Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Matador WMA Mule Deer hunt

After about a dozen years I was drawn for the Mule Deer buck hunt at the Matador WMA. My son, brother and cousin were also on the card.

The hunt was for a Mule deer buck only, 20" outside spread minimum. You could also take a whitetail doe and of course the always offered in these hunts "unlimited coyotes and feral hogs.

The first afternoon My son spotted what looked like a buck at about 700+ yards bedded on top of a knoll. We could not figure out why it would be in the sunshine. I went on down the road to hunt while he got closer to see what it was. Sure enough it was a legal buck. He stalked to within 350 yards and got him with his Vanguard in 257 Wby loaded with 100 grain Barnes




A couple of days later after some hard hunting I managed to collect a legal buck. I stalked to within a 100 yards after my son spotted a buck while we were watching some draws at last light. I was using a pre 64 Fwt in 270 loaded with Nosler 130 Accubonds. I shot the best scoring buck of the hunt. The buck was 6.5 years old. The score sheet says 159 4/8. But the Matador facebook say 158. Anyway It qualifies for a Texas big game award.

It was a great hunt and God blessed us.




The Matador facebook page link

https://www.facebook.com/MatadorWMA

Congrats on a successful hunt!

That’s a nice place, been over most of it quail hunting. I think it’s 39,000 acres. Did you see many quail? It’s hit or miss on that. Are there fire ants there now? They hadn’t made it there when I hunted there. Do they still have food plots?

Your close it's 28,183 acres. I only saw one covey. My son saw one. We were in one of the far Western pastures named Sisk pen. the 3rd day my son and I hunted for hours climbing up and incline and hunting ravines. We walked over 5 miles still hunting and glassing and never bumped a covey. They may be on the East side I don't know.

Never saw any fire ants. I saw some Javelinas twice. Very small groups of 3-4 with one baby. Some a few Coyotes, couple flocks of turkey, couple wild hogs. Whitetails are pretty common there. I saw one ten point that was an easy 140+.

Actually if I wasn't so invested in points to hunt Chaparral I would switch Whitetail draws to this unit. They have some awesome Whitetails here and it is not High fenced.

The food plots were not used anymore as best as I could tell. It was pretty dry there.

Congratulations on a very nice buck!

Especially after 12 years to draw a tag, very great experience for both you & son to be successful.

I have drawn the hog hunt on the Matador a couple of times. Pretty rugged country. Saw lots of Mulie does and lots of whitetails. Very few hogs and very few quail. It’s a neat place for sure.
Glad you had a successful hunt. I’ve also hunted of the Chaparral for the Whitetail buck Hunt. Saw a nice buck with a 24 inch spread, but he was about 1000 yards away and that is as close as I got. Tons of hogs and lots of javelinas on the Chaparral and lots of rattlesnakes.

Now I see why the Matador WMA web page says 158 instead of the 159 4/8. It's the typical verses non-typical score. I'm surprised one that small qualifies for the Texas big game awards.

Been trying to draw that one for some time. Hopefully next year.

I’ve been putting in for the Matador Mule Deer hunt for several years, as well as the Ultimate Mule Deer Hunt. Looks like a great hunt. Good job.

John

The points accumulate by category, not specific site.

Thanks for the clarification.

You're welcome, and congratulations.

Nice!

Texas has some nice public hunts if you can manage to draw one.

Nice. Both you and your son did those tag justice