Due to the rain over there this weekend I didn't get any good pictures. I did get a chance to walk around though and had one deer wind me and jumped another. I guess that's a pretty good sign. It was hard to see any really good track due to all of the leaves on the ground and the pounding rain that we received just before I got there. I did see a lot of deer runs though. I'm going to go back this weekend hopefully for a better look and maybe settle on a few places to start looking at pretty seriously. Thought about putting up a game cam but I don't think I trust one out on public land. Will post any more details after I get a chance to go back out again.

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

Sounds like you may have found a good starting point in your search Chris...good luck, keep us posted about your sightings.

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Well I went back out on Saturday and things looked a little better. The weather was nicer than before so I was able to do a little more looking around. Found several deer runs, some fresh tracks, and even saw two deer. I posting a couple pictures of the trip. I'm going to leave it alone for a while (gas is expensive driving back and forth) and see how it looks in another month or so. My wife went with me this time and she was getting pretty excited for the upcoming season by the time we left. Hopefully this will be her year to get her first whitetail.

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

another...

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

one more...

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

Cool deal Chris, just remember that these places can get crowded during the season so you need to find a place that is either out of the way or a place that is really hard to hunt so the rest of the crowd stays away.  Cool pics.

Garrett, I've tried to keep that in mind, (hence why I'm not giving out any specific locations), but this little field is a little over a mile hike back into the woods from the road and I also have quite a few spots picked out back in the woods as well. I'm really hoping that there won't be a lot of people out there or that I'll be back far enough that they'll be driving the deer into me. The only thing about being that far back in the woods is that it will stink having to drag one out, since I don't have an method of transportation other than by foot. Hopefully it'll have a nice rack on it to pull from! I'll send you an email in the near future to talk about Davey Crockett with you. We might be interested in looking up there as well. I'm just trying to keep my options open since we can't really afford a lease right now.

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

Thanks for the info and the pics ...I moved to houston a yr ago and this is my first time hunting in TX. Going by the prices of lease around here looks like the APH permit is the best shot. Ive never hunted on Sam Houston National forest. It would be kinda dumb to ask you where exactly you took the pics? where is your stand? but hey general signs, areas to hunt deer would be appreciated. Did you see any more deer up there? any bucks/spikes?

Feel free to send me an email, crous1ca@rice.edu, and I can try to give you some help. I too have only been here for about a year and a half and I did a limitted amount of hunting out there last year but I did manage to put a spike in the freezer on some SHNF land just north of New Waverly. The pictures are from a new spot that I've been scouting west of Cleveland. Best thing to do download the map from the TPWD website for the area and pick a couple of spots that look fairly remote and off of the main roads. Then I'd just take a drive to a few of them and go for a walk to see if you can find any sign.

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

Hey Chris word from the wise...anything around Cleveland is going to be packed during the season. I have tried it before. I live in Splendora and i know first hand. On opening day if you drive down 1725 or Forstoria north of 105 you can count 75 cars on both roads. Another good place to prospect is down 2025 (coldsprings rd.) Take 59n to 2025 just past cleveland and make a left. There are some good game out there and it is not so packed. Plus the area is a little hilly. I know of another place my Brother used to take me. If you want some more clues email at jlee@suncoast-pt.com . I have a piece of property in centerville I hunt, so I do not mind giving up my small secret.

hey guys you may also already know about the forest postcard doe draws if you don't look in you APH book for the info or email me

Dave

seek the truth and the truth will set you free Dave

Hi dave I looked through the APH book but i couldnt find the doe draws in Samhouston? Is it the same as the USFS antlerless permit ( http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/texas/). If so i have already applied, if not I would apprecaite if you can give me some info on how to go about it? Thanks Raj

Nice pictures. I would not spend too much time in those areas. Looks more like bedding to me. You may move the deer out of this area if it's disturbed. There should be a transitional area close by. What I mean is a change from the pines to the hardwoods. Where you find hardwoods, that means there is enough light to get to the dirt for other plants to grow. This will be what the deer browse on. They will travel the transitions until they are comfortable coming into the harwoods to feed. Find that comfort area and you will have a good chance to get a deer! Just my experiences have led me to believe this.

Check for ovals where the grass is matted down. If you find that, this is a bedding area. Now use a bedding area to intercept a buck checking does during the rut. I have found most to be downwind 50 to 100 yards of the beds.

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

Thanks for the replies. We went back out on Saturday and did some more looking around. We found a lot of buck activity, must have seen at least two dozen fresh scrapes between the couple of areas we were looking at. Also found some fresh rubs and tracks too. We have moved into more of the transitional areas that you were talking about Tim and are hoping to intercept a buck or two as they check the scrapes but also trying to focus on food and water sources right now. We didn't see a lot of acorns on the ground or in the trees but we did find some nice hardwoods including oaks and I'm hoping that the deer will be coming in there when the few acorns that are start to drop. We'll see. I'm more concerned with putting some meat in the freezer and letting my wife get a chance at her first deer. There is plenty of sign in the area so now it's just up to me to do the hunting and make a clean shot

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

Hey Chris, how did the Forest Hunt go?

Didn't go as well as I'd have liked. I spooked a few while walking to and from my stand and didn't see anything while on stand. There seems to be a lot of activity in the area though so I'm hoping to get out in another two weeks or so and maybe see a little more activity. It was very warm. I don't know how the heck you're supposed to try and control your scent when it's almost 90 deg outside? It was fun though. Not a lot of people, we had the campground to ourselves and it was quiet. Jonathan saw a few too while on stand but it was too dark to get a shot off. How did you do?

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

I didn't fair well either. I put my friend where I would hunt and he saw 4. 1 really nice 8point that would not give him a good enough shot at 15 yards! He also saw 1 doe and 2 fawns. He said he was not hungry enough to take the doe. I counted 5 woodpeckers a half dozen crows and 4 dozen mosquitoes. It was just not my turn. The oaks still had tons of acorns on them. The deer are really tearing up the ground picking up the few that have fallen. I could not stay cool in those carbon liners. It was murder.

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

Me and a buddy of mine hunt the SHNF out of Coldspring on FM 2025 and have seen lots of deer this year not many bucks yet but alot of does so far, looks like it is going to be a good year. It also helps when you live 10 minutes from where you hunt.

Hey CountryBoy, you are just down the road. I'm in Willis. Maybe we could share a little info. I hunt around the lake in SHNF. It was a banner year for dove with the lake down. It's filling back-up now and duck hunting should be good in all the flooded willows and grass.

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

Hey E. Tx. I wouldnt mind swapping some info. I hunt the SHNF some for deer and tree rats when at home but also have a lease thats a couple hours away dont do alot of bird hunting but have in the past and wouldnt mind getting into it again. I do alot of fishing in the lake and with the recent rain it is filling back up.

I maybe close to you this weekend. Say New Waverly area. I'm mountain biking in about 3 miles. I have had a problem with guys on 4 wheelers in the forest where I like to hunt. The deer seem to have moved out. I still have one little patch that no one knows its there that is holding a ton of deer. Off 2 days next week and will try it then. It maybe a mistake not being there tomorrow. I want all the other guys pushing deer to me. I'll be sitting all day.

Fishings been spotty. I see some 6-8 pound bass in the shallows but they don't eat anything I chunk at them. Might need to throw a stick bait at em. The red one with the fuse will work. (Just kidding) A lot of spooneys and some teal on the water now. It looked like a ton of red heads last week but to far to tell for sure. It's to early for cans. Would like some widgeon and gadwall. My direct e-mail is ttruitt @wilsonfire.com. We can't let everybody have this info. unless they would like to share too.

When you know the hunters around you it makes it better. Everyone drives their own truck and agree on the game being taken. You can get older deer in the forest that way. People on the road think there are too many hunters in the area so they move on! This works pretty well.

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

Did any one have any luck on bagging any deer or hogs on SHNF last season? I took these pics of what seem to be a pretty good area while turkey hunting this past spring. I saw about 8 deer, and tons of hog tracks while walking these woods. Didn't see any deer while hunting last gun season in a different part of the forest, but i'm thinking about getting out and try my luck during bow season in this area...

pic 2 of same area

same area

We killed 3; 2 bucks and a doe. I scouted this weekend and found quite a few deer and a ton of hogs. Can't wait for bow season to start. This wet weather will really be good for the animals-especially the *$#*@ mosquitos!

It looks as if that might be a road in one of those pictures. Remember there is no hunting on any roads in SHNF. It looks promising. Are the laydowns old crabapples? That's a good sign to find an area with them in it. The deer seem to be on the cherries and acorns right now. The acorns I am seeing are very small for some reason.

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

nice pics

Yea... I saw lot of  hog wallows and a lot of rooting as well. Of all the areas i've hunted on SHNF i've seen a lot more sign and quite a few deer in this particular area of the forest. I'm kinda new to bow hunting and I have a bow that i've had for years, but never really got the chance to use it in the field. Looking forward to it this season.....

hog rooting

Great pics. Thanks for the post...you have a real promising area there. Good luck during bow season.

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Does any1 know if we can use a Tree stand in the Sam Houston Forest? I've heard stories where you can't put your tree blind out there because it harms the trees. Is that true? If so what is the best way to hunt out there? Thanks

I haven't been on here in quite a while but to answer you're question, yes you can use tree stands but they cannot be left unattended for more than 72 hrs I believe (don't quote me on that).  Also, I don't believe you can use a stand that actually will damage the tree (ie, screw into it). But climbers are fine.  I've hunted there the last two years and have gotten a deer each year, one off the ground and one while I was in a tree.  I definitely like being in a tree better because it is pretty thick where I hunt and I couldn't see very far while on the ground. But if you're hunting over an open area I don't think it would matter that much.

Good luck! 

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

Your scouting is going to have to be a lot more walking than driving around if you want to get away from the plethora of hunters.

Chis or anyone, this would be my first year hunting around the sam houston forest. New to Houston and new to hunting around this area. Wasn't able to afford a lease this year. Was wondering if you or anyone can help me out maybe a few hints and spots that you've seen some tracks where I could follow. Don't have to be your honey hole or anything just something to start with. If I can email you or pm you so no one else will see the spots I understand. Thanks fellas!

John,

shoot me an email....crous1ca@rice.edu

-Chris 

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

John,

Try to find the areas that hold changes like hardwoods to soft woods or old growth to new growth. The thicker the better. At least for the animals. Those big open areas are what the animals will feed in if browse is not available under the canopy. They won't be dumb enough to be there during the day. Just find an area with sign then work the edges until you find where the deer are coming from. Then work that back into the really thick stuff where they will travel. If you can get a couple trails crossing the better. Set-up should be 15-20 yards OFF the trail and down wind. Good luck to everyone this weekend!

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

Thanks for the info Tim. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I like those deer's you got out there last season saw the pics on the other post.

Haven't been out yet. Just curious if anyone has had any success so far?

Seen a lot. No chance for a shot yet.

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

anyone have any luck so far? any deer, hogs or anything?

Any luck yet.  This is my first year hunting in the sam houston and in texas.  I have been out several times and I have only seen one doe.  Any advice on areas in general, I have hunted just south of huntsville and outside Cleveland.

Only lots of hunters.  The area I used last year is swarming with hunters this year.

I am using a new spot this year.  I junped about 5-6 doe as I was walking but that is it so for.  With the doe permit if I get anything it would be fine.  I dont have the time or energy to trek miles in to find a big buck.

We have killed 2 during bow season. Mine was a doe so I can be picky during general season. I have been watching a lot of deer each trip. Only seen small bucks so far. We try to leave them alone until they get another year on them.

I can say stay in transitions zones. That is where you have several types of trees and terrain that come together. For example, old growth and younger growth where one is much thicker than the other. Maybe between 2 hills with a draw and creek between them. The food sources that are open the deer will use typically after dark. Find where they enter and leave and set-up on those trails. They will follow the edge of the transitions 9 times out of 10. The doe stay in a smaller core area the bucks will come in search of the does. Time and patience are what is required. Drive around early in the morning on Saturday and see where people are NOT hunting then check those areas. By checking I mean go in and set-up and hunt. Watch what the deer do and adjust for Sunday. Good luck!

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

Any luck anyone? What time are most of you seeing deer last week and early this week? I hunted several days last week and saw deer on Tuesday at 9:30 am (large buck chasing a doe, too far to shoot and running).  Also, saw doe by my truck at 3:00 pm on Saturday after I went in to retrieve my ground blind, too hot to hunt so I thought it was a good day to move my blind and scout. Doe was just of SHNF boundary and in someone's unoccupied camp yard about 200 feet away from a paved road.

In any event, please post any hints like areas that are good, what the deer are feeding on, and what times you guys are seeing them the most.

Last year my son and I saw deer almost every time we went out, this year we have not seen anything in the same area.  It is drier this year which may be a factor.  Hopefully the predicted rain will help.

I have seen only one deer this season and it was early during bow season. It was a 10-pt, and I missed due to my arrow glancing off of a tree, but that is the only deer so far and I've been deep in the woods and out at least half a dozen times or more.  A lot of sign, just not a lot of deer.  Oh well, that's why they call it hunting, I'll be out there again this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Tight lines and true shots. -Chris

hello all i'm very new to the area just moved here from arizona i've ask the tpw people about shnf and am tring to find out when the rut is in i bow hunted about 9 times so far stalked a real monster 6x7 the right side has a drop tine about 4 in long so im going to try my winchester 44mag does  anyone have any suggestions again thanks for any info

the rut is over. from what I saw the peak day was november 15th this year.

thanks -- i just got back from doin a look see up there -- saw 5 does and a 6 pointer in the archery only area so i guess ill take my bow back up tomorrow morn he wasnt really chasing the does just kind of following them ill let ya know what happens again thanks fo the onfo

wow steve you saw 5 does and a buck! man I need to go check out the archery only area. I have not seen that many deer all season. I think I only seen about 2-3 deers so far in the SHNF. Lots of tracks but no deer. Are you hunting near conroe?

yes it was out from the cagle camp grounds im taking my son-in-law in the am but this time ill take both my bow and rifle  -- be prepared for anything this time lol

I hunt near conroe out of montgomery.

I killed a big 8 point on 11/27/07.

It had a 20 inch spread.

I am heading out next weekend to do some hog hunting either outside of Coldspring of 2025 or north of Phelps in the National Forest. This is my first time out hog hunting in the national forest, does anyone have any pointers as far as where to start. Would it be good to follow creeks, or hiking trails???? I am pretty new at hog hunting but am pumped.

Thanks, Mike

Cold spring is a good area.  I have seen tons of rooting all over but havent seen any hogs.  They are pretty nocturnal.    Let us know how it goes.  I do hog hunting on private land at night with lights.  National forest is a different story.  Great for deer.

Find the lowest areas of the forest that can hold some hardwood bottoms and mud.

GO CLIMB A TREE, TIM

We saw alot of hog rooting in the national forest this weekend south of Coldspring but no hogs. We setout bait on some wallows along the San Jacinto river which got hit hard but by the time we got there around 6am they were gone. But, still had a blast getting out in the woods stalking around and already planning for next time. I would like to setup in the evening and try finding some at night. Has anyone heard of anyone hog hunting at night in the national forest????

MIKE

Baiting and night hunting are both illegal in the National Forest.

Do you know where they say hunting is illegal at night in the national forest? All I have found is a rule saying if you are hunting at night in the national forest you do not have to wear orange.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/texas/recreation/sam_houston/hunting_on_samhouston.shtml

Under "prohibited acts" section in the public hunting lands map booklet, qoute "takes or attempts to take a feral hog, rabbit or hare other than during daylight hours of the open seasons by the means and methods provided for a specific unit in this map booklet" and SHNF is in the map booklet sent when you buy your public permit. 

Y'all, just retired from the Navy and moved to Texas.  Never been here before but it's now home.  Wife has a roof over her head so it's time for me to get down to business.  I've been hunting over 40 years but it's been in West Virginia, Washington and such, never here.  Hoping I can find someone willing to show me the area next year and maybe allow me to tag along.  I'm ready to go scout areas once this year's excitement dies down a bit.  I live near Willis and just inside the SHNF.  I've read a lot about this area but have no idea where these locations are.  I can be reached at: orionfe@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance!  Jim

after a very slow start moved farther into the wood and found a nice transition area shot this guy yesterday

nice, next time I have to go hunting with you...

its amazing how nocturnal they are the area i hunt is covered with trails, wallows, rubbed trees, rooting  but this is the first one ive seen