Hello fellow hunters!

I hope this message finds you all well. I am excited to join this community and learn more about hunting. My name is Blake, and I'm fairly new to hunting. So far, I've only been out once with my uncle in Arkansas, but we did not see anything.

I currently reside in the DFW area, and I'm seeking advice on where to begin my hunting journey in this region. As a 23-year-old enthusiast, I have acquired some gear, including camo clothing and bowhunting equipment(a bow, release, tree stand, etc.)

I would greatly appreciate any guidance you can provide on the following:

Hunting Areas in the DFW Area: Are there any specific hunting areas or public lands around DFW that you would recommend for a novice hunter like myself? I'm particularly interested in areas that are accessible and welcoming to beginners.

General Hunting Advice: As someone still learning the ropes, I'm open to any and all advice you can share. From safety tips to improving my skills as a bowhunter, any insights, strategies, or lessons you have learned from your own experiences would be invaluable to me.

I'm eager to learn, connect with like-minded individuals, and create unforgettable hunting experiences. I understand that hunting is not just about harvesting game but also about appreciating nature and its wonders.

Thank you in advance for your guidance and assistance. I'm thrilled to be a part of this community and can't wait to embark on this hunting journey with all of you!

Happy hunting!

Blake

The Texas Wildlife Association now has an adult mentoring program for beginning hunters. 'Might be right down your alley.

You'll get lots of advice on here. Just remember, it's worth every penny you've paid for it.

Get proficient in shooting your bow. A bow a great hunting tool but does require some practice to familiarize yourself with it to be effective in the field. That said, it’s one of the most exciting ways to hunt.

Texas has public land in the eastern half of the state as well as draw hunts thru Texas parks and wildlife. Leasing is the most common way to get access. Oklahoma also would be an option if I lived in Dallas.

Good luck and if you have specific questions fire away

Welcome to the forum, I will send you a P.M. with some info to help you.

Welcome Blake, and good luck as you pursue the awesome passion of hunting. I am located in southeast Texas so I am not able to assist you in hunting opportunities in the DFW area. I do know there is public hunting available through TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit, along with some public draw hunts. Keep your eyes out for a good lease opportunity and be prepared to jump on it if it is a good deal. Just keep practicing and hopefully this upcoming hunting season will be a success.

Welcome to our forum. Its a great resource. Curious, are you not considering gun hunting at all? Im not knocking bow hunting cause I do both but just curious what would make a new hunter chose a bow. It is much harder to get a shot and make a shot than with a rifle.

PM sent

If you want to shoot, I'll meet you at a local range. You can shoot my rifles, your ammo. PM if interested.

Welcome to the forum. Lots of good info can be found here. Get familiar with TPWD public venues as well as Lake Grapevine Corp. of Engineers which has permit hunting (check out their web site for application/draw dates).

The one time I did go hunting I did use a gun, I am not opposed to a gun at all. I shot bows in high school so i knew the basics, and I know I enjoy shooting them.

My gun knowledge is very limited so I would not even know where to start in purchasing one, or being able to practice with it consistently.

Great info on here on what gun to purchase. Im sure everyone will agree on exactly what to buy..... Since youre new, Ill tell you that was sarcasm. No one can agree on anything on here but some of them will be right(just go with what I say. :))

That's not true.

Yes it is.

I hunt both bow and gun. Although I love bow hunting, I will say, you're success rate will be exponentially higher with rifle. I would suggest a rifle to a new hunter. As for what rifle to buy, just about any modern bolt action as small as 243 up to 30-06 would be perfectly acceptable. If you've got limited funds, get a budget rifle with a burris fullfield scope. If you have a little more cash, post a question in the rifle section, and you'll get unlimited suggestions for all types of price points. If you need some instruction. I'm local and would be happy to meet you at a local range. Only s&w is a good guy too...although, he's uglier than I am.

What if I had said "everyone cant agree on anything"? And my comment wouldnt be reserved just for this forum and it wasnt intended to be a slight of this forum since society overall wont agree on much.

Nothing wrong with just bow hunting. I rarely pick up a rifle for deer anymore. A lot more opportunities on public land for bow hunting too.

It was dry humor. Unclebubba understands me.

Creek, I was good with your comment, but I wanted to clarify(for whatever reason). 😊

First step is a hunter safety coarse (online trough TPWD) and a license.

Excellent advice.

Lots of public hunting areas within driving distance of D/FW. The Grasslands outside of Decatur, an area by Bowie, Grapevine Lake area and I’ll bet a lot more.

There’s probably a lot more.

Ditch the bow. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Get a good rifle & good scope. That’s a start.

I dont agree that NOBODY has time for a bow. But I will say that it takes much much more time to be proficient with a bow and its takes much more time to learn how to get close enough with a bow. An experienced bow hunter has a chance of wounding a deer but an inexperienced bow hunter is almost guaranteed to wound and have one go unrecovered. Anyone can sling an arrow downrange but, IMO, it takes a dedicated newcomer with lots of time to become an ethical and proficient bow hunter. Some will disagree but I will stand pat.

If you have not done so, you will need to get your Hunters Safety Course certificate in order to get your license.

Also look into TPWD mentored hunts. The deer ones are competitive to get in to but the small game ones can be easily had.

Thanks for all of the responses. I will look more into starting out with a rifle while I still practice with the bow and turn that into more of a long term goal.

I got my hunters safety course in highschool as part of a class. I do not have a license though.

Way back when I was a pup, we hunted and fished what I understand now is called Lake Davy Crocket north of Bonham. Back then you could hunt waterfowl & WT's & Hogs in season. That was how I got lessons in how not to spook game.

All that was a LOOOOONG time ago.


Another Idea would be to go up to the TPW Offices north west of Denton in ??? and get all the maps and TPW Regs and Seasons on free maps and game reg's that TPW will giver you a head start in exploring on the ground ...but Do Not have a gun in the car or in hand until the dates that that TPW allows.

Ray Roberts Lake used to have areas set aside when it was first opened ummm looong time too but we scored doves back then as well as. Don't forget Lake Texoma's opportunities either. If I were to return to living there again, my 1st hunting would be where ever the TPW Wardens rcc'd way out west on the river....dynomite waterfowl hunting up river....lots of private property is not always posted or the signage kept up ....but myohmy what fun busting ducks in the back waters up there...just be CAREFUL about water walking with all the quick sand on the bottom. I swam out more than once, with my waders over my shoulders and the decoy bag....and put the shotgun's stock in the oven on low when I got home stinking of lake bottom ....SO NEVER HUnt Alone up there.
Ron

In DFW you don’t have a lot of options. I’d buy a jon boat and start fishing. Hunting is a rich man’s sport.

Not always true. Public hunts cost $48. If you want to have a box blind and feeders to shoot big deer in a feed pen, then yes. Hunting is a rich man's sport. BTW, I'm not knocking shooting deer at a feeder out of a blind either. I love it. But even then, you can do that on a budget if you want to.

I was wrong. Hunting is cheap. Killing is expensive!

Another thought about hunting at Lake Texoma. My shoddy memory sez Texoma is about 1000+ acres of water, east of the highway bridge to Oklahoma out west In years past the Federally owned Hagerman Wildlife Refuge has had drawings for hog hunts. Be sure to see the details for legal ammunition.

Back in my early times up there we also found a way to pass shoot Geese by getting private property access authorization via the private property owners roads that crossed Hagerman property - Always with NO Guns of any kind in the Open, but ALWAYs kept out of sight - and put out full size Feeding Goose dummy's in front of a elevated camo painted wood panel we hid behind. We had written authorization from the Land Owners to hunt around their out of service pump jacks, and almost always got checked by Federal Game Wardens until they recognized the regulars in the Hunting Party. Hagerman has thousands of Migrating geese & puddle ducks that fly over the corned pastures next to the road every year ...what a sight for sure...and can be super noisy and flying at under 100 feet above the road....this was Off Property at the far far east end of Hagerman where the RR Tracks cross the entry road. Great for ID'ing un common waterfowl too....all at no cost to drive around and see the sights.

OBTW the Texas State record Blue Catfish came from Texoma, and now still living I think, is still at the Lake Athens TX TPW location. A guy caught a 100lb'er catfish on a saltwater ABU 6500 & heavy line and hoisted the fish up the rock wall going into a big marina whose name I forget on texas side at the east end of the lake. Ya gotta see Ross Perot's property with it's 5 metal boathouse and his version of a famous rendition of George Washingtons house...with a private heli pad . ...and a great place to catch stripers hugging the rock wall trying to escape, or watching WTAils swim across the lake .A couple miles back down that wall gong west , The Dallas Water Intake is over 100 feet deep and at the end of the down hill cattle trail from back when the cattle drives could cross the Red River on mostly solid ground and avoid the quicksand. You can still see wagon tracks in the shale bottom in 60-100 feet of water with a good fish finder.

You gotta see the transit Goose & Duck flights overhead at Hagerman. After we moved from Carrollton up to the east side of the Peninsula & halfway south down the Little Mineral arm of the lake after I finally found a piece of land that had a sunken Boat House that still had a Boathouse Permit that went with the property, to escape the VA Dallas doctors treating me for multiple issues. We lived at the lake house nearby Marina & Game Warden Offices for 11 years, and finally sold the Carrollton house. I liked the various Hagerman programs so much I got involved with fun things like rebuilding Bluebird Nests, and Hog Counts and Hiking Trail maintenence.

The Day the movers came to pick up our stuff for the move to Palestine, we caught enough stripers off the beach in 2 hours to put over 40 lbs of meat in the cooler. Texoma is another world and not just another big lake. Ya gotta see it to understand.
Ron

Msg sent

Can’t help you on the public land part. 1 practice shooting your bow to develop muscle memory.2 Always hunt down wind of where the deer are going to be.3 As a new hunter shoot some doe , just to get some kills under your belt . It gets easier the more you take. Drenelin is not your friend bow hunting . 4 I try to keep my distance under 25 yards. The new bows are fast but out at 35 yards a deer can jump the string. Good luck!!!

Hey everyone, just wanted to give you an update on my hunting journey. I had an exciting experience recently at PK Lake while hunting for hogs. I set up around 7 pm, just before the feeders dropped at 8 pm. Around 8:20, a group of 10 pigs, mostly piglets, came into view at about 50 yards away. I was using what I believe was an AR-10 rifle.

I decided to aim at the biggest pig in the group and took the shot. Being only my second time shooting a rifle, I unfortunately missed, and they ran off. I was lucky to have the chance to stay later into the night and use a thermal attachment. Despite my efforts, I didn't spot any more hogs that night.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I learned a lot from the outing. I'm already looking forward to heading back out there once it cools off.

Also very excited for the deer season coming up in a few months.

That's awesome. Practice practice and then go practice. It won't slow your heart rate when the moment comes but you'll be better prepared. Certain not my place to tell you not to hunt deer yet but if you're not yet connecting with an unworthy animal, do you want to take the chance of injuring and losing the deer?

Wow, it's been 1.5 years since my introduction post, so I thought I’d share an update on my hunting journey.

During the offseason, I decided to take things more seriously and got into bowhunting. I practiced weekly and eventually secured a small lease in Arkansas. Once the early bow season started, I committed to weekend trips and made an effort to sit through the entire morning.

On the first day, a doe walked out, but I spooked it when I tried to stand up in my tree stand. I had my phone in my hand, started shaking, and, well… lesson learned, it spooked. The next day, I spotted two does. Thankfully, I was already standing, and they came up on my dominant side. Unfortunately, I missed high because I forgot to adjust my shot for the angle of being in a tree stand versus level ground.

The next day, though, things finally clicked. A doe walked about 20 yards from my stand, and this time, I made the shot—1.5 inches lower than my target, right behind the front leg. It didn’t even run 30 yards before going down.

I can’t thank everyone in this forum enough for all the advice and tips that helped me improve as a hunter. Reading through everyone’s shared experiences has been invaluable.

If anyone has more advice to share, I’m all ears. And if you have recommendations for hunting spots closer to Dallas, I’d really appreciate it. Driving four hours to Arkansas every time is a bit of a haul!

Congrats!!! But, 10 posts in a year and a half? Don't be a stranger!

Congrats. How elevated were you and is that entry or exit?

I believe I am like 12-16 feet up, it's a ladder stand.

That is the exit, it was a broadside shot. Staring right at me, lol

Congrats!

Congratulations, I guess you are now hooked for the rest of your life.

Wow congrats man, way to stick with it!

Congrats man! This great and looks like your efforts in the off season paid off. We all start somewhere and adding more hunters to the community is always a good thing in my opinion. Good luck to ya.

Congrats on the first hope you enjoyed it!

Assuming you know what to do with it after the kill is an important part. My brother once helped talk a friend through gutting a hog with a steak knife over the phone lol.

I would look into getting a rifle and entering the tx public draw hunts and out of state draws. In texas the biggest hurdle to getting into hunting is to have somewhere to go.

Good to hear! You will learn a lot about animals hunting them like you are

congrats. One of first leasons i learned twas.
@ 20ft off ground & 20yrds away a deer can duck under an arrow.
Twas a 4pt buck. It put it's head down, started ta draw, it looked @ base of tree.
Helt, it put head back down, continued with draw. Again it looked @ base of tree.
Twas right @ breaking point 60# bow. It put head down, but twas unable ta finish draw.
It looked straight @ me. Nudged it's head, flipped it's tail, signs of caution.
Took two/three steps, head behind tree. Drew one motion pin, on & it litterly ducked arrow.
Ran out roughly ta 30/35yrds & staired, stomped feet, blew, & seen white flag as it went away.
One of the things i did twas whin ready ta get down, pick a leaf, use field point & make sure bow twas on.
Got busted doing it once though. Looked all around, started ta draw, & a doe @ very edge of thick
brush, blew. It twas roughly 40yrds out on trail was set up on. 20yrds two trails intersect.
Twas plenty droppings, fresh
& old.. OSBWMA is full of oak trees. Deer/hogs just wander threw.
Sit in stand deer b seen just outa range. Next day move it over, they b were you was day b4.
Archery deer/hogs should b going on right now. Thars some big deer in thar. Can be wet down thar,
Floods, & areas hold water. Did the hog only hunts for scouting for next years archery.
WhiteOakWMA has some good hunting also. Weekdays few hunters.
congrats on archery hunt.

Thank you all!

I had no clue what to do with it lol. My cousin was able to come help me and he showed me how to process the deer, and butcher the different parts of the meat. I just kept the major parts, shoulders, backstraps, and hindquarters.

I'll check out WhiteOakWMA.

Going back out next weekend but it is supposed to be rainy so I do not know how excited I will be to sit in a ladder tree stand,

Congrats!!! Reading your description about shaking takes me back! I rememeber when any deer would give me a case of the shakes so bad I could barely shoot! I miss that rush. I can still get them a little in the right situation. Enjoy the excitement!!! Again, congrats!!!