Drawn Hunts Have Begun | New Lake for Waterfowl | 2024-25 Season Dates and Updated Regulations | Firearm Safety | and More!



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Apply Now for Drawn Hunts
Drawn Hunt for alligator, link [ [link removed] ]

Drawn Hunt for alligator at J.D. Murphree WMA

Drawn Hunts [ [link removed] ] for the 2024-2025 season have begun. Choose from nearly 9,400 hunts, including for white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn, turkey and dove, plus guided packages for exotics and bighorn sheep.

It's easy to apply ? search for available hunts by category or location [ [link removed] ]?and keep these tips in mind:


* Each category has an application deadline [ [link removed] ] on the 1st or 15th of a month. The first deadlines are Aug. 1 for alligator and private lands dove hunts.
* Applicants for e-Postcard hunts and U.S. Forest Service Antlerless Deer Permits must have a *2024-25* Annual Public Hunting permit (available Aug. 15) to apply.
* Application fees are $3 or $10, some hunts require a Special Permit fee of $80 or $130, and some hunts have no application or permit fees.
* You can apply multiple times for hunts in the same category.

Insider Tip: Standby hunting gives you the best odds of being selected ? any unfilled slots are awarded to those who show up the day of the hunt. Contact the hunt area up to a week before the hunt you're interested in, and ask if standbys are available.

For more information see our press release Texas Drawn Hunt Program Opens for 2024-25 Season Applications [ [link removed] ]. Good luck!

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2024-25 Season Dates and Regulation Changes

Woman holding doe harvest

Start planning your hunts ? season dates for 2024-25 [ [link removed] ]?have been set, including:


* Dove: 9/1 all zones, including South Zone's Special White-winged Dove Days
* Teal: 9/14
* Pronghorn: 9/28
* Archery: 9/28
* Quail: 10/26
* White-tailed deer: 11/2
* Wild turkey: 11/2

*Regulation updates that begin Sept. 1 include:*


* Specific references to Rio Grande and Eastern wild turkey will be replaced with ?wild turkey" in regulations.
* Statewide harvest reporting will be required for all wild turkeys during all seasons and in all counties.
* Find more regulation updates in our press release TPW Commission Approves 2024-25 Statewide Hunting, Migratory Game Bird Regulations [ [link removed] ].

*NEW CWD-related regulation updates that begin Sept. 1:*


* CWD check station requirements will be replaced with voluntary testing measures in some containment and surveillance zones. For more on CWD updates see our press release Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Approves Reduction of Chronic Wasting Disease Containment and Surveillance Zones [ [link removed] ].
* Hunters will be allowed to debone a deer carcass at the site of harvest. Find more information, including disposal options, in our press release Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Approves Statewide Deer Carcass Disposal Regulations [ [link removed] ].

Access all the new season dates and regulations in the Outdoor Annual online [ [link removed] ]?or in the free app [ [link removed] ] beginning Aug. 15. If you have the app, it will automatically update in mid-August (requires internet access).



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Hunt Waterfowl at New Bois d?Arc Lake PHL
Bois D'Arc Lake, video link [ [link removed] ]

Bois d'Arc Lake

Texas has a new lake that will be part of the Public Hunting Lands program. Bois d'Arc Lake PHL [ [link removed] ] is a 16,641-acre reservoir in northeast Texas that opened to the public in April.

Hunting of waterfowl and other permitted bird species will be allowed in specified areas. Check out the lake maps and regulations [ [link removed] ] for more information. You'll need an Annual Public Hunting Permit to hunt here, available beginning Aug. 15 for the 2024-25 season.?

Let's keep invasive species out of this brand new lake. Practice good clean, drain and dry [ [link removed] ] (video) habits on your boat and gear before any of it goes into Bois d'Arc or any other lake.

For more about the lake, watch the video Bois d'Arc Lake is Now Open for Recreation [ [link removed] ]. Then start making plans to be one of the first to hunt waterfowl on Texas' newest lake!

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Big Time Texas Hunts with link [ [link removed] ]
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4 Basic Rules of Firearm Safety

Woman aiming rifle with video link [ [link removed] ]

Firearm safety is every hunter's responsibility. Always keep these basic rules in mind:

?1. Keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
?2. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
?3. Be sure of what's in front of and beyond your target.
?4. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

These basic rules are part of the 10 Commandments of Firearm Safety [ [link removed] ], taught in Hunter Education. Anyone who hunts in Texas and was born after Sept. 1, 1971, must pass a Hunter Education course [ [link removed] ] and be able to present the proof in the field. Check online for [ [link removed] ]proof of your certification [ [link removed] ].?

Following firearm safety rules and encouraging your fellow hunters to do the same benefits everyone. A safe hunt is a good hunt.



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Shooting Sports newsletter, Olympics issue, with link [ [link removed] ]
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Did You Know?
Herd of bighorn rams resting by a tree, video link [ [link removed] ]

Bighorn sheep restored to Elephant Mountain WMA

Your purchases of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment directly contribute to wildlife conservation in Texas.

Producers and importers of ammunition, archery gear, handguns, shotguns and rifles pay a federal tax. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service distributes this tax money to the states to be used for game conservation and enhancement, wildlife habitat improvement, shooting range development and hunter education programs. This system is called the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation [ [link removed] ].

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"A message from our sponsor:"

Toyota Tundra ad with link [ [link removed] ]
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"Messages from Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine advertisers:"

Joshua Creek Ranch ad, with link [ [link removed] ]
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Houston Safari Club convention ad, with link [ [link removed] ]
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SC Hunting Ranch with link [ [link removed] ]

"
Hunt Texas is made possible in part ""by the generous support of Toyota.?"

Toyota [ [link removed] ]

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