Foraging / Antlers & finds

Shed antlers & other finds.

The odds and ends people pick up outdoors - a dropped antler, a pretty feather, a stick of firewood. Here's what you can actually keep.

Shed antlers

Every winter and spring, deer naturally drop their antlers, and picking up a naturally shed antler is widely treated as fine on private land with permission - it's not from a hunted animal, so there's no tag or license. TPWD doesn't spell this out in a single rule, though, and collecting antlers (like anything else) is clearly off-limits in state parks, wildlife management areas, and national wildlife refuges. When in doubt, ask. (This is about naturally shed antlers - not antlers from a deer taken illegally.)

Feathers

Feathers are tempting, but off-limits for native birds. You can't keep the feathers, nests, or eggs of protected birds - even ones you find (see the Wildlife hub). Feathers from legally hunted game birds and a few non-native species are okay.

Firewood

Don't gather firewood in state parks, and don't move firewood long distances - it spreads tree-killing pests. Buy it where you'll burn it (see the Camping hub).

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Where you can collect

The land map.

The land map ->

Wild food

Plants you can gather.

What to gather ->

Bluebonnets

The famous flower myth.

Settle the myth ->

Foraging hub

Back to the main guide.

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Official sources

Park collecting rules come from TPWD; bird-feather protection comes from the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Shed-antler legality isn't laid out in a single rule, so when in doubt, ask.

Data vintage:: Finds and keep-it rules as reviewed June 2026
Last reviewed:: June 15, 2026

TPWD - State Park Rules - No collecting in state parks
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Migratory Birds

Caution: Collecting anything - antlers included - is prohibited in state parks, WMAs, and wildlife refuges. For shed antlers elsewhere, confirm with TPWD or the landowner.

Spot something that needs a Texas check? This first pass is built to be polished over time. Send the page name, county, parcel context if relevant, and the official source you are looking at. Email Texas Porch.