Congrats! I drew this hunt, same dates last year. It was the most fun Ive had shooting "management" animals. These were all my first axis deer.

I wanted to post some info for others that draw that haven't hunted South Llano River SP before. When I researched online last year there was very little info available.

The hunt is 48 hours, my hunt was noon Wednesday to noon Friday Orientation was at 10am the first day.
After orientation you will draw from a can that has dominoes in it, 1-10. You pick blinds based on how you draw. I was lucky and drew domino #1 so I got first pick of blind. They have 10 years' worth of kill data at each blind so you can make a decision based on that.

I chose blind #2 as it had the most exotic kills. As long as you draw the first 6 dominoes you should be fine, as thats how many blinds are along the river or by the campground. The animals travel along the river morning and evening and there was a big herd of axis that bedded 40yds from my tent every night in the campground. Blinds #2-7 had the most success.

They will then check everyone's corn before you head out, it must be below 20ppb aflotoxin. Its sold at one of the feed stores in Junction. The camp host told me about a hunter that was there a few weeks before us, he was using some kind of liquid/gel sweet attractant and that the axis flocked to it. As I recall he told me that hunter killed 5 or 6 axis in the 48 hour hunt, might be worth asking about ahead of time if drawn.

If you dont get to hunt along the river you may be in for a long hunt. The guy that drew the #10 domino bounced around different blinds in the hills away from the river and didnt see an animal until his 3rd sit. I felt sorry for him, he took the longest to draw out of everyone there. Most of the whitetails were shot in the blinds not on the river.

The guy in blind 3 shot a nice axis buck and 2 axis does. I shot 2 axis spikes, axis doe and a small axis buck. I had 2 other axis come through that I didnt get a shot at. I gave up my blind for the morning hunt on the last day and the guy that sat there shot an axis doe.

We were allowed to shoot, axis, aoudad, blackbuck, fallow, sika and maybe others cant remember. But the only exotics seen were axis. There were 11 axis and some whitetail does taken during the hunt. The camp host and park rangers preferred that we shoot every exotic we saw before whitetails. There were 2 deer lost due to poor neck shots, one was supposedly a really big axis buck. He shot it in the neck so he didnt ruin any shoulder meat, he said it laid there about 10 minutes then got up and ran off. He never found it.

The camp host said that they lose deer every hunt due to bad neck shots, so they were very adamant about taking heart/lung shots. But most people(me included, head shots) took head/neck shots as to not ruin meat.

At blinds 2 and 3 your shots were quick and no more than 120yds or so. I put out corn in a 120ish yd circle around the blind in the trees, it slowed down the doe and spikes but the small buck I killed was strictly passing through. I gave him a lip squeak, and he stopped long enough to get a shot. I think these blinds would be difficult for kids with less shooting experience, they never really stood still and most of the blinds I saw were 4x4 but felt smaller inside. My shots were at 60, 80 and 120yds.

The cleaning facilities were nice, they had 2 hand winch stations outside and a screened in room with 4 more hand winch stations. There was also a small walk in cooler that could hold around 8 animals. I took my 4' chest freezer and a generator, I gave my blind up the last morning because I had also drawn the nilgai hunt in the valley, leaving that last morning and wouldn't be home for another 4 days. If you draw one of the good blinds theres a good chance you will need the freezer room or several ice chests. My 4 axis all fit nicely in the freezer and had enough room for 1 more should I have needed it.

The biologist has to take a cwd sample of every animal before you leave, if youre keeping the head.

Im sure there's some details Im forgetting but its been almost a year, hopefully this will help answer some questions for those that draw. Its a pretty place and a fun hunt!

Map of the blind locations


My deer, blind 2






Blind 3 buck

More draws happening today, right now.

Got antlerless spike