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.
“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.”