Texas Hunting Leases

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in their 2009 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, the preliminary duck population grew 13% to 42 million. This year’s estimate is 25% above the 1955-2008 average and is reflective of breeding ponds being 45% above last year’s estimate among other factors.

Some highlights from the survey include:

* Pintail, Canvasback and shoveler populations were up over 20% each.
* Gadwall, Green & Blue-Winged Teal and Redheads are above their long-term averages.
* Ponds increased to 6.4 million – 45% above long-term averages

The spring surveys provide scientific basis for many management programs across the continent including the setting of hunting regulations. The Flyway Councils will meet in July to recommend and adopt the season and bag limits for 2009-10 and the individual states will follow soon thereafter.

AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service SRC (Service Regulation Committee) has approved the 2009-2010 Texas dove season, including a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide, and a 16-day early teal season.

Additionally, the SRC approved moving the Texas South Zone dove season opening the Friday nearest Sept. 20, but no earlier than the 17th. This year the season will open Sept. 18.

Texas dove season in the North and Central Dove Zones will run from Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 25 and reopen Saturday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 9, with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.

The South Zone dove season will run Sept. 18-Nov. 3, reopening Dec. 26-Jan. 17 with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.

Possession limit is twice the daily bag for all migratory game birds except light geese, which currently does not have a possession limit.

The Special South Texas White-winged Dove Area will open to white-winged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two full weekends in September running from Sept. 5-6 and 12-13 and reopen when the regular South Zone season begins on Friday, Sept. 18 through Tuesday, Nov. 3 and again from Saturday, Dec. 26 through Wednesday, Jan. 13. The Special White-winged Dove Area season takes four of the allowable 70 days, so when the regular season opens, this area most close four days earlier than the rest of the South Zone. The daily bag limit is 15 birds, not more than four mourning doves during the first two weekend splits and 2 white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15.

The Service also approved a proposal to give TPWD the option to adjust a portion of the boundary of the Special White-winged Dove Area. This change would remove portions of Jim Hogg and Starr counties.

Texas’ 16-day September teal season will run Sept. 12-27.

The season for rail and gallinule is Sept. 12-27 and Oct. 31-Dec. 23; for snipe, Oct. 31-Feb. 14; and for woodcock, Dec. 18-Jan. 31.

TPWD announced today that the wildlife commission approved the changes to the 2009-2010 Dove season.  Of key interest is a 70 day season and a 15 bird daily bag limit statewide.  If authorized under federal guidelines, Texas dove season in the North and Central Zones will run from Tuesday, Sept 1 through Sunday, Oct. 25 and reopen Saturday, Dec 26 through Sunday, Jan. 9, with a 15 bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.  The South Zone dove season will run Sept. 18 – Nov. 3, reopening Dec. 26-Jan 17 with same limits as the other zones.

On another note, the department released information on its proposed waterfowl season for 2009-2010.  Texas will likely revert this fall to the standard 74-day season and six bird daily bag limit for ducks during the general waterfowl seasons.

TPWD is recommending the High Plains Mallard Management Unit waterfowl season run Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 — 25 and Friday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Jan. 24, with a youth-only season of Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 17-18.

The proposed season for the North and South Zones would run concurrently Saturday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Dec. 12 through Sunday, Jan. 24, with a youth-only season of Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 24-25 to avoid conflict with the youth deer season.

The daily bag limit statewide would be six ducks, with the following species and sex restrictions: five mallards (of which only two may be hens), three wood ducks, two scaup, two redheads, one pintail, one canvasback, and one “dusky duck” (mottled duck, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids).

“There still remains the outside chance that pintail, canvasback and mottled ducks could have a season within a season structure or a 39 day season within the 74 days allowed,” said Dave Morrison, TPWD waterfowl program leader.

The season dates TPWD is proposing for the Western Goose Zone are Saturday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Feb. 7. The daily bag limit is 20 light geese in the aggregate and four Canada geese and one white-fronted goose. Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for dark geese and no possession limit on light geese.

Proposed dates for the Eastern Goose Zone are Saturday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 24 for light geese and Canada geese and Saturday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 10 for white-fronted geese. The daily bag limit is 20 light geese in the aggregate and three Canada geese and two white-fronted geese.

For more information, see the News Release as of May 28th, 2009.