Hunting / Where you can hunt
More than 95% of Texas is privately owned, so most hunting happens on private land. But there is real public land too.
There's more public hunting in Texas than people expect - you just need the right permit or a bit of luck in the draw.
Best starting point
One permit opens over 1 million acres of public hunting land — wildlife management areas and national forest land — with no lottery. You get a map booklet showing where to go and what you can hunt. Great value for hogs, deer, dove, and squirrel.
TPWD runs a lottery for thousands of special hunts (deer, pronghorn, gator, exotics, even bighorn). If drawn, the hunt fee runs about $80 (regular) to $130 (extended). Youth hunts are often free. Not drawn? You earn a loyalty point for better odds next year.
A raffle for dream hunt packages (like the Texas Grand Slam). The money funds conservation.
Federal lands run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also offer drawn hunts.
Official sources
Public-land access, the APH permit, and drawn hunts are run by Texas Parks & Wildlife. Confirm permit prices and application windows on the official pages.
Caution: Permit prices, fees, and application windows change. The official TPWD public-hunting pages are the final word.
