Hunt Texas - Your Season Opener

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Hunt Texas E-Newsletter

In This Issue: Hunting Forecast - For The Birds, Deer Hunting Helps Drought Recovery, Texas Early Bird Migratory Seasons, Outdoor Annual At Your Fingertips, Public Hunting: Accessible and Inexpensive, Doves: Field to Table for a Happy Meal

Hunting Forecast - For The Birds

Wing Shooting Safety Video  
In spite of outrageous misfortune - drought, fire, last winter’s ice and food shortages - Texas native doves will hang in there with a projected population 44 million strong.

The abundant populations of migrating dove and teal (a benefit from all that rain in northern breeding grounds) will be likely to fly over dry Texas landscapes in search of water, especially good ponds.

This could be good news for the September 1 dove season opener, since dove hunting over a water source should be excellent. Check out the new online map that features “virtual scouting” with aerial maps of TPWD public hunting sites and read the latest press release.

Read more about the drought’s impacts on migratory bird seasons in John Jefferson’s 2011-12 Dove and Teal Hunting Forecast in Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine’s September issue and in this recent press release.
Stay safe in the field with a quick video review of wing shooting safety tips.

Do you need to take the required hunter education course? Click here to find out how. 

Texas Early Bird Migratory Seasons

Blue Winged Teal  
The 2012 Texas early migratory game bird seasons include a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide for dove, and a 16-day early season for teal and Canada geese. Read the zone-by-zone dates and details in this recent press release.

All zones have a 70-day season. Daily bag limit will be an aggregate of 15 birds, with no more than two white-tipped doves.
 
Dove Seasons
North and Central Zones: Sept. 1 – Oct. 23, 2011 and Dec. 23, 2011 – Jan. 8, 2012
South Zone: Sept. 23 – Oct. 30, 2011 and Dec. 23, 2011 – Jan. 23, 2012
Special White-Winged Dove Area: Sept. 3, 4, 10 and 11, 2011, Sept. 23 – Oct. 30, 2011, and Dec. 23, 2011 – Jan. 19, 2012

Teal and Canada Goose Seasons
Sept.  10-25, 2011

Canada Goose
This year, a season will also be open for Canada geese in the east zone only, to coincide with the early teal season. Small resident populations exist in this zone.

Public Hunting: Accessible and Inexpensive

Public Hunting Video  
An annual public hunting permit ($48) is your ticket to almost a million acres of private lands available to the public for year-round hunting, including some great dove hunting. Walk-in hunts available under this permit include white-tailed deer, feral hogs, dove, waterfowl, turkey, quail, pheasant, and other small game.

A high school student and her dad enjoy the benefits of the annual public hunting program in this video.

The Department also offers a number of hunts through the Public Hunt Drawing System. Drawn deer hunts are due soon - September 1! Upcoming October application deadlines include drawn hunts for big horn sheep, javelina, gemsbok, other exotic species and spring turkey.

Get more details on these 2011-2012 public hunting opportunities including counties and maps of public hunting properties near you.

Doves: Field to Table for a Happy Meal

Doves in Hand  
Just like your grandma said, “Waste not, want not.” A dove in the hand in the wild should make it to the freezer or the table. Brush up on how to field dress a dove with the brochure "Field to Table" and its illustrated step-by-step directions for cleaning your birds and preparing them for cooking or long-term storage.

For a hunter’s version of a happy meal, here are a couple of easy cooking recipes. One uses Texas’ favorite seasoning in jalepeño bird and rice while cook-in dove lets you kick back while the crock pot does the work.

Outdoor Annual At Your Fingertips

The Outdoor Annual is digital! Peruse the pages of this comprehensive hunting and fishing online resource to get the facts you need: license types, season dates, bag limits, and hunting and fishing regulations.

Turkey Tips! Turkey hunters should note these changes to the spring season:
● Spring Eastern Turkey season is closed in 15 east Texas counties.
● Counties remaining open for Spring Eastern Turkey season will have a delayed opening to run April 15-May 15.
● Hunters are allowed to take any bearded Rio Grande Turkey in four-bird counties.

Read more details about effected counties and season dates on the web site.
2011-2012 Outdoor Annual

Subscribe to Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine

TPW Magazine - September 2011  
Like these articles? Get more with a subscription to the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. With our special offer, get a subscription for yourself (10 issues a year) and a friend for only $20!

This e-newsletter is made possible by the generous support of Toyota.
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