A Question for Texas Duck Hunters

[ezypikns]

I hunt doves a couple of times a year. It's still pretty inexpensive here in Texas. I go to Oklahoma to deer hunt twice a year. Once for black powder and once for regular season. The reason I go to Oklahoma is thta it's just too expensive to deer hunt in Texas any more (in my opinion).
Which brings me (finally) to my question. I haven't duck hunted here in 20 years (for a variety of reasons). Is it still possible to sucessfully duck hunt on the large lakes we have here in Texas, or do you now have to spend a lot of money on a duck lease (as you do for deer, quail, and turkey), or hire an expensive guide or outfitter. I'd say 300.00 a day for a guide fee is a little steep for me, but maybe I'm cheap.
I'm not asking anyone to give away any hotspots, just some general comments, tips, and opinions.

Thanks

 

[M16]

Check out this forum and you should find the answers to your questions from someone in your part of the state. Go to the migratory bird hunting section. Hope this helps. http://www.texashuntingforum.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php

 

[duckslayer]

Lavon sucks. All the lakes around Dallas are very crowded, well, all the lakes everywhere are now pretty crowded for the first few weeks of the season, but then interest wanes and the later part of the season is fine on the lakes. Did I mention Lavon sucks. I usually go to Fork.

 

[TxCajun]

There are some public hunting areas down along the coast (marsh) where you can hunt with the $48 annual public hunting permit. There may be others in the DFW area that I am unaware of. I hunted a few of them several years back and did pretty well a couple of times. The ones I hunted allowed you to drive to within several hundred yards of the the water. I walked in carrying decoys, etc. Permanent blinds are not allowed. Look here for more info:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/#aph

 

[Greybeard]

Noticed ya not to far from Lake Lewisville and Ray Roberts. Not much of a duck hunter myself, but hunter ed. students over the years have reported both great and lousy at semi-local lakes above.

But they are cheap and fairly close. As is LBJ Grasslands, which has quite a few ponds/lakes north of Decatur. While hog hunting, I've also seen duck hunters (with boats) having some success at Coffee Mill Lake at Caddo National Grasslands (north of Bonham).

$48 Public Hunting Pkg. gets you on Ray Roberts or Caddo National Grasslands. LBJ is "free" - although you would need to stop in office on 287 on north edge of Decatur to get rules/$6 map. (Detailed map for Caddo is on opposite side of big $6 LBJ map.)

Written proof of hunter ed. required for free permit from Corp of Engineers in Lewisville (which cover both Lakes Grapevine and Lewisville).

City of Denton has semi-recently leased some Corps land on the north side of 380. They also require hunter ed. and allow duck hunting (by permit only) thru Feb. 28. A guy I had in class a few weeks ago said he'd done well there on teal. But, I was up there a couple of days ago trying to stick a pig and the water had pretty much receeded back to the south side of 380 (portions of which are huntable with the Corps permit).

Anyhoo, there are some rather large pieces of inexpensive public lands within a couple of hours of DFW. But they do take some legwork, both on the paperwork and scouting ends.

 

[Greybeard]

Noticed ya not to far from Lake Lewisville and Ray Roberts. Not much of a duck hunter myself, but hunter ed. students over the years have reported both great and lousy at semi-local lakes above.

But they are cheap and fairly close. As is LBJ Grasslands, which has quite a few ponds/lakes north of Decatur. While hog hunting, I've also seen duck hunters (with boats) having some success at Coffee Mill Lake at Caddo National Grasslands (north of Bonham).

$48 Public Hunting Pkg. gets you on Ray Roberts or Caddo National Grasslands. LBJ is "free" - although you would need to stop in office on 287 on north edge of Decatur to get rules/$6 map. (Detailed map for Caddo is on opposite side of big $6 LBJ map.)

Written proof of hunter ed. required for free permit from Corp of Engineers in Lewisville (which cover both Lakes Grapevine and Lewisville).

City of Denton has semi-recently leased some Corps land on the north side of 380. They alsomrequire hunter ed. and allow duck hunting (by permit only) thru Feb. 28. A guy I had in class a few weeks ago said he'd done well there on teal. But, I was up there a couple of days ago trying to stick a pig and the water had pretty much receeded back to the south side of 380 (portions of which are huntable with the Corps permit).

Anyhoo, there are some rather large pieces of inexpensive public lands within a couple of hours of DFW. But they do take some legwork, both on the paperwork and scouting ends.