from fence just off good trails.. Walked fence linr ta get to his stand. Neighboring hunters had a ground blind & pile of corn parrel ta fence, it was facing away... Chatted with them, some guys from DFW area, let them know were camp site was so if they did get deer & it jumped fence they could drive around, & we'd help... flag



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Re: Garner State Park [Re: jmh004] #5900483 08/28/15 01:54 PM
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I drew the exotic hunt in 2013 That year the hunt was still in the fall. I drove from NM to hunt it. One guy took 2 doe and one took a small buck plus one hog was taken. The pin oak had dropped the acorns the weekend before the hunts so it was very poor. The animals just werent moving. This was an exceptionally bad year for the hunt and they moved the hunt ot January for the next season so they wouldn't run into this problem again. The staff and volunteers were great and I continue to apply for that hunt. You need to expect that the hunt is very structured. they drive you to a blind and you have to stay there til they pick you up. There are narrow shooting lanes due to the other hunters, neigboring houses and roads. ALso don't extpect a large axis buck. They told us they rarely see large bucks but those axis are good eating!

AS for the poor hunting that year? Thats hunting....what can you do? IF you want a a guaranteed big buck go to a high fence range and shop their phtoo abbum.

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