Grady County WMA???

[Bullbuster]

I went with the full intent to scout for the ML hunt and get a feel for the place. I had my 11 year old daughter with me. So I took deer, turkey and preditor calls to see what I could stir up and teach her how to use them as well. We hunted from sun up to sun down. Walked countless miles back and forth. All the ponds had water but all the sign was stone old. Deer are passing through is all from what I could tell and few and far between. Didn't see a single hint of turkey. Looks to be plenty of coons and such. That was about the one track I saw everyplace. I'll likely go back to do some more scouting and take my 7 year old son along. I saw box blinds on neighboring lands but like I said alot of it is private hunt club. Willing to bet they will move onto the public land now to hunt.

 

[fishfurlife]

Bull buster it pisses me off to no end oklahoma wildlife department leasing surface out to people to run cattle on AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH it soppose to be about wildlife not cattle OH and do'nt want to hear its better for quail,well there is is'nt any quail where habit is good so why run cattle i am going to call them tomarrow and give them my 2Cents worth and also find out why they stopped having the youth hunt at sandy sanders,they do a good job but sometimes they do such stuppid stufff,this is not oklahoma but federal the washita wildlife refuge has some monster bucks on i know because the locals kill them on private land that joins it,but they will not add it to control hunts except doe to me it is'nt right they say there is not enough bucks on there to hunt them will ya they getting enough killed by people on private ground next to it they could have say 10 buck hunt around the nov 1st i might not never get drawn but at i would least have chance as would everbody that put in for it i just do'nt understand i pay taxes and part of that land belongs to me and help pay the people that run its wages

Grazing is just part of it. I agree with its use and there are never cattle on actual state owned land during any deer season. There is a good chance that there was an active cattle lease on the property when it was sold/donated(whichever it was) and the state is known for honoring leases until they expire as a courtesy for the lessee.

As for the washita hunt, they hunted bucks last year for the first time and will continue to do so as long as the buck to doe ratio stays where it is or better. They draw one hunter out of the antlerless hunters for each hunt and that hunters tag is changed to an either sex tag. Couple very nice bucks were taken last season with those tags.

 

[DEER 24/7]

fishfur thanks for info on washita refuge will check it out and the cattle thing they lease to ranchers to graze like out out sandy sanders all the time when i ask them why they say it makes better quail habit

 

[Bullbuster]

I don't have an issue so much with the cattle as deer become accustomed to them but one of the 500 acer parcels not only has cattle but active Cheaspeek power gas rigs going. So you are likely going to have maint or inspector trucks coming and going from the property. For the most part it splits that area in half.
Don't get me wrong about this place I'm glad its now open for the public but it wasn't what I expected to see for pubplic land. I'm sure things will change and it will get better over then couple of years as the state does more work on them.

Oh if you have never been to Rush Springs before is a quaint one horse town. Only place to grab a bite to eat is at the gas station/market/pizza joint. They make a great hickory burger and the price is good.

 

[Bullbuster]

Talked to the biologest again and the land was will'd to the state when a lady passed on. I guess her family wasn't too happy and neithor are area land owners. The cattle will be moved out when the lease ends.
But the place does have some deer and scouting is a must. I put in a lot of time doing so and it paid off. I can now say I'm the harvister of the first deer taken off the new WMA according to the WMA manager. I blew several chances with the bow at deer and finally connected with the ML on what turned out to be a button buck.
The ML and gun season is quota hunt only. I had to tell a dad and his son on the 4th day they couldn't be hunting as they hadn't been selected. Didn't help the boy had a bow and no orange on while the dad at least had orange on. The boy walked by me and I questioned him and his dad told me he didn't know it was closed for a quota hunt as he just heard about the place. Guess it goes to show that you read the regs for a place before going. Say its closed right in the reg book and online.

 

[Davs2601]

Several of the areas out at Black kettle had cattle on them last year. Hopefully they are gone this year. there were still tons of deer on the areas, but the cattle dont care for you sneeking around in the dark....

 

[Bullbuster]

No they don't and when they do see you they tend to think food and come right in on you.

 

[h4everything]

I don't have an issue so much with the cattle as deer become accustomed to them but one of the 500 acer parcels not only has cattle but active Cheaspeek power gas rigs going. So you are likely going to have maint or inspector trucks coming and going from the property. For the most part it splits that area in half.
Don't get me wrong about this place I'm glad its now open for the public but it wasn't what I expected to see for pubplic land. I'm sure things will change and it will get better over then couple of years as the state does more work on them.

Oh if you have never been to Rush Springs before is a quaint one horse town. Only place to grab a bite to eat is at the gas station/market/pizza joint. They make a great hickory burger and the price is good.

Rush is a nice place.

Don't be hating on the oil companies too bad. They are angels compared to this government sponsored windmill stuff. The drilling rig will be gone before you know it and there will be just a nice little plunger lift well that the pumper checks once a day. in the middle of the day hopefully.

Plus depending on the lease the state may make a nice royalty off of it that could go back into the department to by more land. Don't be too negative. I know fishfurlife is a big fan though.

 

[Davs2601]

No they don't and when they do see you they tend to think food and come right in on you.

It got a bit scary. They were stomping and i thought yhey were going to charge us. I learned to steer clear

 

[Bullbuster]

h4everything-The rigs are gone and they have the pump stations remaining and plungers. I know wild game gets used to activity after awhile. My whole thing is I wasn't expecting to hunt an area with cattle and active oil operations. Not used to seeing that stuff on public hunting lands. Cattle yes from time to time but not oil. Next season will be great and I hope to get lucky and draw another tag. Every piece of land the state gets for sportsman the better. We all know land is harder and harder to come by without a boat load of money to spend.