Published: April 02, 2009 05:07 pm      

TPWD Commission makes sweeping changes

Last Thursday the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commission voted in a large number of proposals that will greatly change hunting and fishing regulations in the Lone Star State.

In the Monday edition, we reported on the new antler restrictions for East Texas as well as the new flounder and alligator garfish regulations.

Now we will look at a host of other measures that will take effect during the 2009-2010 license year.

Besides those already reported on, the ones that will have the great effect on local outdoors lovers involve managing Gulf species in conjunction with the federal government.

Sharks regulations will change from a minimum length limit for those species allowed from 24 inches total length (TL) to 64 inches TL, except for Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, and bonnethead sharks, which will retain the current 24-inch TL minimum length, limit.

For the allowable shark species, the bag limit will remain one fish per person per day and a two fish possession limit. In addition, a prohibited list will be established certain shark species, most of which local anglers never catch with the possible exception of the sandbar.

“Other Gulf species changes include increasing the minimum size limit for greater amberjack from 32 inches to 34 inches TL, and establishing minimum size limits of 16 inches total length for gray triggerfish and 22 inches total length for gag. The bag limit for gray triggerfish would be 20 per person and for gag grouper, it would be set at two per person with the possession limits being twice the daily bag limit,” TPWD reported.

In East Texas, TPWD said they are establishing a special muzzleloader season in additional counties, lengthening the existing muzzleloader season by five days to be equivalent in length with the special antlerless and spike buck seasons in other counties, and altering the current muzzleloader bag composition.

It will now allow the harvest of any buck (not just spike bucks) and antlerless deer without permits if the county has "doe days" during the general season.

New counties affected include: Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad (North of HWY 59), Goliad (South of HWY 59), Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston, Jackson (North of HWY 59), Jackson (South of HWY 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of HWY 59), Victoria (South of HWY 59), Waller, Washington, Wharton (North of HWY 59), Wharton (South of HWY 59), and Wilson.

They are also adding one additional weekend and 10 additional weekdays in January to the current youth-only season.

TPWD officials also reported they are increasing the bag limit in most Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains counties from three deer (no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless) or four deer (no more than two bucks and no more than two antlerless) to five deer (no more than 2 bucks).

Counties affected include: Archer, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Callahan, Clay, Coryell, Hamilton, Haskell, Hill, Jack, Jones, Knox, Lampasas, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (west of IH35), and Young.

“In addition, the department is increasing the bag limit from four deer to five deer in Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties. White-tailed deer densities throughout the eastern Trans-Pecos are very similar to densities on the Edwards Plateau, where current rules allow the harvest of up to five antlerless deer.”

“Another change increases the bag limit from three deer to five deer (no more than one buck) in selected counties in the western Rolling Plains. Counties affected include: Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lipscomb, Motley, Ochiltree, Roberts, Scurry, Stonewall, and Wheeler.”

TPWD said some new areas warrant doe days including the following:

#from 16 days to full-season either-sex in Dallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties;

#from 30 days to full-season either-sex in Cooke, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties;

#from four days to16 days in Bowie and Rusk counties;

#from four days to 30 days in Cherokee and Houston counties;

#from no doe days to four doe days in Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith, and Van Zandt counties.

TPWD is also expanding the late antlerless and spike season into additional counties.

Counties affected include: Archer, Armstrong, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Briscoe, Callahan, Carson, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hamilton, Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, Hood, Hutchinson, Jack, Johnson, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lampasas, Lipscomb, McLennan, Montague, Motley, Ochiltree, Palo Pinto, Parker, Pecos, Roberts, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Upton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (West of IH35), Wise, and Young. In Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties, the season would replace the current muzzleloader-only open season.

The growing number of local kayakers might be interested to know TPWD Commissioners approved a change that would allow paddle craft operators to receive a saltwater guide license by demonstrating certification or proof of completion of a TPWD boater safety course and CPR/First Aid training, and completion of the American Canoe Association (ACA) Coastal Kayak Day Trip Leading Assessment or British Canoe Union (BCU) Four Star Leader Sea Kayak Certification.