The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be conducting special drawings for hunts, and applications for these quality, affordable hunting experiences are available online now.
During the upcoming hunting seasons, more than 5,700 hunters will be selected through random computer drawings allowing access to some of the states high-quality managed wildlife habitat. Wildlife management areas, state parks and leased private property will be available for these quality supervised hunts for white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn, javelina, alligator, exotics, feral hog and spring turkey.
In addition to exceptional hunting opportunities for big game, such as white-tailed deer and mule deer, TPWDs special drawing hunts will offer some unique opportunities. A guided bighorn sheep hunt at a West Texas wildlife management area will again be offered this year depending on the availability of a bighorn sheep permit.
There are also some unique guided hunt opportunities on Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area, including hunts for white-tailed deer, scimitar-horned oryx, and gemsbok.
The application fee for adult applicants in most of the public hunt drawings is $3 per adult person on the application. Successfully drawn hunters pay an additional Special Permit fee ($75-125 in most cases) for a one-to-four-day hunt.
Special Permit fees do not apply to drawn hunts for pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, guided hunts at Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and drawn hunts on private land. Guided hunts and private land hunts cost $10 per adult person on the application.
The application deadline for alligator hunts is August 5.
For pronghorn antelope hunts on private land or the Rita Blanca National Grasslands north of Dalhart, the deadline is August 14.
Bowhunters also have until August 14 to apply for special drawn public archery hunts.
Entries for the general (gun) season deer hunts must be received by September 4.
Deadline for the Guided Bighorn Sheep Hunt is November 4.
Last year TPWD received 44,928 applications for the 5,583 positions offered in special drawn hunt categories.
Draw odds for some of the more interesting hunts were tougher, however:
Guided Deer Hunt Package (DXX) 1 in 1,078
Guided Exotics Hunt Package (EXX) 1 in 1,404
Guided Gemsbok Hunt Package (GXX) 1 in 1,257
Guided Scimitar-horned Oryx Hunt Package (SXX) 1 in 450
Guided Waterbuck Hunt Package (WXX) 1 in 1,125
Get more stats at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/lands/statistics/2007/
Apply online at https://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/lands/
public_hunting_system/search/
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