Does it take a permit to raise deer in a pen?

If so, is there a place you can look to see it if that a person has a permit?

I believe it does, pretty certain. I would think TPWD regulates this, but not sure. A call to the local biologist or Game Warden could be a step towards finding out.

Absolutely it takes permitting

Get in touch with your local game warden or state technical biologist before starting.

I'd like to know this too, for clarification does "pen" also include high fence ?

You've been around here long enough to know - to some on here, 1 million acres behind high fence is a "pen".

yeah thats for sure - I guess I am thinking what does the TPWD consider a pen. Anything that is contained ? Certain size ? Any deer that was purchased ?

It’s actually doesn’t have to do with the pen as much as the breeding. Technically it’s a breeding permit. Even DMP is technically a breeding permit

Yes it does have its limit on what can be done and how it is contained. Height of fence is regulated and they do have a size acreage limit on a single pen that is under a licensed breeder permit. They can not hunt a deer inside a licensed deer breeding facility either. You can purchase deer from a licensed breeder to release on your ranch as long as you do the proper paperwork. It was until a few years ago that you had to have HF on your acreage to buy the deer and release them. Luckily, they finally changed that law. There are a lot of breeder that own smaller amounts of acreage that is low fenced but yet they have a breeder permit and breeding facility. The laws they are governed by are strict, the laws are enforced and those laws change from time to time. They have a annual renewal date and inventory record is kept online with the state. You apply for a permit to sell and transport deer. You report new additions, bought or born into. Each has deadlines to report. You report death losses and CWD testing is required and needs to kept up to date to keep the facility movement qualified. If they fall out of being movement qualified they are now just breeding and feeding a growing herd for grins. This is a just a short description of what all is required to be a licensed deer breeder. If you want a long read then go to the TPWD and look at the requirements of a licensed deer permit. At one time if you were license and permit as a deer breeder with TPWD it was public record, not sure what that is today.

All your fun permitting

https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/permits/land/wildlife_management/deer_permits/

Thanks.

Oh so true!

And the funny part is I've been on several large ranches that have nothing more than 5-strand barbed-wire and have watched 200"+ deer walk right into camp so close you could have killed them with a machete!
But, in some folks opinions that would be much more sporting than hunting on a 20k acre HF place. lmao