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AUSTIN, Texas -- Public hunting opportunities will be awarded to more than 6,000 applicants selected for drawn hunts by special permit on state parks and wildlife management areas during the 2000-2001 hunting seasons. While hunts on state parks are scheduled at times when visitation is lowest, park users are encouraged to check park access availability prior to heading out.
While general visitation of parks will be restricted while hunts are in progress, these carefully controlled public hunts are primarily scheduled for low use, Monday-through-Friday periods. Most state parks will be open on Saturdays and Sundays for compatible activities such as camping, fishing and picnicking.
According to Walt Dabney, state parks director with Texas Parks and Wildlife, the hunts are coordinated among park staff and wildlife biologists to maximize park use.
"I think we^ve done an admirable job of balancing park usage among different constituencies," Dabney said. "We^ve been able to implement hunting and still provide park use by not holding hunts on weekends and by keeping nearby parks open during hunts. Our goal is to try to make each park a true multiple use of the resource and hunting provides an additional recreational use to one of our constituencies."
The special hunt permits are in great demand. Last year there were 65,893 applications for the 6,273 available drawn hunt positions on state parks. This year there are about the same numbers of hunt positions available. The state park hunt positions are allotted by random computer drawing. The deadline to apply for most of the state park hunts this year has already passed. For more information on public hunting in Texas, check the TPW Web site (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/hunt/newphs/php.htm).
State Park Hunts Calendar
Only Texas Parks and Wildlife staff and persons with special hunting permits will be allowed in these TPW sites at the times listed unless otherwise specified. Inquiries about access can be made directly to the park or by calling Texas Parks and Wildlife toll-free at (800) 792-1112 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
Atlanta (903) 796-6476
10 a.m. Dec. 5 to noon Dec. 7
10 a.m. Dec. 12 to noon Dec. 14
10 a.m. Dec. 19 to noon Dec. 21
Big Bend Ranch (915) 229-3416
Partial restriction Nov. 7-9, 11-13, 25-29; Dec. 9-11, 12-14, and Jan. 9-11, 23-25*
Brazos Bend (409) 553-5101
10 p.m. Nov. 12 to noon Nov. 17
10 p.m. Dec. 3 to noon Dec. 8
10 p.m. Dec. 17 to noon Dec. 22
Caprock Canyons (806) 455-1492
10 p.m. Dec. 5 to-noon Dec. 8
10 p.m. Nov. 28 to 2 p.m. Dec. 1
10 p.m. Jan. 2 to noon Jan. 5
10 p.m. Jan. 9 to noon Jan. 12
Choke Canyon/Calliham Unit (361) 786-3868
Partial restriction Jan.1-3, 3-5, 8-10, 10-12,15-17, 17-19*
Colorado Bend (915) 628-3240
10 p.m. Nov. 28 to 2 p.m. Dec. 1
10 p.m. Dec. 5 to 2 p.m. Dec. 8
10 p.m. Dec. 12 to 2 p.m. Dec. 15
10 p.m. Dec. 26 to 2 p.m. Dec. 29
10 p.m. Jan. 2 to 2 p.m. Jan. 5
10 p.m. Jan. 9 to 2 p.m. Jan. 12
10 p.m. Jan. 16 to 2 p.m. Jan. 19
10 p.m. Jan. 23 to 2 p.m. Jan. 26
Partial restriction April 25-27, May 2-4*
Davis Mountains (915) 426-3337
Partial restriction Jan. 8-10, 10-12, 15-17, 17-19*
Devil^s River (830) 395-2133
8 a.m. Nov. 13 to 8 a.m. Nov. 18
8 a.m. Dec. 4 to 8 a.m. Dec. 7
8 a.m. Dec. 11 to 8 a.m. Dec. 14
Enchanted Rock (915) 247-3903
10 p.m. Dec. 3 to 2 p.m. Dec. 8
10 p.m. Dec. 17 to 2 p.m. Dec. 22
10 p.m. Dec. 25 to 2 p.m. Dec. 29
Fairfield Lake (903) 389-4514
10 p.m. Dec. 3 to 1 p.m. Dec. 8
Garner (830) 232-6132
10 p.m. Dec. 4 to noon Dec. 7
10 p.m. Dec. 10 to noon Dec. 15
Guadalupe River (830) 438-2656
10 p.m. Jan. 2 to noon Jan. 5
10 p.m. Jan. 7 to noon Jan. 12
10 p.m. Jan. 16 to noon Jan. 19
Hill Country (830) 796-4413
10 p.m. Oct. 29 to noon Nov. 1
10 p.m. Nov. 5 to noon Nov. 8
10 p.m. Nov. 12 to noon Nov. 15
10 p.m. Nov. 26 to noon Nov. 29
10 p.m. Dec. 3 to noon Dec. 6
10 p.m. Dec. 10 to noon Dec. 13
10 p.m. Dec. 17 to noon Dec. 20
10 p.m. Jan. 7 to noon Jan. 10
10 p.m. Jan. 14 to noon Jan. 17
Honey Creek (830) 438-2656
10 p.m. Jan. 2 to noon Jan. 5
10 p.m. Jan. 7 to noon Jan. 12
10 p.m. Jan. 16 to noon Jan. 19
Partial restriction Jan. 6-7, 13-14
Huntsville (409) 295-5644
6 a.m. Dec. 27 to noon Dec. 29
6 a.m. Jan. 3 to noon Jan. 5
6 a.m. Jan. 8 to noon Jan. 12
Inks Lake/Longhorn Caverns (512) 793-2223
Partial restriction Dec. 6-8, 13-15, 27-29*
Partial restriction Jan. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19*
Lake Brownwood (915) 784-5223
Noon Jan. 1 to 8 a.m. Jan. 5
Noon Jan. 8 to 8 a.m. Jan. 12
Noon Jan. 15 to 8 a.m. Jan. 19
Noon Jan. 22 to 8 a.m. Jan. 26
Lake Houston (281) 354-6881
10 p.m. Dec. 10 to noon Dec. 15
Partial restriction Jan. 6-7, 8-10, 10-12*
Lake Mineral Wells (940) 328-1171
Partial restriction Dec. 26-28, Jan 2-4*
Lake Somerville (979) 535-7763
Partial restriction Dec. 12-14, 20-21*
Lake Whitney (254) 694-3793
10 p.m. Jan. 7 to 2 p.m. Jan. 12
Martin Dies, Jr. (409) 384-5231
Partial restriction Dec. 2-3, 9-10*
Pedernales Falls (830) 868-7304
8 a.m. Dec. 4 to 8 a.m. Dec. 8
8 a.m. Dec. 11 to 8 a.m. Dec. 15
8 a.m. Dec. 18 to 8 a.m. Dec. 22
8 a.m. Dec. 26 to 8 a.m. Dec. 28
8 a.m. Jan. 2 to 8 a.m. Jan. 5
8 a.m. Jan. 8 to 8 a.m. Jan. 12
8 a.m. Jan. 15 to 8 a.m. Jan.19
8 a.m. Jan. 22 to 8 a.m. Jan. 26
Possum Kingdom (940) 549-1803
Partial restriction Dec. 26-27, 28-29, 30-31*
Seminole Canyon (915) 292-4464
10 p.m. Dec. 3 to 2 p.m. Dec. 8
10 p.m. Dec. 10 to 2 p.m. Dec. 15
South Llano River (915) 446-3994
10 a.m. Jan. 8 to 6 p.m. Jan. 12
*These hunt dates reflect a partial restriction, and no times were given.
Note: Special permit hunts taking place on the following public lands will be conducted at times or in areas not open to the general public and will not affect general park visitation:
Caddo Lake
Choke Canyon North Shore
Devil^s Sinkhole (open only by special permit)
Fort Boggy
Matagorda Island
San Angelo
Sea Rim
Uploaded: 9/27/2000
Uploaded: 9/27/2000