Presenter: Mike Berger

Commission Agenda Item No. 10
Action
Amendments to the Public Lands Proclamation Establishment of an Open Season on Public Hunting Lands
Approval of Public Hunting Activities on State Parks
May 2006

I. Executive Summary: This item presents amendments to the Public Lands Proclamation for adoption, establishes an open season on public hunting lands for 2006-2007, and presents for approval the finalized list of state parks offering public hunting opportunity. The proposed amendments to the Public Lands Proclamation remove Aquilla Wildlife Management Area from the public hunting program and clarify the powers of the executive director.

II. Discussion: Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 12, Subchapter A, provides that a tract of land purchased primarily for a purpose authorized by the code may be used for any authorized function of the Parks and Wildlife Department if the Commission determines that multiple use is the best utilization of the land's resources. Additionally, Chapter 81, Subchapter E, provides the Commission with the authority to establish open seasons, and authorizes the Executive Director to determine bag limits, means and methods, and conditions for the taking of wildlife resources on wildlife management and public hunting lands, which includes units of the state park system designated as public hunting lands. The Regulations Committee at its April 2006 meeting authorized staff to publish proposed amendments to the Public Lands proclamation in the Texas Register for public comment. The proposed rules appeared in the April 21, 2006, issue of the Texas Register (31 TexReg 3354). A summary of public comment on the proposed rules will be presented at the time of the hearing.

III. Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:

"The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopts amendments to §§65.190 and 65.192, and new 65.204, concerning the Public Lands Proclamation, with changes as necessary to the proposed text as published in the April 21, 2006 issue of the Texas Register (31 TexReg 3354), and authorize the hunting activities designated in Exhibit B to be conducted on the listed units of the State Park System."

Attachments - 1

  1. Exhibit A – Proposed Amendments to the Public Lands Proclamation
  2. Exhibit B – Public Hunting Opportunities on State Parks

Commission Agenda Item No. 10
Exhibit B

Proposed State Park Hunts for 2006-2007

Site Number Park Species / Hunt Type Special Hunt Category Type Permit Number of Permits Proposed Hunt Dates Visitation Restriction
1 Abilene Deer and feral hogs (New) GDA Special 12 Dec. 12-14 Y
Dove APH/OSR Sept. 4 -Oct. 25 (only on M,T,W,T) N
Waterfowl APH/OSR North Zone (only on M,T,W,T) N
2 Atlanta Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 30 Nov. 28-30, Dec. 5-7, 12-14 Y
3 Big Bend Ranch Deer and unlimited exotics GDE Special 10 Dec. 1-5 Partial
Javelina GJE Special 30 Nov. 14-16, Dec. 13-15, Jan. 7-9 Partial
Quail APH/OSR N/A Nov. 3-5, Dec. 19-21, Jan. 12-15 Partial
4 Brazos Bend Deer and feral hogs GDE Special 150 Nov. 7-9, 14-16, Dec. 5-7 Y
5 Caprock Canyons Deer and feral hogs GDE Special 6 Nov. 28- Dec. 1 Y
Exotics and feral hogs EXO Special 20 Dec. 27-29, Jan. 10-12 Y
Quail/ Youth only postcard APH 10 Dec. 9-10 Y
6 Choke Canyon - N. Shore Unit Deer, feral hogs and coyotes GDE Special 36 Nov. 10-12, 17-19, 24-26 N
Deer, feral hogs & coyotes Youth YDE Special 4 Dec. 16-17 N
7 Colorado Bend Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 60 Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 6-8, 13-15 Y
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 60 Jan. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 Y
Deer, exotics & feral hogs Youth YDE Special 10 Dec. 27-29 Y
8 Cooper Lake- South Sulphur Unit Deer and feral hogs APH/OSR N/A Dec. 2-17 Partial
9 Copper Breaks NEW Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 2 Dec. 15-17 Y
10 Davis Mountains Javelina GJE Special 16 Jan. 8-10, 10-12, 15-17, 17-19 Partial
11 Devil's River Exotics EXO Special 40 Jan. 8-10, 10-12 Y
12 Devil's Sinkhole Deer, exotics and feral hogs ADE Special 20 Oct. 23-27 Y
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 12 Nov. 6-8 Y
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 12 Nov. 13-15 Y
13 Enchanted Rock Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 15 Jan. 3-5 Y
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 45 Jan. 8-10, 10-12, 17-19 Y
14 Fairfield Lake Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 80 Dec. 4-6, 6-8 Jan. 1-3, 3-5 Y
15 Fort Boggy Deer, feral hogs and coyotes ADE Special 30 Oct. 9-11, 11-13 Y
Deer, feral hogs and coyotes GDE Special 30 Dec. 11-13, 13-15 Y
Feral hogs (New) GFH Special 20 Jan. 8-10 Y
16 Garner Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 60 Dec. 4-6, 6-8, 11-13, 13-15 Y
Deer, exotics & feral hogs Youth YDA Special 10 Dec. 2-3 Y
Exotics and feral hogs NEW YEX Special 10 Jan. 20-21 Y
Exotics and feral hogs NEW EXO Special 30 Jan. 22-24, 24-26 Y
17 Guadalupe River Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 50 Dec. 11-15, Jan. 15-19 Y
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 50 Dec. 4-8, Jan. 8-12 Y
18 Guadalupe River North Deer, exotics and feral hogs ADE Special 10 Oct. 2-6, 9-13 Partial
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 5 Nov. 13-17 Partial
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 5 Nov. 6-10 Partial
Spring Turkey Youth YTS Special 5 Mar. 31-Apr. 1 Partial
19 Hill Country Deer and feral hogs ADE Special 30 Jan. 15-18 Y
Deer and feral hogs GDE Special 30 Jan. 22-25 Y
Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 60 Dec. 4-7, 11-14 Y
20 Honey Creek Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 20 Dec. 11-15, Jan. 15-19 Y
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 20 Dec. 4-8, Jan. 8-12 Y
Deer, exotics & feral hogs Youth YDE Special 10 Dec. 9-10 Y
21 Huntsville Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 45 Jan. 3-5, 8-10, 10-12 Y
Deer and feral hogs Youth YDE Special 15 Dec. 27-29 Y
Squirrel Reg/APH-OSR Dec. 13-14 Y
22/23 Inks Lake/Longhorn Caverns Deer and feral hogs GDE Special 10 Dec. 6-8 Partial
Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 40 Dec. 13-15, Jan. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 Partial
Deer and feral hogs Youth YDE Special 10 Dec. 27-29 Partial
24 Kickapoo Caverns Deer and feral hogs NEW ADE Special 30 Oct. 16-18 Y
Deer and feral hogs GDE Special 20 Dec. 6-8 Y
Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 25 Dec. 11-13 Y
Deer and feral hogs Youth YDE Special 15 Dec. 2-3 Y
25 Lake Brownwood Deer and feral hogs ADE Special 5 Jan. 2-4 Y
Deer and feral hogs GDE Special 5 Jan. 9-11 Y
Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 10 Jan. 16-18, 23-25 Y
26 Lake Mineral Wells Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 20 Dec. 12-14, 26-28 Partial
27 Lake Bob Sandlin Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 6 Dec. 4-6 Y
28 Lake Somerville Birch Creek Deer, feral hogs and coyotes ADE Special 12 Oct. 17-19 Y
Deer, feral hogs and coyotes GDA Special 12 Nov. 7-9 Y
Lake Somerville Nails Creek Deer, feral hogs and coyotes ADE Special 7 Oct. 10-12 Y
Deer, feral hogs and coyotes GDA Special 5 Nov. 14-16 Y
Deer, feral hogs & coyotes Youth YDE Special 25 Nov. 11-12, Dec. 16-17 Partial
Feral hogs GFH Special 15 Dec. 12-14 Partial
Waterfowl   APH N/A Early Teal & North Zone Partial
29 Lake Whitney Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA special 20 Jan. 8-10, 10-12 Y
30 Lost Maples Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 24 Jan. 3-5, 8-10, 10-12 Y
31 Mother Neff (prairie area ) Dove APH N/A Sept. 1, 5-8, 11-15, 18-22, 25-29 Partial
32 Pedernales Falls Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 15 Jan. 9-11 Y
Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 15 Jan. 23-25 Y
33 Pedernales Falls Annex Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDE Special 6 Nov. 2-6, 16-20 N
34 Possum Kingdom Deer, exotics & feral hogs Youth YDE Special 12 Dec. 18-19, 27-28 Y
35 Purtis Creek Waterfowl Youth only APH Postcard 60 Dec. 16, 28, Jan 6, 20 Partial
36 Resaca de la Palma Feral hog GFH Special 18 Mar. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21 Y
White-winged dove APH-OSR/ Reg N/A Sept. 2,3,9,10 Y
37 San Angelo Deer and feral hogs GDE Special 60 Nov. 29- Dec. 1 Partial
Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 120 Nov. 14-16, Jan. 9-11 Partial/Y
Deer and feral hogs Youth YDA Special 60 Nov. 11-12 Partial
Turkey GTS Special 40 Apr. 13-15, 20-22 N
Archery Deer/Turkey APH/OSR Sept. 30-Oct. 29 N
Dove, rabbit, squirrel, & waterfowl APH/OSR N/A Sept 1-29, (on days open for each species during these dates.) N
Dove, quail, rabbit, squirrel, & waterfowl APH/OSR N/A Dec. 9- Feb. 25 (on days open for each species during these dates.) N
38 Sea Rim Alligator Youth YAL Special 10 Sept. 16-17 Sat. - Sun. N
Waterfowl: Teal APH N/A Early Teal season N
Waterfowl APH N/A Open on Sun, Wed, and Fri of the general South Zone season N
Rail, Gallinule and snipe APH N/A concurrent with teal and waterfowl dates N
Waterfowl Youth APH N/A Special youth season, ends at noon N
Feral Hog Archery APH N/A close of regular waterfowl - Mar. 1 (only in marsh N. of Hwy 87) N
39 Seminole Canyon Deer and feral hogs GDE special 40 Nov. 6-8, 8-10 Dec. 4-6, 6-8 Y
40 South Llano Deer, exotics and feral hogs GDA Special 16 Jan. 8-10,10-12, 15-17, 17-19 Y
41 Tony Houseman Feral hog APH N/A Oct. 1- Mar. 31 N
Squirrel APH N/A Oct. 1-Feb. 4, May 1-31 N
Youth squirrel APH N/A Sept. 23-24 N
Waterfowl: Teal APH early Early Teal season N
Waterfowl: duck & goose APH N/A North Zone season N
Rabbits and hares APH N/A no closed season N
Fish, frogs, crayfish APH N/A no closed season N
Youth waterfowl APH N/A South Zone Youth season N
Dove APH N/A Central Zone season N
42 Tyler Deer and feral hogs GDA Special 12 Dec. 27-29 Y