Category: Public Hunting

Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a reality. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission today approved acceptance of a land donation to create the new 14,037 acre Yoakum Dunes WMA in Cochran, Terry and Yoakum Counties near Lubbock, providing a refuge for the threatened lesser prairie chicken and other native grassland birds and wildlife. It’s the first new WMA in Texas since the 2006 donation of the McGillivray and Leona McKie Muse Wildlife Management Area in Brown County.

Acquisition of land for the WMA was made possible through a partnership between The Nature Conservancy of Texas, The Conservation Fund and Concho Resources, Inc., an oil and gas company operating in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico that donated $400,000 to The Conservation Fund towards land acquisitions for the WMA. The donation leveraged $1.2 million in federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program funds.

“Conserving the lesser-prairie chicken all comes down to habitat, and the new Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area will provide vital breeding and nesting habitat for the species in a critically important part of its range” said Ross Melinchuk, TPWD deputy executive director for natural resources. “It would not have been possible without federal wildlife grant funds and support from private partners.”

In 2007, the Nature Conservancy of Texas began purchasing land that would become the Yoakum Dunes Preserve, using federal grant funds. The conservancy has acquired 10,635 acres, which the commission today approved to accept as a donation to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The department has acquired tracts totaling 3,402 acres contiguous with the TNC holdings. Today’s commission vote clears the way for the conservancy to transfer its holdings to TPWD in order to establish the Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area.

The primary impetus for the WMA is conservation of the lesser prairie chicken, whose historic shinnery oak/midgrass prairie habitat has been fragmented by agriculture, oil and gas development, and other land uses. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the bird as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in May, 2014. (See TPWD’s lesser prairie-chicken web page for more information.) Besides the prairie-chicken, the new WMA will also provide important habitat for a wide range of indigenous wildlife, including Texas horned lizards, quail and mule deer.

The partners emphasized that although the new WMA is a major achievement, private landowner conservation is essential to recover the lesser-prairie chicken. TPWD and four other states within the bird’s range are cooperating in a range-wide plan led by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, which provides funding and incentives for private ranchers and other landowners to conserve habitat.

It will take a few months to complete the land transfer from TNC to TPWD and create the new WMA. In June, Brandon Childers, formerly at Black Gap WMA, started work as the new biologist and WMA manager at Yoakum Dunes. For the next year or two, he will lead department efforts to complete baseline surveys to assess natural and cultural resources, begin habitat management practices such as brush control and water improvements to benefit the lesser prairie-chicken and other grassland wildlife, and plan public use opportunities on the WMA.

In coming years the agency plans to offer public recreational use of the WMA, including hunting, birding and other compatible recreation. However, decisions about what degree and how much of the WMA may be open to the public won’t be possible until after on-site resources are fully assessed.

Once the new WMA is created after the land transfer, TPWD will eventually create a Yoakum Dunes WMA web page with more information for the public, including a phone number to contact. In the meantime, questions about the new WMA or landowner assistance for wildlife conservation can be addressed to the Panhandle/High Plains Wildlife District of the Wildlife Division.

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It’s official, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) draw hunts are online as of today! Hunters looking to step foot on public hunting lands can enter for hunting opportunities across the state of Texas. The new online catalog of hunts is available and applications are being accepted. Hunters can browse through the available hunting opportunities online or download a printable PDF.

Talking Public Hunting

TPWD says that over the last several years, a lot of thought and planning went into creating the new online drawing system. The new draw hunt system replaces one that was inefficient and labor intensive; it will improve the way applications are submitted, winners are selected for hunts, and permits are issued, allowing hunters to check their status online anytime and pay application and permit fees by credit card. Anything that saves taxpayer money and makes my life easier sounds like a good idea.

Draw Hunt Permits Available

The online system includes TPWD’s special permit hunts, e-postcard selection hunts for a limited number of areas and US Forest Service antlerless deer permits. Special permit hunts include General, Youth Only and Adult Only categories for a variety of species including alligator, white-tailed deer, mule deer, exotics, feral hogs, javelina and turkey.

Forest Service permits include a limited number of permits provided to hunt antlerless white-tailed deer during the general open season on Alabama Creek, Bannister, Moore Plantation and Sam Houston National Forest Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). No application fee is required for e-postcard or USFS hunts.

Entering TPWD Drawn Hunts

In a complete 180 degree move, paper applications are no longer accepted. The 2014 TPWD draw hunt applications will only accepted online and any mailed paper applications will be returned to the sender. It is absolutely necessary that interested hunters have access to a computer. For those of you reading this article, you will be fine. Others will have to head down to the local public library or get help from a friend or relative who has internet access.

There are no residency restrictions, so Texas residents and non-residents can easily apply. Web-based entry makes it easier for residents to enter, but also drastically increases the ability for non-residents to enter.

Youth applicants for Special Permits draw hunts must be between 8 and 16 years old. Supervising adults must be at least 18 years old. Youth applicants for E-Postcard hunts and US Forest Service Permits must be under 17 years old.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is updating drawn hunts by implementing and requiring online, website-based registration for public hunting opportunities in 2014. TPWD did a mail-out earlier this week to inform past public hunters of the change in the way the program is administered. The letter thank past hunters for participating in Texas’s Public Hunting Program and announced the new online Public Hunt Drawing System.

The benefits to Texas’s hunters include an easier application process, real-time status checks on applications, the ability to pay application and permit fees by credit card, and the ability to either print or store hunt permits on a mobile device. Also, selected hunters will no longer receive letters in the mail, but rather drawn winners will be notified by email.

“With the new paperless system, hunters will be able to browse the drawn hunt catalog by hunt category and location using interactive maps, as well as complete the application and pay online. Selected applicants will be notified by email and can accept permits and pay any fees online. Permits will be issued by email and can be printed at home or stored on a mobile device. Those applicants who are not selected may still be eligible through a secondary drawing if any permits are unclaimed by the payment deadline. There may still be opportunities for traditional standby hunts at some locations.”

The downside is that TPWD will no longer print and mail the “Applications for Drawings on Public Hunting Lands” booklet. I can understand that it’s a cost-savings measure in a highly web world, but I enjoyed being able to thumb through the book and compare different public hunting lands at my convenience. The cost to enter most drawn hunts is still $3, but there are also some hunts, such as e-postcard hunts and US Forest Service antlerless deer hunts that have no application fee.

The online drawn hunt system should be available for hunters to begin their application process in early July, according to the letter. More information about the new drawn hunt system can be found on their website, by contacting hunt@tpwd.texas.gov or by calling 512-389-4505.

South Texas is home to some really big ranches that provide quality hunting for whitetail deer, dove, turkey, quail and feral hogs, but did you know that it also provides some quality public hunting lands for many game animals? Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (PTWD) has many public hunting opportunities available to residents and non-residents willing to get out in the field. One of the best programs going is the Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit.

The APH comes at a cost of $48, and allows you access to hunt over 200 properties across Texas for a wide range of species. For the annual fee, hunters may hunt many different units and may also hunt as many times as they like within the guidelines for each individual lease. Hunters may obtain an APH permit at local retailers where they purchase their hunting and fishing licenses.

There are many quality public hunting opportunities from San Antonio to Brownsville. The state has a high number of quality small game leases that focus on mourning and white-winged dove hunting, but they also have leases open for early-season teal, rabbits, hares, squirrels, and even bobwhite and scaled quail. In addition, wildlife officials just added 11 new public hunting leases encompassing over 5,000 acres for the 2013-14 hunting season in Bexar, Frio, and LaSalle Counties. The majority of the hunting targets mourning and white-winged doves.

For hunters living in or near San Antonio, there are two 500 acre units that are close to home. The Somerset and Lone Star Pass units both allow dove and teal hunting. Despite the close proximity to the city, there is plenty of space to enjoy a fun and safe dove hunt.

Frio County, just an hour southwest of San Antonio on Interstate 35, has arguably some of the best public dove hunting available. With 7 public dove hunting leases in Frio County, hunters can expect to find doves all season long. There is also ample space to spread out and enjoy some safe hunting opportunities. The 1,451 acre Mimosa Farms Units are once again gearing up for a great season, but don’t forget about Mimosa Farms 526 outside Dilley, which also offers good hunting opportunities and is large enough to accommodate a large number of hunters.

There are an addition 10-plus public hunting leases in deeper South Texas, which range between 40 acres and 300 acres. These leases are spread out and offer a great opportunity to the hunters looking to cover some ground spend some time in the field. Based on TPWD white-winged banding efforts and surveys, the communities of Alice, Kingsville, and Falfurrias hold very high populations of white-winged doves, and the coastal bend has thousands of acres of cropland which mourning doves flock to.

TPWD offers up some quality properties for hunters looking for public land in South Texas that possess the APH public hunting permit. The leases primarily are geared towards dove hunting, but many also offfer rabbit, hare, and squirrel hunting, depending on the unit. It’s always nice to get down South and you never know what you are going to see. South Texas boasts some great hunting for whitetail deer, dove, turkey, quail and feral hogs. Just make sure to follow the regulations for the unit that you are hunting.

All reports from the north indicated that the upcoming duck and goose hunting seasons should be a good one since it was a good year for waterfowl reproduction. Some of the best public hunting lands in Texas can be found on the coastal wildlife management areas (WMA) for waterfowl, including J.D. Murphree WMA. The 30,000+ acre WMA has been busy with wetland habitat management projects for decades now, making the highly productive marshes even more attractive for wintering ducks and geese.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department invites the public to attend an informational meeting regarding the upcoming migratory game bird hunting season and ongoing wetland restoration efforts on Wildlife Management Areas along the Upper Coast of Texas. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 14, from 6-8 p.m. at the J.D. Murphree WMA Headquarters check station at 10 Parks and Wildlife Drive in Port Arthur, on the south side of Highway 73 near the intersection of Jade Avenue.

Wetland projects were completed on sites in the Lower Neches WMA and the J.D. Murphree WMA. Updates regarding public duck hunting access within the Upper Coast WMAs and information on rules and regulations, including leased public hunting sites, will also be available. Additional information regarding public hunting opportunity on TPWD owned lands is available by contacting the J.D. Murphree WMA at 409-736-2551.

The James E. Daughtrey Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a 4,400 acres low fenced multiple-use recreational area that offer public hunting opportunities for white-tailed deer, alligator and other game species. The WMA surrounds Choke Canyon Reservoir as is operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Located in Live Oak and McMullen counties midway between San Antonio and Corpus Christi, the WMA is representive of South Texas habitats and is a component of the South Texas Ecosystem Project (STEP). The Frio, Atascosa, and Nueces Rivers join near the town of Three Rivers, just east of the WMA. The WMA occupies five non-contiguous parcels adjacent to the lake.

Choke Canyon Reservoir also provides valuable habitat to migratory species, including a wide variety of waterfowl. The lake itself is considered part of the WMA for purposes of public waterfowl hunting. All regulations applicable to waterfowl hunting, including a prohibition on airboats on the lake, apply to hunters accesing the lake for waterfowl hunting purposes. Waterfowl season is open during all open waterfowl seasons when accessed from the lake. An Annual Public Hunting (APH) permit is required of all waterfowl hunters. Access to the lake through the WMA is closed as posted at entrance information booths and in the Annual Public Hunting Lands Map Booklet.

Originally grassland, after the suppression of fire and the elimination of the buffalo, this region developed into the South Texas brush country of today. The climate includes long, hot summers, mild winters and erratic precipitation distribution. The average annual rainfall rate is 20-25 inches. Mesquite and associated thorny shrubs, such as catclaw acacia, huisache, blackbrush, granjeno, brasil, whitebrush, Texas persimmon, and prickly pear, account for much of the cover. Live oak, hackberry, and elm are the dominant tree species. Silver bluestem, buffelgrass, curly mesquite, and Arizona cottontop are the dominant grasses throughout the WMA. The topography is gently sloping to level and the soils range from loamy sand to heavy clay.

Ample cover, food, and water in close proximity result in a very productive wildlife habitat. White-tailed deer, javelina, wild turkeys, mourning and white-winged dove, bobwhite and scaled quail, rabbits, coyotes, gray foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, feral hogs, and many other wildlife species inhabit the WMA. The Daughtry WMA is know for excellent deer hunting and good deer are harvested there on a fairly regular basis, which is not unusual for that part of Texas.

TPWD assumed responsibility of the property in 1981 for the care, operation, maintenance, and replacement of the recreation, fish and wildlife, and open space resources of the Choke Canyon Reservoir. The WMA historically has been used as a public use area to provide maximum hunting opportunity and appreciable public use, commensurate with availability of the resource. The Daughtrey WMA offers an interpretive nature trail, wildlife viewing, and hunting. Fishing is available on Choke Canyon Reservoir through access by public boat ramp.

The James E. Daughtrey WMA is named in memory of state game warden James E. Daughtrey, who was fatally injured in a vehicle accident while pursuing game law violators in McMullen County. You can get more information about the (a href=”https://texashuntingtimes.com/category/public-hunting/” title=”Texas Public Hunting Lands”>public huntingopportunities at the WMA by contacting area personnel at (830) 676-3413.

Public Hunting at Daughtrey WMA

Roads on the area are mostly primitive and trucks will permit access to most of the hunting area. Four wheel drive is recommended for wet conditions. Limited permanent blinds are provided and hunters may bring their own portable blinds. There are no cold storage facilities available on the area. A primitive campground is available for use only by persons authorized to hunt under Special Permits and will open the evening prior to scheduled hunts. Drinking water and electrical hook-ups are not available in the campground. A limited number of fire rings and picnic tables are provided on a first come-first served basis as is one rented chemical toilet. Camping is also available at Choke Canyon State Park – South Shore Unit (361/786-3538). For further information call the WMA office.

Public hunting lands are an excellent way to find a place to hunt in Texas; or if you already have a place, they can provide a new and unique hunting opportunity. In the Lone Star State, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers two separate types of hunts: Annual Public Hunting Permit hunts (APH hunts) and special permit hunts. Both are very different as far as access and what you are allowed to harvest.

APH permits allow you to access public land when APH hunts occur. APH permits are available anywhere licenses are sold and cost $48. When you purchase an APH, a booklet is mailed to you with maps of all the current public lands, what species you are allowed to hunt on each property, and when you can access those lands. This information is also available on the TPWD website. Public lands in this system offer a wide variety of game to pursue including: waterfowl, dove, quail, pheasants, rabbits, and hogs.

Most of the public lands in Texas that you can access utilizing an APH have unmanned check stations. You are required to fill out general information at onsite registration (OSR) booths set up at the entrances of the hunting area. APH permits are good for the license year (September 1 through August 31).

Many Texas residents who hunt are probably looking for new places to hunt deer and other big game. These are typically not allowed on APH hunts, but instead through special permits. Special permit hunts are made available through a lottery system. Usually around mid to late July, a booklet (Applications for Drawings on Public Hunting Lands) comes out that has all of the special permit hunts that will be available for the upcoming hunting season. There are 24 different categories (such as Archery Deer, Gun Deer, Youth Deer, Alligator etc.), for which you can apply.

All of the information you need is in the book, such as hunt dates, what you can harvest on that hunt, how many permits will be issued, number of applicants the previous year and the success rate. There are application forms in the back of the book that need to be filled out. There is one form for each category, so you must apply for each one separately, and you may only apply for each category once. You can have up to 4 people total on a card depending on the hunt. Incomplete applications will not be accepted, so pay close attention when completing these forms. Also, do not try to enter yourself and your hunting buddies on one card, and then have them enter for the same category on their card. The computer will catch the duplication and throw both application cards out.

The cost is just $3.00 per adult applicant per category to enter the drawing. Big Time Texas Hunts entries are $10 per applicant. If you are lucky enough to be drawn, you will need to pay $80 – $130 per adult, depending on the length of the hunt. Youth hunters (under 17) are exempt from any fees. Applications and fees must be received at TPWD Headquarters by the posted deadline which will vary by hunt category.

This article on public hunting in Texas was written by Daniel Walker,Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist, Chaparral Wildlife Management Area. Article originally appeared in TPWD publication “The Cedar Post”, Volume 2, Issue 2, 2012.

Every year that you put in for the drawing and are not selected, you start to accumulate preference points for each category. So let’s say that you applied for the Gun Deer Either Sex (GDE) hunt for the first time last year and were not drawn, and then applied for the GDE this year. You now have one preference point which means your name is put into the drawing 1 extra time. If you are not selected for the next 5 years, you will have your name put in 5 extra times for that category and so on.

Some public hunt categories at certain locations are very popular and are difficult to get drawn for. For instance, at the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area we regularly have 3,000+ applicants competing for about 40 of our deer hunting permits. Most of the selected hunters end up with 15, 20, or even 25+ preference points before they are drawn on a whitetail deer hunt.

Once you are selected for that category, your preference points are reset and you have to start over accumulating them. Some categories and hunting areas are more popular than others, so if you are looking for the best chance of getting drawn then look at the previous year’s number of applicants and the number of permits offered so that you can gauge your chances.

A democrat-written bill that was designed to provide additional federal land access for public hunting and fishing was shot down this week. The bill also excluded lead for fishing and hunting from any environment regulation. What’s most surprising, the hunting bill was shot down by the GOP. Is this another partisan battle? Currently, it appears the Republicans took a stand against this public access bill only because of the riders and unclear the taxpayer cost.

If they can work out the cost and rider issues, then certainly more public hunting land access would be a good thing. How will this impact Texas hunters? It’s unclear at this point, especially since Texas is low of federal land. But there is definitely more land that will be available for public hunting in Texas if this bill ultimately passes.

Source: A wide-ranging bill to give hunters and fishermen more access to public lands stalled in the Senate Monday after Republicans said it spends too much money.

Republicans supported opening lands for outdoorsmen and many other provisions in the bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, but GOP senators blocked the legislation on principle Monday evening in a mostly party-line procedural vote after Senate Budget Committee’s top Republican, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, objected to spending on conservation programs included in the bill.

The sportsmen’s bill would increase land access and allow hunters to bring home as trophies 41 polar bears killed in Canada before the government started protecting polar bears as a threatened species. The legislation would also exclude ammunition and tackle from federal environmental laws that regulate lead, allow bow hunters to cross federal land where public hunting isn’t allowed, encourage federal land agencies to help states maintain shooting ranges, boost fish populations and protect animal habitat.

Texas is known for white-tailed deer hunting and big ole bucks, but there is a public hunting hot spot located just a stones throw from Austin, Texas. That place is called the Granger Wildlife Management Area (WMA). I’ve seen several hunting forums buzzing about the postcards hunts out there this hunting season. Hunters possessing an Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit could apply by postcard for the opportunity to deer hunt at Granger WMA. The deadline was September 18 and it looks like there may be additional opportunity for those not initially selected.

Source: “There are at least 10 positions available for Stand-by on Monday, October 1st. The drawing will be held at 9 AM sharp. The orientation for standby postcard hunts will follow. There could be more positions depending upon how many no-shows there are for the Mandatory Orientation on Friday (no, there won’t be any stand-by opportunity on Friday – so don’t bother coming if you weren’t picked for the initial drawing – it will be crowded enough).

Both the drawing and orientation will be held at the TPWD Granger Lake WMA Checkstation next to Willis Creek Park entrance (NOT AT THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS OFFICE BY THE DAM).

Hunters can show up as early as you like, but Derrick and I won’t be there until 8 or so. The drawing will be out of a hat (actually a cap probably because very few people wear hats anymore).

Please bring your:

1) Annual Public Hunting Permit (need it before the drawing)
2) Drivers License
3) Proof of Hunter Education
4) License plate number/description of the vehicles you will be driving to the area to hunt

 

More on Granger WMA

Source: “Both the sportsman and the naturalist can enjoy the 10,800+ acre Granger WMA surrounding Granger Lake. The WMA’s are licensed out to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). These areas provide hunting, hiking, mountain biking, and bird watching. For more information call 512/ 859-2838

To enable you to hunt at Granger Lake you must purchase a TPWD Public Lands Hunting Permit, along with a valid hunting license and applicable stamps. These permits can be obtained anywhere hunting license are sold. (Locally available at Dutchess Exxon in Circleville or Wal-Mart in Taylor)

Primary game species for shotgun hunting are dove, quail, waterfowl, rabbit and squirrel in applicable seasons

Archery hunting for feral hogs is allowed year round, except when areas are closed for special permit (draw) hunts. Hunting for deer and turkey are allowed by draw permit only.”

Regulated deer hunting is a requirement for managing white-tailed deer populations and the habitats that they occupy. In the past, deer hunting for whitetail, axis deer and other exotic species has taken place a Kerrville-Schreiner Park in Kerrville, Texas. Area bow hunters will get another chance this year to help manage the deer population at the city-owned Kerrville-Schreiner Park through a continued lease with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

The Kerrville city council voted Tuesday to renew the agreement for the annual hunt that has taken place in the park since 2008. Each year, about 60 public hunters are drawn in a lottery for the chance to bow hunt in the 517 acre park off Bandera Highway. The city started the program with the state in 2008 to manage the deer population in the park. At the time, there were estimated to be more than 100 whitetail deer in the park, in addition to numerous axis and blackbuck antelope. TPWD recommends a deer density of one deer for every 15 to 20 acres of habitat.

In addition to the diminished natural food sources, the high density of the deer population led to problems for passing motorists. In the first year of the hunt, 32 deer were harvested from the park during the public hunts. In subsequent years, there were 13, 24 and 17 deer taken by bow hunters.

Since the city began working to manage the whitetail deer population, feeding deer has been prohibited in the park. Visitors also are discouraged from interacting with the deer, which for years were so tame they would walk up to vehicles and people.

“The most significant reason for partnering with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the bow hunts is to manage our wildlife population,” said Mindy Wendele, director of business programs for the city. “A bonus to the partnership is having Kerrville in a statewide program that could bring new visitors to our city.”

The bow hunt that occurs in the park also brings in revenue. The city receives a payment of about $4,000 annually from TPWD for the hunt. Because the Kerrville-Schreiner Park is inside the city limits, hunters are limited to archery only. They also are given limited geographic areas to hunt away from the boundaries of the park and on the south side of the park. The north side of the park along the Guadalupe River will remain open during the month.

Hunters are selected by a drawing process through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Public Hunt Program. The program also uses standby hunters during specific periods to fill any open positions. The dates for the standby hunters for the upcoming year have not yet been determined. For more information about public hunting opportunities at Kerrville-Schreiner Park, call the parks and recreation department at 257-7300.