Join in the ageless holiday tradition of sharing a wild game harvest with friends and family. Nothing tastes better than wild game harvested by you – especially if you have some good recipes. Try these:

Perfect Vension Backstrap or Tenderloin: perfect for the center of your holiday table

Dove n' Dumplings (video): a Texas twist on a Southern classic

Wood Duck Skillet Mac and Cheese: a one-dish meal of comfort food

Turkey Katsu: Pro chef Jesse Griffiths shares this recipe and tips on hunting turkey in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Turn Your Turkey Harvest Into a Delicious Katsu Dinner.

For more ideas for your holiday table, see our collection of wild game recipes. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season to you and yours!  

Your Texas Game Wardens compiled this list of the 5 most common hunting violations of 2025. Avoid a citation by avoiding these mistakes: 

1. No proof of Hunter Education: Be able to provide proof of Hunter Ed if you were born after Sept. 1, 1971. 
2. Harvest log violation: Complete the harvest log on the back of a paper license, or use the Texas Hunt & Fish app if you have a digital license.
3. Improperly tagged white-tailed deer: One example of this is a buck tag on a doe. Review how to properly tag a deer with a paper license; or tag with the Texas Hunt & Fish app if you have a digital license.
4. Illegal white-tailed buck taken (in counties with an antler restrictions): A legal white-tailed buck has at least one unbranched antler or an inside spread of 13" or greater. See our tips for determining inside spread. 
5. Untagged white-tailed deer: tag your harvest before you move it.

The arrival of cold weather reminds us it's time to plan a winter hunt for dove, quail, pheasant, duck or sandhill crane.

With over a million acres available, public hunting lands offer excellent wingshooting destinations. With a $48 permit you can access public lands and areas leased from private landowners. Check out the variety of ducks at the Gus Engeling WMA in our video Winter Wonderland for Waterfowl.

What you'll need in the field:

• Valid hunting license
• Any necessary endorsements specific to your quarry
• Proof of Hunter Ed if you were born after Sept. 1, 1971. 
• Regulation information for game birds. Find all your regulation information in the Outdoor Annual online or in the app.

The holidays are a time when we think about helping our less-fortunate neighbors. Consider supporting Hunters for the Hungry – this program distributes donated deer through Texas food banks to help feed families.

To get involved, drop off your deer with a participating meat processor – they work with the food banks to distribute. There is no cost to you.

Find out how the San Antonio Food Bank uses donated venison to provide quality protein to families in need in the magazine story Deer to Spare: Hunters for the Hungry Supports Those in Need. 

Then watch the food bank in action, and find out how you can learn to process deer as a volunteer in our video Hunters Feeding the Hungry. 

There are children and adults interested in the sport of hunting, but they don't  have a hunting family to mentor them.

If you’re an experienced hunter, consider keeping the tradition of hunting alive by becoming a hunt mentor through the Texas Youth Hunting Program.

Being a mentor is rewarding not just because you're giving back, but also because you can relive your own hunting memories as you share the experience of a youngster or adult on his or her first hunt. 

Discover more about the rewards of becoming a hunt mentor in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Mentored Hunts Help Adults Learn to Hunt. When you’re making those resolutions for 2025, make one to become a hunt mentor.