I'm going on a kayaking trip to devils river this summer. I was wondering if the devils river area was open to rabbit hunting.

Lots and lots of private land on both sides.

You're good to go as long as they're swimming.

Your best bet would be to take an air rifle to shoot rabbits.

There are ranches there that if you step out on the bank, you're going to have a confrontation. You WILL be tresspassing, and tresspassing with a weapon is a very foolish and dangerous activity.

But suit yourself. If shooting a rabbit is worth the risk, have at it.

therancher is right, you would be best off fishing for your food. There is a thread on here from last year by Jhefflin. Search for it. They had no problem catching fish to eat.

I have heard of overnight canoe trips down the Devils River, are there designated public camping areas on the river?

I grew up fishing on the Devil's quite a bit.

Used to be all private land.

Now there is one state area. You can camp there, but I think only if you are coming downriver by boat.

Below that, you have to go a good ways to find a camping spot on an island in the river. The ranchers have a bad reputation for getting upset when people camp on the bank (even if it would technically be within the public easement / banks / riparian boundary / whatever).

So, an overnight trip has to be planned pretty carefully.

Thank you for all of the responses. I will probably just stick with eating what we catch. Also, @ErnestTBass,if we camp along the bank, are we legally sound?

No you're not. The landowners own land to the middle of the river on either side. You are allowed to float down it because it is classified a "navigable" stream. Bakers crossing has camp sites. May be more below that but I'm not aware of them. The devils river state natural area will let you camp but you have to walk a couple of miles to the river. They don't allow vehicular traffic to the public on that last stretch to the river. One of the canoe trip outfitters used to used to be allowed to put and take his clients there by truck (not sure if that's still working).

Best idea would be to go with a proven outfitter. Because I'm not even certain the state nat. area will let you camp on the river if you are floating down into the nat. area.

It's more complicated than that. There is a public easement because it is navigable. The easement is not limited to the water. It is, rather, the "gradient boundary" which is above the cut bank. Arguably, there is often dry land that is under the easement (though in flood stages the river itself could get out of the gradient boundary). But good luck trying to explain that only the fly sufficiently to a landowner who just thinks he owns to the middle of the river.

Last I was told, you could camp in the state area but only if you are coming down from Baker's.

All that said: contact a good outfitter in the area.

I ran the Devil's in March of 2015. We were on the river for 4 nights. Put in at Baker's crossing and floated, walked downriver about 20 miles (I think) to where we took out at our outfitter's private dock. I had heard countless stories of nightmare encounters with landowners, but we had no such issues. Perhaps we were lucky, I don't know. I know you can camp at the State Natural area, and I believe you can also put in there. Our biggest issue was the flow of the river. It was very, very low, and what we thought was going to be an easy float with challenging rapids, turned into at least 2 full days of walking downriver, dragging our canoes. Luckily the scenery was incredible, so that made up for a lot of our toil (we were also overloaded for sure). I can say that the fishing is most excellent. You shouldn't have any trouble catching your dinner.

We put a lot of planning into where we would camp, so as to try and minimize any encounters with landowners, but because the flow was so low, we didn't end up camping at any of our designated spots. If you have a good map, and a good outfitter, you shouldn't have an issue with landowners. We camped on the bank every night of our trip, and the only people we saw were others canoeing or kayaking. I've heard the stories, but I also know that people run that river every year. If it was as dangerous as the stories say, then people would stop doing it and outfitters would be out of business.

Lastly, be prepared to run through a border checkpoint. Not saying you would, but if you plan to bring anything of the illegal variety, you'll want to beware of the dogs that check your shuttle as you pass through. Just a heads up.

I would pay close attention to what the river is flowing before you go. I floated it several years ago at about 180 cfs and it was too low to make it the the SNA in one day. We spent a lot of time the first day walking our boats through water that was too shallow to float. We took off the river at last light, camped on the bank and luckily didn't get any trouble from the landowner. We had a large cliff above us, so I'm not sure they could have got down there anyways, but we kept it very low profile (minimal use of flashlights, just ate dinner and crashed). We got on the water pretty early the next morning, and paddled our a$$ off to get to the take out at the private road about 9 miles downstream of the SNA. The outfitter that arranged our takeout had access there, I don't think you can use that road on your own.

If I did it again, I would make it a 3 day trip and camp on an island the first night and at the SNA the second night. I would use an outfitter that has access to that private road below Dolan Falls that I mentioned above. I think its about 25 river miles below baker's crossing. I wouldn't attempt the trip unless the river was flowing at least 225 cfs.

Check this new-ish info on camping areas, hope you have a blast and be safe.
http://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20170216a

Hard to believe that this could turn out to be a great trip. Even if nothing goes wrong, the constant worry that something could happen would grade on me. And good luck on convincing any rancher of the legality of anything in the middle of nowhere on his land or not. I don't need me any trips, adventures, or fiascos of this caliber in my life. Thanks, but no thanks.

Bumblebee, I took the trip with my dad and brothers in 2009. Awesome trip. Other folks have posted some good insight. Would strongly suggest you go in march or April for two reasons. Once late spring/early summer sets in, the predominant south wind can be strong and will make paddling tough. Also, you will be sleeping on big limestone boulders that have been baking in the sun. They stay warm well into the night. Not fun if the weather is already hot...

We made the trip in three days. Put in at bakers crossing, sleep the first night on two large boulders in the river. Day two you can paddle down to the state park and camp. Day three gets you to the takeout point just above amistad.

We rented canoes from Gerald bailey - devils river outfitters. Don't know if he is still in business, but he provided the ferry to bAkers and picked us up at the takeout.

Incredible fishing and a true adventure. Would strongly encourage you to go...

I heard of folks getting shot at and drawn on for kayak fishing but Those smallmouth and that water it's been in my bucket list for years. Would love to hear how a hunt went out there lol

Used to be it wasn't trespassing unless the property was marked in some way. signs, fence, marked with paint(I don't remember what the color is to designate property boundary)

Of course, to some hard headed, angry land owners, they consider it trespassing if you're just floating down the river. Many years ago this was an issue even on the Guadalupe.

Best advice is contact the local GW and ask.

purple

Yep, purple means the same as a no trespassing sign. But I doubt than those doing the trespassing knows what it means. Heck, I don't think that they even know what a "NO Trespassing Sign," means.

Happy I was able to enjoy W Texas and the RG back in the 60's.

On horseback I have hunted for dead people.

Used a hacksaw to cut hooves off a cow that floundered in a cantaloupe field. Walked away from that experience covered in blood.

Can't tell you anything about the new modern world.

I hunt and guide on several ranches on the Devils River. I can assure you that those landowners will not put up with anyone trespassing there property. Better stay in that river and have a designated launching point and pick up point. When there getting $2k to 5k a man to fish that river each year it's a big deal down there.

Having owned ranches out there for 10 years in the late 90's - early 2000's I can verify mike's statement. Even before they were getting big money the ranchers were consistently defending their property to the center of the river. We had access to the nature conservancy place at Dolan falls so we didn't need to kayak the river beyond those boundaries. But even our friends who ran the conservancy defended that bank. You had to float the falls to get through.

X2 Having owned property down there. I would not mess around or shoot anything. It is rough country.