I have hunted the land for years now and I know every inch of the property. I have always loved getting off of work, with it being in my back yard, and taking a evening walk/scout and enjoy the wildlife. My boys and I have cleaned buckets and trash bags full of other folks trash almost every time we went out. Sometimes, this was a daily event.

I'm really at a loss on not getting picked on the 1st year draw. Kinda made the place my 2nd home. Taught my boys alot of hunting skills there, and we have made a life time of memories.

Good luck to my fellow COE hunters.
Wayne

So sorry to hear that. My son and I love this place as well. I hope they get it together for next year as I thought this whole drawing thing was a bit over the top.
zak
Mike Sherick

They said that they gave out over 1000 permits last year. And now just 75 1st half and 100 for the second. From over a 1000 to 175.

I was lucky enough to get drawn this year but I think it's really stupid the way they did it. They need to change ALOT about it if they are gonna keep doing it.

Did you draw both halves?

nope. just the first half. the only one that matters to me. i hope they re-vamp this drawing thing next year.

I hear ya. I like the winter for night hog hunts. Thats some wicked land for night hunting.

yep. I've seen the biggest hog I've ever seen in my life out there night hunting with a full moon. At first glance I thought it was a cow! No lie.

We've seen some big hogs there as well. My son got one this year that went 200#. We intend to hunt it pretty hard this year and are very excited about it. Last year we got check by TP&W but they never asked for our corp permits. We probably met 8 or 9 hunters that had no permit and they weren't aware that one was required.
I got mine a couple weeks ago for the first hunt...my son didn't get one for either. I kinda get the heebie jeebies hunting out there at nite. Of course I love the heebie jeebies which is why I keep going back.

Good luck to everyone out there and I hope the rest of you can convince the USACPE to rethink this lottery.

I can't use some of the words I would like to describe a few of that bunch they have over there at that Corp office making decisions. I can say that the main problem with them is just plain old lazy. Don't want to get up off their ***'s and do anything. I called last year several times about different problems and they never checked on any of them. I would follow up and they did not have a chance to check into it was always the response. If you only issue 75 permits for five months of the year and 50 for 5 months of the year and none for the other two months you can sit back and be pretty sure you want have any calls about any problems. They even have a closed park because they don't want to deal with it.

One of the Rangers there told me a few years back that he shot a hog well over 400 lbs. I have seen several 200+, but most big ones there are 180ish. Took 3 home last winter.

Below is a email response between me and Craig Edmondson who is in charge of the hunting program at Lake Grapevine. He did not repsond to my last email on September 21, but did use it to make his response a little cleaner for his website and make sure the hunting link was back up and working. This all began with a request email for the contact name and number for the district person over these programs so I could complain about his program. I have left a message also with the district contact. Pasted below right from my email for you to read. You may want to start at the bottom of the post so it flows for you.

Craig,

Thank you for the reply. The link you have is very well laid out and
explained your new program very well. The only problem is the link does not
work from you lake home page. I have had a permit every year they have
issued one all the way back to the old computer draw they had before and my
address is correct since I have been at the same address for 7 years and my
buddy still lives at the 5 year previous address before that. I did not get
a letter. I did not return my survey yet as I always returned it when I got
my new permit each year. I do not live in Grapevine so no Grapevine paper
for me. I appreciate that you want to get a handle on poaching and you just
got rid of your strongest deterrent to that and that would have been the
ethical hunters that would have been in those woods. Now you have created a
hunting area with less traffic and more opportunity for poachers to do their
business. The ethical hunter who goes through all the trouble to get a
hunting license, hunter safety program, state stamps, federal stamp and your
permit are not your problem but your allies. They are the ones who watch out
for the land daily. They report anything they see that is not right. They
feel that everyone should do it the right way. I have been in this community
for many years and even a police officer for years in Flower Mound. I have
met many people over the years that hunted those lands. Lots of good honest
hard working people some of whom were police officers, fireman, teachers,
other professionals and most of all young people just getting into the
outdoors. My wife is a high school teacher and she always tells me stories
of boys in her classes talking about hunting after school at Grapevine and
how much it means to them. You have hurt them most of all. As for stopping
by your office I have many times. I stopped by in May or June and inquired
about your hunting program and was just told to expect changes. I also
reported a permanent stand and cut trees to one of your Rangers in the
spring and followed up with him weeks later and he had not had time to check
on it. I also stopped and talked with one of your Rangers and he seemed
uninterested and needed to get back to what he was doing. I have called your
office to report guys target practicing with rifles, shooting clays, riding
dirt bikes and even someone hunting with a open bag of corn in back of the
truck and no response ever. I have done everything I can possible do to help
you and your program. I have not seen the same effort from your side. At
least from those who have represented your side in that past.

As for Marinas International I have already contacted them. They claim the
passes were not legitimate and the people running the campground pocketed
the money. I have not heard anything else from them. I think they should
have to buy everyone who had a pass a Grapevine boat ramp pass for the
trouble. My pass was pass number 154 and the second one I had purchased. I
guess that means close to 100 other people still had valid passes.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Edmondson, Craig K SWF" <Craig.K.Edmondson@usace.army.mil>
To: "Jacky Wiggins" <jackywiggins@verizon.net>
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 4:56 PM
Subject: RE: Grapevine Hunting Program e-mail


http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/gra...on/Hunting.asp

I have attached a website link to the grapevine hunting section,
which was added prior to the draw this year. We sent letters to the hunters
that registered last year and returned their surveys, but a lot of them came
back for a wrong address. I also had it placed in the local paper,
Grapevine
only, which I will rectify next year. I knew I would draw some flack from
this, but I'm willing if we can get a handle on the poaching, ensure a
quality line of deer are being produced, not overpopulated or overharvested.
Next year, we will take a closer look at this years approach and revise as
deemed necessary. I take into account the publics input as well as the
Rangers, that work diligently to protect the environment and ensure that you
have a place to recreate.
I have been the manager for 17 months and have been working toward
improving the appearance, amenities, and trying to improve the public's
opinion of Grapevine Lake. I have four Rangers that diligently work in
areas
of flood reduction first, water resource for Dallas Water and Grapevine
Water,prime facilities maintenance, including the dam, structure, and
facilities, recreation, to include the construction of Murrell Park,
natural
resources, with encroachments, trespass, fire lanes, food plots, wetland
retoration as well as adjacent landowners, boathouses, and any and all
complaints.
I have succeeded in most areas, but have drawn a lot of criticism
over the hunting program. My first and foremost task, in the area of
Natural
Resources, is resource management, (land and animals). We took a long hard
look at the existing program and giving 800 permits for Grapevine in 2008
was
excessive, in my opinion. I made the decision to have a study performed, by
a professor at UNT, who is now at another college in the area. A spotlight
survey was accomplished and we are still in the process of attempting to
verify numbers of deer in this count. All of my folks that work here have
been assigned additional surveillance of the Wildlife Management Area and I
am personally aware of them being in this area. I purchased two new four
wheelers, we have a Kawasaki Mule, and numerous 4 wheel drive vehicles.
They
will also be more prevelant in this area as the years progress.
Call Marinas International and tell them of your dilemma with the
boat launch pass, you might receive some sort of compensation for your
inconvenience.
Twin Coves park is currently closed, but by no means have we turned
our back on the area. I cannot tell you everything that is in the process,
but I can tell you that we have a high priority set in not allowing the park
to remain closed.
I take a lot of pride in the work we have accomplished and will
accomplish in the future and make every effort to keep the public in mind in
whatever we do. Any time you would like to come to the office and see what
we are working on, discuss ideas of how we can improve, and maybe improve
the
face of the Corps to the public, feel free.
Thank you for your interest in the operation of Grapevine Lake.



Craig K. Edmondson
Grapevine Lake Site Manager
110 Fairway Drive
Grapevine, Tx 76051
817-865-2602
817-865-2601 fax
817-709-4856 cell
craig.k.edmondson@usace.army.mil

Action ...
It only takes a single thought to move the world.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jacky Wiggins [mailto:jackywiggins@verizon.net]
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 3:59 PM
To: Edmondson, Craig K SWF
Subject: Re: Grapevine Hunting Program e-mail

Craig,

I have given several other people in your office chances over the last few
years to do the right things toward your hunting program and they always let
me down. The calls and visits fell on deaf ears each time. To be honest I
was
surprised you emailed me back. Can you explain to me the reason behind the
number of permits being so low. The city of Denton leases a track of land
from Lewisville that is about a quarter of the size of your tract and they
issue 200 permits a year. Lewisville has a less huntable land area and they
are issuing 600 permits. I feel like you just want to turn your back on this
and hope the problems go away. Kind of like Twin Coves campground were I
purchased a $50 season boat ramp pass in May that is worth nothing now. You
just locked the gate and the problems went away, for you. Please let me know
if I have it all wrong and a greater reason does exist for the hunting
program like management.

----- Original Message -----

From: Edmondson, Craig K SWF
<mailto:Craig.K.Edmondson@usace.army.mil>
To: jackywiggins@verizon.net
Cc: Mobley, Brandon W SWF <mailto:Brandon.W.Mobley@usace.army.mil>
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 2:42 PM
Subject: Grapevine Hunting Program e-mail


Dear Mr. Wiggins,
As the Lake Manager it distresses me that you would have
written such a strong e-mail concerning our hunting program without at least
giving me an opportunity to answer your concerns prior to asking for a
number
from the district. I will tell you that the district representative only
gives guidance and will only be able to tell you what we have determined to
do here at the lake. But if you truly need their number, it is Brandon
Mobley, 817-886-1565.

Craig K. Edmondson
Grapevine Lake Site Manager
110 Fairway Drive
Grapevine, Tx 76051
817-865-2602
817-865-2601 fax
817-709-4856 cell
craig.k.edmondson@usace.army.mil
<mailto:craig.k.edmondson@usace.army.mil>

jwiggins: I really think the characterization that all COE personnel are "plain...lazy" and "don't want to get up off their ***'s" is unfair. The Corps, like any other Federal, State, or local entity with land-managing responsibilities has to balance public need, intensity of use, accessibility, and the vagaries of funding, and apply all of it to its management of the lands. Guarantee no park has been closed because "they don't want to deal with it". Changes in hunting restrictions are long discussed and cussed long before the public sees the policy - so no-one made the changes in a vacuum. Grapevine and Lewisville are becoming more fully encroached upon every day. It is probably just plain problematic allowing the intensity of hunting from a few years back to continue in the present environment. I'm not flaming you - I think your complaint just needs balance.

Respect your opinion and I only feel this way about this office and have for years. Many other Corp offices have handled business the right way.

i'm with you jwiggins. my father and i have had numerous in-person and over-the-phone interactions with that COE office over the last several years. the result is always the same...NEGATIVE.

Below is directly from the Grapevine website. They have now dropped the draw system for this year. We as the hunters need to do our part this year to ensure that we continue to have a place to hunt next year. They will have a new program in place for next year. Lets do everything we can to help get rid of the problems out there. If you see something report it. I talked with a Ranger at the Grapevine office yesterday for a while. They do want to manage the deer population. They want Grapevine to be a great place to hunt. They admit that the new program did not account for other hunters. If you see someone doing something wrong educate them or report them. If you see stands or feeders report them. Show them that we to take pride in hunting Grapevine and we are on the same page. Please obey the rules, tread lightly and help out everyone else.


Quote:
Grapevine Lake Hunting announcement

For the 2009-2010 hunting season, it has been determined that the Lake Grapevine Hunting Program will continue to operate as previous years. Further review and stakeholder coordination will continue to occur to help modify the proposed Grapevine Lake Hunting Program to be implemented for the 2010-2011 hunting season.

Hunting has been opened to the general public. Come to the Grapevine Lake Office, 110 Fairway Drive, Grapevine Texas 76051 and fill out an application. Bring proof of age, hunting license, and if you were born after Sept 2, 1971 proof of hunter’s education or waiver. You will receive a hunting packet, which includes a permit, vehicle tag, waiver, and hunting guide.

For more information or assistance call the Grapevine Project Office at 817/865-2600. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Questions: Please review all information on this page carefully as we frequently receive questions about items that are covered here. More information about Fort Worth District hunting in general can be found here. For any other questions about the hunting program on Grapevine Lakes, please contact a Ranger at 817-865-2600 or by email.

I did not recieve any letter and I have been hunting there for 5 years and I send the survey at the end of each season.

I do not deer hunt just do a little dove hunting unitl Oct. then I do not go back unitl after Jan. to try my luck at squirrels( I let the deer hunters get there deer). I have duck hunted there a few times but there are way to many duck hunters there for my liking.

Did you read my post. You can hunt now.

I did I was just stating that I did not receive a letter about the draw....

I think if they are going to do a draw they should do it like they use to do it in San Angelo; go stand in line the night before to get your permit.

I just went and got my permit at lunch today. SCORE!!!!!

I was heart broken when I found out about the draw.

Thanks. JWIGGINS for the post.

?
Is Marshall Park still under GV COE or is that now Trophy Club management?
And thanks for the post information. Glad all went well.

Trophy Club and it is now Trophy Club Park and not Marshall Creek. From talking with the guy over that department for Trophy Club they actually had people who did not get drawn hunting in the park. Those are the type people that will ruin hunting on public land for everyone. A few years back a guy was shooting at game on the boat ramp with a shotgun. How dumb could you be. Signs everywhere no hunting in park, no firearms in park. I don't know how you could own a gun and get a hunting license if you are no brighter than that.

Some people tell all the Secrets .

Chadster I could have kept this to myself. Would that have been any different than having a drawing and not telling people you are going to have it? That is not the right thing to do. I choose to do the right thing and take my chances along with everyone else. That is part of hunting public land. That is what makes success so much sweeter.