Texas Hunts

Hunting in Texas

Texas Domestic Animal Hunts

Texas offers a range of game species, from pheasant hunting in the Panhandle to blue quail hunting in West Texas, or turkey hunting in the east. Choose from an abundance of game animals, including deer, feral hog, bighorn, pronghorn, turkey, rabbits, hares, chachalaca, alligator, exotics, and many more.

Deciding where to hunt in Texas relies on several factors including what, where, and when. The annual public hunting permit gives you access to almost everything that the hunting state program has to offer, including hunting on both public and privately leased lands, on your schedule. The drawn-hunt part of the program lets you choose the type of species you want to hunt, choose from the available hunting areas for that species, and choose from the dates available.

Public lands

There are over 1 million acres of publicly accessible land located throughout Texas. Texas Parks & Wildlife offers the Annual Public Hunting Permit (also known as a walk-in) which provides nearly year-round hunting for hunters on public lands in Texas. These lands can be used for regular (daily) permit hunts, drawn hunts, and mentored hunting workshops.

Private lands

In Texas, you can hunt on private land that you own, or you can get landowner permission to hunt as a guest. Some landowners may require that you pay for this access and many hunters lease land and book hunts a year or more in advance. The landowner reserves the right to deny permission to hunt on their land can charge for a lease to hunt and can impose further requirements on top of existing laws. More than 95% of the land in Texas is privately owned or managed.

Texas is home to a vast and wide variety of major game animals throughout its many regions. Animals include white-tailed deer, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and javelina. Hunting can have a positive economic impact if it’s done in a controlled and regulated manner. The cost for Texas hunting permits can be invested in federal programs and community efforts to preserve animals and their habitats. By purchasing a hunting license, it allows you the opportunity to harvest these major game animals while funding TPWD conservative programs. Ensure you familiarize yourself with the Texas hunting laws before embarking on any hunting endeavors.

Texas Domestic Game Animals

Whitetail deer - Texas white-tailed deer can be found almost statewide. They are now classified as the most abundant big game animal in both Texas and the United States. In Texas alone, the population of these deer ranges from three to four million. Regulated hunting in Texas can help maintain deer populations to ensure the protection of their habitat. It can also conserve other game species, non-game, and threatened species in the process. Deer hunting regulations vary by county and typically counties have antler restrictions. For each whitetail harvested, the deer log found on the back of your deer hunting license must be filled out.

White-tailed deer can be found in bushy or wooded areas grazing. They mostly graze browse (leaves, twigs, young shoots of woody plants and vines) and forbs (weeds and other broad-leaved flowering plants). Bucks grow and shed their antlers annually with growth starting in March and completed by mid-September. At this time, the antlers consist of growing bone tissue. They also have a covering of skin commonly referred to as ‘velvet’. Shedding occurs after each mating season from mid-January to mid-April. The shedding is due to altered levels in testosterone and daylight.

An increase in photoperiod (the amount of daylight an organism is exposed to) occurs during the spring and summer months. This encourages antler growth. Day length begins to decrease as fall approaches which triggers an increase in the hormone testosterone. The buck sheds its velvet and prepares its antlers for the upcoming rut. This is the time when bucks are more active and less cautious than usual. The amount of testosterone produced begins to decline following the rut which enables the antlers to be shed. Antler growth is dependent on an adequate food supply and the age of the buck. With each shedding and as the buck matures, the antlers become wider, the beams become longer, and many points will develop. The most common method to rate the quality of deer antlers are by counting the points.

Mule deer - The mule deer acquired its name from its oversized, distinguished ears which resemble that of a mule. They can be found west of the Pecos River and in parts of the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle. A different species than the white-tailed deer, the mule deer typically weighs more than its close counterpart. They can often have forked antlers rather than branched, with very short brow tines.

Mule deer hunting seasons are different from white-tailed deer hunting seasons and also vary in harvesting limits. The annual bag limit (except for deer taken under Managed Lands Deer Program, MLDP tag) is one buck in all seasons combined. In Brewster, Pecos, and Terrell Counties, the bag limit is two deer (no more than one buck, all seasons combined).

Desert bighorn sheep - Hunting desert bighorn sheep is seen as a very prestigious hunt due to the lack of permits given each year. Currently, in the Trans-Pecos there are seven free-ranging herds of desert bighorn sheep. Due to a decline in population in the early 1900s, hunting was halted for this species altogether. Efforts have been made to re-populate the region. This was done by transplanting desert bighorn sheep from states in Mexico into Texas mountain ranges. An inadequate supply of water is the biggest challenge to their survival.

Private landowner management is the most valuable and important factor for the survival of this species. A large percentage of the sheep reside on private land. Research and restoration initiatives from the Bighorn Sheep Society, Borderlands Research Institute, and The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department are equally as important. Recent surveys have shown that the population is currently around 1300.

Hunting bighorn sheep is by permit only in Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, and Presidio counties. Each year Texas Parks and Wildlife donates one desert sheep tag to be auctioned to help raise funds for restoration efforts.

Pronghorn antelope - Pronghorn are found only in North America. They are specifically found in the Trans-Pecos, Panhandle, and southern Rolling Plains ecoregions. Currently, numbers in the Trans-Pecos are low due to inadequate rainfall and food. Net wire fences are also a problem as the pronghorn are prone to get caught in them, not realizing they can jump over.

Pronghorns are around three feet tall at the shoulders. They are reddish brown in color with white stomachs and white stripes on their throats. Both sexes have horns that curve backward forming forward-pointing prongs that give them their name. They graze on grass, sagebrush, and other vegetation which turns to cud that they later chew on.

They mate each fall and often males will battle for the rights to their preferred female. Once born, if a pronghorn fawn can survive past two months, they have a much better chance of becoming integrated and increasing the population.

A low population will directly affect the total number of hunting permits each season. These antelope may be hunted by Texas hunting permit only. These are issued to qualifying landowners or landowners’ agents in various regions. The regions include Trans-Pecos, Permian Basin, and Panhandle counties.

Javelina - There are three different species of peccaries found in the Southwestern United States and Central South America. The collared peccary or javelina is the only species found in the United States. They look like small, thin pigs without tails and with white collars around the neck of both males and females (which is where they get their name from). Generally, an adult javelina is around 18 inches tall and weighs between 35 to 45 pounds. In Texas, the javelina is found in the Trans-Pecos desert grasslands, South Texas brush country, and the Edwards Plateau’s oak-juniper woodlands.

Both sexes have extremely sharp upper and lower canine teeth. These are used to intimidate potential predators when threats of danger linger. The different intimidation postures are called the gape. They simply open their mouths to showcase their large teeth and chattering or clacking of the teeth. They travel in small herds, feeding on cacti, fruit, and insects, and tend to sleep in caves.

For javelina hunting in Texas in the south, there’s an open season. In the North, there is no closed season meaning the javelina can be hunted year-round.

Non-Game Animals

Texas is home to an array of non-game animals. These include armadillos, bobcats, coyotes, flying squirrels, frogs, ground squirrels, mountain lions, porcupines, prairie dogs, rabbits, and turtles. On private property, these species can be hunted at any time with a valid hunting license. Public hunting lands might have varying restrictions.

Bobcat - The bobcat, also known as the wildcat or bay lynx, is nocturnal. They can adapt to diverse habitats such as forests, swamps, and deserts. As many as one million of these large cats have been reported in the United States. Bobcats can have a brown, grey, or red colored coat with a white stomach and a distinct, black-tipped tail. They got their name as their tails appear to be “bobbed”. They can weigh anywhere from 11 to 30 pounds and range between 26 to 41 inches in length. The bobcat is an independent and territorial predator. They typically prey on rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels, birds, small rodents, and deer, depending on the region, season, and abundance. Bobcat pelts that are sold, purchased, traded, transported, or shipped out of state must have a pelt tag (CITES) attached. These pelt tags can be obtained from a bobcat-specific pelt dealer or through the TPWD Regional & Field Law Enforcement Offices.

Coyote - Coyotes have a similar appearance to that of a domestic dog and can be found throughout Texas in rural areas but often in cities as well. They have longer snouts and skinnier legs than dogs, with a large, bushy tail that hangs toward the ground. These animals are highly adaptable as a result of their scavenger natures. This makes them extremely versatile. Their natural diet, however, consists mostly of small game. They can either travel alone or in packs and are recognized for their howl and high-pitched yips.

Coyotes should never be fed by humans as they could become aggressive because they are wild animals. They have unpredictable temperaments. Coyotes have also been known to hunt common household pets for their meals. Preventable measures for pet owners include never leaving food out overnight for a pet. Do not let small pets outside after dark. Always supervise small dogs when they go outside and clean any fruit in your yard that may have dropped from trees.

Mountain lion - The mountain lion, also known as cougar, puma, painter, catamount, and panther, has the widest distribution of any wild cat. It’s found throughout remote areas of the western U.S., Western Canada, and Mexico. In Texas, the mountain lion is found throughout the Trans-Pecos, the brushlands of the south, and portions of the Hill Country. The mountain lion is a carnivore and enjoys a diet of various animals such as deer, rabbits, and javelina. They can be harvested at any time with the proper hunting license. They are reclusive and are quite hard to see. If you happen to stumble upon a mountain lion it’s important to know what steps to take in order to protect yourself. Attacks continue to grow in number due to an increase in people using wildlands and building residences in areas where mountain lions live.

Pick up any children off the ground, do not crouch or try to hide, remain calm, and don’t turn your back to the lion. Do not run, try to enlarge your stature. If the lion becomes aggressive or attacks, fight back by throwing objects. If you will be hunting in a known mountain lion territory, hunt with someone else and never hunt alone.

TEXAS EXOTIC ANIMAL HUNTS

Texas has long been known for its hunting opportunities of exotic game species. The terrain and climate in the Lone Star State provide suitable habitats for various species of ungulates from Asia, Europe, Africa, and India. In many cases, the populations of these introduced exotics in Texas outnumber their native origin. Some of these Texas exotics include blackbuck antelope, axis deer fallow deer, sika deer, mouflon sheep, Corsican sheep, free-range aoudad free-range elk, free-range addax, lechwe, scimitar-horned oryx, Beisa oryx, white-bearded gnu, impala, kudu, nyala, springbok, zebra, and eland. 

Some of the other exotic animals to be found on a Texas hunt include:

• Alligator
• Barasingha
• Black Hawaiian sheep
• Bongo
• Dama Gazelle
• Eland
• Gemsbok
• Himalayan tahr
• Kangaroo
• Markhor
• Nilgai
• Ostrich
• Roan
• Sable
• Sitatunga
• Transcaspian urial
• Waterbuck
• Water buffalo
• Blue wildebeest
• Zebu

A few ranches even have Cape Buffalo on offer. Or perhaps your tastes run to a Watusi cattle hunt where a trophy animal can have horns that exceed 12 feet in width.

There are more, but this gives the hunter a good idea as to what is available on a Texas hunt.

Many, but not all, ranches in Texas are high-fenced, especially those with exotic species. Much of Texas is brushy and thick, making for challenging hunting despite the large and abundant game populations. For this reason, hunting, especially for whitetails, is often done from permanent blinds, and baiting is popular, especially with the use of automatic feeders, which are legal in the state.