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Chaparral WMA #429524 09/16/08 01:31 AM
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Lone Ranger Offline OP
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I have been applying for the gun deer either sex hunt on Chaparral WMA since 1989 and finally just got drawn for the hunt in January!

I was just wondering if anyone else has hunted there before and what you thought of it and what the place is like. I understand that it is one of the best WMA's to get drawn for if you are looking for a "trophy" buck. I am really excited about finally being drawn.

Any info would be appreciated.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429525 09/16/08 01:40 AM
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don k Offline
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Drawing the chap is like winning the lottery. Hunted dove, quail and javelina there.I think they had a big fire there last year so I don't know what its like now, but when I was there it was very thick and everything had thorns. Some really big deer there. Good luck


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: don k] #429526 09/16/08 02:04 AM
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I have only hunted quail, but the deer mounts are very nice that they have. All from deer they recovered that hunters never found. Apparently they are very willing to help you track your animal, which can be very difficult in that country, but most people dont know and dont ask. I saw a very nice buck during quail season last yr. Hold out for a big one if you can.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429527 09/16/08 04:38 AM
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Great hunting. No feed is allowed so break out and dust off any secrets you have such decoys, scent lures, rattling antlers, etc. Hold off for a mature animal, the recent fire should make for some good antlers if they got the rain to back it up. Find a water hole. Good luck


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: FeederHelperGuy] #429528 09/16/08 03:08 PM
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You can scout the area using google earth etc to find good funnel's/ponds etc to hunt.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: dove_buster] #429529 09/16/08 04:06 PM
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Yes, I know they had a fire this past spring. I talked to them by phone and they said everything has come back beautifully, that they have had a lot of rain and everything is green and you would have to look hard to even know that they had a fire.

They also said that they expect a really good year for deer as they have seen a lot of good bucks. Needless to say, I am pretty excited!!!!


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429530 09/17/08 03:50 PM
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I can't believe that of all the people on the THF that no one has ever deer hunted on the Chaparral WMA. Any information at all about the place would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429531 09/17/08 05:14 PM
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Hi LOne Ranger, I did reply and have deer hunted there with a bow. It is a true hunt and not shooting fish in a fish bowl. It will be a challenge, but a great hunt. Go prepared to hunt for your trophy and don't expect your trophy to come to you. I usually hunt over feeders and this won't be the case at the Chapperel. Enjoy your journey.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: FeederHelperGuy] #429532 09/17/08 08:06 PM
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Lone Ranger,

I hunted there during the gun deer either sex hunt in December 2006. I hunted the East Guajolote (sp?) unit. It is a GREAT hunt. However, as the poster before said, don't underestimate how difficult it is. My dad and I picked a unit that had deer sign all over it. You will get a letter that says you can scout the afternoon prior to the hunt if you come and sight in your rifle. During scouting, I saw 2 giant deer (150+ class deer) from a range of 40 yards the day prior to the hunt. I saw a TON of deer during the hunt and none of them were remotely close in size to these 2 MONSTERS. That is why it is called hunting. The terrain is real thick. Here are my tips for you.

1. Find Brandon (he is a biologist) and get some help from him on the unit to select. You select in the order you were drawn.
2. An escort will take you in on your first day. Ask the escort if they really know your unit. If they don't, ask another escort for recommendations. Our escort did not know our unit and I learned much more on day 2 asking someone else. Literally ask them what stand they would sit in if they were hunting.
3. Hunt ALL Day. Enough said. Take your lunch.
4. If you bring a portable stand, make sure it is on a tripod and put it at an intersection of 2 senderos with the most deer sign. Make sure you watch all 4 directions. Put a tremendous amount of camo on your tripod. I spooked a deer (not a shooter) due to lack of sufficient camo on the tripod.
5. The deer RUN across the senderos. Be ready with a grunt call or whistle to get them to stop so you can shoot. Many will cross and you won't have time if you don't have a call to stop them.
6. The escort told me that their hunters RARELY kill or see deer watching a water hole. Not sure why but that is what he told us.
7. There are two 640 acre sections that are high fenced by themselves. No one hardly hunts in these sections because they are small (relative to the rest of the property). After the hunt was over, the mgr of the Chap told us the biggest deer was in 1 of these sections (the section on the NW corner of the ranch - forgot the name)
8. WMA mgr told us to sit in a fence corner and watch down the fencelines in the middle of the day. Deer will roam out. Need a bipod in this case. Dad did this and saw several deer. Just not the right deer.
9. We camped in the tent section. They have a very nice/clean restroom. The ground area is sandy. If you can deal with this, it is a good place to camp and very affordable.

There are some fabulous deer there, but the hunt is very difficult. If you hit the rut right, you have a great chance. However, it got warm the first 2.5 days for us and deer movement was minimal. Put it this way, 6 deer were killed out of 23 hunters. 3 of those deer fit the cull guidelines (7 points or less). 3 of those deer were what I would call "trophies" (all were 130 class deer). Killing or seeing a great deer is not a given (I saw 3 great deer - all while I was scouting before the hunt began). It is a matter of timing the rut (that has been later 2 of the last 3 years).

If you want to know more information, PM me. It was a great hunt and I would do this again in a heartbeat. However, it will probably be 20 years before I get drawn (if ever).

Post up on how you do. We would love to hear it.

Wes


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Huntalot] #429533 09/17/08 10:05 PM
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Thanks Huntalot for all the information. It was very helpful and I will try my best to follow your advise. It is a long time until we go, but I will post results at the end of January. Thanks again for the info.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429534 09/17/08 11:44 PM
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I got drawn for the Jan. hunt @ 5 yrs ago. The bucks had absolutly no interest in does. I only saw two mature bucks and I shot one. There were a lot of bucks shot. Most people just planted in one spot and stuck with it. As was said before get with a staff member who seems interested. I began with an employee who was just wanting to gripe about his job and give me a quick look around. After BSing with a biologist he told me a field in my pasture always attracted deer. I hunted day 3 on the edge of this field and saw a lot of deer and one mature buck, too dark to judge horns. Day 4 killed a good 19" inside spread 10 point by watching back in the brush away from the field out of a tripod. Sorry so long, just talk to the staff and listen listen listen!


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429535 09/25/08 01:25 PM
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I have never hunted Chaparral, but I saw it last weekend from the road while driving by on my way to a hog hunt. It looked very "deer-y" to me. I could see several tower stands in the distance that were all at 4way intersections of small senderos (dirt roads. Looks like a great place. Congratulations and good luck!


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429536 09/25/08 06:20 PM
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I hunted the Chap on a Javelina hunt about 5 or 6 years ago..I can't remember the exact year. But what Huntalot says about the WMA is correct. It is a high fenced WMA and my recommendation is to bring the highest tripod stand you can haul. There are some permanent elevated stands at the Chap but you'll be better off bringing your own. (If you look around with binoculars you'll see elevated stands all directions on surrounding properties). It is high brush and you'll have to be elevated to see in any direction. Put your stand along fencelines/dirt roadways and watch for deer crossing them. I saw a few nice cull bucks on my Javelina hunt but of course couldn't shoot them. It is a great draw hunt and good luck. I'm jealous and would love to hunt the WMA again.



Live Free or Die...
Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429537 09/26/08 02:44 PM
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I really appreciate all the replies, I will definitely be taking a portable tripod with me. Can't wait!!!


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429538 09/26/08 04:09 PM
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Everybody has passed on great advice, one thing they did not mention, and I have not hunted down there since 2003 or 2004, is to make sure of your target, and don't be surprised if some illegal game walks out in front of you.

By Illegal Game, I mean Illegal Immigrants.

Since many of the interior roads were paved, it appeared to me the last time I hunted down there that there was a lot more traffic in Illegals crossing the WMA.

In fact the last morning of the last hunt I was on down there, 3 Illegals stepped right out in front of the muzzle of my hunting partners rifle at about 10 yards.

They just looked around at him, smiled and waved and took off into the next patch of brush.

The Chap is one of my most favorite parts of Texas.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Crazyhorse] #429539 10/02/08 01:03 AM
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I hunted the Chaparral in 2001. First hunt out which was the Sunday evening I saw a 20 inch inside 8 point with very heavy antlers not just the bases but heavy all the way up the main beams. I could hear and smell this buck before I ever saw him. He worked a scrape on some cactus or brush about 15 feet from me for about ten minutes.He was huge but I had a different deer pictured in my mind for months before I got there. That and being the first hunt of the week I was not ready to squeeze the trigger. The next morning I walked a fence right of way to a blind that I had not been to yet. It had an expanded metal floor, three walls, no roof and no chair. I also saw a huge buck there that was wide, tall and very impressive. I brought the gun up to get a shot at him (about 60 yards) and the expanded meteal floor popped. The noise spooked the deer and he run off. That evening and the next moning I sat in the same blind hoping to see this deer again. No such luck. The third evening we moved to a different pasture. My buddy saw a double drop tine buck there twice but it was not to the width specified by the biologist. On that evening I sat on a 12 foot tripod on the side of a very large tank. The wind was blowing like crazy out of the south to where I was almost scared to sit up there. Across the tank probly 300 yards what is to this day the biggest buck body and horn wise I have ever seen showed up out of nowhere. I banged my rattling horns together real hard to get him to stop. He stopped and stood broadsided for what seemed like 5 minutes. The wind was blowing so hard and the gun rest on the tripod was so loose combined with my inability to breath and shaking all over I decided not to shoot. After he left I relized if I would have climbed down and sat on the ground the ladder would have made a great gun rest. In my week there I saw three very nice bucks and probly a total of twenty different bucks. I never fired a shot but left feeling like it was the best hunt I have ever had the opportunity to go on.
The first pasture was the East Blocker. The second was the Mare Pasture. They were both very nice. If I ever get drawn again I will hunt the Mare, stay out ALL day, bring my own tripod, Hunt the corner of the highfence so I can see clearly down two good shooting lanes, and I will still go with my idea of a trophy and stick with it.
My buddy and I have six preference points now last time it was nine. I hope that we will get lucky enough to draw the Chap again.



Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: samh] #429540 10/02/08 01:13 AM
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Oh yeah remeber the hunt is basically free. Don't spare any expense to be successful. If you dont already own a tripod GO BUY ONE. One of those twelve footers at wally world for $150 or what ever will do just fine. Make sure to take the time to set it up before you go so you will be sure to know how. Take the first afternoon and evening to scout around and get the tripod set up. Camo the box up good to concele any movement and stay put you should get a chance at a good deer during your week. Hope you can contain yourself when he steps out. Best of luck I hope you have a great time and get that deer of a lifetime.



Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: samh] #429541 10/02/08 02:42 AM
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http://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0112a_700.pdf

The boxed in area by "Youth Hunts". I saw beaucoup deer in there while quail hunting.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: coolie] #429542 10/02/08 03:16 PM
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We will definitely be taking some portable tripods with us. I certainly appreciate all of the information from everyone. If anyone else knows the name of some specific compartments (pastures), that would be best to pick, please let me know.

I talked with the biologist at CWMA and he said that if we come down the day before and sight in our rifles we can do some scouting then. We are definitely planning on doing that.

Any other information that anyone has is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!!!


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429543 10/02/08 05:29 PM
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Quote:

We will definitely be taking some portable tripods with us. I certainly appreciate all of the information from everyone. If anyone else knows the name of some specific compartments (pastures), that would be best to pick, please let me know.

I talked with the biologist at CWMA and he said that if we come down the day before and sight in our rifles we can do some scouting then. We are definitely planning on doing that.

Any other information that anyone has is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!!!




East Guajalote has a high fence corner also..... Lots of deer sign in that pasture!


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #429544 10/03/08 01:51 PM
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Well im a newbee to this forum, just found it actually. I have read all the responses to your question and had to register to add to that wealth of information. I live and work in South Texas therefore I have the pleasure to go to almost every stand by hunt available for the Chap.I have hunted the Chap since 1993 and have been drawn on stand by on mutiple different hunts. You have definitely won the Holy Grail of hunts with TPWD. Everything these guys have said is correct(Bring your own stand for sure and ask questions)the Biologist on the area are more than willing to help you locate the deer. I only have two suggestions. I dont know what your permit number is but they noramlly pick pastures by the order your permit was drawn. The Chap offers many Dove and Quail hunts open to the public for $15.00 a day. If you do not mind the drive I would go and use this as an extra scouting tool. The second suggestion is dont fall in the fatal funnel thinking that you need to go to the back of the ranch. I see everybody always picks the pastures the farthest away from the hunter checkin station. I saw firsthand a 178 gross shot out of the pasture right behind the check in station. When I drive through the area I have seen many nice deer walking the fence line that was well over the 160 range. So i guess what im saying is dont fall in that fatal funnel to hunt the back of the ranch. PM me if yo have any other questions. Oh ya hold out you will see nice bucks 135-140 range but there are some real monsters on that place.



STXBowhunter
Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: STXBowhunter] #429545 10/10/08 01:36 AM
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My Grandson and I are drawn for the doe/spike hunt the 22nd of November. If we see anything good will send you a PM. I have been on there 2 times, once for javelina and once for doe/spike. The one advice I agree with is take your lunch and water and stay in the field ALL day!
Good Luck,
ENU



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Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: El_Numero_Uno] #429546 10/10/08 03:07 AM
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Thanks again for the new information. I am happy to find out everything that I can about the Chap. Say ENU, be sure and let me know how your hunt goes in November and good luck to you and your grandson.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #920382 09/22/09 04:54 PM
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Like a few others, I am new to this forum. I hunted the Chap with gun back in 1982 or so. Got a good buck but it was a bad year for horns, he was only 16" inside. I've been putting in for the Gun Deer hunt for the past 20+ years and have been drawn to hunt this season, Jan 11 - 15, 2010. I and 3 of my sons will hunting hard for the best we can find. I have one question that I have not seen the answer to in this forum. At the RV pull through camp ground, can you use a generator?

I'll be asking lots of other questions over the next couple of months as they come to me. Thanks in advance for any answers to the above.


Re: Chaparral WMA [Re: Lone Ranger] #920522 09/22/09 06:08 PM
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No generators at the formal campground with bathrooms. They have another campground that is basically a parking lot where generators can be used.


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