# Any Info for Laguna Atascosa ?



## Bull Red Daddy (Oct 7, 2006)

Just found out I was drawn for the Dec. 4-6 rifle deer / nilgai hunt at Laguna Atascosa. Needing any & all info from any who have hunted down there. What are the roads like ? Sandy? Hard to bicycle in ? When is the rut ? Thick / open ? How many hunters will be there ? How much huntable land is available ? Tri-pod, pop-up, still hunting ? You get the idea. Thanks in advance !


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## Bull Red Daddy (Oct 7, 2006)

Dang ! Over 50 views and not a single reply ? I'm pretty sure I remembered the deodorant this morning. I'm starting to get a complex here !


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## shallowsport702 (Dec 11, 2007)

If I recall correctly, if you're drawn for rifle hunt, you get dropped off at box blind by TP&W and picked up after hunt. Only bow hunters get to walk around, set up blinds etc. This may have changed, but I doubt it. Brush is mostly thick, too thick to even walk through in most places, but open salt flats in other areas, just depends. I got drawn for rifle nilgai hunt about 6 years ago, but didn't take it as I hadn't seen much nilgai to that point. Since then, I've seen nilgai every time I've gone. Worth the $100 or however much it is to go, no question about it. Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## shallowsport702 (Dec 11, 2007)

Also, rut hits early for south Texas as it's on the coast. Early december usually.


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## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

First, I got drawn for the 9 day long bow hunt. 
Second this is USFW not TP&W. 
Third, check out this link.
http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290964


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## oakforestmx (Feb 9, 2011)

I'm shocked that in 2 years of putting in for muzzleloader i have not gotten drawn, i am calling and getting some stats!


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## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

oakforestmx said:


> I'm shocked that in 2 years of putting in for muzzleloader i have not gotten drawn, i am calling and getting some stats!


While you are allowed to use a muzzleloader or even a crossbow during the firearm hunts, there is NOt a muzzleloader season as such.

http://www.friendsofsouthtexasrefuges.org/default.asp?id=280

Application dates have come and gone for 2012. good luck on 2013 hunts.


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## stxhunter (May 19, 2006)

First off, congrats! It's a tough hunt, but well worth the work! If it rains forget about using a bike down to sections 8 and 5, they may even close the road off and you won't be able to access it with a vehicle either so have a backup with unit 2. Most of the roads inside the individual tracts are caliche with overgrown grass, which can make some tough biking. The rut is normally at the end of December, through beginning of January. The terrain usually varies from very thick terrain where a 20 yard shot is the max you will have to wide open pasture spanning several hundred yards. There are several thousand acres that are huntable, most stay near the roads, but the further in you go the better chance you have. If you really want to hunt from a stand use a SMALL tripod, I wouldn't recommend using a pop-up since you aren't allowed to cut brush to brush it in. Also, if it were me I wouldn't even mess with a stand for the rifle hunt period. 

When I got drawn a few years back for the rifle hunt I did spot and stock and saw plenty of deer. The hunt starts on the afternoon of the first day, full day of hunting on the second and a half day on the third ( not a lot of time to seal the deal). On my first afternoon passed up a couple of deer and told myself that night I should have shot one, second morning shot the first buck I came up to. Cleaned him up and went looking for a doe, never saw one the second day, but saw plenty of NICE bucks that made mine look puny and of course they all had to give me perfect shots! The third morning I found a good sized pack of does and followed them until I got a shot off. Not very many animals were harvested, but I couldn't understand how that was possible considering the numbers I was seeing. I think out of 30 hunters only 10 animals were taken, and I took 2. 

Hope this answers some of your questions, if you've got more let me know and I will try to answer them the best I can!


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## stxhunter (May 19, 2006)

Forgot to mention this was my setup, be PREPARED in case you kill something you've got to pack it out no motorized vehicles allowed


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## shallowsport702 (Dec 11, 2007)

Timemachine said:


> First, I got drawn for the 9 day long bow hunt.
> Second this is USFW not TP&W.
> Third, check out this link.
> http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290964


You're right, I wasn't thinking when i was typing. Completely forgot it was National Wildlife Refuge..


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## coogerpop (Sep 3, 2009)

shallowsport702 said:


> Also, rut hits early for south Texas as it's on the coast. Early december usually.


I was born in 1938 in Brownsville....the Laguna Atscotsa Refuge was made from land purchased from J.W.Lutz and his family. My family and the Lutz family were friends,,,,Mr Lutz used to let me hunt 1 day a year out there on the ranch....This tradition lasted till I left the valley in 1960....I NEVER SAW THE RUT BEFORE CHRISTMAS>>>>>.Bucks would come to the horns but the real rut would usually begin about Dec 18th thru the first part of January...but in those days ,Dec.31st was the end of the season....Dec 15 was the end of the season for our lease in McMullen county,but it opened Nov. 1st.


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## Bull Red Daddy (Oct 7, 2006)

WOW ! Just when I thought this thread would fall off of the page - BOOM !! - the 2cool community comes through for me. Sorry for my late response. I had just about given up on it. Thanks for all of the responses. I appreciate the help.


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## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

Bull Red Daddy said:


> WOW ! Just when I thought this thread would fall off of the page - BOOM !! - .


Right you are. I am so excited about the November bow hunt. Week long "get away from it all" event.


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