The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s drawn hunt program offer a variety of game including dove, alligators, exotics, white-tailed and mule deer, wild pigs, scimitar-horned oryx and bighorn sheep. (TPWD/Courtesy)

Let’s face it, in some ways Texas is getting smaller. No, it is still about 730 miles from Beaumont to El Paso and 800 miles north to south as the crow flies, but as more farms and ranches are being gobbled up by cities or divided and sold to hobbyist, there just is not as much hunting land available as there once was.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s drawn hunt program does not completely solve the access problem, but it does provide an opportunity to almost 9,400 hunters who might otherwise not get to hunt.

Texas’ public hunting program goes back to 1954 when the department offered spots for 75 hunters on the Kerr Wildlife Management Area. This year’s program, which is currently open online, has hunts across more than 60 categories on more than a hundred locations. With hunts ranging from dove to alligators, deer, exotics and bighorn sheep, last year there were almost 300,000 applications.

White-tailed deer are always the most sought-after hunts on the list, and there are options on wildlife management areas, state parks and private ranches. With its potential to produce trophy bucks the Chaparral WMA in LaSalle County is one of the most popular hunts. Last year more than 5,900 hunters applied for the gun hunt on the Chap.

But for hunters willing to spend the time looking through the options there are other hunts that are easier to get drawn for, many of which can produce surprisingly good bucks, or doe for meat.

“One of the reasons we include some of the previous season drawn hunt numbers is to help hunters determine the relative popularity of our different hunt locations,” said Kelly Edmiston, drawn hunt program leader.

The program also has hunts designated for youth hunters 8 to 16. New on that list this year are six slots for an either-sex hunt at Huntsville State Park, or for the adventurous willing to travel across state, 10 slots at the Dan Hughes Unit at the Devil’s River State Park. That hunt will allow hunters to take two deer, a scimitar-horned oryx and other game.

“Including every youth-type hunt category (traditional drawn, e-postcard selection, and National Wildlife Refuge), we should select over 1,300 youth positions this season. Last season we received over 26,000 applications for our youth-only hunting spots,” Edmiston said.

Behind the popularity of white-tailed deer is exotics, with aoudad being the most popular. However, there is a wide-range of options including wild pigs, Sambar and axis deer, along with gemsbok and scimitar-horned oryx in guided management hunts.

The big draw is for a bighorn sheep on either the Black Gap, Elephant Mountain or Sierra Diablo wildlife management area. A hunt that on the open market could cost $100,000-plus drew about 10,000 applicants last year.

The hunt is not for everyone because it typically takes place at 6,500-foot elevation, and hunters could be required to climb up and down 2,000-foot elevation changes on steep slopes.

“All of our drawings are random, and I always tell folks to apply for the hunts that appeal to them the most. If they want venison for the freezer, then the antlerless/spike hunts are good bets. State Park hunts have more facilities and camping amenities than WMAs. Is there a means you prefer? Do you like hunting from a blind? These are the types of information we include in a hunt listing,” Edmiston explained.

The popularity of the public hunting program shows there is always room for more. Finding the opportunity can be difficult.

“Trying to provide more opportunity in a state of this size with a relatively small number of public lands is our challenge. Public hunts on public lands are done for recreational purposes as well as for management or research activity. However, all public hunts must be biologically sound, promote conservation of the resource, adequately address public safety, and be compatible with other priority uses of the land,” Edmiston said.

He added,“Managing wildlife is a balancing act. I think partnerships with other landowners whether that is private property owners or other government agencies, is the key to any expansion.”

That is why the program has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, and includes private land hunts through the drawn hunt program and Annual Public Hunting program.

Application fees for drawn hunts are free to $10, depending on the hunt category. Adult hunters who are selected may need to pay a special permit fee of $80 for regular hunts and $130 for extended hunts.

The first application deadline is Aug. 1, and includes archery deer, archery mule deer, pronghorn, private land pronghorn and javelina, but there will be additional deadlines on the 1st and 15th each month through Nov. 1.

For more information or to apply for hunts, go online to https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/public_hunt_drawing/.

— Contact Steve Knight at outdoor@tylerpaper.com