You fine fellows are lucky.

[TexasAndy]

I sure would like to try my hand at harvesting a whitetail with a sidelock but with so little public land in Texas that will be difficult(99% of the state is in private hands). In addition I've seen what leases cost on a well managed piece of property. My buddy up in Wyoming has offered to take me on BLM land there but the 16hr drive means I have to burn some pretty serious PTO to make that happen.

 

[derrickman]

where in Texas are you located?

 

[good ole boy]

Give me a holler if you ever hed up to Pa.You can use a sidelock in any Deer firearm season here.But the cream of the crop is our after XMAS F/Lock only traditional season.

 

[Jaeger]

Yes...we are lucky. In Michigan there is a LOT of public land of all kinds where people can hunt, fish, hike, birdwatch or whatever. I couldn't tolerate living in a state with so little public land.

 

[3Setters]

Best part if the OP has time off between Christmas and New Years, he wont have to burn PTO time.

 

[Buck Conner]

.
In many of the western states you'll see the same problem as you do in Texas. Large sections of ground are being purchased and shutting down access to some really nice areas. Like everything we deal with any more - money talks ....

.

 

[TexasAndy]

where in Texas are you located?

I live in Ft. Worth.

 

[TexasAndy]

.
In many of the western states you'll see the same problem as you do in Texas. Large sections of ground are being purchased and shutting down access to some really nice areas. Like everything we deal with any more - money talks ....

.

I totally understand but between New Mexico, Colorado , Wyoming and Montana there are millions and millons of acres of BLM land. In Texas we have one area in deep East Texas about 2 hours from Houston and at one time it was about 100,000 acres but I understand much of it has been sold off as well. A deer lease here on a properly managed piece of property varies from about 4-8 thousand dollars per year. You can get a day lease for a few hundred bucks but it's a crap shoot as to whether the land owner takes care of it properly.

 

[TexasAndy]

What's odd/unfair is that my father is from a little town called Hico in central Texas not far from Hamilton or Stephenville. His family used to own some property but when my grandmother passed in 90' the three surviving brothers couldn't agree what to do with it and so they just sold it.

 

[Sidney Smith]

That amazes me, that a state with such a tradition of hunting, doesnt have public lands set aside for that purpose.

A lot of people trash Pa, but we have something like a million and a half acres of public land splattered all over the state that allows for public hunting opportunities.

 

[Buck Conner]

That amazes me, that a state with such a tradition of hunting, doesnt have public lands set aside for that purpose.

A lot of people trash Pa, but we have something like a million and a half acres of public land splattered all over the state that allows for public hunting opportunities.

.
My family at one time own 60% of a small town in the middle of PA, Milroy was a small farming community. My great grandfather was a country doctor that took what ever was available in trade for his services, that included land, small farms, what ever to cover the medical bill. My grandfather would sell off some property when he needed money. There when my spending funds......... @#$%.

I hunted that state for 15 years before leaving.

.

 

[3Setters]

A lot of people trash Pa, but we have something like a million and a half acres of public land splattered all over the state that allows for public hunting opportunities.

Actually Pa has over 4 million acres open to public hunting; game lands, state forest, national forest, timber company lands, watershed lands, etc.

I'm lucky, I can walk out my back door onto 10s of thousands of public lands, same thing when I go up to my cabin.

 

[deermanok]

Your not far from me. I live in Antlers, Oklahoma. If you ever want to come up this way, there's a lot of state land here. Good hunting too.

 

[Spikebuck]

I'm sure it depends where it is, but state land isn't always a "bonus." My home state of Minnesota is blessed with over 12 million acres of public lands. Some, I'm sure, is good hunting. In SE Minnesota our state lands are literally crawling with people seven days a week now. A recent DNR 3 year study of the squirrel populations on an 80,000 acre state land near me showed that they are on the brink of not even being able to re-populate because their numbers are so small. When I was a kid, squirrels were everywhere on state lands. 30 years ago heavy deer trails were everywhere and it was really good hunting, especially during weekdays when the metro crowd was working. Farmers that used state land for crops had to leave 1/3 of it over winter and by the end of January the fields were stripped bare and just plowed under in the spring. Now, many fields have none or just a few deer tracks in them during winter as the numbers are so low because the harvest pressure is so intense. Now, the farmers actually do a harvest of those fields again in early Spring there's so much crop left after winter. I recently talked to a grouse hunter that had walked all day on state land...no birds and he did not kick up one deer or see any squirrels.

I guess at least a person has a place to go and take a nice nature walk on the state lands near me.

 

[TexasAndy]

Your not far from me. I live in Antlers, Oklahoma. If you ever want to come up this way, there's a lot of state land here. Good hunting too.

I might explore that...thank you.

 

[SamTex1949]

Here is some info on Texas hunting lands
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/

 

[tallpine]

There is plenty of public hunting land in Texas, Within 100 miles of Houston there are three National forests, There are also other wildlife management areas available for a $40 permit. Do your homework, no need to go out of state.

 

[deermanok]

I might explore that...thank you.

My son lives in Fort Worth. It's about 3 hours away.
Muzzleloader season is about the 3rd week of October.
At one of the WMA'S that I hunt, there's a couple guys from Texas that come up every year. Camping is allowed for hunters only.

 

[TexasAndy]

There is plenty of public hunting land in Texas, Within 100 miles of Houston there are three National forests, There are also other wildlife management areas available for a $40 permit. Do your homework, no need to go out of state.

Hi there, yes I eluded to the Angelina and Davy Crokett National forests in my posts above even though I didn' tlist them by name. I went to SFA in the 90's and hunted it some and even then the maps provided by the Forresty Service made the area looke like a checkerboard because of all of the private property interlaced with it. I can't imagine what it would look like today. Btw....besides the state parks that's it in Texas. I don't think that's plenty imo and because of it's proximity to Houston it is over hunted.

 

[TexasAndy]

Here is some info on Texas hunting lands
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/

Thank you!