I'm new to this area and want to hunt deer and feral hogs. What and where are the local food sources for these game animals? Am I better off scouting the edges of the WMA near local farms or along the river? Thanks in advance for any helpful information, if you want to go on a hunt or let me tag along, I'd be forever grateful! Best of luck.

Matt D

The best thing to do is grab your gun and go hunt. Looks for trails and fresh sign. Scouting a new area is half the fun.

Keep in mind Old Sabine is a river bottom area and stays flooded for a good portion of the year. Vegetation found there will be plants that can tolerate that sort of environment. Food sources for deer/hogs would include Beautyberry,Greenbriar,Honeysuckle,various forbs,Willow and Pin oaks. I'd wait till it dries up then do some scouting.

Thank you! Good to know their food sources are within the WMA.

I agree with this

Fence lines for trails. Where are you living?

ta HF & Public Hunting...

I live in DFW but I have a camp at Lake Fork

Thanks!

10-4

It's a purty place

I live close to Sabine WMA and grew up hunting and fishing there before it was a WMA. Best advice is carry a compus and big spray. Places in there that few people have ever seen. Really nice but plenty of stuff that bites. Good luck.

Bugs and snakes. Good advice on compus or GPS.

Thanks again guys, I plan to be wearing snake gaiters and have a thermacell for the buggos! I use BackCountry Navigator Pro app on my phone for gps to mark trails, scrapes, landmarks, borders, parking, etc so I don't get lost or donate a camera to the woods haha. Phones die, so a compass will certainly be joining me on any hunt as well. Soon as I pay off my new to me 300 blackout, I plan to hit it hard before March 31 for hogs and scouting, feel free to join me, or if you bass fish, I have a camp at lake fork.

Scouting is part of successful hunting in my opinion, I look at a chance to shoot a hog as a bonus . Good luck and enjoy!

Waiting on my new muzzleloader to come in. When I get it sighted in I'll be heading back down there. I'll shoot you a pm when I'm going.

I will. best of luck out there!

Sounds great!

East end of 4wheeler trail is has a lot of signs.

Thanks!! I'll bet it's a long walk without one, I'll go as far as my legs will take me! Could one use a mountain bike to get around? I wouldn't keep a round in the chamber for the safety of others of course.

Think it's about 7 miles as the crow flies

If it's like big lake bottoms, a mountain bike would be a pain unless it's dry. That is gumbo clay and I don't think even a fat tire bike would get through. We had to winch out the UTV last year during a draw hunt at blb.

The camp parking by N boundry river... head in , can hold water, its low area... Travel E you'll hit the east trail... It starts @ ATV trail just before the curve, & the right turn ta camp... Trail bends back ta left, it short cut...
Theirs a creek bed on left, curves past N side of East trail..Found hogs thar.. Just a bit past that slew on right side of
E trail, found hogs...
i used ta parrolel the trail, S, (right) side heading E.. Then, i practically lived down @ SB so know area well... Tall grass, downed trees, swith cain, good bedding area's.. They'll be a trail meets up from SW.... Should be a cleared, area by river,
old camp site, from lease ara.. Then you'll see a bus, (another camp site) from whin leased, it's on right side... you'll hit low spot in trail, (just before bus) some times holds water, switch chain in that area,
Eventually ya hit a T ... ta right it goes SW slew on right side, & goes ta 4 way, Beaver Slew trail runs E & W back ta main road... E it heads ta the high line... It splits roughly 15 min walk, right goes ta old deer stand, dead ends, ta the left actually meets up ta trail that curves back right @ T on East trail...
Both E trail & Beaver Slew trail meet & will put ya to South part of high line...
Taken lots of hogs once ya get past the trail that connects E trail & Beaver Slew... Very few hunters so not much pressure... Large back pack, tis what i used, cut down back bone, take back straps, & quarters, no gutting... back pac out twas easiest...

Whin hit the T on E trail, turned left, actual, i hit woods on left side trail, before T theirs an old deer stand, what's left of it... & came out were the trail bends back ta right it's going SW theirs clearing were ATV parking, another old camp sight.. anyways i pretty much stayed in the woods, trail will help ya familurize with area.. i 'd end up on the N end of high line...

Just ease threw woods, eyes checking for movement, hogs bed by downed trees, wallows were tree rooted up, switch cain, palmedda plants, tall, grass... thars some thick areas...

dang i miss that place...
Best wish's. & it can be wet down thar...

its been years since i've been there, its not close for me. but we spent some time in old sabine, its a gamey place. Loads of hogs anyways are probably the easiest quarry to access. Just need to take a walk and look for fresh sign. we were there for 3 or 4 days, our first day or so was slow until we found activity and then after that it wasn't hard to find them. its rough country, be prepared. vegetation is dense, will not be much opportunity to shoot very far. buckshot honestly probably the most effective. or at least that was our experience. lots of times you will hear them before you see them.

What kind of trucks do you-all drive. That way we will know who we are.