Enter online to win any of the Drawn Hunts in the 2017-2018 season, including:

• Hunts on U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges
• Private Lands Dove Hunts
• Hunts on Wildlife Management Areas

It's easy to browse available hunts by a location or category. You can apply multiple times for hunts in the same category, but each category has a deadline date. So be sure to get your entries in by 11:59 p.m. CST on the day of the deadline. The first deadlines are Aug.1.

Each entry will cost anywhere from $0 to $10, and Youth Only category entries are always free. Don't delay, visit the Drawn Hunts website and apply for your favorites today.   

Hunting season dates for 2017-2018 are now set, including these opening dates:

Dove 9/1
Archery 9/30
Quail 10/28
White-tailed deer 11/4

New this season, South Texas dove hunters will have Special White-winged Dove Days on Sept. 2-3 and 9-10. 

To easily access season dates and regulations, locate public hunting lands and more, get the free Outdoor Annual app. The app automatically updates regulations for the new season in mid-August each year (requires internet access). Then you can refer to it in the field, even without internet access. Download the Outdoor Annual app today and be prepared for another good season of hunting.

Are you getting antsy waiting for the season to start? Wild hogs can be taken any time of year! Here are 4 reasons to start planning a feral hog hunt: 

1. challenging quarry
2. found all over Texas
3. no limit
4. good on the table 

In general, you do need a license to hunt feral hogs. However, landowners and their agents don't need a license to hunt them on the landowner's property, if the hogs there are doing damage. 

Get up to speed with this list of answers to commonly asked questions, like "What is the hog shield?" and "How do I hunt feral hogs?" Bowhunters, check out this Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine article with hog hunting tips. 

Once you get your harvest home, we've got wild boar recipes and a video on how to make wild hog tacos, a perfect between-seasons meal.

Texas Game Wardens work tirelessly to defend the wild things and wild places of our state. Read the latest edition of Game Warden Field Notes for a glimpse into a day (or night) in the life of a Game Warden – it can get wild, woolly and downright weird at times. 

To keep up with the latest Game Warden news, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. They've always got something going on!

Here are a few safety precautions to keep top-of-mind while hunting:

• Maintain muzzle control – know your safe zone-of-fire and stay in it.
• Unload firearms when crossing obstacles like boulders, fences, etc.
• Unload and case firearms when transporting them – many accidents occur around vehicles.

Hunter Education teaches all these skills and more. Hunters born after Sept. 1, 1971 are required to carry proof they've completed a Hunter Ed course. If you lose your certification card, get a free copy online. Avoid a citation, keep the proof in your pocket!

Watch this video for a mini-refresher course on safety tips and common causes of firearm mishaps. Hunting should create good memories that last a lifetime. Don’t ruin yours with a foolish mistake – put safety first.