Big Lake Bottom WMA: Hunting


Phone: (903) 928-2251
Address:
16149 N US HWY 287
Tennessee Colony, TX 75861

Contact: Kyle Hand

Dates Open:

Registration is required.

Open year round, except closed for Special Permit Hunts.

Big Lake Bottom WMA will be closed September 25 though December 28, 2023 and March 1 through April 22, 2024.

Hunting

Hunting Permitted

Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) have rules and regulations for hunting not required on private property. Hunters must possess a valid hunting license, the appropriate tags and stamps, as well as the proper public hunting permit. Permits include: Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH), computer drawn Special Permits, and the Regular Permit, which allows daily small game hunting on some areas. Hunters 16 years of age and younger are not required to have a hunting permit, but must have a hunting license and be supervised by a licensed, permitted adult, 18 years of age or older. Hunters and non-hunters must wear hunter orange during daylight hours at any time when firearm hunting for any species is authorized on the unit (except turkeys, waterfowl, and dove). For more details see the rules page for this WMA, the Summary of Fishing and Hunting Regulations and Public Hunting Lands Information and Maps.

Big Lake Bottom WMA
Public hunting is permitted for white-tailed deer, feral hog, waterfowl, woodcock, gallinules, snipe, squirrel, rabbit, and hare. The untamed conditions make hunting challenging and sporting. Hunters interested in feral hog, waterfowl, and small game need only to possess an Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit and valid hunting license to gain access on designated days during the appropriate season. Deer hunts, both archery and gun, are randomly selected during the Special Permit drawing to avoid over harvesting of the resource. For more hunting information, see the Drawn Hunts Online System.


Annual Public Hunting Permit Hunts

For current APH information see Big Lake Bottom WMA Map and Hunting regulations media download(PDF 162.5 KB).

Rules and Regulations:

  • All public users are required to wear a minimum of 400 square inches of fluorescent orange material (including headwear) when hunting is permitted, EXCEPT those persons involved in waterfowl hunts.
  • Access to the Area is permissible only through authorized entry/exit locations.
  • Use of horses prohibited other than by written permission of the Area Manager in advance.
  • Use of ATVs is prohibited.
  • No trapping allowed.
  • No baiting.
  • Use of dogs to hunt feral hogs prohibited.
  • Dogs are prohibited except each permit holder may possess one dog while hunting waterfowl, squirrel, rabbits, and hares.
  • Call (903) 389-7080 for additional information.