Drawn Hunt Permit Applications Now Being Accepted

Hunters looking for a new opportunity or a change of scenery this fall are encouraged to check out the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) drawn hunt permits program. Applications are being accepted now for a shot at almost 10,000 permits in 61 hunt categories. The permits are for drawn hunts on both public and private lands throughout Texas . Among the offerings available through the online system are hunts for white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn, turkey, alligator, dove and guided packages for exotic species and bighorn sheep. “This season, we will conduct drawings in 61 hunt categories,” said Kelly Edmiston, TPWD Public Hunting Program Coordinator. “These drawings include selections for U.S. Forest Service Antlerless Deer Permits, both adult and youth hunts, 18 e- Postcard Selections for hunters using the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH), and hunts conducted on 9 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) in Texas.” Applicants for e-Postcard hunts and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Antlerless Deer Permits must have a current APH permit to apply. New areas included in this year’s drawn hunt catalog include the Caddo Lake NWR and Neches River NWR. TPWD also created three new Private Lands hunt categories, for feral hog, quail and spring turkey. Drawn hunt opportunities can be viewed online by category or by area via an interactive map and all applications, fee payments and permit issuance is handled electronically. To participate, applicants will need internet access, an email address and a credit or debit card. The customer ID number from the applicant’s hunting or fishing license is the most effective way to access the system. Application fees are $3 or $10 depending on the hunt category. Adult hunters that are selected may also need to pay a Special Permit fee of $80 for regular hunts and $130 for extended hunts. Some categories, such as the Youth-Only hunts, require no application fees or permit fees. Permits are open to resident and nonresident hunters alike. The first application deadlines are in August. Aug. 1 is the deadline for the alligator hunt categories, pronghorn, and private lands dove hunts, and Aug. 15 is the deadline for archery deer, general exotic and javelina. Application deadlines are the 1st and 15th of the month from Aug. 1st to Nov. 1st. A full list of category deadlines can be found online. Hunters can apply up to 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the application deadline, and after the application is submitted, they can check their drawing statusonline at any time. For more information or to get started in the application process visit the TPWD drawn hunts webpage. For questions, contact hunt@tpwd.texas. gov or call (512) 389- 4505 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Bipartisan Wildlife Proposal Would Enhance Fish and Wildlife, Add Jobs, and Grow Businesses in Texas During the pandemic, Texans headed back to nature in record numbers, with more people visiting state parks, hunting, fishing, and boating than ever before. A new congressional proposal aims to tap that exploding interest by investing more than $50 million per year in Texas for wildlife recovery and related public education and recreation, a move expected to boost the state’s already booming nature-based economy into overdrive. The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, H.R.2773, would provide $1.4 billion to state and tribal wildlife conservation initiatives to support at-risk wildlife populations and their habitats. The funding would come from existing revenues with no new taxes. If passed, this legislation would send grant funds flowing across Texas to nonprofit organizations, nature centers, universities, landowners, and many others for projects to conserve vulnerable wildlife before they become endangered. Species like the much-loved Texas horned lizard, our state fish the Guadalupe bass, and many songbirds and coastal birds are among the many wildlife that would benefit. This funding will also help recover species that are already endangered, such as sea turtles and the whooping crane. The additional resources are urgently needed to aid fish and wildlife populations under increasing pressure from habitat loss, invasive species, emerging diseases, and extreme weather events in Texas and throughout the country. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, the Texas outdoor recreation economy contributes to 327,000 jobs, generates $14.4 billion in salaries and wages per year, and $3.5 billion in state and local tax revenue. For example, nature tourism is huge in Texas, and people travel from all over the world to see iconic landscapes and catch a glimpse of unique wildlife. Around 4.4 million wildlife watchers in Texas generate $1.82 billion in retail sales and support 146,000 jobs. Research surveys conducted in 2011 and 2013 found that about 2.2 million people fish in Texas annually, and their spending amounts to $2.01 billion in retail sales and contributes to 29,800 jobs. “The litany of ways natural resources bolster the Texas economy and improve our quality of life is seemingly endless,” said Carter Smith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director. “Studies show property values can increase up to 20 percent when adjacent to natural areas. Natural buffers make coasts and communities more resilient to intense storms and flood events, thereby protecting our citizens and saving billions of dollars in recovery costs. Well-managed and restored habitats provide clean water, clean air, and healthy rivers, rangelands, and bays and estuaries that benefit both wildlife and people’s enjoyment of the outdoors. While it would do much to protect fish and wildlife that need it most, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would also mean a long-term investment in the public health and well-being of all Texans, as well as stewardship of our home ground.” Unfortunately, many fish and wildlife species on which the outdoor recreation industry depends are declining. For example, in a 2019 study that gained worldwide attention, researchers estimated that North America has lost close to three billion breeding birds since 1970. Many of the bird groups mentioned in the report— such as migratory songbirds and grassland birds—depend on Texas natural areas, working lands, coastal habitat, and city spaces—either during migration, or as year-round residents. This loss of birds is a blow to our natural heritage, the enjoyment of future generations, and critical ecosystem services such as flood control, pest control, and pollination. Birds are also essential to our vibrant nature tourism economy. There are 2.2 million birders in Texas, and people “flock” from all over the world to bird across the state. In the Lower Rio Grande Valley—a popular birding hot-spot—a 2011 study from Texas A&M estimates the direct economic contribution from nature tourism led to a total county-level economic output of $463 million and 6,613 full and part time jobs annually. Passage of H.R. 2773 would provide the funding needed to greatly expand habitat restoration on public and private lands, which in turn will support bird life and critical nesting habitat and help reverse course for declining bird species. Bird-watching infrastructure could also be boosted through new wildlife-viewing platforms and nature trails. RAWA funding could expand marketing and education for programs like Bird City Texas and the Great Texas Wildlife Trails, to further mitigate some of the threats that birds face in urban areas, such as window collisions. It would also benefit more local communities through bird tourism. National estimates indicate that passage of Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would create 23,800 to 33,600 jobs and add $3.36 billion of economic output, leading to a net positive gain of $1.96 billion annually to the U.S. GDP. In Texas cities and counties large and small, the funding would fuel natural investments in things like coastal artificial reefs, oyster bed restoration, habitat enhancement for clean air and water, urban ecology centers, and getting Texas children outside. It would create thousands of new “shovel-ready” jobs for wildlife management, tree planting, river restoration, and outdoor recreation projects and reap benefits tenfold. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is strongly supported by the Texas Alliance for America’s Fish and Wildlife, a statewide coalition of more than 165 diverse organizations and businesses. See the alliance website for information about this historic legislation on how to help.