Crockett Nat. Forest

Going to Crockett for first time, what can ya'll tell me about it? I know it's a big area (it's in Texas right?) but general areas ie northeast, central, west and such and type of hunt. I've always used stalk so anything else will be new and a good thing.

The quality and quantity of deer in the DC are one of the best kept secrets in East Texas. While some areas are heavily hunted, many areas see few if any hunters. You only need a Public Lands Permit if you hunt the Alabama Creek WMA, which is one of those areas that sees good numbers of hunters.

Just drive around, find some 2-3yo clearcuts with scattered yuapon, climb up a tree and cover as much area as you can. If there happen to be drains/creeks/SMZs running through it, then even better. You can't shoot what you can't see, so hunt those areas where deer still feel they're in cover, preferably during the rut when they're covering ground.

One of the first places I ever hunted...many years ago. Please be keenly aware of your surroundings as soon as you get out of your vehicle. Remember YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY PERSON THERE. If you leave your hunt early you are probably walking through someone elses hunt. I would be concerned about still hunting this area. Make sure you are clearly visible with as much orange as you can wear going in and out. Best of luck and enjoy your hunt.

O too have hunted there and when they brought the maps out it got very popular.

Is the whole forest crawling with hunters or just certain areas?

wear a cow bell

I live close to there and hunted it hard for years. Be prepared to walk a long ways. If you are willing to work and go as far as you can in, you will kill. Most people just go right off the road or right next to the camps. Keep the wind in mind and walk a long ways in. Good luck!

Be prepared in a couple of other ways also. I like to hunt after it has gotten cold enough to shut the snakes and skeeters down. Bring a compass and know how to use it, then use it! Pack in like you might have to spend the night out, meaning bring a light tent and a sleeping bag along with water. If you are an actual mile off the road you are in pretty much wilderness. Mark your way in with those reflective thumbtacks and use them liberally! If you kill a deer and end up packing out after dark this will make life easier. love the new LED flashlights! Once it gets dark a compass is just a guide as there will be impassable parts of the forest you have to go around hence the reflective thumbtacks. I often walk in before dark and out after dark.

My experience, if you park the truck off the side of the road and walk a mile in, you end up on another road. But I agree with all the above posts. Go in when it's dark, climb up a tree and stay there until dark. You'd be amazed at all the people that get up and leave by 10:00 am. I saw more deer when I started sitting all day. My best advice is to get a map of the forest and know where the boundries are. Look for the red paint stripes on trees. Sometimes this is all you will see before you cross into private land. Private land owners don't have much patience for public land hunters trespassing onto their property even by accident.