Hunting and Fishing Regulations: What's New for 2007-2008

Licenses and Fees

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has made the following changes to the state’s hunting and fishing licenses to reduce redundancy and eliminate confusion. License types and tags to be changed or eliminated include:

Special Resident Hunting

This license is replaced by a Senior Resident Hunting License for Texans 65 and over ($6 plus cost of any required stamp endorsements) and a Youth Hunting License for residents and non-residents under 17 ($6; no stamps required).

Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp(“Duck Stamp”)

The fee for this stamp is now $17.

Special Resident Fishing Packages (freshwater, saltwater and all-water)

Senior Resident Fishing Packages will be offered to Texans 65 and over at the same fees ($11 freshwater, $16 saltwater, $21 all-water). Texans who are legally blind can purchase a Special Resident All-Water Fishing License for $6 with no stamp endorsements required. One red drum tag is available at no extra charge.

Day Plus Fishing Packages (freshwater, saltwater and all-water)

All variations are eliminated in favor of a One-Day All-Water Fishing License ($10 for residents, $15 for non-residents).

July and August Fishing Packages

No longer available

Red Drum and Bonus Red Drum tags

Saltwater fishing packages still include a Red Drum Tag which allows an angler to take one red drum per year over the maximum length limit. A Bonus Red Drum Tag, which allows taking of an additional fish over the limit, is no longer free. It is available for $3.

Fishing Regulations

• On Lake Texoma, the possession limit for striped and hybrid striped bass increases from 10 to 20 fish. The daily bag limit is still 10 striped/hybrid striped bass in any combination, only two of which may be 20 inches or greater.

• There will be no take or kill (No Open Season) on diamondback terrapin.

• The minimum length limit for tarpon increases from 80 to 85 inches.

• The minimum length limit for sheepshead increases from 12 to 13 inches. -- Beginning on Sept. 1, 2008, the length limit will be 14 inches. Beginning on Sept. 1, 2009, the length limit will be 15 inches.

• For spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre, the daily bag limit and the possession limit shall be 5 fish in all inside waters south of marker 21. Inside waters include all bays, inlets, outlets, passes, rivers, streams, and other bodies of water landward from the shoreline of the state along the Gulf of Mexico and contiguous to, or connected with, but not a part of, the Gulf of Mexico and within which the tide regularly rises and falls.

• Recreational anglers must have a Texas fishing license and saltwater endorsement to bring any fish taken in federal waters ashore in Texas.

Hunting Regulations

• Teal - The early Teal season is not statewide. The High Plains Mallard Management Unit is open September 15-23, while the remainder of the state is open September 15-30. Bag and possession limits are 4 and 8, respectively.

• The statutes governing game laws have a new web address. It is: http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/pw.toc.htm

• A taxidermist who accepts a deer or turkey shall retain the wildlife resource document or tag accompanying each deer or turkey for a period of two years following the return of the resource to the owner or the sale of the deer or turkey mount to recover taxidermy cost.

• Beginning September 1, 2007, new rules will govern the collection, possession, and sale of non-game wildlife. TPWD has created a list of species of non-game wildlife lawful to use in commercial activity (sale, offer for sale, barter, or exchange), provided a Non-game Permit or Non-game Dealer's Permit has been obtained. Commercial activity involving any other species of non-game wildlife is unlawful. Any person may possess up to 25 specimens of species on the list for personal, non-commercial use without a permit. The possession for commercial activity of any species of non-game wildlife not on the list is unlawful; however, up to 6 specimens of any unlisted species may be possessed for personal, non-commercial use. A landowner or landowner's agent may kill any non-game wildlife other than threatened or endangered species at any time in any number, provided the wildlife is not used in a commercial activity. In addition, the rules will provide for the grandfathering of existing collections.

  • The take of any non-game species for commercial purposes from public lands or waters is unlawful.

  • Except for red-eared slider, common snapping turtle, and softshell turtle, the take or possession of turtles for commercial activity is unlawful.

  At the time this publication was sent to the printer, the rules had not been completely finalized. Additional rules will be proposed in the near future to address issues such as captive breeding. For more information, contact TPWD at (800) 792-1112, menu 7 or (512) 389-4481 or go to Non-game Permits on the TPWD Web site.

• Black bears are protected and cannot be hunted or killed. Mountain lions are not protected and may be harvested at any time. Please report black bear and mountain lion sightings or mortalities to (512) 389-4505.