Expanded public hunting programs offer greater opportunities

https://www.chron.com/sports/outdoors/ar...em-85307-tbla-3

got slow net, info didnt down load.
Agree with topic, did the leaseing thing, was family hunts. Prices got to high.

I really like the change they are doing where you have to be an APH holder BEFORE applying to an APH hunt. Hopefully that will ease a lot of the problems with no-shows tying up available spots.

I like the change too. I think they missed something on the non residents. It is still 9600 applications and I bet most of those are mostly only for the more desirable hunts. But with many of those $10 applications, that is a lot of revenue. I still think they should require a license for non residents to apply. If they are applying for places like the Chap and Caprock they would be happy to pay it same as I am in Oklahoma to apply for Wichita mountains.

Just to be clear,that's for E-postcard hunts only,not regular drawn hunts. You don't need the APH permit to apply for most drawn hunts.

That is correct.

I agree. To make it fair though, I think that EVERYONE should have a current hunting license to apply for the drawings. TPWD would need to move the date to buy licenses earlier. Some states offer a refund if the person doesn't draw, but others don't. I don't think we should. Puts a little more skin in the game for all applicants.

Great to see they are already listing hunts for Powder Horn Ranch. What is taking them so long on a lot of other area they have acquired in the last several years? Such as New part of Devil River Ranch they acquire back in 2010? time frame?

Yea, the Powderhorn sounds like an awesome property.

Thanks for posting this article!

thanks for posting, noted the APH prequalification for ecard draws

Hope you were chosen for Wichita mountains - I struck out this morning!

Problem is with license due date and the dates drawings need to be in. Old license is good till end of Aug for some draw deadlines and rest would be on new license year. They would have to change license end and renew dates to cover that part of it. But I would be for it also.
There are several newer WMA that took a long time to be put in the draw system. Some are just selective hunts at this point. I think money and no on site personal was some of the issue.

tis crowded in here tonight. 31 viewers...
ta PHL in

and all because of you Colt!!

TPWD should make it a prerequisite to have a valid texas hunting license and you must also buy an APH prior to applying for "any" drawn public hunt regardless of what property it is on. I have grown weary of anyone in their underwear and a computer applying for hunts. Back when you had to handfill in the hunt draw coupons and send in a check with them the odds were much better. I would also require any out of stater applying for hunts to have a valid license with no refunds...

I agree. I have been putting this on every public hunting survey they send me. I would think that having to buy hunting license, even a temporary, to be able to enter the draw the hunt would be a revenue positive for TPWD. It would also stop people from applying who are not serious. Youth hunts should be the only exception to having to have a valid hunting license when applying.

CO’s draw revenue tripled when they went away from Lic fee up front. I spend a lot on out state non refundable Lic fees, grant it TX would be wash but I prefer a $3 app charge. Essentially if we went to a Lic fee we would be the most expensive state in the union to apply in, seconded by Montana and oklahoma

I like the Texas system other then it should be limited to one hunt per catagory which would increase drawing odds

Got to spend a couple days with Justin Dreibelbis last year while on my Scimitar Oryx hunt. Had some interesting conversations about the public hunting program in Texas, and comparing them to other states systems. He is an avid hunter and participates in draws and building points in several other states, so he knows how the process works. I'm sure all these suggestions get considered every year, but implementing them might not be as easy as we think it is. Keep answering the surveys tho, and something will change.

As a non-resident I would gladly pay an increased amount for the opportunity to apply, but speaking for myself, I would prefer to see higher application fees for the hunts. Either that, or make everyone possess an APH permit, just like the E-Post Card limitation now. As long as Texas offers multiple NR licenses, I need them to decide which one you would have to have, in order to apply. Since WMA public hunts don't require you to use your regular deer tags, why would I need to buy a full price $315 license???

I really would like them to go back to one hunt application per category tho.

The hunts are essentially MLD tags, you still have to have a license valid for deer, NR or Res to hunt MLD, per animal Texas license is the keepers in the lower 48 both RES and NR

I personally want to see TPWD grow so that more TPWD endowments open to hunting

Pretty good answer and explanation. You're right about the deer. Guess I wasn't focused enough in my statement.

With a $48 (5 day) or $132 (annual) special hunting license I can hunt all exotics, alligators or javelina. Just need either of those licenses for those categories only?? I guess the computer program could match up what you apply for, to what license you possess but thats more work. I generally have the full price NR license anyway, as I come down to hunt turkeys in Spring and deer on the leases in Fall, so it never matters to me. The only thing I have to get is an archery endorsement, if I draw a archery-only hunt.

When I brought the grandkids down to hunt the Chap on a Dec Youth hunt (YDE), my son and I only had to buy a 5 day license to accompany them and supervise. They didn't need licenses or Hunter Safety at all.

I don’t think that anyone is saying they should raise the application fee to the cost of a license. Just that you have to possess a valid hunting license when you apply. Several states make you do that already. Most Texans applying for draw hunts have a valid license. Non residents would have to suck it up and buy one.

When I apply in Idaho I have to buy a hunting license. My application fee is higher than residents pay, for the privilege at applying for a small percentage of tags allocated to nonresidents. So yes I think nonresidents should have to have a nonresident Hunting license to apply for hunts in Texas.

I pay $6.25 to apply for my hunts here in Idaho, and you pay $14.25 for yours. Perfectly fair in my opinion. I will gladly pay three times your resident application fee for the Drawn Hunt Program. Just please go back to one hunt per category!!!!!!!!!!

When you buy a $152 license to apply in Idaho, you are not paying for all those deer and turkey tags which are included with the $315 Texas cost (and mostly unusable by the average NR). You also get a 3 day fishing license which I pay extra for in Texas. You get to pick and choose what you can afford, and you also have 68% of the entire state which is public land to hunt if you don't draw your selected hunt. The deer, elk, bear, lion tags are also sold over the counter which gives you an immense opportunity to hunt from Aug-Dec..

In Texas, if you don't draw the public land hunt you apply for, you are basically screwed and have to either consider an outfitter, a day hunt operation, or not hunt at all, since the state of Texas is 97% private....

Trade-offs either way, and as long as every state in the nation does it differently, we can continue to argue pros and cons for every system until the cows come home.