things i should take into mind when hunting on public land

[tatorbones]

I am new to this forum and think it is the greatest thing ever made. I am 21 and have been shooting tradtional archery for about 8 yrs now.

I am getting into hunting deer and pigs. I've hunted rabbit and small game animals. on private land.

I just wanted to know if their are any special bow hunting permints or classes i have to take before i can hunt public land? i have read something about a bow hunting safety class but not sure if it is mandatory.

Also just would like any tips about hunting public areas for everything im allowed to shoot?

Thanks again and this site is awesome.

[Rat]

I am new to this forum and think it is the greatest thing ever made. I am 21 and have been shooting tradtional archery for about 8 yrs now.

I am getting into hunting deer and pigs. I've hunted rabbit and small game animals. on private land.

I just wanted to know if their are any special bow hunting permints or classes i have to take before i can hunt public land? i have read something about a bow hunting safety class but not sure if it is mandatory.

Also just would like any tips about hunting public areas for everything im allowed to shoot?

Thanks again and this site is awesome.

That's a lot of information you are requesting! The answer is less than complicated but not necessarily easy either.

First it depends in where you are hunting.
State lands, Federal lands, Nation Parks, State parks and even Corp of Engineer owned lands all may have different requirements.

When you say "public Land" I assume you are talking about WMA's (Wildlife Management Areas) in Texas. WMA's can be all different as well. But basically a WMA is land that is either owned by, or managed by, the TPWD.

At the very least you need a hunting license and an Annual Public Hunting Permit (AHP Permit, formerly Type II Permit), TPWD APH Permit Link. However, it may not end there. Some WMA's, like Lake Georgetown, also require a proficiency test; others are just show up and hunt, depending on the game you are after.

Speaking of game, it varies by WMA, and each WMA has a list of the legal game and methods. It is in the map book you get when you buy the APH Permit. The APH also allows you put in for draws on the WMA's.

How I do it is like this. Buy the APH Permit ($48) and get the map booklet. Figure out what game you want to hunt, find a close WMA that allows that type of game to be hunted, and go hunt.

[tatorbones]

I appreciate it a lot, and understand it was a wide variety.

I guess the core of engineers has a lot of land around me that i may hunt. im not sure about any of the other places.

Im just looking for a open season and something to have a good fun hunt. As well as put some meet on the table.

[stan]

Good luck and welcome to TBH.

[Bank Stalker]

I Heard you had to take a 10 hr ,, hunters safety course to hunt public land. Is this true??

[HogHunter34]

I Heard you had to take a 10 hr ,, hunters safety course to hunt public land. Is this true??

Bowhunter safety for the state of Texas is not mandatory. However, the general hunter safety is required if you were born on or after September 2, 1971

[bowhuntntxn]

to apply for the hunt at teh H, you have to have the IBEP class. for all other hunting on public lands you do not. for corps land you need to go to the nearest corp(grapevine) office and ask what their requirements are, and how to get a permit for there. LBJ does not require type 2 permit, or hunter safety classes other than what is required to get a hunting license.

[texas bound]

Read, read, and read. Read all the info you can find about any area you want to hunt. Not all the public land areas in TX have the same rules. Some corps land is draw only. Best bet is to go to the office of the land you want to hunt and pick up as many pamplets as you can about hunting there and ask questions. Even though there is great info on here sometimes it is better to get it from their mouths.

[TXFlatPicker]

Are you in hickory creek / Corinth? If yes pm me

[kornsqueezer]

Welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!

[El Paisano]

After you figure out all the regs, you have to understand that you are hunting PUBLIC land, which means that other people can hunt there also. Most veteran hunters will go elsewhere through common courtesy if they see you have a stand location somewhere, but there are a lot of hunters who don't know/don't care about common courtesy, and they are not breaking the law and you have to run them off, or even to get in a confrontation about it.
I would say that you will need to accept that others may be there and that they their activities may interfere with yours. In some cases, your whole hunt may be washed out because of other's legal activities. If you can't accept that, you will be in for a lot of self-inflicted heartburn.
Learn to adapt and use their activities to your advantage.

[Txbowhunter233]

public land

I have hunted public land some this year and I have only two complaints. One is the rabbitt and squirrel hunters that run their dogs through the woods. The other is the lack of respect some people have when they find you already in your stand and continue to hunt really close to you. Hope you have better luck than I did.

[Limbwalker]

Welcome to the ranks of Texas public land bowhunters. We are a small, but hearty bunch that suffer through but wouldn't really have it any other way...

As was already said, read, read and read some more.

You are "of age" now to do your homework and be responsible for knowing the rules of the areas where you hunt. Coming here for advice was a good first step.

The APH (annual public hunting) permit is really the best deal going, but it doesn't apply to every area or qualify you to hunt every area. When you purchase the $48 permit, a detailed book of maps and rules will be mailed to the address you give them. Read it. And then a few days later, read it again. Lots of great info in there.

Federal lands (National Forest, National Wildlife Refuge and Corps of Engineers) are unique and have their own rules. Some (National Forest) have teamed up with the state to "manage" the hunting on their lands. For example, the entire Sam Houston national forest is considered a state Wildlife Mgt. Area, and you have to have the $48 permit and follow special rules there. Part of the Davy Crockett NF is a WMA as well (Banniser I think?).

After you've read and understood the rules, some things to consider are to be considerate of other hunters. Try to avoid wandering around or scouting during prime hours during open seasons. That's usually where most folks go wrong and make other hunters mad.

Use Google Earth or Microsoft Terraserver to do a lot of your scouting on-line before you go. You can learn a TREMENDOUS amount with those tools. Most of my prime hunting areas were found with one or the other, and I use Google Earth almost every day anymore. It's simply amazing. I can see individual trees in some of my hunt areas.

Scout enough places to have at least three quality spots figured out for each day you go. That way, if someone is parked at one of "your" spots, you can simply move on to another good spot without skipping a beat. That's the best way to stay stress-free when hunting public lands.

Just accept the fact that you are going to work harder for your game than someone who sits over a pile of bait on private lands, and be proud of that. When you finally do take home that meat, it will be one of the most satisfying feelings you can have.

Good luck.

John.

[buzzcut]

I've gave up complaining about the squirrel and hog hunters trudging through the woods all hours of the day. They bought the AHP and have as much right as I do to be there. Besides,they might keep the deer moving,especially early in the season when there's lots to eat and the deer dont move much.And those guys who set up real close to you,they assume you know something they dont(like what a good spot it is),so they're gonna "piggyback" off your knowledge.Bass fisherman use the same BS trick.

[El Paisano]

Whoops, I meant to say that you have no right to run them off or get in a confrontation with them. Poor eye-hand coordination you understand....