TPWD Hunting regulation changes

[AntlerCollector]

http://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20160329a

[AntlerCollector]

Commission Approves Changes to Deer Hunting Regulations for 2016-17

AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a suite of changes to this year’s deer hunting regulations that includes expanding white-tailed deer hunting into 14 counties across the western Panhandle, and creating additional deer hunting opportunities in East Texas.

The Commission adopted the following changes to the 2016-17 Statewide Hunting Proclamation, the details of which will be incorporated into this year’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual:

Elimination of the Antlerless and Spike-buck Control Permit due to lack of demand;
Define “unbranched antlered deer” to clarify what constitutes a legal buck across seasons and to alleviate confusion among hunters, and replace the “Special Late Antlerless and Spike-buck Season” with a “Special Late Season” to accommodate the inclusion of “unbranched antlered deer” in the bag limit;
Allow the take of antlerless deer without a permit on certain U.S. Forest Service Lands during youth-only seasons;
Clarify that white-tailed antlerless deer harvest during the archery-only season does not require a permit and harvest of antlerless deer during youth seasons is restricted to persons 16 years of age and younger including on properties issued Level 1 Managed Lands Deer (MLD) Permits;
Implement both a general and special archery-only season for white-tailed deer in Andrews, Bailey, Castro, Cochran, Gaines, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Parmer, Terry and Yoakum counties, with a bag limit of three deer (no more than one buck and no more than two antlerless), which is identical to adjoining/nearby counties that currently have a season.
Implement both a general and special archery-only season for white-tailed deer in Winkler County, with a bag limit of three deer (no more than one buck and no more than two antlerless, with the take of antlerless deer restricted to the archery-only season or properties issued MLDP antlerless tags). The new season is identical to adjoining/nearby counties that currently have a season.
Establish four “doe days” (time periods in when antlerless deer may be taken without a permit in parts of the state where antlerless harvest regulations are conservative) in Bell (east of IH35), Burleson, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Kaufman, Limestone, Milam, Navarro and Williamson (east of IH35) counties;
Increase the number of doe days to 16 in Anderson, Brazos, Camp, Gregg, Grimes, Henderson, Lamar, Leon, Madison, Morris, Red River, Robertson and Upshur counties; and
implement a muzzleloader-only late season in Anderson, Bell (East of IH 35), Brazos, Burleson, Comal (East of IH 35), Delta, Ellis, Fannin, Falls, Franklin, Freestone, Grimes, Hays (East of IH 35), Henderson, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Navarro, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Smith, Titus, Travis (East of IH 35), Van Zandt, Williamson (East of IH 35), and Wood counties.

[Tmag]

That is quite a change on the spike definition.

[AntlerCollector]

Should allow more hunters to take doe in areas that required permits before. Also looks like more counties allowing hunting opportunities

[Landrover]

I think they are getting things right...........based on conservation management plans devised from "science" not a bunch of emotional PETA crap!!!!!!

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=584149&highlight=tpwd

[Jared.King]

I'd like to see those whitetail in Yoakum county....cause I've never seen one.

[steven]

I sure wish they'd allow archery during the muzzleloader season.

[AntlerCollector]

I sure wish they'd allow archery during the muzzleloader season.

I agree, but would you want muzzleloaders hunting during archery season?

[deerslayer94]

may be a dumb question but, the four and 16 "doe days". Im assuming they'll release exact dates in the future?

[steven]

I agree, but would you want muzzleloaders hunting during archery season?

No, but considering archery is more of a challenge, it would make sense to allow it during m/l season, and not the other way around.

[Brian10]

may be a dumb question but, the four and 16 "doe days". Im assuming they'll release exact dates in the future?

I haven't seen anything yet but counties with 4 doe days in the past were usually Thanksgiving weekend. I'm really excited about this change!

[Dushon]

Still no doe days in Washington county! [emoji30]

[deerslayer94]

I haven't seen anything yet but counties with 4 doe days in the past were usually Thanksgiving weekend. I'm really excited about this change!

yea I hunt in grimes, so im assuming it'll increased around thanksgiving

[88 Bound]

So do I understand this right? Unbranched antlered deer included into doe and spike season? This will definitely help weed out some mgmt deer that normally wouldn't be legal.

[AntlerCollector]

So do I understand this right? Unbranched antlered deer included into doe and spike season? This will definitely help weed out some mgmt deer that normally wouldn't be legal.

This is what I took from it also.