My 9yr son old and I won an archery drawn hunt for Big Lake bottom WMA. This is my first year bow hunting as an adult, and my son will hunt with his compound also.

The basic game plan: both of us in a popup blind on one of the trails in whatever unit we are assigned to, hand toss corn on the trail and spend two days waiting, maybe try two spots. I don't own a tripod or treestand, and there is no way I'm getting me and son up in one anyways, at least not this year. Looking at Lidar and topo data for the area, there is not a lot of terrain like saddles and hilltops to hunt, and I cant make real plans since I do not know what compartment I am hunting yet.

Anyone have advice or experience they are willing to give up for bow hunting hunting this WMA? I don't expect anyone to give up their locations, just what I should expect, any special preparations, compartments I should ask for if given the opportunity, etc.

Thanks!

In my experience they will not assign a unit for the archery hunt. Was this a youth draw or regular?

E Postcard regular draw. And yes, I just found out I was mistaken, there are no assigned compartments. Waiting on orientation also.

You will have the run of the place. If it is wet, you will either have to walk or take a UTV that has good mud tires and hopefully a locking rear differential. And, if you do take a UTV or 4 wheeler, pack tow straps and a comealong. It's 4 miles from the far east end back to the gate. A 4 mile walk in calf deep mud isn't fun. Ask me how I know. I've hunted BLB four times now. If you want more info PM me. If you were out there for the opener I hope you had good luck.

Successful hunt! I shot a doe at about 12yds, she flopped over dead after running 45yds max.

As with all the other drawn hunts I've attended, I'm glad I went. The staff was professional, and the location was somewhere I would like to go back to for the scenery and quiet. An extremely clean property with few signs of man once you get off the logging trail. Plenty of deer and pigs, and I did get some long looks at several decent bucks. No shortage of potentially good places to hunt, and with only 20 hunters given tags that's 200ac per hunter, which is pretty generous.

Trip notes:
1. It was dry and you could easily walk a long way or ride a bike. IF ITS WET, YOU ARENT WALKING FAR. THE ENTIRE PLACE IS MADE OF BLACK GUMBO MUD. That's why they suggest UTV's.
2. It's not clearly stated anywhere in the hunt information, but Friday is a scouting day only, they aren't adding an extra day to bow season even though it says "hunt dates."
3. There are a lot more logging roads/firebreaks than I could find on aerial imagery or ground lidar data and that info in only available as a printout from the WMA managers. That being said, there are plenty of places you can get 100's of yards from any sort of access point.
4. Most of the WMA has much longer lines of sight under the canopy than I expected from anywhere in East Texas. Bring binos.

We were able to hunt hogs on Friday in addition to scouting for deer the times I have been out there.