Commission Agenda Item No. 5
Presenter: Justin Dreibelbis
Action
Public Hunting Program – Establishment of an Open Season on Public Hunting
Lands and Approval of Public Hunting Activities on State Parks
May 21, 2020
I. Executive Summary: With this item, the staff seeks:
- Adoption of an open season on public hunting lands for the 2020-21 season; and
- Authorization of specific public hunting activities on public hunting lands (including units of the State Park System) for the 2020-2021 season.
II. Discussion: Texas Parks and Wildlife Code chapter 81, subchapter E, authorizes the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) to promulgate rules governing access to and use of public hunting lands and specific hunting, fishing, recreational, or other use of wildlife management areas (WMA) and requires the Commission to prescribe by rule any terms, conditions, and fees for the issuance and use of permits for such use.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Code chapter 12, subchapter A, provides that a tract of land purchased primarily for a purpose authorized by the code may be used for any authorized function of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) “if the Commission determines that multiple use is the best utilization of the land’s resources.” Additionally, chapter 81, subchapter E, provides the Commission with the authority to establish open seasons, and authorizes the TPWD Executive Director to determine bag limits, means and methods, and conditions for the taking of wildlife resources on wildlife management areas and public hunting lands, which includes units of the State Park System designated as public hunting lands.
III. Recommendation: The staff recommends the Commission adopt the following motions:
Motion 1 — "The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorizes an open season on public hunting lands to run from September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021."
Motion 2 — "The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorizes the public hunting activities contained in Exhibit A to take place on units of the State Park System."
Commission Agenda Item No. 5
Exhibit A
| State Park | Species/Hunt Type | Drawn Hunt Category | Type Permit | Hunt Positions | Hunt Groups | Proposed Hunt Dates | Visitation Restriction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abilene | Archery deer and feral hogs | ADE | Special | 8 | Dec. 8-10 | Yes | |
| Abilene | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 6 | Dec. 8-10 | Yes | ||
| Abilene | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 8 | Dec. 5-6 | Yes | ||
| Abilene | Waterfowl | APH | Jan. 23-31 | Partial | ||||
| Abilene | Feral hogs (novice) | MHP | 10 | Jan. 29-31 | Partial | |||
| 2 | Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area | Deer, exotic, feral hogs | GDE | Special | 10 | Nov. 6-8, Dec. 4-6 | No | |
| Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDM | Special | 5 | Oct. 24-25 | No | ||
| Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | TYHP | 14 | Dec. 11-13, Jan. 8-10 | No | ||
| 3 | Atlanta | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 10 | Dec. 1-3 | Yes | |
| Atlanta | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 10 | Jan. 16-18 | Yes | ||
| 4 | Bastrop | Youth deer and feral hog | YDE | Special | 15 | Jan. 1-3 | Partial | |
| Bastrop | Deer and feral hog | GDA | Special | 15 | Jan. 6-8 | Partial | ||
| 5 | Big Bend Ranch | Archery mule deer and exotics | AMD | Special | 12 | Oct. 12-15 | Partial | |
| Big Bend Ranch | Mule deer and exotics | MDG | Special | 12 | Dec. 7-10 | Partial | ||
| Big Bend Ranch | Javelina and exotics | GJE | Special | 12 | Oct. 19-22 | Partial | ||
| Big Bend Ranch | Youth mule deer and exotics | YDE | Special | 12 | Nov. 30-Dec. 3 | Partial | ||
| Big Bend Ranch | Quail | APH/e-Postcard | 24 | Jan. 4-6 | Partial | |||
| 6 | Brazos Bend | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 60 | Nov. 17-19, Dec. 1-3 | Yes | |
| 7 | Caprock Canyons | Mule deer, white-tailed deer and feral hogs | MDG | Special | 8 | Dec. 8-11 | Yes | |
| Caprock Canyons | Exotics and feral hogs | EXO | Special | 5 | Dec. 15-18 | Yes | ||
| Caprock Canyons | Youth mule deer, white-tailed deer, feral hogs | YDE | Special | 8 | Dec. 28-31 | Yes | ||
| Caprock Canyons | Mule deer, white-tailed deer and feral hogs | EDR | APH/e-Postcard | 4 | Nov. 21-Dec. 6 | |||
| Caprock Canyons | Multiple small game | EMS | APH/e-Postcard | 20 | Oct. 1-31 | |||
| 8 | Choke Canyon - Calliham | Deer, feral hogs | GDM | Special | 3 | Dec. 31-Jan. 3 | ||
| 9 | Choke Canyon - North Shore | Archery deer, feral hogs | ADE | Special | 4 | Dec. 31-Jan. 3 | No | |
| Choke Canyon - North Shore | Deer, feral hogs | GDE | Special | 4 | Jan. 5-8 | No | ||
| Choke Canyon - North Shore | Deer, feral hogs | GDM | Special | 12 | Dec. 1-3, 8-10, 15-17 | No | ||
| Choke Canyon - North Shore | Youth deer, feral hogs | YDE | Special | 4 | Dec. 20-22 | No | ||
| Choke Canyon - North Shore | Youth deer, feral hogs | YDA | Special | 8 | Nov. 7-8, 14-15 | No | ||
| Choke Canyon - North Shore | Youth deer, feral hogs | YDM | Special | 4 | Nov. 21-22 | |||
| Choke Canyon - North Shore | Javelina | GJE | Special | 2 | Feb. 2-4 | No | ||
| Choke Canyon - North Shore | Feral hogs | EFH | APH/e-Postcard | 4 | Feb. 8-23 | No | ||
| 10 | Choke Canyon - South Shore | Deer, feral hogs | GDM | Special | 4 | Dec. 1-3, 8-10 | Yes | |
| 11 | Colorado Bend | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 50 | Dec. 1-4, Jan. 5-8 | Yes | |
| Colorado Bend | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 25 | Dec. 8-11 | Yes | ||
| Colorado Bend | Youth deer, exotics and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 50 | Nov. 23-25, Dec. 21-23 | Yes | ||
| 12 | Cooper Lake | Youth deer, feral hogs | YDA | Special | 12 | Jan. 9-10 | Yes | |
| 13 | Cooper Lake- South Sulphur Unit | Deer and feral hogs | APH/OSR | Dec. 5-20 | Partial | |||
| 14 | Copper Breaks | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 1 | Dec. 5-7 | Yes | |
| Copper Breaks | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 1 | Dec. 5-7 | Yes | ||
| Copper Breaks | Feral hog | APH/e-Postcard | 6 | Jan. 9-10, Jan. 16-17, Feb. 6-7 | Yes | |||
| Copper Breaks | Waterfowl | APH/e-Postcard | 6 | Nov. 28-29, Dec. 19-20, Jan. 30-31 | Partial | |||
| Copper Breaks | Youth/adult waterfowl | APH/e-Postcard | 4 | Sept. 19-20, 25-27 | Partial | |||
| Copper Breaks | Dove | APH-OSR | Sept. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 | Partial | ||||
| Copper Breaks | Dove (falconry) | APH-OSR | Nov. 23-27, Nov. 30-Dec. 4 | |||||
| Copper Breaks | Feral hog | MHP | 6 | Dec. 11-13, Jan. 22-24 | Yes | |||
| 15 | Davis Mountains | Javelina and feral hogs | GJE | Special | 16 | Oct. 3-6, 7-10, 11-14, 15-18 | Partial | |
| 16 | Devils River-Del Norte Unit | Exotics | EXO | Special | 28 | Jan. 15-18, 22-25 | Yes | |
| Devils River-Del Norte Unit | Youth exotics | YEX | Special | 12 | Jan. 1-4 | Yes | ||
| 17 | Enchanted Rock | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 30 | Nov. 10-13, Jan. 12-15 | Yes | |
| Enchanted Rock | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 15 | Dec. 8-11 | Yes | ||
| Enchanted Rock | Archery deer, exotics, and feral hogs | ADE | Special | 15 | Oct. 20-23 | Yes | ||
| 18 | Fairfield Lake | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 20 | Jan. 5-8 | Yes | |
| Fairfield Lake | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDA | Special | 40 | Dec. 28-30, Dec. 31-Jan. 1 | Yes | ||
| 19 | Fort Boggy | Archery deer, feral hogs | ADE | Special | 10 | Oct. 5-9, 19-23 | Yes | |
| Fort Boggy | Deer, feral hogs | GDE | Special | 10 | Nov. 30-Dec. 4, Dec. 14-18 | Yes | ||
| Fort Boggy | Feral hog | GFH | Special | 5 | Jan. 11-15 | Yes | ||
| 20 | Garner | Exotics and feral hogs | EXO | Special | 40 | Jan. 4-6, 6-8 | Yes | |
| Garner | Youth deer, exotics, and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 40 | Jan. 1-3, 8-10 | Yes | ||
| Garner | Archery exotics and feral hogs | AEX | Special | 8 | Nov. 30-Dec. 4, Feb. 1-5 | Partial | ||
| 21 | Government Canyon | Archery deer and feral hogs | ADE | Special | 5 | Dec. 1-3 | Yes | |
| Government Canyon | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 15 | Dec. 8-10, Jan. 5-7, Jan. 12-14 | Yes | ||
| 22 | Guadalupe River | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 6 | Dec. 18-20 | Yes | |
| 23 | Guadalupe River-Bauer Unit | Youth deer, exotics, and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 8 | Nov. 21-23, 27-29 | Partial | |
| Guadalupe River-Bauer Unit | Deer, exotics and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 4 | Dec. 10-13 | Partial | ||
| 24 | Hill Country | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 64 | Nov. 9-11, Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 14-16, Jan. 18-20 | Yes | |
| Hill Country | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDA | Special | 16 | Dec. 28-30 | Yes | ||
| 25 | Honey Creek | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 6 | Dec. 18-20 | Yes | |
| 26 | Huntsville | Squirrel | Reg/APH-OSR | Dec. 2, 3 | Yes | |||
| 27/28 | Inks Lake/Longhorn Caverns | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 7 | Jan. 12-14 | Yes | |
| Inks Lake/Longhorn Caverns | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 14 | Jan. 19-21, 26-28 | Yes | ||
| Inks Lake/Longhorn Caverns | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 7 | Jan. 5-7 | Yes | ||
| Inks Lake/Longhorn Caverns | Deer and feral hogs (first-time hunter) | MHP | 21 | Dec. 1-3, 8-10, 15-17 | Partial | |||
| 29 | Lake Brownwood | Archery deer and feral hogs | ADE | Special | 5 | Dec. 7-9 | Yes | |
| Lake Brownwood | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 10 | Jan. 11-13, 13-15 | Yes | ||
| Lake Brownwood | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 5 | Dec. 5-6 | Yes | ||
| 30 | Lake Colorado City | Dove | APH | Sept. 1-Nov. 1, Dec. 18-Jan. 14 | Partial | |||
| 31 | Lake Mineral Wells | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 10 | Dec. 15-17 | Partial | |
| Lake Mineral Wells | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 10 | Dec. 5-6 | Partial | ||
| Lake Mineral Wells | Deer and feral hogs | ADE | Special | 4 | Dec.7-9 | Yes | ||
| 32 | Lake Somerville- Birch Creek | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 14 | Dec. 16-18, Jan. 13-15 | Yes | |
| 33 | Lake Somerville-Nails Creek | Youth deer, feral hogs | YDE | Special | 12 | Dec. 18-19, Jan. 16-17 | Yes | |
| Lake Somerville-Nails Creek | Feral hog | GFH | Special | 5 | Jan. 12-14 | Yes | ||
| Lake Somerville-Nails Creek | Waterfowl | APH | Early Teal, North Zone Duck, Youth WF | Partial | ||||
| 34 | Lake Whitney | Deer, exotics and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 40 | Dec. 7-9, 9-11, Jan. 4-6, 6-8 | Yes | |
| 35 | Martin Dies Jr. | Youth deer and feral hogs | APH/e-Postcard | 5 | Dec. 5-6 | Yes | ||
| 36 | Palmetto | Youth deer | APH/e-Postcard | 4 | Dec. 19-20 | Yes | ||
| 37 | Palo Duro Canyon | Exotics and feral hogs | EXO | Special | 24 | Dec. 26-28, 29-31, Jan. 1-3 | Partial | |
| Palo Duro Canyon | Youth deer, exotics, and feral hogs | YDM | Special | 9 | Dec. 18-19, 20-21, 22-23 | Partial | ||
| Palo Duro Canyon | Youth deer, exotics, and feral hogs | YDA | Special | 1 | Dec. 20-21 | Partial | ||
| Palo Duro Canyon | Youth deer (mobility) | MHP | Special | 2 | Dec. 18-19 | Partial | ||
| Palo Duro Canyon | Deer, turkey, feral hogs (mobility) | MHP | Special | 2 | Dec. 20-21 | Partial | ||
| Palo Duro Canyon | Turkey | APH/e-Postcard | 4 | Dec. 22, 23 | Partial | |||
| 38 | Palo Pinto Mountains | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 4 | Dec. 28-29, 30-31 | No | |
| 39 | Pedernales Falls | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 24 | Dec. 17-19, Jan. 12-14 | Yes | |
| Pedernales Falls | Youth deer, exotics, and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 12 | Dec. 21-23 | Yes | ||
| 40 | Pedernales Falls Annex | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 6 | Dec. 16-19, Jan. 11-14 | Yes | |
| 41 | Purtis Creek | Waterfowl | MHP | 32 | Oct. 17; Jan. 9, 23 | Partial | ||
| 42 | Resaca de la Palma | White-winged dove | APH-OSR/ Reg | Sept. 5, 6, 12, 13 | Partial | |||
| Resaca de la Palma | Mourning dove | APH-OSR/ Reg | Sept. 26, 27 | Partial | ||||
| 43 | San Angelo | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 20 | Nov. 10-12 | Partial | |
| San Angelo | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 20 | Dec. 1-3 | Partial | ||
| San Angelo | Turkey | GTS | Special | 20 | Apr. 2-4 | No | ||
| San Angelo | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDA | Special | 20 | Jan. 2-3 | Partial | ||
| San Angelo | Youth deer and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 20 | Oct. 24-25 | Partial | ||
| San Angelo | Deer and feral hogs (first-time hunter) | MHP | 8 | Jan. 22-24 | Yes | |||
| San Angelo | Archery deer/turkey | APH/OSR | Oct. 3-31, Nov. 16-22 | No | ||||
| San Angelo | Dove | APH/OSR | Sept. 1-27, each day of second split | No | ||||
| San Angelo | Early teal | APH/OSR | Sept. 12-27 | No | ||||
| San Angelo | Quail | APH/OSR | Dec. 12-Feb. 28 | No | ||||
| San Angelo | Squirrel/rabbits | APH/OSR | Sept. 1-27, Dec. 12-Feb. 28 | No | ||||
| San Angelo | Waterfowl | APH/OSR | Dec. 12 thru end of Western goose | No | ||||
| 44 | Sea Rim | Waterfowl - teal | Reg/APH/OSR | Early teal season | No | |||
| Sea Rim | Waterfowl | Reg/APH/OSR | Sun., Wed., & Fri. of the South Zone Duck season | No | ||||
| Sea Rim | Geese | Reg/APH/OSR | Concurrent with waterfowl hunts | No | ||||
| Sea Rim | Youth-only waterfowl | Reg/APH/OSR | South Zone Duck - Youth | No | ||||
| Sea Rim | Rails, gallinules, and snipe | Reg/APH/OSR | Concurrent with waterfowl hunts | No | ||||
| Sea Rim | Youth alligator | YAL | Special | 1 | Sept. 19-20 | No | ||
| Sea Rim | Feral hog | GFH | Special | 8 | Jan. 20-22, Feb. 3-5, 17-19, Mar. 3-5 | No | ||
| 45 | Seminole Canyon | Deer and feral hogs | GDE | Special | 10 | Dec. 7-11 | Yes | |
| Seminole Canyon | Deer and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 10 | Nov. 16-20 | Yes | ||
| 46 | South Llano | Exotics and feral hogs | EXO | Special | 16 | Oct. 6-8, 20-22 | Yes | |
| South Llano | Deer, exotics, and feral hogs | GDA | Special | 30 | Nov. 10-12, Dec. 8-10, Jan. 5-7 | Yes | ||
| South Llano | Youth deer, exotics, and feral hogs | YDE | Special | 16 | Nov. 23-25, Dec. 17-19 | Yes | ||
| 46 | 1,337 | 66 | ||||||
| Special | Drawn Special Permit | |||||||
| MHP | Mentored Hunting Permit | |||||||
| APH | Annual Public Hunting Permit | |||||||
| OSR | On-site registration | |||||||
| Reg | Regular (daily) Permit | |||||||
| e-Postcard | Hunt by on-line postcard selection | |||||||
| TYHP | Texas Youth Hunting Program |