Published: August 26, 2009 09:38 pm      

(New) Rules to Go By

Changes in hunting, fishing regulations effective Sept. 1

Here’s two good pieces of advice for all Texas hunters and anglers:

• When you buy your new hunting/fishing license, be sure to pick up a copy of the 2009-10 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual.

• Read it.

The 104-page booklet is almost like a bible for Texas sportsmen. Think of it like a paperback road map that lists game laws and hunting season dates pertinent to Texas’ 254 counties, as well as sport fishing regulations for freshwater and saltwater, alike.

The booklet also contains helpful illustrations to aid in measuring or identifying fish, and depicting legal size antlers on a whitetail buck. It also contains an important wildlife resource document that is necessary when transporting some types of wild game that are harvested by another hunter.

When reviewing the booklet it would be wise to pay close attention to pages 10, 96, 100 and 104. Those pages contain an abbreviated list of hunting/fishing regulation changes that were adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission earlier this year.

Consult the individual county/water body listing to determine if the county where you hunt or the lakes where you fish are among those affected by the changes. The new laws go into effect Sept. 1, which marks the beginning of the new fiscal year for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Here is a rundown of few key rule changes, where they apply and what they mean:



Deer Regs

• Antler Restrictions: Antler restrictions on buck whitetail deer were added to 52 more counties. There are now 113 Texas counties with the antler restriction in place. Hunters in counties with antler restrictions may take two bucks with at least one unbranched antler (spikes), or one spike and one buck with an inside antler spread of at least 13 inches. Hunters are allowed to take only one buck with an antler spread of 13 inches or more, per season.

The newest antler restriction counties include: Anderson, Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young.

TPWD trend data dating back to 2002 shows the antler restriction has has helped improve the age structure of buck herds in counties where young bucks have a history of being overharvested.

• Increase the whitetail deer limit to five deer in 25 counties in the Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains, 27 counties in the western Rolling Plains, and three counties in the Trans-Pecos region. Buck limits vary according to region.

• Expand the opportunity for general season antlerless deer harvest in 25 counties by providing additional “doe days. In East Texas: Bowie and Rusk counties, 16 days; Cherokee and Houston counties, 30 days; Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith and Van Zandt counties, four days.

• Expand the late antlerless and spike season to include 67 counties across the state.

• Create a muzzleloader season or amend existing muzzleloader regulations in 37 East Texas counties.

• Add one weekend and 10 weekdays during January to the current youth-only season. Youth hunting seasons run Oct. 31-Nov. 1 and Jan. 4-17.

• The use of crossbows for deer hunting is now legal for all hunters during the special archery only season, Oct. 3-Nov. 6. The lone exception is in Grayson County, where hunting with crossbows during the early archery season only legal for hunters with a upper-limb disability. The disability/crossbow restriction does not apply during the general season, which runs Nov. 7-Jan. 3.

• Persons with a physical disability that prevents them from using traditional firearm scopes and sights may use laser sighting devices for hunting game animals and birds.



Saltwater

Flounder: Reduces the daily limit on southern flounder from 10 to five fish per day for recreational anglers and from 60 to 30 fish per day for commercial anglers. During November, rod and reelers will be allowed to take only two flounder per day. Harvest by other means and methods is prohibited during November.

The action was taken in hopes of curbing a downward spiral in flounder populations witnessed along the Texas coast since the early 1980s.

Shark: The department established a prohibited species list including 21 shark species and increased the minimum size limit to 64 inches for allowable species. The exceptions are Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip and bonnethead sharks, which will have a 24 inch length limit. Daily bag limits are unchanged, one per day.

Greater Amberjack: Established a minimum length limit of 34 inches.

Gray Triggerfish: Established a minimum total length limit of 16 inches and daily bag limit of 20 per day.

Gag Grouper: Established a minimum total length limit of 22 inches and daily bag limit of two.



Freshwater

• Alligator Gar: Historically touted as “rough fish,” alligator gar are now protected by a one-fish per day bag limit that applies to recreational and commercial fishing statewide. Fisheries scientists believe Texas has one of the last remaining strongholds in the nation of the prehistoric-looking fish. Data indicates alligator gar populations in other states have suffered or been wiped out due to over harvest.

On Lake Texoma, a harvest closure was approved for the month of May to protect adult fish in heavily utilized spawning areas.

• Blue Catfish: There is now a slot limit on blue catfish at lakes Richland Chambers, Waco and Lewisville. The daily limit remains 25 per day, but fish measuring 30-45 inches long are not legal for harvest, except that one fish over 45 inches may be retained. Restrictive limits in other southern states have proven effective for increasing numbers of trophy size blues available for catch and release.

On Lake Texoma, the limit on blue cat is 15 per day, only one of which may be 30 inches or greater.

• Largemouth Bass: Implemented a five-fish, 14-inch limit on largemouth bass at Lake Ray Roberts to replace the 14-24 inch slot limit that has been in place for years. Fisheries scientists originally hoped the slot limit would turn ‘Roberts into a big time trophy fishery, but it has not panned out. Business owners are hopeful the less restrictive limit will make the lake more attractive to tournaments and bolster the local economy.