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private lands (texas drawn hunts) #8621404 06/16/22 03:00 AM
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Bigfoot Offline OP
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Well it is almost that time of year again. I have never signed up for any of the private land hunts because the few bits of info I get seem to be negative.

Can anyone share their experiences be it positive or negative with any of the drawn hunts for private lands

thanks
Bigfoot


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Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Bigfoot] #8621613 06/16/22 02:08 PM
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I'll share this. My spouse's family did that for several years.
They stopped just because they could not guarantee a good buck for the TPW hunters.
In all honesty they should not have been guiding as they are not good at that but have good deer.

I believe the last TPW hunters did not get a buck and that was not what they wanted to happen at all, I think the guys were disappointed to say the least with their hunt.
I would remind you it is hunting not just shooting a buck so remember that, no guarantee on a deer.
They are low fence though.

They always put up the hunters in a nice log house and fed them well from what I know.
I believe TPW asks the hunters afterward how their hunt was and to rate it. They want folks to have a good hunt too.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Bigfoot] #8621729 06/16/22 04:09 PM
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I've apply for these yearly, but have never been selected for a private lands hunt. I figure if the landowner is putting their property up for a hunt, they want the hunter to be successful. Some of the negative reviews for the TPWD hunts have to be taken with a grain of salt. Some people have unrealistic expectations and can't be pleased.

For years I've heard how awful the Garner SP hunt is ran. My son and I went this past season and had a blast.

As with most things in life, these hunts are what you make them. If you want to nitpick and find flaw, you can. If you want to enjoy the moment and the experience, you can do that too.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Bigfoot] #8621757 06/16/22 04:44 PM
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Sorry, brain fart folks.
The family did the Big Time Texas Hunts whitetail hunt not a draw hunt on private land.

I would also think the landowners would want success on their land but I could see where some just see the $$ from the state.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Bigfoot] #8621803 06/16/22 05:33 PM
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Been on 6 of them over the years. All my Private lands draws were back when the system only allowed you to apply for one hunt per category. The only one I have been on that is still in the system last year, was Travis County Ranch. I had a great time and got a deer, but will not apply again for it. Just because I have been there and done that.

Two of the hunts were some somewhat bad experiences, due to the landowners. One had a landowner who felt it was ok to discuss his asinine racist views with me. The other one, the landowner made it clear that the TPWD draw hunts were a a waste of his time and interfered with paid hunters.

The other 4 were great experiences and would do again if they were still in the system. Its 10 bucks to apply and 0 if you draw, so why not apply?????

Last edited by Erny; 06/16/22 05:43 PM.
Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Wytex] #8622520 06/17/22 02:58 PM
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Erny Offline
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Originally Posted by Wytex
Sorry, brain fart folks.
The family did the Big Time Texas Hunts whitetail hunt not a draw hunt on private land.

I would also think the landowners would want success on their land but I could see where some just see the $$ from the state.


Hey Wytex - Which private ranch did you hunt when you draw on your big time hunt?

Last edited by Erny; 06/17/22 02:59 PM.
Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Bigfoot] #8622768 06/17/22 11:07 PM
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I have only been on one of the private land drawn hunts so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. My feeling is that with the regular drawn hunts in a wma, more often than not each is going to be run within a certain expectable way. Some will roll out the red carpet, others will at least help as much as they can within the limits of the area. But there should be no surprises and within reason an expectation how the hunt is ran. I have been on several and all followed the same general routine.

I expect private land hunts to be more of a wildcard. It could be like a guided hunt in an awesome place where the landowner does everything in their power to guarantee you fill your tag, or it could be just another day on an over hunted day hunting operation where your the 5th person to hunt your stand that week.

My only private land hunt was Baron Creek or Bee Cave or something like that and was just a doe hunt a long time ago. Though not open to general public access, it was actually public land in that I think it is owned by the nature conservancy. There is an endangered Warbler there that requires a certain plant to survive. It's an island within the city of Austin and the Deer have to be kept in low numbers so they don't over browse this plant. At least that is what I was told. There was an on site private biologist that manages it and he was tasked with running this hunt. He was at least an hour late to the orientation because he was cleaning deer he shot on the preserve that morning. He spent most of the orientation telling stories like how he accidentally shot a hen pheasant in Kansas and so he just kept shooting hens and could get away with it because he was a biologist, so yea he was a real winner. He was very young. On the drive showing us the place he stopped at a barn to show us the deer he shot that morning and during the week. All very young bucks and does. He had the heads lined up outside the door. I had the feeling he did not want us shooting his deer considering he had been shooting deer all week. My hunt that evening I could see the top of someone's backyard swing set and was so close to them I could hear ever word the kids there were saying to each other. I was only on that hunt to visit with a friend from another part of the state I don't get to hunt with very often, so it was not a complete fail and I would not say I did not have a good time the short time I was there, but I did leave the hunt early considering the actual hunting part of it a waste of time.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Sniper John] #8622775 06/17/22 11:15 PM
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Hey Sniper the hunt you went on is the Travis County Ranch. It’s still in the system as of last year.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Erny] #8622790 06/17/22 11:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Erny
Hey Sniper the hunt you went on is the Travis County Ranch. It’s still in the system as of last year.


You sure? It's definitely not a Ranch. It was within the Austin city limits, Barton Creek Nature Preserve on Bee Cave Rd. Less than two miles from Dicks and Hill Country Galleria. There was a grid of hydrants still in place spread around the area I was hunting as the streets leading in from the neighborhoods around it were apparently under construction at the time the nature conservancy saved it from development.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Sniper John] #8623176 06/18/22 06:19 PM
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Erny Offline
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Originally Posted by Sniper John
Originally Posted by Erny
Hey Sniper the hunt you went on is the Travis County Ranch. It’s still in the system as of last year.


You sure? It's definitely not a Ranch. It was within the Austin city limits, Barton Creek Nature Preserve on Bee Cave Rd. Less than two miles from Dicks and Hill Country Galleria. There was a grid of hydrants still in place spread around the area I was hunting as the streets leading in from the neighborhoods around it were apparently under construction at the time the nature conservancy saved it from development.


Yep it’s operated by the nature Conservency.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Erny] #8623235 06/18/22 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Erny
Originally Posted by Sniper John
Originally Posted by Erny
Hey Sniper the hunt you went on is the Travis County Ranch. It’s still in the system as of last year.


You sure? It's definitely not a Ranch. It was within the Austin city limits, Barton Creek Nature Preserve on Bee Cave Rd. Less than two miles from Dicks and Hill Country Galleria. There was a grid of hydrants still in place spread around the area I was hunting as the streets leading in from the neighborhoods around it were apparently under construction at the time the nature conservancy saved it from development.


Yep it’s operated by the nature Conservency.


They must have started using that instead of the real name to keep a low profile so not to be obvious to the Austin tree huggers that live in the suburban neighborhoods bordered around it. They were using the real name for it when we drew it.
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-in...e-protect/barton-creek-habitat-preserve/

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Bigfoot] #8629393 06/27/22 09:40 AM
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Klappenbach and I got on an exotics only hunt at the Devils River. Stayed in tent, ate simply and hunted all day, every day. Got some kills, no trophies and had an absolute blast.

Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Erny] #8629920 06/28/22 12:28 AM
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thanks erny! Kind of solidifies what I have heard that the private land hunts could possibly be a nightmare or at least disappointing depending on what kind of an owner is running the place.

Last edited by Bigfoot; 06/28/22 12:31 AM.

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Re: private lands (texas drawn hunts) [Re: Bigfoot] #8633927 07/03/22 11:39 PM
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Long time ago I had put in for a Private Lands hunt and won a spot....and came down with walking pneumonia 3-4 days from the Hunt date, no thanks to my oldest son's girlfriend infecting every body at my house that year. Called the owner and told him to open my spot up to someone else. He listened and said he could find another hunter, but to be sure and put in for the Hunt the next year and took my name down and said he'd hold a place open for me the next year. I never did follow up on that so shame on me. I'll look and see if there's some thing available this year in Private Lands.

Really surprised at some of the changes in a couple places...I've been watching for a place less than a 10 hour drive from home over the years for a One & Done freezer filler . Another one nearby is back on the list and close enough to make a run at it. Snooze Ya Looze.
Ron


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