Public hunting, what a dissapointment

Yet another unsuccessful day at Caddo grasslands. After 2 years of trying I've seen 1 bobcat in a tree and 3 rabbits on the Ladonia unit while hunting coyotes. The warden assures me they are there, but adds that the place is so pressured that it's more luck than skill that gets a kill these days. Unfortunately this is the only one that allows coyote hunting in Region 4. The state of public hunting in north Texas is depressing if the other units are like this one. I've finally resigned myself to just finding a deer lease, an entirely new challenge of course.

/vent over

p.s. if you've had success at that unit, you're a more mighty hunter than I. congrats.

Texas is low on the list for public hunting. In fact Texas basically sucks compared to some other states when it comes to public hunting lands.

I hunted that area for several years up until about 7 years ago. Usually always called in coyotes back then. Area use to be full of coyotes. Now the deer were normally few and far between. We'd get lucky now and then with deer but not often.

Last Spring/Summer I looked at two deer leases, and a tract of public land in Arkansas. The area was North of New Boston, TX. I wanted to try something new. Later in the Summer, I found a deer lease near Mt. Pleasant. The Arkansas idea was put on hold. If you are a rifle hunter with a AHP, it is tough hunting. I have tried it. If you are lucky to get selected for a draw hunt, that is another matter. If someone can take deer year after year with the AHP, they are a very skilled hunter, who puts his time in. I am not a archery hunter. There are more archery opportunities available on public land, vs rifle hunts.

Friday after thanksgiving we heard a bunch fire up before we left the Ladonia unit. They weren't very far from us either but over a hill.

yeah i've heard them out there late. My plan for this season was to do night hunting, but as of this year you can't hunt predators at night on that unit. Funny enough you CAN hunt raccoons and other furbearers at night, so no idea what that change is about. The warden was scratching his head over that one.

Anyway, just a bit demoralized. I'm sure it will all come together at some point, the nasty bastards are out there.

You're going to have to go somewhere else.. I hunted out there for several years and saw a couple of deer but nothing special to warrant spending any more time out there as it was too frustrating.

He's hunting predators.

I prefer to think predators are hunting me, and I'm doing a hell of a job evading them.

Does anyone know what happened to the camping area at Ladonia?

D'oh.. predators.. I used to hear them out there in the evening but not as many as one would think

I've tried caddo, and LBJ, And hillsboro. all left something to be desired you'd figure Texas has so much to offer why do we have to wait for a draw hunt to get a worthwhile hunt. When I was younger I applied for draw 7 years straight, even when I didn't have the money. Never got in. I got a buddy that gets drawn for Hagerman Refuge every three years or so. At LBJ I saw deer, but didn't have a doe tag. At caddo I saw other hunters and hunters fighting over who's deer it was, And have had people tell me this is their place to hunt (uh public hunting duh..) Aguilla resevior could have been great except the Game warden mistook me for someone he had a beef with the previous season even though it was my first time there, to many cows too, I see to many cows on Texas hunting land, and just how many horse trails do you need folks? What about the hunters do they not count as much as everyone else?

If they would make that Ladonia unit shotgun or archery only there might be more deer in few years, not really big enough for centerfire regulation, just like the mine land in robertson co.

Well Hillsboro is archery only now and has been since 2006, if you were toting around a gun I could see why the gamewarden might have a beef with you.