Normally hangout on the fishing side but thought you guys could help me. I grew up on north LA chasing ducks all the time and still have all the equipment but just not as mad at them as the old days. My college freshman son is wanting to hunt bad. He and his friends were planning to hunt Lake Summerville but it is still closed. Has anyone tried to hunt the upper end of Conroe?
Any help will be appreciated.

Lightnin, prepare for a major internet thrashing!!

DUDE...I'm from Louisiana and know better than to ask things like this. For one what the hell is he doing in Texas instead of going to LSU? Your boy is lost and needs help. Second, lake hunting is a waste of time if it isn't Catahoula. Third, it's spelled Somerville...but I guess that explains why he's in school here.

Lightnin,
There's an unwritten rule to not give out specific information about locations. I would ask if someone could pm you on conroe, that way it's not there for everyone else to see. Someone outside the forum googles duck hunting lake conroe and pretty soon you have 50 duck hunters competing for that spot.

Good luck

Just realized I forgot to give constructive advice. Tell him to get out and scout public opportunity on the coast. If he's not a chip off the old block he may find birds...or he may just ask other people on the internet to do all the work.

I've hunted Conroe a handful of times since I moved here a few years ago. Honestly it is not even worth it unless you wanna go set up under a little wood duck flyway and pass shoot a few. Most I've ever killed out there is 2 and last year I went the whole year without firing a shot. It was bad enough for me to say F this and go drop a couple bucks on a lease down near the coast. As said above, it would be worth it to go explore the coast and see what you can find. Waking up at 230-3 and driving 2-2.5 hours sounds brutal, but it will be worth it.

Where is he going to school? I've hunted public land all over north, east, and south TX. Can maybe PM you some suggestions

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/6932211/Panhandle_Virgin#Post6932211

Just drive up to lake lewisville. There are ducks EVERYWHERE.

Sneaky Pete's is the mallard honey hole! Big o french fry eatin fatties!

I don't even use duck decoys. Just mannequins in bikinis with Mrs. Bairds bags in their hands.

Thank you noname. He is actually going to a junior college in San Antonio. He is taking two friends with him and spending the weekend at A&M with a HS friend. He hopes to be an Aggie next year. Yes I hoped he would be a Tiger but economics being what they are instate is just cheaper. I grew up hunting ducks. I know better than to ask about a specific spot, I was asking about an area of the lake. I just hate to see him wake up at 3:30 and drive to Conroe and end up in a ski area. Hope you all limit out opening morning.

Ah yeah he might be out of luck then other than Conroe. I was at A&M for a year and a half for my masters and searched up and down and there is just not much public hunting opportunity around there. Ill shoot you a PM with some spots for him to check out.

Conroe is tough, used to hunt it in the 80s but never did great. The coast has better options.

I'm not sure is hunting allowed on gibbons creek?

I go to Sam Houston National Forest, which is the northern half of Lake Conroe.
I can't say if there's duck flying through, as I've never gone there to hunt duck, only for whitetail and hogs.

Same thing goes for the WMA in Lake Somerville.

If your son really wants to bag some duck, it's best finding a local guide in the areas.
Here's one that I friend of mine helps out at:
http://www.doublejjoutfitterstx.com/

I've heard about that lake! I read about it on the internet. Unfortunately, the place is packed and highly hunted!

1. Call the Montgomery County game warden to get specifics on hunting Lake Conroe.
2. Since his jump off point is College Station call the A&M DU Chapter and get some local information. Great group of hunters/students run that chapter.
3. Go a little further and hunt the North end of Lake Livingston and/or the Trinity river. I haven't been this year yet but have family that live on the lake. Always a good bet to warm up some barrels.

A buddy from college used to duck hunt Lake Livingston pretty often with success. I couldn't tell you where he went because I don't know, but they are known to hang out there.