Please go easy on me…lol
Please explain how public hunting works. I’ve been reading info on TPWD manual and haven’t found answer. My question,

1. Do you have to be drawn to deer hunt on public land? Or

Can anyone with the proper tags and license show up on any allowable public hunting area and hunt deer during appropriate season?


Any tips on hunting public lands are appreciated.

Thanks

This link has all the answers

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/

Read the entire section in the manual today and couldn’t find the answer to my exact question, but thanks

I believe this is correct. But definitely follow up with the link above

Some places yes, some places no. Some places you need a first come first serve permit for the season. There are different controlling authorities for different areas. There are different rules for different areas including different hunting methods and different dates from regular season dates. And different bag limits depending on how the land is managed.
https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/348583/



No. Not in the way you asked that. It's not always that simple.



Pick a public hunting area or two near you. Find he rules and regs for that particular area to see if it fits the kind of hunting your wanting to do, obtain any required permit if needed, research it online and go scout it in person. And hunt it.

I guess that’s why I couldn’t find the answer exactly as asked. I’m in San Antonio area. I’ll find the closest public deer lands near me and research them. Thanks for breaking it down like this. Makes perfect sense. I guess I was generalizing a concept that is different in different areas. Thanks.

Many of the Annual Public Hunting Permit areas will have on site standby draws for their drawn hunts. Considering where you live, I would take advantage of that and try to get a standby position on some of the drawn hunts in your region.

@Nick1 Here’s some direction regarding public hunting in Texas. My post is about halfway down the thread.

https://texashuntingforum.com/forum...ew-to-hunting-seeking-advice#Post7499567

Yes I think you are on the right track now Nick. First go get your APH permit ($45) and that gives you access to lands to hunt in your area. They will send you a book with places in your region and what they have to hunt.