TPWD Unveils Hunting Season Regulation Proposals for 2017-18
Increased dove hunting opportunities across South Texas and expanded landowner-managed pronghorn permitting in the Panhandle highlight this year’s proposed regulation changes for the 2017-18 Texas hunting seasons. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will take public comment. Comments will be considered before the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission takes action at its March 23 public hearing.
Proposed changes include:
1. Increasing dove hunting opportunity by expanding the early September 4-day Special White-winged Dove Area hunting season to the entire South Zone boundary.
2. Modify the age for the youth-waterfowl participants from 15 to 16 years of age.
3. Extend the landowner-managed pronghorn buck experimental permit system for four more years and expand the option into three new pronghorn management areas in the northern Panhandle.
4. Frameworks for the 2017-18 migratory game bird hunting seasons.
Additional details will be published in the Texas Register and available for review in February, as well as in narrated presentations archived on TPWD’s website.
Submit public comments:
• by phone or e-mail to Robert Macdonald at 512-389-4775, [email protected]
• in writing to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, attn. Wildlife Public Comment, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744
• or submitted through www.tpwd.texas.gov once the proposals have been published in the Texas Register.
Future public hearings will be scheduled for Dalhart and Pampa about the pronghorn permit project. For more information contact Shawn Gray, TPWD mule deer and pronghorn program leader, at 432-832-2051 or [email protected] . A live online public hearing via webinar will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Details will be available on TPWD’s website.
Ralph Winingham photo
