TX Public Hunting Draw Hunts

I'm thinking of applying for some of the TX Public Hunting draw hunts this season, and am just wondering what experience people on this board have had with them.

Specifically, suppose I'm drawn for a deer or hog hunt where I'm assigned a compartment or a blind. Can I access the site before the hunting dates in order to bait (if allowed)? If the site is leased by the state from a private rancher or other landowner, am I provided with his contact information to coordinate such things, or do you just go in "blind" on the first day?

Unless you have been on the area before, you basically just go in "blind" the first afternoon.
That has been my experience.

you won't know where you'll be
hunting until assigned a compartment
the first hunt day after the orientation
meeting.

Thanks for the replies.

Most of the listed hunts say "baiting allowed," I thought that meant that pre-hunt baiting (or scouting for "compartment" hunts) would be permitted as well. It's kind of pointless to bait a site the day of your hunt if it has never been baited before.

Mostly pointless, but not altogether. I have hunted places where deer will find corn a few minutes after you put it out. And it's still a good way to stop them for a shot.

On some of the "assigned blind" hunts, they will bait the area of the blind for a week or two before the hunt. They usually work pretty hard to make sure the success rates are good.
You won't know the compartment or blind you are hunting prior to the hunt. The folks on this forum will help you with pre-hunt intel though. A lot of good folks here. If you get drawn, just ask.

I've been on a number of these hunts. You'd be surprised how fast deer can find the corn.

That was my experience as well. I got drawn for a management hunt about 3 years ago and they had baited the area the two weeks prior. Had a buck come in that would have been the biggest whitetail I had ever shot, but unfortunately it was a management hunt (does and spikes) and I just had to watch him and a couple other bucks eat all the corn.

Thanks, I'll do that. I applied for a couple of whitetail hunts (either sex, antlerless), as well as a hog and a turkey hunt. I'm guessing that between the lot (based on draw odds for those areas) I'll get something. I'm guessing that the amount of effort the landowners put into pre-season baiting varies drastically from site to site. Has that been your experience?

I also applied for a pronghorn hunt, with the 1/1000 expectation that I'll actually be selected! Then again, I never drew for them when I hunted New Mexico either.

So you posted this today right? Wasn't the deadline the 1st of August? Or is it the end of August?

The gator hunt was due the 1st. The archery hunts and private lands due the 8th of August.

I've been on a couple hunts where baiting was allowed. One was a hog hunt at Lake Somerville, and the other was a doe/spike hunt as Mason Mountain. On both hunts, the animals hit the corn less than an hr after I threw it out.

Depends on the hunt. Some have Aug 8 deadlines, the ones that I applied for had Sept. 10 deadlines (or something like that).

Pretty sure the OP is referring to the gun hunts, which the deadline for those are Sept 11.

I have had luck every season for the past 4 years. 2 years ago my wife and I filled up the freezer and my wife walked away with a very nice 10 point.

I get excited every year b/c these hunts are fun, you meet great people and you are getting to hunt somewhere that has new scenery. Even my worse hunt was still a good day.

Also, I am starting to see a trend at the Either Sex Deer hunts. The places I have been to, so far, there is a bunch of deer and a lot of people are shooting really young deer, yearlings.

finally got through and i am still holding out for gun deer at kerr and gun mule deer at matador, seems like all others have beaten me.

i was DQ'd from the xbow deer drawing because i forgot to put my dads age on the app. so make sure you doublecheck all your apps, i had 2 other ones with his info on them in the envelope that had his age one it....

That is unfortunate. Sorry to hear that. I would be grinding teeth.

I have been applying for 5 years and have drawn something every year but 1. All the hunts have been a blast. You get to hunt new ground and enjoy other parts of TX. I put in for just about every category each year.

Three years ago I hit it big and was drawn for the Scimitar Oryx hunt. Awesome experience.

I much prefer the hunts by compartment. Hunting by Assigned Blind can be rough if you get stuck with a poor spot. Also, "blind" is a relative term. Could be just a brush pile.

As to the OP's questions, no, you can not scout or bait the area before hand. You go in cold the first afternoon, but that is part of the fun and the challenge.

Same thing here. 5 years and got picked everyone except last year. Showed for the stand by at Steven F Austin SP and there were 15 people for 5 positions. I lucked out and was the first name drawn. It was a great hunt but they all have been.

This is my first year to put in for the public drawn hunts. Could the first time be the charm? I hope so. Guadalupe SP would be awesome to hunt. I see whitetail everytime I camp there.

I have put in for 5 years now and have been drawn for nothing. My son did get drawn for a youth alligator hunt this year though. How much $ I put in so far I could have paid for a hunt.

First time around this year, got drawn for a gator hunt. First time a charm it is I believe. Or just luck.

Otherwise it is a donation to TPWD!

Sent in a few lottery draws for myself and youth hunts for my son. First time doing this as I just moved to Texas a couple months ago. TWPD deposited my check yesterday so I'm just waiting now for the draw results.

You barely made it then. Good luck to you!

I'm hoping for the last in , first drawn technique.

I feel confident that will work on stand-by but I'm not sure about the draw. Good luck either way.

All applications are separated by hunt category before being entered so that the applications with the closest deadlines get entered first. The person entering the app with the missing data might never see the other two apps, and so wouldn't know that you had done them correctly.

That's been my technique for the past 5-6 years. Has not worked once.

Trying the opposite this year.