2023 TPWD Public Drawn Hunts

[SwampBuck]

Powderhorn is separated this year. State park piece and wma piece. Not sure if it’s all the hunts.

Have a new exotic spot too I haven’t seen before atleast, Fawcett.

[bigchiefj]

Been on air planes traveling for a couple days.

Everyone will have to just wait and see when the draw catalog comes out. That?s all I feel like sharing

I?m not thrilled but that doesn?t mean everyone will feel the same


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So what were those changes supposed to be?

[Mr. Public]

If you know, you know. If you don’t, doesn’t matter to you I guess. ( No offense intended )

The changes I had on my mind, unfortunately became true. Some I did not anticipate but could have expected.


RobinBradbery - share the same sentiment

SC-001 - I don’t care for you, but I do agree with your stance.

I personally will experience less public opportunities, less chances/probability of being drawn, less access, less likelihood of stepping foot on some properties I’ve been able to annually. If I do, I will get less days to hunt, it will costs more per permit fee, it will reduce my overall access to the property( and likely my success), and it’ll take years to draw and return.

I’m just bummed right now about some of it. This is an exciting time for everyone reading this! Good luck to everyone on this season, it should be a good year for bucks. Cherish the opportunity. Hit me up for some game planning, I love talking about this stuff and helping where I can.

[Yakinthebox]

If you know, you know. If you don’t, doesn’t matter to you I guess. ( No offense intended )

The changes I had on my mind, unfortunately became true. Some I did not anticipate but could have expected.


RobinBradbery - share the same sentiment

SC-001 - I don’t care for you, but I do agree with your stance.

I personally will experience less public opportunities, less chances/probability of being drawn, less access, less likelihood of stepping foot on some properties I’ve been able to annually. If I do, I will get less days to hunt, it will costs more per permit fee, it will reduce my overall access to the property( and likely my success), and it’ll take years to draw and return.

I’m just bummed right now about some of it. This is an exciting time for everyone reading this! Good luck to everyone on this season, it should be a good year for bucks. Cherish the opportunity. Hit me up for some game planning, I love talking about this stuff and helping where I can.

Most of the changes I've seen are in relation to available permits. I noticed specifically that Chaparral permits have been cut by 50% or more in every category I clicked on.

I also noticed while putting my girls in for youth hunts that several of the hunts show only 1-1 on applicants. So when I try to put myself and my daughter on the app it kicks back and says only 1 person allowed per application. Then I put just 1 kid and it says an adult must be on the application with a youth. I'm going to give them some time but if they don't fix it, I'll give them a call.

[Garrett Harlan]

Started applying in my 20s and 30s and just started getting drawn for some of the better hunts. I’m in my mid-50s now.

Need to draw exotic and then I’m pretty much starting all over again!

I started applying back in 2018 as a teen in all catigories, have 4-6 points in all draws. Hoping in another 5-10 years I'll draw some of the nicer hunts. Drew General Deer last year on second draw and ended up taking a few axis.

[ZINS708]

I started applying back in 2018 as a teen in all catigories, have 4-6 points in all draws. Hoping in another 5-10 years I'll draw some of the nicer hunts. Drew General Deer last year on second draw and ended up taking a few axis.

I started in my teens as well and drew GDE for Kerr last year with 19 points and Chaparral Archery with 18 points. Had a full moon and 80 degree plus weather for both and struck out. Drought hit both these places hard and it will take several years to completely recover which is why Chap permits are down this year and probably why Kerr completely eliminated one of their hunts. The Chap does no supplemental feeding and the place is high fenced... saw some of the biggest bodies and smallest racks you could imagine on the bucks down there because they had no rain during the critical months of antler development and then tons of rain at the end of summer, beginning of fall to fatten the deer back up. They estimated their fawn survival rate last year was near 0%.

[Garrett Harlan]

I started in my teens as well and drew GDE for Kerr last year with 19 points and Chaparral Archery with 18 points. Had a full moon and 80 degree plus weather for both and struck out. Drought hit both these places hard and it will take several years to completely recover which is why Chap permits are down this year and probably why Kerr completely eliminated one of their hunts. The Chap does no supplemental feeding and the place is high fenced... saw some of the biggest bodies and smallest racks you could imagine on the bucks down there because they had no rain during the critical months of antler development and then tons of rain at the end of summer, beginning of fall to fatten the deer back up. They estimated their fawn survival rate last year was near 0%.

Dang that would be tough to not walk away from those hunts with soemthing to show for it, specially after 18-19 years of applying. Guadalupe SP has a GDE hunt and no one took any whitetail bucks worth writing home about. Shoud be moved to the exotics draw.

[Mr. Public]

Another reason I pay close attention to some of these WMAs when I'm making decisions on applications, is the history. I will personally not be applying for Chap this year, I would cuss myself if I drew it and burned years of points considering the past few years harvest stats and buck quality. Still a fun hunt and very unique place, but not getting my points cashed in for it this year. Just my thoughts.

[ZINS708]

Dang that would be tough to not walk away from those hunts with soemthing to show for it, specially after 18-19 years of applying. Guadalupe SP has a GDE hunt and no one took any whitetail bucks worth writing home about. Shoud be moved to the exotics draw.

Kerr went from producing a bunch of Booner's in 2021 to the largest buck last year being a 120" 8pt. Some years you just never know.

[Huntindad]

Kerr went from producing a bunch of Booner's in 2021 to the largest buck last year being a 120" 8pt. Some years you just never know.

I don't believe that is true. Doug and Glen shot big bucks there last year. Doug's was in the 160's I think.

[Mr. Public]

I don't believe that is true. Doug and Glen shot big bucks there last year. Doug's was in the 160's I think.

During 2022? Or 2021 as Zins is referring too?

[ZINS708]

I don't believe that is true. Doug and Glen shot big bucks there last year. Doug's was in the 160's I think.

That was 2021. I hunted the GDE last year (2022) and the biggest buck taken was a 120'' 8pt. I contacted the hunt coordinator after the E-Postcard hunt and she said it was the biggest one taken the entire season.

[Mr. Public]

That was 2021. I hunted the GDE last year (2022) and the biggest buck taken was a 120'' 8pt. I contacted the hunt coordinator after the E-Postcard hunt and she said it was the biggest one taken the entire season.

Thats what I recall too.

[SwampBuck]

Good thing about Kerr this year is it wouldn’t burn your gun e/s points

[ZINS708]

Good thing about Kerr this year is it wouldn’t burn your gun e/s points

Yep- based off number of entries last year and number of permits this year, everyone has the same 1 in 263 (0.38%)odds of drawing a tag this year!