Hunting / Licenses
Public hunting is available on national forest land in and near Angelina County
Hunters can use public land in the Angelina National Forest and at nearby Bannister WMA, but you need a valid Texas hunting license and usually a TPWD Annual Public Hunting Permit.
National forest land in Texas is open to hunting under state game laws. The Angelina National Forest and the nearby Bannister WMA (25,695 acres in San Augustine County, on a peninsula extending into Sam Rayburn Reservoir) offer access for a range of game species. Check TPWD for the current list of permitted species on Bannister WMA.
To hunt on Bannister WMA or other Wildlife Management Areas, hunters age 17 and older generally need a valid Texas hunting license and a TPWD Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit. Some special drawn hunts — such as antlerless deer during general season on Bannister WMA — require a separate application through TPWD's drawn hunts system by the posted deadline.
Seasons, rules, and permit requirements change each year. Always check current rules at tpwd.texas.gov before you go. For questions about the national forest, call the Lufkin-area Forest Service office at 936-639-8501. TPWD hunting license information is also at tpwd.texas.gov.
Source to confirm: TPWD — Bannister WMA