TPWD Draw hunts

Anybody hunted mule deer (gun or bow) on TPWD draw? Which WMA should I apply for? How is archery conducted (spot and stalk or do they have blinds or do you bring blinds etc.)?

There is a separate category for exotics, yes, but there are some deer hunts that have exotic as opportunistic. Specifically looking at Government Canyon, Kerr, and Enchanted Rock. Anybody seen any exotics out there?
Which draw hunts have exotics that are actually see-able? Anyone hunted, killed, or seen an exotic while deer hunting?

I'm planning on applying to 10 hunts this year and want to narrow down which Gun/Archery Deer hunts I'll apply for.

Which hunts are y'all gonna apply for?

I've been applying for nine years without being drawn.

Maybe this will be the year. Good luck to you.

Wow...I guess I got lucky last year that means. Then again it was youth only

I wouldn't put in for Kerr for exotics. I hunted out there early 2000 and this is a HF research facility and I was told then they were trying to kill off every exotics there. I have hunted 4 times there and never saw any exotics. May still be some there, but will be in very low numbers.
Now, I drew a archery exotic hunt at devils river. I missed a aoudad and killed a nanny. Nobody could ID the nanny. Said it could be a cross of somekind. Another guy on the hunt killed a ram and missed a whole bunch of other animals.
I don't know about the other places you mention.

I drew Mule Deer rifle on the Sierra Diablo in 2008. Compartment hunting (no blinds), spot and stalk. I chose unit 1, it's the biggest and hardest to get around. In hind sight, I should have been more confident and explored the unit further to the north more. The biologist said that if you see forked horns to shoot it. I did the first morning. Not a huge rack, but I was happy. Just chilled and enjoyed far west Texas the rest of the hunt.



None of the other 3 hunters shot anything bigger, but one gentleman shot a narrow, very old buck. It's primitive camping, no trailers, and, no matter when you kill, you're there until the hunt is over (4 or 5 days, if I remember), at least at Sierra Diablo. TPWD personnel leads you in and out.



I've been putting in for Black Gap for a few years, Mule deer gun again. Lots of folks swear that Elephant Mountain has the best mulies. 'Never been there. Wherever you apply, it's open country. I don't bow hunt, so the bowhunters will have to advise you there, but I would want a rifle to reach out and try to take any buck I saw. A young man like you should be able to handle the primitive camping easily.

I am applying for the deer hunt at Kerr; have very close family friend in that area and it would be an excuse to meet with him. Applying at Devil's River for gun hunts, as I'm applying with both myself and my dad on the application.

Any info on Garner SP?

Don't bother with Matador. There are no deer at Matador.

None!

You should always check the harvest stats from previous year. Good info:
https://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/h...est_Summary.pdf

Am using those stats to decide! Some personal recon always helps though

Garner is a very very tightly controlled hunt, drivers put you out for 4 hour session, pick you up for lunch and take you out for a 4 hour session. TMI for here but I won't go back. Axis only Exotics as I recall.
Ron

Hunted Guadalupe river state park last year with my son in-law and we shot 3 white tail, 1 axis doe and 1 Sika doe. Assigned blinds, some hunters got deer and some saw nothing, we just got lucky.

With the new draw system the odds are pretty slim of being picked. I apply for a lot of hunts and most years don't draw a thing. Having said that, over the last 25 years I have been on some great TPWD hunts including some very hard to draw hunts like Pronghorn at the Rita Blanca and Mule Deer at Big Bend. Good luck to all on the draws. You can't win if you don't apply.

Same when I went hunting there a few years back. No deer!

Kerr is great. Got a buck and doe there in first 15 minutes of hunting.

The Matador has gone to pot, used to be great, not anymore