Chaparral WMA

Any tips or comments on hunting the Chap? Which unit or tripod or ground setups? Never been there.

When we went they assigned us an area. They may assign you a stand though. I took my little brother on a javelina hunt there about 10 years ago.

Haven't been there since the fire last year or was it the year before?

Awesome place to hunt though. Should be even better once they get a few years in a row of decent rainfall.

What dates are you going? The deer there usually rut right before Christmas. Gonna do some rattling?

We were there this past January. There were 3 of us and we all got very good bucks, 2 10pts and a massive 8 pt that was 5 1/2 years old.

They will assign your group a pasture, but you get to pick based on when you were drawn. We were the second group drawn, so we got second choice of all the available pastures. I had talked with another THF member who had previously hunted there and he gave us invaluable information. The pasture he had hunted before was East Guajolote. After looking at all the pastures before the hunt, we were trying to decide between East Guajolote and Long pasture. Since we were drawn second, the first group chose East Guajolote and we chose Long pasture. We were 100% satisfied with Long pasture and if we ever get drawn again will probably try to pick it again.

They have stands and some tripods already set up. We took some portable tripods with us, but didn't use them as the stands were already in good places. If you do hunt Long pasture, be sure and ask the TP&W biologist where he would recommend for you to hunt. We found that stand #361 was the best, although they were all good. Our 3 bucks were shot on #361 and #360, but we saw bucks every day at all of the locations we hunted.

The biologist and personnel there are very helpful. We had a GREAT time and know that you will too.

Let me know if I can answer anymore questions and good luck to you and your group.

Her-man, which hunt are you going on? I'll be on the Dec.14-18 hunt. Lone Ranger, did the other hunters on Chap do as well as your group? How were the camping areas set up?

My son has also been drawn for the youth hunt Dec. 27-30. We have never been there either and really appreciate any and all of the information. I have also heard the rut should be going at the end of Dec. Is this true? Thanks for the info!!

badkins, email me about Dec.20. I'll let ya know what we do and how things look. Good luck with your son. Hope he gets a good one. My sons first was a 20" 10 point when he was ten. Hard to top that.

My is the bow hunt Oct.12-16.

furfinrfeather, I will do that and good luck to you and her-man!! But please leave one Big Buck for my son, he has not buck hunted south Texas and can hardly wait....What a Christmas present!!

Everyone saw deer, but I think that our group did the best of everyone and then the group on East Guajolote did almost as good as us. We saw bucks everytime we went out and were lucky to get the largest 3 that each of us saw.

There is 1 primitive camping area that is really pretty nice. It is a couple of miles east of the WMA. They have a bathroom and shower, covered picnic tables and a fire ring. There are no hookups, however, if you camped closest to the bathroom you could run an extension cord in there for electricity.

There is also a motor home/trailer type camping area, but it is really just an open parking lot type place and not much to look at.

Chaparral is a GREAT place, we had been putting in for 23 years when we finally got drawn. You are going to love it!!!

Let me know if you have any other questions, I will be glad to give you any information that I can.

Lone Ranger, Where on a map are the pasture you are talking about?

If you will send me a fax number I will fax you a copy of the map that shows the areas. I will be glad to give you any info that I can.

It is a GREAT place to hunt. You should see a lot of deer and some really good ones too!!

Don't have a fax.

we will be there with you on oct 12-16 look forward to meeting you. We will be staying at the camp ground also. Loneranger who do you talk to about the camp ground?

Where is LaWard?

I called Chaparral WMA last Dec. before we went there for our hunt in Jan. and they gave me information about the campground and other information as well.

Anytime that they have hunts going on, the campground is open. There is no water and electricity, but it is a pretty nice campground. Each site has a covered picnic table, fire ring and a place for a tent. Also, there is a bathroom with water, shower and electricity at the bathroom. If you need electricity, you can camp close to the bathroom and run an extension cord inside, otherwise there are no hookups, just primitive camping.

Let me know if you need anything else, I will be glad to help you any way that I can.

Say bigdavehunting, weren't you the guys that were hunting on East Guajolote when we were there in January or do I have you mixed up with someone else??

Hey gang,

I hunted there a couple of years ago. We hunted in December. Weather got warm and deer didn't move. Saw plenty of deer, just not the "big one" (except the day prior to the hunt when scouting but that doesn't count)!

Camping - Great camp site with good bathrooms/showers. No electricity or water at each site, but the bathrooms are good. Price is better - FREE!

My biggest hunting tip is the same as Lone Ranger....

1. Ask the helper there what is the best stand on your compartment. If he doesn't know, ask who the expert is for your compartment. Someone knows and they will tell you.
2. Next tip... Take a lunch and stay in your stand ALL DAY. I saw plenty of deer (including bucks) in the middle of the day.
3. Get prepared to grunt or whistle or make some other noise to get them to stop as they run across the scendaro. They run across the scendaros quickly and you need to be prepared and get them to stop with a grunt.

Great place and Great hunt!!!!

Huntalot

Thats me. we are going again this time with a bow. We had great luck so I dont know which compartment to chose this time. Last time we chose first, because we were drawn first. We have been puting in for bow hunting since 1985-86. I believe our two compartments were the best for the late season this past Jan, But I dont know about this early, Oct 12-16 I bet its going to be hot. You ought to come stand by.

Do you know how many tags they draw for bow hunting? Is there room at the camp ground for a small trailor or is it set up for tents. and no where to park a trailor????? In jan we stayed in town at a hotel, and are thinking about camping this time.

Anywhere in that area especially on a place as well managed as the Chap you should be rattling anytime from mid Dec to Early Jan.

I've rattled up bucks in the morning noon or evening. It's better in the cool of the morning or evening but if nothing's happening mid day give it a shot. Got my brother a really nice one that way.

My plan would be rattle early in the morning, sit at a good vantage point durring the middle of the day and rattle again in the later evening. Make sure you set up facing downwind when you rattle.

Big Dave,

We were there a couple of years ago and camped. There was 1 other party camping in the formal camping area. They had a small trailer that most would call a "pop-up". It worked GREAT for them. I was pretty jealous of it frankly (we were in a tent). They do not allow generators in the formal campground. I imagine it would be WAY more crowded during bow. They allow way more tags.

Hope that helps.

Huntalot

LaWard is about 1Hr.20min SW from Houston

Hello bigdave. If you run a generator you can not camp in the tent camping area, you have to go down the road a little closer to the WMA to the trailer/motor home area. It is just basically a flat, dirt parking lot. The tent camping area is pretty nice, just no hookups. If you camped close to the restroom you could run an extension cord there if needed.

You are right, I think we did have the best 2 areas last January. Good luck on your bow hunt this year and let me know how you do.

the oct 12-16 hunt has 27 groups and we are 13th. the map looks like someone dropped it and it cracked in 32+ pieces. ya's area is devided into 2 compartments. and the one we were in is now 3 or 4 compartments. And as of now, no baiting. might be interesting.

how do you enter into these hunts.. i have looked in tpwd website. but not sure where to go from there.

my cousin has been doing it for us since 1985. The chap is probably the hardest one to get drawn for. To answer your question I really dont know. LONERANGER help with the answer

Info is on TPWDs website. Go to public hunts and look at the draw option. The date has passed for this year. New hunts are usually posted in late July.

Call TPWD and they will put you on the list to mail a public hunt brochure to next fall. That is where all of the drawing info and application cards are.

Bigdavehunting how do you know you were picked 13th?

If you will call Chaparral WMA, they will tell you what position you were drawn in. I did and they told us and answered any questions that I had. They are very helpful down there.

I got drawn on few differnt hunts before,But never thought to ask that question.

When we went in Jan with a rifle we were 1st. Loneranger and us had a couple conversations and we both agreed on the same two compartments and both of us did very well and happy. NOW THERE IS 27 GROUPS AND WE ARE 13TH. If you call down there THEY WILL SEND YOU A copy of the map and it will show you the way they broke it up into compartments. they are extremely helpfull. We've now decided to stay in town only because there is no elect. and if its hot, it will be a bear. Send me your email and I'll send you the map. How many hunters in your group? Also it is devided up differently this time. our compartment we had is now devided up into 4 compartments and lonerangers is into 2 and you have to be in a party of 3or4.

We didnt know either, they told us when we sighted in our rifles to go scout. We asked a few questions and they looked and said well your 1st. We had to promise it was still our choice. They dont want to give advice and someone get mad. But they will help you, they want everyone to be successful

PM sent.

It is getting close!!!!

we are staying in the parking lot with campers using a gen. It is a 14 cargo trailor camo conversion. nothing special but the camping price is right.

The price is right!!

Dont forget your 10 mile orange and hat. We are less than a week. I would of thought more people on this forum might be going. It looks like just you and Kevin and I.

Got it my hunting bag. Thanks for the reminder.

hey call me 325 665 1336 Where are you staying?