So, just for the fun of it i entered into some of the drawn hunts with the state and actually won one at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge right after Thanksgiving 11/25-29. My question is, have any of yall gotten drawn for this one before? Also, what advice would yall give for a hunt in a drawn area that does not allow baiting? Should I plan on bringing some sort of atv such as a Ranger? I bought the permit, but do i need to buy the public land tag for my licence as well? I am sure there are questions that i dont even know i am supposed to ask, but i am hoping that some of you "more seasoned" guys can give me some insight.

Yes on ATV if allowed and 48 dollar public land hunting permit.
Probably going to need a pop up, a comfortable chair, shooting stick, thermocell, binos, hunter orange hat and vest, portable heater, a couple good coolers.

My wifes cousin got covered in chiggers while down there last year so be careful of that as well.

what sorts of land formations should i be looking for? Is there usually someone from the park i could ask about different things such as wild cabbage or other natural attractants that grow naturally and what other foods should i be looking for?

ATV's won't be any good there. They don't allow any vehicle traffic off of the main road. Some folks do use a mountain bike with a trailer. A game cart will be very handy if you connect. You also do not need to buy an APH.

For those who have been there before, is there any kind of hotels near by or is it all camping at the park?

There are hotels in Port Isabel and Laguna Heights. There is no camping on the NWR.

As the date for this hunt is almost here, i thought i would ask a few more questions that have come up as i have been getting ready. First, it mentions that there are no reserved locations, so am i right to guess that in that case everyone shows up at the meet location and then its first come, first serve for locations and regions? Second, i saw that it listed that there are 250 permits. Does this mean that there are 250 people going to be hunting out there for this hunt? Third, I understand that this hunt is a "no baiting" hunt. What i am curious about is what constitutes bait and what is an attractant. I know corn is out, but what about that powered stuff you can buy at a place like Tractor Supply like Big & J? Does using something like that count as baiting as well? And Lastly, it states the hunt goes from the 25th till the 29th. So am i right to understand that this will be heading out into the field the morning of the 25th? Sorry for all the questions, but i would rather look and sound like the rookie here than have that lost and confused look on my face out there. Thanks!!!

Question 1. You are right. After orientation, it is a first come first serve free for all.
Question 2. Yes, there are 250 hunters competing for locations. It is a very big refuge though.
Question 3. There is absolutely no baiting using anything that can be eaten. You can use scents.
Question 4. You will need to attend the orientation about 10:00 am the first day of the hunt. After the orientation, you can hunt until noon on the last day.

It's no problem to sound like a rookie. We've all started out there.

This is a very tough hunt. A lot of folks will give up the first or second day. The success rate is very low. That said, if you like a physical and mental challenge, you will enjoy yourself.

I need to make a correction on question 4. The orientation is only for the gun hunts. I previously did the gun hunt so I was mistaken. The archery hunts you just go and hunt as long as you have your permit.

Good luck!

Thanks for the answers!!! I think i will use the first day to primarily scout the areas i have been looking at through Google Maps/Earth. I have seen two or three different areas i would like to take a closer look at, though i think they both involve a lot of walking to get there....Hope to run into you out there!!! Now to buy some attractants with scents and go try to figure out the rattling horns a bit more.....lol

So, day 1 is coming to a close (5pm) and not even seen a furry tail. On the plus side, the ghost blind looks great!!! Anyone who is out for the hunt see/get a shot/kill anything??? Thinking of giving it at least 1 more day before deciding to head out to better hunting grounds......lol

What is the vegetation like down there? Are there any trees? Are you seeing any sign?

Vegetation is short brush and I set up next to a trail with some somewhat fresh tracks.....would prefer to find a spot near water but with so many people running round, I figured for the first day, just go out and find somewhere to sit.....lol

Well good luck! I hope you can hold out all 4 days.

Good luck!!

Wow,they issued a ton of permits for archery and a bunch for rifle hunts as well.That tells me they think there's way too many deer on the area and they need to thin them out.Ergo your odds of connecting should be high. Sounds like hunting from the ground is gonna be your only option.Maybe set up on the most heavily used trail you can find and hope for the best.Personally I think you're crazy not to stay till the end of the hunt,but that's your call.

This is a nice RV camping park just North of the entrance to NWR