has any one done any hog huntin on public hunting lad in texas? I have been looking at places all the ones I have found you have to mail in a postcard and hope they draw your name. any one have other public lands where you can go without mailing in and crossing your fingers to get picked?
Guys,
To my knowledge, there are 3 types of "public" land that can be hunted in the state of Texas these are:
1. Army Corp of Engineer land
2. US Fish and Wildlife land (National Wildlife Refuges)
3. TPWD owned and maintained lands
There are different requirements and regulations to hunt on each type of property. The properties I am most familiar with are those that are owned and maintained by TPWD.
To hunt TPWD property (State Parks, Wildlife Management Areas, ...etc) there is a draw system for any hunt that would require the use of a rifle, (all hunts, including means and methods allowed are listed
here). There are several reasons why Texas (as well as most other states) use a draw system, the most obvious in this case being safety for anyone who may be on the property while hunters are in the field.
Texas does lease thousands of acres of private land specifically for public hunting. Most of these properties are available to the public for dove, small game, or a combination of both. The only requirement to access these properties, in addition to what you would need to hunt anywhere else in the state, is the purchase of a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH). Because these are leased from private individuals, the State is bound to any restrictions that the landowners would want. Yes, this means they pick the allowable hunting dates, means and methods, vehicular access, ...etc. This is the same as would be done on any lease in the state. All Texas laws apply on these properties the same way they would apply on any other lease. Anyone that purchases an APH will be mailed a book that has all the available hunting locations in the state that are leased for these purposes. They can also be accesed
here. The other properties that are leased are generally leased on a per hunt basis. TPWD basically purchases hunts from private ranches to include in the drawn hunts. These are usually big game species but will vary from year to year on availability.
If I read the reg's correctly, you do not need a tag for hogs. You can even get away from needing a hunting license if you find someone who asks you to help them clear out hogs that are destroying their crops/property. However, for public lands, guided hunts or where you pay to hunt on private property, you still need the license. PLEASE, if I am wrong, someone correct me. I won't hold it against you or too long....lol.
There are no regulations on hunting feral swine other than the requirement of a hunting license. Feral swine are legaly considered escaped livestock and are regulated by Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) as such there is no tag requirement. If you are the agent of or an owner of a ranch/farm that has normal agricultural processes (farming, feedlots, orchards, ...etc) you may "take" feral swine in an effort to reduce the amount of damage being done to your agricultural process. From what I have heard most game wardens will ticket you if the agricultural process in not obvious.
This was really a lot longer than I intended but I hope I answered some questions and didn't make things a lot muddier.
