Deer hunting pungo

How is the hunting on the pungo unit now, I haven't been in many years, I've never really seen any huge bucks but it was fun to hunt if you were willing to put effort in it.

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darenative

Twelve Pointer
It's not as good as it used to be. If you go with hopes of it being as good as it was 15 or 20 years ago, you will be disappointed.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Dang those were some good times several years ago. Leaving there with deer stacked like chord wood in the back of the truck. Walking and jumpin'em like rabbits. I miss those times!
 

jenkinsnb

Ten Pointer
I'm a regular and have been for 15ish years except for the "government shutdown". If you expect it to be like it was a decade ago, you will show up and leave disappointed. Me and my crowd tend to hike between 8 and 10 miles of thickets per day. A number of years ago (2 deer per person per day) we could lay out 8 or 10 deer per day; if you were willing to work for them. Now it's gotten so thick that you can't walk most of it and couldn't see a deer flush to shoot at if you could walk it. It could reeeeaaaallllyyyyy benefit from another burn.
Edited to add that most of the "dumb" deer have been killed off or learned.
 
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Why are the deer numbers so down? Obviously there have always been a load of bears and a few wolves around. What changed?

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jenkinsnb

Ten Pointer
I'd say the numbers are down because you can't get to where they are. The deer haven't left their little refuge, there's just an absolute ton of cover for them that you can't access.
 

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I've had some great times hunting down there. I'm thinking about going back this year just because its Pungo, don't really care if I shoot anything or not. The last deer my dad ever killed was at Pungo. 8pt, nothing huge but for that area it was a very very nice deer. He's on my wall.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
We used to go and archery hunt it. Used bicycles to get around. Had great success, but those days have long been past.
 

duckmauler

Eight Pointer
Never hunted there nor do I plan to, but that area intrigues me. Looks like it'd hold all kinds of critters. How are the snakes there?
 

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Anyone familiar with the next to the last road by the canal that was the border between refuge and private land. Our group always called it the tunnel road because the trees hung over the road about half mile from the gate and looked like a tunnel. We always hunted that road, can't begin to count how many we peddled out from there or had the refuge truck haul out lol. Every time dad and I went we killed at least one a piece and most of the time two. We took some different folks over the years, most if not all killed deer. It's worth the trip to ride around and see the wildlife down there.
 

shadycove

Twelve Pointer
And most of them are quite robust, you forgot to add that.

You know that it was a "robust" snake when it sounds like a cinder block falling off a limb into the canal. Not sure if I would be as brave/careless traveling a levee in the dark as I was in the '80s.
WM, lemon pepper with added black pepper at the plate was always my choice.
 
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nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You know that it was a "robust" snake when it sounds like a cinder block falling off a limb into the canal. Not sure if I would be as brave/careless traveling a levee at night as I was in the '80s.
WM, lemon pepper with added black pepper at the plate was always my choice.
I know I wouldn't now. Age along with a newfound respect for them I developed in '94 has kinda changed my outlook. I still tromp the woods often but not near as carelessly and not where there are they type there are with as bad an attitude as those down there. I didn't even wear snake boots then. Living proof the good Lord looks after fools.
 
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Wanchese

Twelve Pointer
I was at Pungo today for the better part of the day, saw three does together in a bean field and no other deer on the refuge. I don't think there's as many deer there as there was five years ago, much less 15 or 20. There's still deer but anyone expecting it to be like the past will be really disappointed.

You are more likely to see a "endangered red wolf" if that's on your bucket list..........................
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I was at Pungo today for the better part of the day, saw three does together in a bean field and no other deer on the refuge. I don't think there's as many deer there as there was five years ago, much less 15 or 20. There's still deer but anyone expecting it to be like the past will be really disappointed.

You are more likely to see a "endangered red wolf" if that's on your bucket list..........................

And maybe, just maybe, if you're really lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the ever elusive black bears that inhabit the area. Gotta look close, because most are small...............:):):):):):)
 

BigBow

Ten Pointer
Contributor
A truly unique place to hunt. Just don't forget your Thermacell! Mosquitoes sound like jet planes at dusk.
 
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