Best Dove Hunting in Texas in 10 Years



Dove Hunting a Big Deal

There is no doubt that the opening day of dove hunting season is Texas is considered a bonafide holiday by many hunters. Dove hunting is also a big deal to all of those little crossroad towns that dot Texas’ rural landscape. The contributions to those local economies is significant, with direct expenditures and taxes from dove hunting contributes over $400 million to the Texas economy.

With the average hunter taking 7 to 8 shots per bagged bird, that’s a lot of shells, for starters. And a lot of sold burgers at DQ.


Dove Season Expectations

With opening day done, what can dove hunters expect to find in the fields the rest of the season? Based on survey conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), mourning dove numbers may be some of the highest in more 10 years in the Panhandle with similar numbers as 2015 in the remainder of Texas. White-winged doves continue to increase in numbers across the state, but surveys show that the growth of the species is no longer ramping up, but rather growing slowing.

“Dove hunters should be prepared for good seed production across the state, so there will be plenty dove foods available for mourning doves except in areas where flooding occurred,” said Shaun Oldenburger, TPWD dove program leader. “This may make dove hunting a little more difficult due to thick vegetation cover, and hunters will need to spend a little more time finding downed birds in areas due to this issue during opening day in some areas.”

Texas 2016-17 Dove Hunting Seasons

Dove season in Texas‘ North Zone runs Sept. 1 – Nov. 13 and Dec. 17 – Jan. 1, 2017; in the Central Zone from Sept. 1 – Nov. 6 and Dec. 17 – Jan. 8, 2017; and in the South Zone from Sept. 23 – Nov. 13 and Dec. 17 – Jan. 23, 2017. The daily bag limit for doves statewide is 15 and the possession limit 45.

In the Special White-winged Dove Area, the season runs Sept. 3-4, 10-11, Sept. 23 – Nov. 9, Dec. 17 – Jan. 23, 2017. During the early two weekends in the Special White-winged Dove Area, hunting is allowed only in the afternoon and the daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include not more than two mourning doves and two white-tipped doves. During the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit is 15 with no more than two white-tipped doves.


Wildlife Management Workshop for Deer, Hogs & CWD

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has announced that it will offer a Wildlife Management Workshop on September 24th, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for Central Texas property owners. The even will take place at the Bass Conference Center located at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area, about 30 minutes west of Kerrville.

The wildlife management topics covered will include white-tailed deer management, dealing with feral hogs and provide information on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The purpose of the workshop is to:

  • Provide up to date knowledge pertaining to White-tailed deer (Genetics, Nutrition, and Habitat)
  • Manage Feral Hogs (Eradication, Trapping, Lethal doses of Sodium Nitrite); and
  • Discuss Chronic Wasting Disease (Knowledge and Scientific facts on CWD, Existing/Future regulations pertaining to CWD.

All presentations will be made by TPWD trained specialists and biologists. To register for this wildlife management workshop, contact Brock Minton; (S. TX. Hunter Ed. Specialist) at 361-944-3617 or at brock.minton@tpwd.texas.gov. Seating is limited so if you are interested in learning about managing whitetail and hogs then get signed up ASAP.

Each participant will be responsible for bringing his or her own lunch. Distances to and from area dining facilities are too far from the Kerr WMA and time consuming, and will interfere with workshop’s agenda.The afternoon portion of this workshop will be conducted outdoors. Please be prepared (bug repellant; sun block), and dress (clothing, boots, etc.) for all adverse conditions.


Best of all, there is no charge for this workshop!

Colorado Bend State Park Hunting

Colorado Bend State Park (SP) offers hunting for a variety of game species, but white-tailed deer hunting is the most popular. All hunts are by special permit only, which means hunters must apply and be selected to hunt at Colorado Bend SP. The park offers archery deer hunts, gun hunts for antlerless and spike deer, either sex gun hunts for bucks and does, and either sex gun hunts for youth hunters.

During these deer hunts, selected hunters at Colorado Bend can shoot an feral hogs, aoudad and other exotic deer in unlimited numbers. The park does not have high numbers of exotic deer, although hog populations are strong and aoudad numbers are likely increasing. On gun hunts, the success rate (harvest of at least a single animal) runs about 30-40 percent.

Hunting at Colorado Bend State Park

Colorado Bend Hunting Information

Colorado Bend SP consists of 5,328 acres of cedar-dominated, rough terrain and is located about 4 miles south of the community of Bend in San Saba County. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is managing the property for public use and native habitat and wildlife.

Objectives to restore and maintain healthy populations of native fauna and flora in their natural habitats and to provide for compatible public use. Where game populations exceed the carrying capacity of the habitat, the preferred method of reduction is public hunting. Hunters are the only way TPWD manages deer in the park and hunting helps to control feral hogs and exotic ungulates.

Selected, permitted hunters should report to the hunter check station by 10:30 a.m. on the first day of their assigned hunt period. The hunter check station is located at the Colorado Bend SP park maintenance area.

Hunting at Colorado Bend

Persons interested in deer hunting at Colorado Bend SP and most other public hunting lands in Texas must apply through TPWD’s online drawing system. Selected hunters will get an email notifying them of their selection and that they must pay the required fee by specified deadline.

Drawn hunters must contact the area staff as soon as possible if they are unable to attend their accepted hunt or not able to arrive on the first day for orientation. Colorado Bend SP does offer opportunities for standby hunter positions. Standby hunters should report to the check station by 10:30 a.m. on the first day of the desired hunt period to complete the application process. Standby hunters will be drawn at 11:00 a.m., as vacancies permit.

Colorado Bend State Park Hunting Map

Following an orientation, TPWD personnel will guide hunters to their hunt compartment. Hunting will end at 11:00 a.m. on the final day of the assigned hunt.

Colorado Bend Hunt Rules

Hunters are reminded that they must have a Special Permit, valid Texas Hunting License, and any stamp as required by statute. Hunters 17 years of age and older must have in their possession a valid I.D. Hunter Safety Education is required of Texas hunters born on or after September 2, 1971.

Hunters must wear a minimum of 400 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange material, with at least 144 square inches appearing on both chest and back and orange headwear.

During deer hunts, only one legally permissible weapon per hunter will be allowed into the hunt area.

Non-permitted visitors and family members will not be allowed in the hunt area during hunts except that a non-hunting person directly assisting a permitted handicapped individual will be allowed.

Hunters will be responsible for the reasonable care of their game after harvest. No facilities for deer storage are available on the park, but commercial facilities are available in the towns of Cherokee, Lampasas, Llano, Lometa and San Saba.

Hunters do not use tags off of their hunting license. Hunters that harvest a deer will be given a TPWD Legal Deer Tag, issued at the area, that must be attached to a harvested deer prior to leaving the hunt area.

Disturbance or removal of plants, rocks, artifacts, or other objects is prohibited. The possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
Hunters’ vehicles will be allowed into the hunt area only on designated roads and disabled individuals may hunt from a stationary motor vehicle. Operation of an off-road vehicle(ORV) or all terrain vehicle (ATV) is prohibited, except by disabled persons or an adult directly assisting a disabled person.

For more information on Colorado Bend State Park hunting, give them a call at 325-628-3240.


Recommendations for Hunting Colorado Bend SP

Camping is available at Colorado Bend SP for permitted deer hunters. However, there are no hookups for electricity or water at the camping area, nor is there a trailer dump station available on the park. Chemical toilets and drinking water are provided in the camping area.

Campfires are allowed on the Park in designated fire rings. The normal overnight camping fee will be charged to those hunters utilizing the park’s facilities. In addition, commercial motels and campgrounds are available in the surrounding towns of Lampasas, Llano, and San Saba.

It is recommended that each public hunter bring a flashlight, food, drinking water, and foul weather gear. A good pair of boots is a must since public hunters will often encounter some rugged, rocky terrain.

Lakeway Deer Management Program, Population Questioned

The white-tailed deer is a highly adaptable animal that can live in a variety of habitat types and situations. Lakeway, Texas, for example, works for them. So well, in fact, that the city has been trying to keep whitetail numbers at manageable levels for almost two decades. It’s worked, but not everyone is on board with Lakeway’s management program.

Whitetail call most of Texas home, but they really do well in suburban environments where they have irrigated food sources and protection from predators. This makes Lakeway and other suburban fringes found throughout sprawling Texas prime real estate for deer.

Lakeway Deer Population

Problems with the Lakeway deer population culminated in the late 1990s. It was at that time the City of Lakeway started looking into managing an ongoing problem that was plaguing residents. With the help of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) the City of Lakeway took action; they trapped 650 deer that first year. While the management program has been successful in maintaining whitetail numbers, some residents in the community believe the method is inhumane and want to explore other options.

Source: The City of Lakeway is widely known for its heavy population of urban deer. For the most part, deer are considered to be a desirable asset for the city. Their affable behavior and cute appearance make them attractive to most people. Their diminished fear of humans is also interesting and adds to their desirability. It is quite a unique situation to have so many deer in proximity of homes.

The City of Lakeway says the urban deer herd found there has impacted Lakeway negatively through increased deer-vehicle crashes and human-deer encounters since prior to their management program. Biologists will tell you that when the deer population is too large, it also negatively impacts the health of the herd.

Managing Urban Deer Populations in Texas

Lakeway Deer Management

Deer are removed from Lakeway through a permit the City obtained from TPWD. The permit, called a Trap, Transport and Process (TTP) Permit, allows cities to trap white-tailed deer and transport them to a facility where the animals are then processed and the meat donated to charitable organizations. It seems like a win-win for Lakeway residents and those in need of lean protein, but others argue that it’s not that good for the deer.

Source: “My belief, my basic belief, is that no animal should ever be treated cruelly, there’s no reason for it,” says Lakeway resident Rita Cross. “There’s always options, there’s always other ways of control and management.”

Cross started the nonprofit Citizen Advocates for Animals (CAFA). They want to see the city implement a sterilization program that utilizes ovariectomy – the removal of a doe’s ovaries. They say the process is humane and less invasive than neutering cats and dogs. The process takes about 20 minutes, and the deer receive pain management during surgery and post-surgery.

Their first goal: raising $12,000 to bring in two wildlife biologists to count how many deer live in Lakeway. And then after surveys are done, they’ll work with biologists to create a sterilization program.

City of Lakeway: Willing to Try

The City of Lakeway has noted that they will not help the nonprofit fund the CAFA deer management initiative, but City Manager of Lakeway, Steve Jones, says the City would consider working with biologists to develop a program that would supplement or complement what’s already being done to manage the Lakeway deer population.

Jones reiterated that the City will continue to trap until something else proves it can achieve their goals, maintain a stable white-tailed deer population within Lakeway. The goal is not to eliminate deer from Lakeway, but to maintain healthy deer numbers and residents in Lakeway. The City typically traps 100-800 deer per year, but over the past several years those numbers have been stable and on the low end of that range.

It would appear that the deer management program implemented by the City of Lakeway is working. It also seems they will stay the course until another option is funded. The effectiveness, or lack thereof, of any deer sterilization program have yet to be proven. At an estimated $800-$1,000 per doe, the biggest concern of ovariectomies are the costs.

Deer Diseases in Michigan: Hunters Take Note

Chronic Wasting Disease in Michigan Whitetail

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was discovered in the free-ranging white-tailed deer herd in Michigan in 2015. Steps have been taken to determine the magnitude and scope of the infection in the deer herd population. Last year, seven positive animals were identified during the deer hunting season, with four occurring in Ingham County and three occurring in Clinton County.

Overall, CWD prevalence in Michigan appears to be low, but more samples are needed this year to fully determine the scale of the disease. Regulations established last year in the area surrounding where the positive animals have been found were expanded this year. The core CWD zone, DMU 333, has been expanded to include eight additional townships in southern Clinton County and northeastern Eaton County. The remainder of Eaton County and all of Ionia County have been added to the CWD Management Zone, which has been renamed DMU 419.

In addition, educational material has been developed to answer questions the public may have regarding this disease and what it means not only for the deer herd but for Michigan deer hunters and residents as well. For the most up-to-date information, please see the DNR emerging diseases website.

Michingan Deer Positive for Bovine Tuberculosis

In the northeast Lower Peninsula, the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) showed a dramatic increase in the core area, DMU 452. Prevalence there increased from 1.0 percent in 2014 to 2.7 percent in 2015. Outside of DMU 452, the remainder of the five-county TB Management Zone (DMU 487) saw only a slight uptick in prevalence, from 0.2 to 0.3 percent.

The rate of apparent prevalence in DMU 452 over the last five years showed a significant increasing trend for the first time since information has been gathered, and if an increasing trend continues for three consecutive years, it will prompt a USDA review of DNR deer management practices.

Hunters are still strongly encouraged to harvest antlerless deer while deer hunting to help maintain reduced deer numbers and keep TB in check. Older antlered deer also should be harvested and are especially important to take to a check station, as these animals are much more likely to be TB-positive. Bringing in a deer or deer head to a check station for testing allows us to track the prevalence of the disease in the population and is an integral part of controlling the disease.

In 2013, a dairy herd in Saginaw County tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. There is no evidence of TB in deer near this location, but it is important to continue to test deer in this area to accurately assess the situation.

Individuals hunting white-tailed deer in the following counties are highly encouraged to provide their deer head for testing: Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Bay, Cheboygan, Crawford, Genesee, Gratiot, Huron, Iosco, Midland, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon and Saginaw.

Texas Youth Hunting Program Schedules Hunts

The Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP) has a full schedule that offers plenty of outdoor opportunities for young hunters this fall. In fact, this year’s new offerings from TYHP are rocking and rolling with more than 90 hunts now scheduled and available for online sign-up.

“Our volunteers have really outdone themselves this year. They have twice as many youth hunts posted this year as the same time last year. We’re really excited about that,” said Chris Mitchell, TYHP director, in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network. Mitchell said TYHP completed more than 190 hunts last year. He expects the program to meet or exceed that number this year. Sign-up is available on the TYHP website.

Texas Hunting: Youth Program Scheduled Hunts Out

“As long as they’ve completed hunter education, and they’re between the ages of 9 and 17, they can come to our website, create an account and then sign up for any one of these hunts that are posted now or hunts that will be posted in the future,” he said. The program offers one of the easiest and best ways to get youth with little or no hunting experience outside and involved in our natural resources.

TYHP is a shared effort of the Texas Wildlife Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Youth hunts are safe, educational and affordable. Introductory, instructive youth hunts for a variety of species are available. Mentors, lodging and meals are provided.

“We’re offering two dove hunts that will be in September and one in October. Of course, in October, that’s when a lot of the deer hunts kick in because a lot of our landowners have extended seasons through the Managed Lands Deer Permit program,” Mitchell said. “We will also be offering our third annual pronghorn hunt in October in the Panhandle. And, of course, hog hunts, turkey hunts, duck and waterfowl hunts are all interspersed among the offerings on the website.”

Central Flyway Ducks, Texas Looks Good for 2016-17

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partner organizations just wrapped up their annual waterfowl breeding population and habitat surveys on the breeding grounds in the northern United States and Canada. These surveys monitor waterfowl populations and critical wetland habitat conditions, which are directly related to the number of birds which will head south through the Central Flyway and into Texas and other states during the fall and winter.

Estimates from these Central Flyway surveys are used to help set duck hunting season frameworks like bag limits and the number of hunting days. The overall North American total pond estimate, a measure of wetland habitat quantity, decreased by 21 percent from the estimate in 2015. While not great, the overall wetland habitat availability was similar to the long term average, and the total breeding duck population estimate decreased by only two percent from 2015 estimates and remained well above the long term average. This means duck hunting in Texas should be good this fall and winter.

Population estimates for 5 of the 10 surveyed duck species increased this year! Mallard numbers increased by one percent from last year to a total of 11.7 million birds, which is the highest estimate on record. Scaup and American wigeon populations showed the greatest increases (14% and 12%, respectively).

Redheads and American green-winged teal populations also experienced increases. Blue-winged teal, northern shoveler, northern pintail, gadwall, and canvasback population estimates revealed decreases in their overall numbers.

“The waterfowl breeding grounds are still experiencing a decline in grassland nesting habitat in portions of the United States and Canada, which is extremely important for nesting waterfowl. Significant acreage has been lost from these vital grasslands from declines in Conservation Reserve Program enrollment and loss of native prairie habitat,” said a state Central Flyway official.

Even with breeding duck populations again near record numbers, Texas hunters are reminded that many factors will determine whether or not large numbers of these birds show up in our wetlands. Fall and winter weather, as well as wetland habitat conditions here on the wintering grounds play major roles in duck migrations, which will ultimately define the hunting season for Texas’ duck hunters.

Get your ammo, check your gear, another good duck hunting year is near!

Kentucky Deer Season Has Bright Outlook

Kentucky’s 2016-17 deer season kicks off the first Saturday in September with the start of the 136-day archery season. Anticipation has been building for months. Many archery hunters in Kentucky will spend the last long weekend of summer getting an early jump on fall.

“Everything right now points toward another good season,” said Gabe Jenkins, deer program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. That is welcome news following on the heels of record deer harvests.

Hunters in Kentucky established a new benchmark last season by taking more than 155,000 deer. It was the third record harvest in the past four seasons and included 55 bucks from 40 counties documented by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife that met the Boone and Crockett Club’s minimum entry score for its awards book.

“Our deer hunting in Kentucky is better than it’s ever been,” said Steve Beam, wildlife division director for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “We’re harvesting record numbers of deer and our production of large-antlered bucks is completely incredible. We’ve really hit the scene in the past 10 years because of our quality white-tail,” Jenkins said. “That’s a product of good management, good habitat and being diligent about what’s being put on the landscape. With that, we still have to be good stewards.”

A state believed to hold fewer than 1,000 white-tailed deer a century ago now is considered one of the nation’s premier hunting destinations. The latest herd estimate – derived from harvest and age structure data – pegged the statewide population at more than 820,000 after the 2015-16 hunting season and before fawning this spring.

The archery season is just one facet. Crossbow, muzzleloader and youth deer hunting opportunities are part of the overall season framework. But it is the modern gun deer season in November that drives the harvest, accounting for 70 percent of the total harvest last season.

“We’ve been setting archery records nearly every year and every month, so we’re seeing more interest in archery hunting,” Jenkins said. “But we’re still a modern gun-dominated state and weather is the biggest key in that.”

The modern gun season opens statewide Nov. 12, 2016, and spans 16 consecutive days in Zones 1 and 2 and 10 consecutive days in Zones 3 and 4. There are 43 counties assigned Zone 1 status after the addition of Hardin and Webster counties this season. In another zone change, Marion County is now a Zone 2 county.

Herd health assessments are underway and results are not yet available from the annual statewide mast survey. Hunters should take into account the availability of hard mast as the season progresses.

“Traditionally, when you have good mast years, we usually see a decline in the harvest from the previous year mainly because of a change in feeding habits,” Jenkins said. “They’re not coming to corn feeders and they’re not coming to green fields. They’re in the woods.

“I don’t know what the mast results are going to show, but in speaking with our staff and seeing for myself in the field, it looked pretty good. We’ll see.”

Hunters must check the animals they harvest and can do that by phone at 800-245-4263 or online at fw.ky.gov. The telecheck process will include some new questions this year. Hunters checking an antlered deer will be asked to enter the total number of antler points that are at least 1 inch and indicate if the outside antler spread is less than or greater than 11 inches. Those checking an antlerless male will need to distinguish if it is a male fawn (button buck) or if the animal has already dropped its antlers.

The additional data will help biologists, Jenkins said.

“What we’re looking to do is obtain additional age data, something that indicates how old that harvested animal is,” he said. “For all of the population models that we do, we need to know approximate age in the harvest. Additional age data allows us to better predict the standing crop and the age of our herd. That in turn helps us be more efficient managers of the herd.”

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife owns, leases or manages more than 80 wildlife management areas across the state for public use. Some require a user permit, hold quota hunts or have special regulations for deer hunting.

“We’ve been able to add a significant amount of acreage in recent years,” Beam said. “As a result, hunters now have more high-quality public hunting opportunities across the state.”

The department is working with partners to further expand the amount of public land available for hunting. One recent addition is the new 2,900-acre Rockcastle River WMA in eastern Pulaski. Presently, it is closed to the public while Kentucky Fish and Wildlife makes improvements necessary for public use.

The Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available on the department’s website and wherever licenses are sold, is a valuable resource for hunters. It includes the full list of fall hunting and trapping season dates, summarizes hunting and trapping laws, and provides information about public lands hunting by region, youth hunting opportunities, hunter education requirements and quota hunts.

There are 30 quota hunts to choose from this year. New this year is an archery and crossbow only quota hunt at Big Rivers WMA and State Forest in Crittenden and Union counties. Hunters may apply for quota hunts via the department’s website or by calling 877-598-2401. The application period runs the entire month of September.

Hunters are reminded to ask and obtain permission before hunting on private property and to report game violations by calling 800-25-ALERT. Callers are asked for the county that they are calling about and forwarded to the nearest Kentucky State Police post, which dispatches a Kentucky Fish and Wildlife conservation officer.

“We’ve had a really wet spring and a wet summer so far with lots of food available. That just equals healthy deer,” Jenkins said. “Anecdotally, it looks good across the state. Our data also supports that assertion.”

Feral Hog, Predator Hunting at Daughtrey WMA

The James E. Daughtrey WMA is offering predator and feral hog hunting this fall through the TPWD public hunt program. Hunters can enter online at no cost through an “E-postcard” application. Daughtrey WMA has lots of game and covers over 31,000 acres. The property include Choke Canyon Reservoir between Three Rivers and Tilden in Live Oak and McMullen Counties.

The WMA was named in honor of State Game Warden James E. Daughtrey of Tilden who was fatally injured in an automobile collision while pursuing game law violators.

The Daughtrey WMA

Approximately 6,000 acres of uplands are open to public hunting by Annual Public Hunting Permit at conservation pool. The terrain on the WMA is generally flat with thorny brush dominated by mesquite, black brush and cacti. E-Postcard hunts for archery deer, feral hogs and coyotes will be limited to specific compartments on drawn dates as published annually.

Daughtrey WMA Offers E-Postcard Hunts

Only specific areas identified during orientation will be open. Some areas are accessible only by boat or significant hiking by foot. Hunters should take this into consideration before applying for this hunt. Some roads provide access to limited areas.

Hunting Daughtrey: Things to Know

A hunter orange vest and headwear is required for hunts with firearms. All hunters must attend a mandatory orientation at 11:00 a.m. on the first day of the hunt period. Hunt ends at noon or on the last day of the hunt period. Stand-by positions may be available. Hunters must fill out a harvest questionnaire at the end of the hunt.

A primitive campground is located at the area headquarters and will open the evening before the start of the hunt. Drinking water and electrical hookups are not available. A limited number of fire rings and picnic tables are provided on a first come, first served basis, as is one rented chemical toilet. There are no cold storage facilities available on site.

Camping is also available at Choke Canyon State Park – Calliham Unit, 361-786-3538. For further information contact WMA personnel at 361-274-3573 or 830-879-5496.

E-Postcard Details for Hunting at Daughtrey WMA

1. All hunters must attend a mandatory orientation at 11:00 a.m. on the first day of the hunt period. Hunt ends at noon on the last day of the hunt period depending on hunt type. Stand-by positions may be available. If you cannot attend orientation the Department is not obligated to offer makeup dates.

2. At orientation all hunters must have on their person a valid E-Postcard confirmation, valid driver’s license or ID card, Annual Public Hunting Permit, a Texas hunting license, and any special stamp as required by statute. Only hunters drawn for the E-postcard hunt will be admitted.

3. A permitted supervising adult must accompany hunters under the age of 17. Visitors will not be allowed to accompany hunters into the field. Hunter Education is required of all hunters born on or after September 2, 1971. (See Outdoor Annual for more information).

4. Daily On-Site Registration is required. All game harvested must be recorded on the form. Only species defined by hunt period at the time of orientation may be taken.

5. For the Feral Hog and Coyote Hunts only legal archery equipment, shoguns with slugs or muzzleloaders are allowed.

6. Hunter orange vest and headwear is required for all hunters on this hunt, regardless of hunt method.

7. Bag Limit: Unlimited feral hogs and coyotes on E-Postcard hunts. No other animal game or non-game may be taken or possessed.

8. Portable stands are allowed and baiting is permitted. All equipment must be removed before the end of the predator and hog hunting period. Corn must be certified less than 20 ppb aflatoxin free.

9. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road vehicles (ORVs) are not permitted on the WMA, except for use by a disabled person or an adult directly assisting a disabled person. Proof of disability is required.

10. Alcoholic beverages may not be publicly displayed or consumed on the WMA, and persons under the influence of alcohol/drugs will not be permitted to enter the hunt area.

11. Hunters in the field and vehicles, including boats, within the WMA are subject to inspection by WMA Personnel and/or Game Wardens. Vehicles must also display a parking permit and be registered at the area headquarters.

12. Do not take any plants, animals (other than legally taken game), or artifacts from the Daughtrey WMA while hunting or otherwise, including shed deer antlers or skulls. Any artifact found must be left as they are; shed antlers or skulls can be brought to the check station.

Texas Public Duck Hunting at J.D. Murphree WMA

Some of the best public duck hunting opportunities in Texas can be found at the state-owned wildlife management areas (WMA) scattered along the gulf coast. During most years, these properties have good numbers of birds, good habitat and offer a number of hunt periods for waterfowlers. Freshwater is typically stable along the coastal plains of Texas, and the ducks know it.

Hunters looking for public duck hunting opportunities should take advantage of Texas’ WMA system. The state is even looking to get hunters off on the right foot.

Public Duck Hunting in Texas

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) invites the hunters and others within the community to attend an informational meeting on public land hunting access during upcoming migratory game bird hunting seasons. Updates on public hunting access within the Upper Coast Wildlife Management Areas and information on the rules and regulations of leased lands will be covered.

The public meeting will be held Tuesday, August 23, from 6-8 p.m. at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area Check Station at 10 Parks and Wildlife Drive in Port Arthur, on the south side of highway 73 near the intersection of Jade Avenue.

Additional information regarding public hunting opportunity on TPWD-owned lands is available online. Hunters specifically interested in duck hunting at Murphree WMA can contact them directly at 409-736-2551. Bring on the birds!