San Angelo State Park Bow Hunting

[Desertfox]

I just returned from San Angelo, TX. I bow hunt there every year during bow season due to the bow hunting only sections of the WMA.
The population explosion of San Angelo has absolutely devistated the hunting areas. I used to be alone on a section or have maybe 1 other person on a section. I walked the sections out on monday around noon. Every decent tree has a stand in it and where there are no good trees, ground blinds abound.
Just another good public hunting area (used to be called type 2) that has gone crazy.
Is it due to the threat of $3. a gallon gas, population explosion, or the loss of other hunting areas. I figure some people let their leases go because they didn't want to make the drive to them at $3. a gallon.
I hope it is due to the boom in interest of hunting whitetail deer. If this is the case, I can endure the loss of a good hunting locale.
Anyone with insight on this matter, can please educate me.

 

[FirstFreedom]

Sorry to hear that. It's a good question. My understanding is that TX has a real paucity of public lands, relative to the population, but it's always been like that; so I dunno why it would suddenly get worse. As you say, hopefully it's increased interest in the sport, and not just population boom in that area.

 

[Capp35]

I hunt in Menard. (30min SE of there)
I see alot more trucks loaded with equipment heading thru town every year.

I always thought it was because we have nice bucks there and the rising prices of property in South Texas compared to us.

 

[Art Eatman]

It's a mix of stuff. Hunting shows on TV have more hunters going afield in certain areas (not all).

Many ranches are going to guided, short-term hunts instead of season leases, and season-lease costs are up. This pushes some hunters into seeking lower-cost access to hunting lands.

The "I want five acres, five miles from town" syndrome has broken up many large tracts, reducing the availability of hunting lands. It's also raised land prices for all sizes of tracts and thus ad valorem taxes on land.

But it's all been going on for some 35 years, now. The recent decade has seen an acceleration.

Art

 

[trooper3385]

I think Art said it very well. I think its mainly due to the rising prices of the deer leases. I remember when I was younger living in West Texas (10 to 15 yrs ago). The deer leases that we were on were 5,000 to 6,000 acre leases for under $1000 dollars a year for both of us. They had some exceptionally good deer on it for West Texas. Thats probably almost unheard of now days. The leases my brother-in-law is on now in West Texas (San Angelo area), are $5000 to $6000 per gun. Thank god my wifes dad has a ranch in South Texas. The price of hunting has sky rocketed the last few years and its pushing more and more hunter to look for cheaper hunting. It boils down to supply and demand. It doesn's work so much on the good ole boy system anymore. The ranchers realize that there alot of money to be made by leasing there land out to hunters for 4 months out of the year.