Hunters on public lands should take note of upcoming application deadlines in various categories of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s lottery hunting program.
August 15: Deer Archery, Bura Deer Archery, Wild Boar, Private Terrestrial Pronghorn and Pronghorn.
September 1: E-Postcard Archery Deer, E-Postcard Dove, E-Postcard Squirrel, E-Postcard Teal, NWR Archery Deer, NWR Upland Game, Private Land Deer Antlerless/Spike, Private Land Deer Any Sex, Gun Deer Youth Only Any Sex.
September 15: E-Postcard Multi Species, E-Postcard Quail, E-Postcard Youth Archery Deer, E-Postcard Young Deer, Gun Deer Antlerless/Spike, Gun Deer Any Sex, Gun Deer Management, NWR General Deer, USFS Permit to Adult, USFS Antlerless Deer Permit Youth, Youth Only Gun Deer Antlerless/Spike, Youth Only Gun Deer Management and
Javelin for youth only.
Additional deadlines fall on October 1, October 15 and November 1.
Around 10,000 permits are up for grabs in 62 different categories this year. Most hunts cost between $3 and $10 to apply, but some are free. Additional permit fees are charged to adult participants on most special permit hunts. Hunting fees range from $80 to $130, depending on the length of the hunt.
There are no fees for hunts on private land, guided packages, pronghorn hunts, or youth-only special permit hunts. E-postcard hunts or national forest antlerless permits are also free, but adults must have a valid $48 public hunting permit.
The same hunt cannot be requested twice. However, you can apply for multiple hunts within the same category. In most cases, a limited number of names are allowed on a single application. If the applicant is chosen, everyone on the application can attend the hunt.
The selected candidates will be decided by a random computer draw. All drawings take place shortly after the application deadline. For more information or details about drawn hunts, see tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/public_hunt_drawing/.
outdoor briefs
Bassmaster Classic Trophy renamed for BASS founder Ray Scott
By Matt Williams
outdoor writer
Winning the Bassmaster Classic trophy and the $300,000 top prize that comes with it is considered the ultimate achievement among professional anglers. Think of it like winning the Super Bowl, only on a different kind of field.
The hardware presented to the winner of the ‘Classic 2023 next March in Knoxville, Tenn., will be particularly special. It will be the first Bassmaster Classic trophy engraved with the legendary name of Ray Scott.
Scott, who passed away in May at the age of 88, is considered the father of professional tournament fishing. He started the Bassmaster Tournament Trail in 1967 and founded the Bass Angler Sportsman Society a year later. Since then, the grassroots organization has grown to more than 600,000 members.
Engraving Scott’s name on one of the most coveted trophies in sports seemed like a natural fit, according to Chase Anderson, CEO of BASS.
“Ray Scott’s passion and vision for bass fishing more than 50 years ago created not only the BASS organization but our entire industry,” he said. “We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate his enduring legacy than by officially naming sport fishing’s most iconic trophy, the Bassmaster Classic Trophy, after him. It is often said that winning the Classic etches an angler’s name into the pages of bass fishing history, but it is a book that would never have been written without Ray.”
Texan Kyle Hall wobbles on Major League Baseball payday
Texas professional bassist Kyle Hall of Granbury racked up a $137,500 payday by winning the 10-man shootout in the final round of the final season of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit which took place July 29-July 1. August at Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, NY
With weights at zero after three days, Hall weighed in at 21 pounds, 6 ounces, beating Jon Canada of Helena, Alabama, by a single ounce to secure the first major league victory of his young career.
Brookeland’s Dakota Ebare was the only other Texan to advance to the penalty shootout round. Ebare finished third and won $25,000.
Hunting licenses for sale now
New Texas hunting/fishing licenses and stamp endorsements went on sale August 15.
Hunters and fishermen will need a new license to legally hunt and fish after September 1. All current licenses expire at midnight in August. 31, except year-to-date fishing licenses.
There are many licenses to choose from in a variety of price ranges. Licenses can be purchased online through the TPWD website, by phone, or in person at more than 1,700 retailers statewide, including TPWD law enforcement offices.
As always, the best deal for athletes is the Super Combo license which retails for $68. Includes hunting and fishing licenses for residents and five stamps for archery, freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, upland game birds, and migratory game birds.