 Drawn Hunt for alligator at J.D. Murphree WMA
Drawn Hunts for the 2024-2025 season have begun. Choose from nearly 9,400 hunts, including for white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn, turkey and dove, plus guided packages for exotics and bighorn sheep.
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 for alligator and private lands dove hunts.
- Applicants for e-Postcard hunts and U.S. Forest Service Antlerless Deer Permits must have a 2024-25 Annual Public Hunting permit (available Aug. 15) to apply.
- Application fees are $3 or $10, some hunts require a Special Permit fee of $80 or $130, and some hunts have no application or permit fees.
- You can apply multiple times for hunts in the same category.
Insider Tip: Standby hunting gives you 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 the hunt you're interested in, and ask if standbys are available.
For more information see our press release Texas Drawn Hunt Program Opens for 2024-25 Season Applications. Good luck!
Start planning your hunts – season dates for 2024-25 have been set, including:
- Dove: 9/1 all zones, including South Zone's Special White-winged Dove Days
- Teal: 9/14
- Pronghorn: 9/28
- Archery: 9/28
- Quail: 10/26
- White-tailed deer: 11/2
- Wild turkey: 11/2
Regulation updates that begin Sept. 1 include:
NEW CWD-related regulation updates that begin Sept. 1:
Access all the new season dates and regulations in the Outdoor Annual online or in the free app beginning Aug. 15. If you have the app, it will automatically update in mid-August (requires internet access).
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 Bois d'Arc Lake
Texas has a new lake that will be part of the Public Hunting Lands program. Bois d'Arc Lake PHL is a 16,641-acre reservoir in northeast Texas that opened to the public in April.
Hunting of waterfowl and other permitted bird species will be allowed in specified areas. Check out the lake maps and regulations for more information. You'll need an Annual Public Hunting Permit to hunt here, available beginning Aug. 15 for the 2024-25 season.
Let's keep invasive species out of this brand new lake. Practice good clean, drain and dry (video) habits on your boat and gear before any of it goes into Bois d'Arc or any other lake.
For more about the lake, watch the video Bois d'Arc Lake is Now Open for Recreation. Then start making plans to be one of the first to hunt waterfowl on Texas' newest lake!
Firearm safety is every hunter's responsibility. Always keep these basic rules in mind:
1. Keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
2. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
3. Be sure of what's in front of and beyond your target.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
These basic rules are part of the 10 Commandments of Firearm Safety, taught in Hunter Education. Anyone who hunts in Texas and was born after Sept. 1, 1971, must pass a Hunter Education course and be able to present the proof in the field. Check online for proof of your certification.
Following firearm safety rules and encouraging your fellow hunters to do the same benefits everyone. A safe hunt is a good hunt.
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 Bighorn sheep restored to Elephant Mountain WMA
Your purchases of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment directly contribute to wildlife conservation in Texas.
Producers and importers of ammunition, archery gear, handguns, shotguns and rifles pay a federal tax. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service distributes this tax money to the states to be used for game conservation and enhancement, wildlife habitat improvement, shooting range development and hunter education programs. This system is called the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
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