If this is true it really sucks....

[Hills of Texas]

I can’t find the part about the five locations in the manual online. It used to be there. Now it has a big section on it with many definitions. So it looks like you are correct by the new definition. For a long time there were five locations listed.

[bbbuck]

In the past did a person need a permit to hunt these dry or low water river beds?
IMO it was all a crock from day 1. They took advantage and they knew it. Then they pushed the limits by going smaller creek beds knowing they were basically poaching. If it was never a crock then explain why these totally legal free hunting areas were not packed with hunters.

The general hunting license was all you needed to hunt the public river beds that were considered legal like for example the Brazos River where I hunted.

You generalized rule abiding hunters by stating “They took advantage and they knew it. They pushed the limits by going smaller creek beds knowing they were basically poaching”. This is totally wrong and insulting. Like I stated earlier, hunting these river beds are far much harder to hunt than private property or leases. You cannot have any motorized vehicles in the Brazos River which means what you kill you get out by hand. Sometimes miles to get away from the public.

You ask, why are these not packed with humans they are in some instances like the North Canadian River. I went up there last year to hunt but decided not to because of so many people. I assume because that river allowed motorized vehicles and made it easier to get in and out.

We actually made friends with the land owners who’s land adjoined the river on the North side on the Brazos river where we hunted. They even gave us a tour one time of their 5000 acre ranch and helped us by looking for a buck that ran out of the river onto private once and drove us to our truck at the bridge 3 miles down river. I hope they enjoyed the pecans we gave them the following Christmas.

Now let’s discuss the rule breakers. On the South side of the river was an old man that shot multiple bucks every year. Every morning and evening he would drive his truck next to the river and shoot any buck he saw. I personally witnessed him shooting multiple deer. Once he shot a 10 point and the buck ran into the river did a big loop and jumped back out of the river and died right next to the river bed and the old man drove off my guess is he thought he missed but killed it and didn’t even try and look for any signs of blood.

Now tell me what is more ethical, us walking in several miles to hunt legally following all the rules and regulations on public lands or the old man who drove around his property and killed multiple deer every year? Don’t judge until you tried it.

[ultrastealth]

So you wouldn't mind allowing people to hunt all ROW's along all roads, owned by the State of Texas?

Just because the State makes rivers basically a ROW does not or should not equal to those being legal to hunt.

The reason that you can't hunt on roadways in Texas is mostly a safety issue. This legislation is not aimed at safety.

[SC-001]

From what I saw this weekend this law is largely being ignored by game wardens.