Apply online for a chance to win Drawn Hunts in the 2022-2023 season. Choose from nearly 10,000 hunts in 62 categories, including Private Lands Dove Hunts. NEW this year: hunts on Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge. 

It's easy to apply – search for available hunts by category or location, and keep these tips in mind:

• Each category has an application deadline on the 1st or 15th of a month. The first deadlines are Aug. 1. 
• Applicants for e-Postcard hunts and U.S. Forest Service Antlerless Deer Permits must have a 2022-2023 Annual Public Hunting permit (available Aug. 15) to apply.
• Application fees are $3 or $10, and some hunts require the winner pay a Special Permit fee of $80 or $130. Some categories have no application or permit fees.
• You can apply multiple times for hunts in the same category. 

Standby hunting offers the best odds of being selected; any unfilled slots are awarded to those who show up the day of the hunt. Contact the hunt area up to a week before and ask if standbys are available. Good luck!

Mark your calendar with the hunting season dates for 2022-2023, including these season openers:

Dove: 9/1 in North and Central Zones, South Zone's Special White-wing Dove Days open on 9/2.
Archery: 10/1
White-tailed deer: 11/5

What's NEW in 2022-23:

• Extended general mule deer season in 15 southwestern Panhandle counties increases from 9 to 16 days.
• Special mule deer archery season has been added.
• Expanded mule deer antler restrictions were made to an additional 21 counties in Terrell County in the Trans-Pecos and the Panhandle.
• Veterans and Active Duty Special Season for waterfowl hunting established to occur concurrently during youth-only season in all duck zones.
• A digital tagging option for deer and turkey will be available for holders of specific e-license types – more on this in the August Hunt Texas.
• See more of what's new in 2022-23.

All regulations for 2022-23 will be available in the Outdoor Annual online or on the app by Aug. 15. The app also allows you to quickly access your license and Hunter Ed certification. Regulations for the new season are automatically updated to the app in mid-August (requires internet access). Once the app is updated, you can use it in the field without internet access.

The new season kicks off in less than 2 months, so now is a good time to make delicious use of the game meat in your freezer. 

Choose from our collection of recipes created by pro chefs Jeff Blank and Jesse Griffiths, they cover everything from alligator to venison. Try Griffiths' Slow-Cooked Feral Hog Tacos – an easy recipe so popular, it has its own cooking video. Or release your inner chef with the Mid-Summer Smoked Mallard recipe. 

This year we celebrate 50 years of a successful program that benefits every Texas hunter – Hunter Education. 

In 1987, the year before Hunter Ed became mandatory in Texas, there were 12 hunting-related fatalities and 65 other accidents. Last year there was 1 fatality and 11 other hunting-related accidents – Hunter Ed works. 

Hunter Education is required for anyone who hunts in Texas and was born after Sept. 1, 1971, and your certification is good for life.

You can help promote safe hunting by encouraging anyone you know who hasn't taken Hunter Ed to do so, or become a Hunter Ed instructor yourself. Let's keep working together to reach the goal of zero hunting-related incidents.  

Check out more interesting stats in the Texas Parks & Wildlife article, Hunter Education by the Numbers, and find out more about the history of the program from our press release, TPWD Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Texas Hunter Education.

Texas experienced one hunting-related fatality and 11 accidents in 2021, which is an all-time low in the recorded history of these incidents. 

In 2021, 3/4 of the accidents were due to swinging on game outside of a safe zone-of-fire, according to Hunter Education Coordinator, Steve Hall. “This is the most common mishap in Texas besides careless handling in and around vehicles."

Don't let someone swinging on game ruin your hunt. Before the action starts, always set up safe zones-of-fire (video) within your group and stick to them. The primary rule of hunting is to keep the muzzle of a firearm ALWAYS pointed in a safe direction. Safety first!

Find out more about hunting accident history in our press release, New Report Shows Hunting Accidents in Texas Are at a Record Low.

Stewards of the Wild, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s (TPWF) program for young professionals, inspires the next generation of conservationists through mentored hunting opportunities.

These experiences offer the opportunity to learn about conservation and ethical hunting while advancing Texas’ proud outdoor traditions and conserving our state’s wildlife, habitat and natural resources.

TPWF thanks the many partners who made these opportunities possible, including Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas Wildlife Association, Spoke Hollow Outfitters and SITKA Gear.

Generous individuals, foundations and corporations help fund conservation in Texas. Look for TPWF's new partnership, Field & Future by H-E-B™, in local H-E-B stores.

If you're interested in archery but aren't sure how to get started, sign up for our free Bowhunter by Fall series. 

We'll send you monthly emails with links to training videos and other resources to help get you ready for your first archery season this fall.

Archery-only season opens Oct. 2, so sign up today and get started, Future Bowhunter!