Hello Everyone! Thanks for letting me in.

I am an Indiana Resident, and have been invited to come back to Texas to hunt hogs. I was at Ft. Hood for years, so I know the area, but I DO NOT know the regs!

I understand that if its a nuisance hog hunt on private property a permit is not required, but I do need to have a recent hunters safety course in Indiana and proof of completion.

What I do NOT know is plethoral!

How do I register that safety course with TX?

Am I on the right track to think I don't have to purchase a waiver if I have an out of state course on the books?

What other expenses should I plan for?

I have been advices to carry a handgun as well when hog hunting, what are the rules about this for out of state hunters?

What am I NOT asking about that I should be?

I have plenty of time on this, so I'm excited, but not in a very big rush.



Also, any advice or tips would be appreciated.

Thank you,

-Jim

http://tpwd.texas.gov/

This will get you started...

Did that. Can you address my specific questions?

I am out of state as well and am heading down in March to hog hunt.

As far as I know you need to buy a non-resident hunting licence and bring proof that you took and passed the hunter safety course in your home jurisdiction. I do not believe you have to register the course with Texas as they already have reciprocal agreements in place with other states and provinces.

That's about the extant of what I know. I don't need the out of state proof as I was born before 1971 but my son who is coming with me does.

Good in Other States

All states and provinces that have mandatory hunter education requirements will accept Texas Hunter Education certifications. Likewise, Texas will accept hunter education certifications that are issued by other states and provinces that meet official IHEA-USA requirements. (This is known as “reciprocity.”)

When "Hunting" pigs you need a license (permit). A "nuisance hog hunt" could be considered hunting... or not, depending on the exact circumstances and GW. I would recommend purchasing a license and bringing proof of Hunter Safety.

I am pretty sure feral hogs fall out under the Exotic animals and fowl area ... and a non-resident would need either a special or 5-day special hunting license ... along with proof of Hunter Safety course completion. See page 73

Non-resident Special Hunting (Type 107): $132
Valid to hunt: Exotic animals (see pg. 73), all legal game birds (NOT VALID FOR TURKEY), all nongame animals,
squirrel, javelina and alligator (not valid for other game animals, NOT VALID FOR DEER). Stamp endorsement
requirements apply.
Non-resident 5-Day Special Hunting (Type 157): $48
Legal for any period of five consecutive days (valid hunting dates will be printed on the license when
issued). Valid to hunt: Exotic animals (see pg. 73), all legal game birds (except turkeys), all nongame
animals, squirrel, javelina and alligator (not valid for other game animals, NOT VALID FOR DEER). Stamp
endorsement requirements apply.

also be sure to have on your person some form of Personal ID (driver's license, passport, etc.)

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/cs_bk_k0700_284_2014_2015.pdf

See page 25. This is what the OP is referring to about not having to purchase a license. A lot depends on the "hunt" he is going on. If Mr. John Brown is letting him come to his farm or ranch to shoot every stinkin pig he sees cause they are rootin up his hay field, I wouldn't worry about a license.
But if he's going on a paid hunt or going to hunt hogs on public land, then yeah, he's gonna need a license.
If it were me, I would just buy the 5 day license and not have to worry about it.

Me too.

I would agree with your theory for a resident hunter ... but looks sketchy for non-resident as I believe hogs fall out under exotics ... or at least the way I read it. Personally, I would buy the 5 day special as cheap insurance UNLESS I got something in writing from the TPWD relating to hog hunting for a non-resident.

Having grown up in Texas when I moved away I did not stop hunting there, after I moved away I talked to TPWD about this subject and my understanding from what TPWD told me is that if I want to go out and kill something, even pigs on my own property, I needed to have some kind of hunting license. I figure the $48.00 for 5 day non resident is cheaper than a ticket.
I normally just get a regular non-resident hunting license for the $315.00 so I am good to hunt anything for the year.

Eastland county game warden spelled it out to us like this:

Hogs on private (leased) land, no license required, because they're not considered "fur bearing".

Shoot a coyote, coon, skunk... whatever, and you had better have a license.

Hunter's safety is reciprocal.

Handgun on private (leased) land is legal.

My uncle came in from TN to hunt deer: needed a license. His son was going to come with him, but only wanted to hunt hog: no license, but that meant no varmints as well. Both brought their TN HSC.

A different GW could read that different and write them a ticket for not having a license. TPWD office has answered the question for me (it has been awhile), and the response was that if you are not the land owner or with the land owner and if you plan on eating the hogs or move the hogs, you are no longer hunting them as a nuisance animal and are required to have a hunting license.

IMO, if you are hunting anything, you are better off having a hunting license.

This, why risk it.

Like others have said, your hunter safety course is all you need to buy a license here in Texas. Just make sure you have it with you when you go to buy your license. Also have your photo ID with you.

As for shooting hogs on private land, what I was told is that the landowner has to have a special depredation permit issued to them due to damage to the land caused by the hogs. Just having a lot of hogs isn't enough. With the permit, they can kill all the hogs they want to without a license. Without the permit, you have to have a license.

Eddie

This is ultimately the point. Our game warden cited me being the lease foreman as acting "as an agent of the landowner", which carried the same rights as far as hogs went. Keep in mind, that's all I was asking about was hogs, he made the distinction between hogs and fur bearing animals.

Anyways, he was cool about it, but others may not see it the same way.

A license is cheap insurance.

I'm gonna have to call on this one. Unless you or somebody else can post a link to that regulation.

Oklahoma is easier with hog hunting. No license is required to hog hunt unless you are hunting them with a rifle during the deer rifle seasons. This gives you about 335 days of free hog hunting in Oklahoma on private land (just got to find a place to hunt them!)

X2

Great! Learning stuff here!

And some of you are seeing the issue I had translating the site into practical terms.

I did not realize I could get a 5 day as a non-resident. Also, where would one get this license? WalMart?

Thanks!

you can get a license at wal-mart or anywhere that sells licenses, convenience stores, sporting goods stores etc. etc.... You can even get them online it's tag 157...https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/licenses/public/recreational/

Okay, so here is the deal.

I do not need the out of state if I am only hunting hog. 5 Day will suffice, and I need to carry proof of my Hunter Safety permit.

As to the open carry of the handgun, I was advised to contact the game warden for the area in which I intend to hunt (if public land).

So, Thank you TEXAS. This is a much better option for me, as this whole mess will probably run me $2,500.00 in travel, hotel, food, prep, fee's, etc. So not bad, but it could be a LOT worse.

I'm really geeking out. Can. Not. Wait.

There are no requirements for depredation permits for hog eradication in Texas. There are for game or protected species, but not for feral pigs.

That being said - depredation hunts are a tricky thing with pigs. They technically do not require a hunting license for somebody to legally shoot, trap or otherwise kill pigs. But if you are hunting under the depredation definition, you better not be field dressing, skinning or any other form of harvesting meat from the pigs or removing the carcasses from the land, because doing so means that it is no longer a depredation hunt.

The best thing to do is buy a license. They aren't that expensive, they cover you for any situation involving a legal pig hunt, and the money goes to fund TWPD anwya. Buy the license, have a grand old time, take some meat home if you want.

And, unfortunately, Open Carry of a handgun in public areas in Texas is currently illegal. We have that in common with places like Illinois and New York. Sucks, but that is the current state of affairs - Texas isn't quite as gun friendly as many people think we are when you get down to it.

You can freely open carry while on private land, so long as the landowner has given permission to do so. You can CCW with a valid permit from Texas or one of the states that we have reciprocal agreements with. You can legally open carry a long gun anywhere except school grounds, federal buildings or other areas prohibited by law (unless you are a LEO).

Once again, I'm gonna call You are going to have to show me that regulation as well.
I have no idea where this myth has come from, but it is that. A myth. Don't know how many times I've heard this or read it, but nobody has yet to show me in black and white where it states it's against the law to not recover any of the meat off a depredation hog or hogs.