Public Hunting and Access to Texas Parks and Wildlife Lands

2009-2010 Interactive Drawn Hunt Search

©TPWD/Photo by Chris Hays

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) offers a variety of hunting opportunities through two public hunting systems. The $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit provides nearly year-round hunting on approximately 1.2 million acres of land. The increasingly popular dove hunting areas are offered through this system. The Public Hunt Drawing System provides opportunities to apply for a wide variety of supervised, drawn hunts including special drawings for both adults and youth hunters. In addition, TPWD offers special hunt package drawings for exotic wildlife and quality native animals on TPWD managed lands as well as specially leased private properties.

Hunting News and Highlights
NEW - 2009 Applications for Drawing on Public Hunting Lands (PDF 5.5 MB)

Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit - $48

Issued to an individual and valid for a 12-month period from September 1 through August 31 of the following year.
Provides access to over 1 million acres of land for hunting, fishing, camping, and other uses.
Offers more than 200 different areas, including approximately 140 special dove hunting units.
Many areas are open year-round for authorized activities by permit holders.
Hunt deer, feral hogs, squirrel, turkey, dove, waterfowl, quail, and other legal game.
The APH Permit waives any applicable daily hunting permit fees on the listed areas.
Youth under age 17 may hunt free with a permitted adult.
The APH Permit provides entry to TPWD Wildlife Management Areas at times when they are open for general visitation.
Go to the Walk-in Hunts main page for more details.
Only permit holders receive a map booklet listing available areas, facilities, rules, and schedules.
APH Permits are available at TPWD offices and all license vendors (a place which sells hunting and fishing licenses), or by calling 1-800-TX-LIC-4U (menu choice 1 for license sales) and paying by Visa, Discover or MasterCard). If the permit is purchased at a TPWD office, the map booklet and supplement will be provided immediately at the time of purchase; otherwise, the publications will be mailed to the purchaser within two weeks of purchase.
U.S. Forest Service

Limited Public Use (LPU) Permit - $12

A $12 Limited Public Use (LPU) Permit is also available which allows an adult to enter these lands, but does not authorize them to hunt.
The LPU Permit provides entry to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Wildlife Management Areas at times when they are open for general visitation.
Only permit holders receive a map booklet listing available areas, facilities, rules, and schedules.
LPU Permits are available at TPWD offices and all license vendors (a place which sells hunting and fishing licenses), or by calling 1-800-TX-LIC-4U (menu choice 1 for license sales) and paying by Visa, Discover or MasterCard). If the permit is purchased at a TPWD office, the map booklet and supplement will be provided immediately at the time of purchase; otherwise, the publications will be mailed to the purchaser within two weeks of purchase.

Regular Permit Hunts

A $20 Daily Hunting Permit purchased at the hunting area is available for some of the small game hunts [youth under 17 free with permitted adult]. This information is found in the Regular Permit section of Applications for Drawings on Public Hunting Lands booklet.
Dove, quail, waterfowl, and squirrel at designated times on designated Wildlife Management Areas.
Some hunts are youth only hunts where only supervised youth are allowed to hunt.

Computer Drawings for Supervised Hunts

Drawings are held to select a limited number of participants in high quality supervised hunts for white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn antelope, exotics, feral hogs, javelina, turkey, alligators and guided hunt packages.
Requires submission of a completed application and fees prior to an established deadline.
Application fees (required for adults only) are $3 per person for most drawn hunts and $10 per person on certain packaged hunts.
Selected applicants will be awarded a 1-4 day hunt with $80-$130 hunt permit fee assessed for adults. No permit fee for youth hunters.
Some drawn hunts have weapons restrictions (archery, muzzleloader, or shotgun only).
Some drawn hunts are reserved exclusively for hunting by supervised youth only (no application or hunt permit fees are charged).
Application deadlines for the categories of Computer Drawn Hunts are as follows:
- Alligator, Youth Only Alligator - August 5, 2009
- Pronghorn Antelope, Archery Deer, Archery Mule Deer, Archery Exotic, Private Lands Hunts (Pronghorn, Buck, Antlerless, Spike) - August 12, 2009
- Gun Deer (Either-Sex, Antlerless/Spike, Management Buck, Youth Either Sex, Youth Antlerless/Spike, Youth Management Buck, Gun Mule Deer) - September 3, 2009
- Exotic Only, Javelina, Youth Javelina, Guided Deer, Guided Gemsbok, and Guided Waterbuck - October 6, 2009
- Guided Bighorn Sheep, Guided Scimitar-horned Oryx, Guided Exotic, Feral Hog, Spring Turkey, Youth Feral Hog, Youth Spring Turkey - November 4, 2009