Fairfield Lake SP drawn hunt Jan 5-7

Park management let the 20 of us loose around 12 noon Wednesday. There were 10 standbys drawn.
I was picked #1. Last year everyone who showed up hunted.

20 individual blinds stationed around the park road...2 doe or 1 spike-1doe
We were allowed to shoot at 6:55am till around 6:06pm (30 min before/after sun up and sunset)

I was at #8. Thick woods. Maybe 60 yd shot max. Never saw anything but whatever wasn't there was eating
my corn at night. Lol...Friday morning was cold with a capital C

I don't know how many deer were harvested but I'm guessing in the 10-12 neighborhood by the
noise of the gunfire i counted. 2 old boys tagged out with 2 a peice.

Me? the camping sites were where the deer n hogs hung out...figures. can't shoot there.
If you ever been down there the woods are thick. The hogs are tearing up the park areas and pretty much only move
at night.

Thursday night several hunters were dressing deer at check station. They have a nice set up.
Word was a couple hunters saw 10 bucks that were not available. Not sure what's worse...seeing nothing or seeing 10 you can't harvest.

I was glad to be in my warm truck...did I mention it was cold

thanks for posting your experience!

Nice

sounds like a good time minus the cold. Did all the standby hunters get to hunt.

Nope...I believe there were 10 spots and 7 hunters didn't make the draw

I can confirm not all standbys got to hunt. I was drawn as hunter #10 and was the last to be drawn. There were at least 7 or 8 others that went home and did not get to hunt. I was in stand 9 with a very similar open brush blind in the woods. I saw one deer Thursday morning as I was walking into the blind before shooting time. It was running away from me up the opposite hill. All it showed me was it's behind and white tail. Not only was it cold but Thursday the wind was blowing 30-40 MPH. Still better than sitting at a desk back at work. But sure would have been nice to have brought one back in a cooler.10 year streak has now been broken.

I got drawn there about 5-6 years ago and found the staff to be first class and very helpful. Like you, I was not able to get a shot off, but had a great time nonetheless.

The staff was first class...wished they would have let some of hunt at night. I had scouted some areas previously when I camped out there because I could have at least brought home a hog.
Out near the dock by the beach they were tearing stuff up.

Ya'll know that the Fairfirld SP is a leased property and not owned by the State of Texas. Speculation around here is that it'll get sold to an investor who will develop the property for Mega $ Homes. Told my wife's sister all about the Fairfield Lake property. She has a son who could afford to buy the property out of pocket change and develop it or just keep for himself....with mebbe a po folks family member from Palestine as a groundskeeper or sumthin with free rent hint hint. He recently bought another couple hundred + acres adjacent to an earlier acquired famous property not far from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California. Pipe dreams are frustrating and a waste of time. Oh Well...what else is new?
Ron

Enjoy the hunts you've had there, its probably about to sell and lease will get taken away from the State. Sad deal, no more public hunts and lake will become private.

What makes you say that....can you share where you got the info?

https://www.tpr.org/environment/202...as-may-soon-become-a-private-development