by John Jefferson

Last week’s column described the maze of hunting and fishing regulations confounding the sporting public back before all counties came under the authority of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

The 2024-2025 proposals are aimed at simplifying the regs, increasing hunting opportunities, and conserving wildlife where needed.

Proposals are announced early enough to allow public awareness and comments, The proposals follow below.

Migratory Game Birds
–Eliminate the Light Goose Conservation Order in both Zones.
–Reduce the light goose daily bag limit from 10 to 5 in both zones.
–Extend the eastern zone light goose season to 19 days.
–Standardize the light goose possession limit to three times the daily bag limit.
–Change the Special White-winged Dove Days season to fit the calendar.
–Change the second dove season segment in the north zone to allow later hunting.
–Change the western zone greater white-fronted goose daily bag limit to a dark goose daily bag limit of five.
–Include Mexican ducks in the duck daily bag limits in all zones while deleting “Mexican like” verbiage.
–Adjust the calendar for all other migratory game bird hunting seasons.

Upland Game Birds
–Require statewide harvest reporting for all wild turkeys during all seasons.
–Close spring only wild turkey season south of Highway 82 in four northeast Texas counties.
–Close all turkey seasons in Bell and Williamson counties east of I-35 and in all of Milam County.
–Replace “Rio Grande and eastern wild turkey subspecies” with “wild Turkey.”
–Reduce wild turkey season length and bag limit with open seasons west of the Pecos River and that portion of counties east of I-35/north of I-10 to a spring-only season April 1-30, with one gobbler annual bag limit.

Big Game
–Change Desert Bighorn Sheep season to November 15-Sept. 30.
–Change references of “antelope” to “pronghorn.”
–For properties enrolled in harvest option of MLD Program, allow youths to take bucks with firearms during early youth-only season.
–Expand doe days in 43 Post Oak Savannah and Pineywood ecoregions.
–Expand fall youth-only seasons to include Friday for whitetails, squirrels, and turkeys.

Additional details on the proposed regulation changes can be found on the TPWD website and in the Texas Register.

For more information, an online zoom webinar will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 6. TPWD Wildlife staff will present proposed regulation changes and answer questions. Check the TPWD website for details.

The public can comment in person at the March 28 public hearing. No public testimony is taken at the March 27 meeting, but the public may attend. Online Comments can be provided on the TPWD public comment page until March 27.

For migratory game bird and turkey proposals, contact shaun.oldenburger@tpwd.texas.gov .

Concerning Big Game and Youth Hunting proposals. Click on blaise.korzekwa@tpwd.texas.gov .

Advance comments are reported to the TPW Commission. The Commission appreciates public comment and treats speakers respectfully.

This is your opportunity to be heard on Game Hunting Regulations. Don’t pass it up.

JJ