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South Republican SWA

Anybody recently been to what was Bonny Reservoir State Park? Guess it's now called South Republican SWA now. I drew my second choice tag in 109, I have some private land I'll probably be able to hunt, but I don't like going there too much and wearing out my welcome as they always put me up in the house and I just feel like I'm imposing all the time. Part of the SWA is in 109 so if I could camp there and have a bathroom to use it would be another option for me so I could go more often. I looked at the CPW page on it and it seems doable, but wanted to see if anybody that's been there fairly recently could give me a little feedback on it!

Hunted 109 last year and also drew it again this year on second choice. I camped at res last year and drove from there.

I drew 103 for archery. Not sure I will get to hunt it much as I work for the military. I scouted it this weekend a little but it did not help much. Can anyone help me out in 103? Thanks. Ken

If you have a camper, camp at Papa's Bait Store. Kenny would like to see you using his place.

Papa's Bait Store is probably not a bad option. A few years ago both my boys had 103 archery tags and we had parked our popup in one of the campgrounds on the south end of the old reservoir. After we got back from our first outing the table and chairs we set outside the camper was were stolen. Luckily I had not popped up the camper or other things might have been stolen. I had heard of similar experiences out their as well.

Yeah, I've heard countless stories about treestands being stolen out there. I'll probably just sleep in back of truck and I ordered a climbing tree stand today that I can hopefully find a small enough diameter tree to use it in. If I use a hang-on I'll remove steps when I'm not in it.

I don't think there are any working bathrooms anymore. I think everything is locked up tight! Kenny's is a good place to park and fairly convenient as you are right on the river bottom. Idalia is about 10 miles away and I have a fairly big yard right in town and there is almost always someone around here. If anyone runs into a bind and needs a place to unhook a camper or a trailer for a week or weekend, let me know. There are also a few camper slots in Idalia where you can park, but there is only sewer dumps as the water will be shut off that time of year.

That's one of my big concerns EastCO, wish CPW would institute a nominal fee, no frills camp facility to handle pumping an outhouse and providing trash pickup.

The vault toilets were open and fairly clean at the Hale camping area during turkey season.

Thanks Ziek!

It also looked like part of the old boat launch/camping area was open, but I didn't check any of the facilities.

Kludzakd I had sent you a pm

I hunted 103 last year, camped near the old boat ramp in Wagon Wheel. The vault toilets there are open, just bring your own TP. I drew a 103 doe tag this year, so I will be back out there again.

Hey @oldgoat did you end up hunting south republican SWA? Thinking of grabbing a leftover whitetail only tag this year, since it’s about the only thing left, for unit 109. If you made it out that way, do you have any pointers?

The Whitetail population has severely diminished over the years. I still can go out there with my rifle and kick up a small group of whitetails in the exact same spot every time and usually get one but don't see as many out there anymore

"The Whitetail population has severely diminished over the years."

That was the goal...

I helped it diminish one doe at a time. I'll be out there this year again with my 300 Win Mag in the January rifle season for doe

I have hunted it since 1996. Killed a lot of nice deer out there over all those years. I never understood the desire to reduce the deer herd out there but they have very successfully done that a few hundred does at a time. What was once a really incredible unit is now a shadow of its old self.

Save your time and energy. 109, and 103 have gone so far downhill over the last ten plus years .

Did you hunt it this year brewski?

I hunted 103 this year (and the last 2 prior years) The CPW had the hairbrain idea to dump approx 200 head of cattle on the entire west end of the South Republican SWA. They said it was a trial run for whatever reason.

There were no deer from there to Camp Hale.

Another area the CPW had fucked up.

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