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Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
#6462302
09/21/16 07:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,126
kdkane1971
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My son was drawn for the youth only - either sex hunt at Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit. Anyone hunted this WMA before? I can't seem to find any information on it, even on the TPWD website.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6462769
09/22/16 01:04 AM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,243
Erny
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Congrats on the draw. I can hep you on info......I have never hunted there.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: Erny]
#6462842
09/22/16 01:52 AM
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Joined: Jan 2014
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kdkane1971
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Congrats on the draw. I can hep you on info......I have never hunted there. Thanks Erny!
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6462961
09/22/16 02:57 AM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,243
Erny
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6463193
09/22/16 12:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 853
Matagorda Mud Pig
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We got drawn for the Management hunt. Looks like the family will stay at South Padre while me and my oldest will be hunting. I'm looking forward to it.
Apparently, its only 700 acres so they provide the stand. I'm going to give them a call, and will report back the results.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: Erny]
#6463275
09/22/16 01:47 PM
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Posts: 3,126
kdkane1971
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Thanks Erny - I printed that same document yesterday but I just can't find any link or info about the WMA itself. There are two other Las Palomas listed but nothing for Arroyo Colorado. I am going to go ahead and assume that because it's South Texas, late December (rut?), we should have a great opportunity to see a true stud buck if we are lucky. It's a four day hunt, so we will bring 6-8 bags of corn and hope we can yellow-brick-road one close enough for the boy to get a shot.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6471001
09/27/16 09:07 PM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 16
ChickenFried
Light Foot
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Light Foot
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My son was drawn for a spike/doe last year. We went the weekend after Thanksgiving, I believe. It was all really wet, so we ended up putting up our pop up camper in the parking lot out front, since we could not get back to the regular camp ground - I got stuck trying, but the guys there pulled me out. We hunted the stand closest to the parking lot/gate - a nice double-wide box blind and feeder. My son got a nice doe on the second evening, and the guys at the WMA had a jeep to get us around and back to the cleaning station. Camping out there at night, I can assure you there are a ton of deer. They come out of the WMA at night and feed in the pasture next to the parking lot. With everything so muddy, it was really easy to see the "high traffic" areas where the deer were crossing through holes in the fence. In addition to the "big lonesome" doe my son took, we had a doe with a fawn come around quite often, and several little bucks. We also saw a really big tom bob cat stroll through a few times, like he owns the place.
Also be aware that the place is just crawling with quail. As we were approaching my sons doe I had a covey explode out from under my feet, and one nearly knocked my boy's cap off... that'll get your blood pumping!
It's a long drive from Houston, but I'd go again.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: ChickenFried]
#6471760
09/28/16 12:06 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,126
kdkane1971
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My son was drawn for a spike/doe last year. We went the weekend after Thanksgiving, I believe. It was all really wet, so we ended up putting up our pop up camper in the parking lot out front, since we could not get back to the regular camp ground - I got stuck trying, but the guys there pulled me out. We hunted the stand closest to the parking lot/gate - a nice double-wide box blind and feeder. My son got a nice doe on the second evening, and the guys at the WMA had a jeep to get us around and back to the cleaning station. Camping out there at night, I can assure you there are a ton of deer. They come out of the WMA at night and feed in the pasture next to the parking lot. With everything so muddy, it was really easy to see the "high traffic" areas where the deer were crossing through holes in the fence. In addition to the "big lonesome" doe my son took, we had a doe with a fawn come around quite often, and several little bucks. We also saw a really big tom bob cat stroll through a few times, like he owns the place.
Also be aware that the place is just crawling with quail. As we were approaching my sons doe I had a covey explode out from under my feet, and one nearly knocked my boy's cap off... that'll get your blood pumping!
It's a long drive from Houston, but I'd go again.
Thank you for the info CF
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6473620
09/29/16 04:36 PM
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 16
ChickenFried
Light Foot
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Light Foot
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I should also mention that the Hunt Master pointed us towards a Mexican food place in Harlingen that was excellent! We drove past several other restaurants to get to this one, but it was worth it. Sorry, I don't recall the name.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: Matagorda Mud Pig]
#6523392
11/02/16 03:22 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,126
kdkane1971
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Looks like you guys had a great time Andrew. Thank you for the link to your write-up - nice work! The blind looks really nice as well, that should help a ton when we are there in late December. Did you see any whitetails while you were there?
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6524578
11/03/16 02:02 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 853
Matagorda Mud Pig
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Tracker
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KD we saw a few doe and a legal 8 point buck. It was hot, and since we shot what we were looking for, we left at 9 Sunday morning. The biologist told us it was much better deer hunting in December.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6524587
11/03/16 02:04 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 853
Matagorda Mud Pig
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Oh, and bring a booster seat of some kind for your son, the folding chairs were too low to see out the windows of our blind.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6612246
01/02/17 05:05 PM
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kdkane1971
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Successful hunt, but the deer sightings were few and far between. We hunted Tuesday and saw 1 4-pt mature buck, and 1 doe. Wednesday we saw 1 doe in the morning sit, and the same doe in the evening. Temps the first two days topped out at 83, and in the blind it had to be every bit of 90, with thousands of biting gnats and mosquitoes. Thursday we were hopeful with a front due to hit in the afternoon, the temps were in the low 70's. We didn't see anything until 930am, when a 3.5 year old 8-point came in at 95 yards. He was hard quartering-to, and I recommended to my 12-yr old son to allow him to turn broadside. He told me confidently he could make the shot not once but twice, so I told him to fire when ready. The round from the 7mm-08 entered just to the right of his windpipe and exited directly between the shoulder blades. DRT. We hunted compartment 1 - closest to the front gate which according to the TPWD folks has had the most success.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6612530
01/02/17 08:03 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 12,547
chital_shikari
Minor in training
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Minor in training
Joined: Aug 2011
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: chital_shikari]
#6618119
01/05/17 08:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,126
kdkane1971
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6618213
01/05/17 08:41 PM
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,113
Ranch Dog
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Outstanding. I go by the unit often and it takes me back a bit in time as I know the fellow that owned it and gave it to the State.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: kdkane1971]
#6618214
01/05/17 08:41 PM
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,113
Ranch Dog
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Outstanding. I go by the unit often and it takes me back a bit in time as I know the fellow that owned it and gave it to the State.
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Re: Youth Only Gun Deer - Either Sex - Las Palomas WMA - Arroyo Colorado Unit 12/27/2016 - 12/30/2016
[Re: Ranch Dog]
#6618326
01/05/17 09:56 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,126
kdkane1971
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Outstanding. I go by the unit often and it takes me back a bit in time as I know the fellow that owned it and gave it to the State. The old house is still standing, albeit in sad shape at this point.
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