White-tailed deer:

 

North Texas

Bag Limit: 4 deer, no more than 2 bucks, and no more than 2 antlerless, all seasons combined.

Antler Restrictions: Antler Restrictions do not apply on properties for which Level 2 or Level 3 MLDPs have been issued. For the seasons listed above, a legal buck is a buck deer having at least one unbranched antler, or an inside spread of 13 inches or greater. The inside spread requirement does not apply to any buck that has an unbranched antler. Not more than one buck with an inside spread of 13 inches or greater may be taken.

Antlerless Deer: If permits have been issued for the harvest of antlerless deer, they must be attached to all antlerless deer harvested on the tract of land. On USFS, Corps of Engineers, and river authority lands for the seasons listed above, the take of antlerless deer shall be by permit only. On all other tracts of land in this county, antlerless deer may be taken without permits from Thanksgiving Day through the Sunday immediately following Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27-30. At all other times November 1-26 and December 1 – January 4, antlerless deer may be taken by antlerless MLD permit or LAMPS permit only. On tracts of land for which LAMPS permits have been issued, no LAMPS permit is required for the harvest of antlerless deer during the archery-only or muzzleloader-only open season.

 

 

Ducks:

 

North Zone

Duck Daily Bag Limit with Gun: 6 in the aggregate. Including no more than: 5 mallards (only two may be hens), 3 wood ducks, 3 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 pintail, 1 canvasback, and 1 "dusky" duck (Mottled duck, Mexican like duck, black duck and their hybrids). For all other species not listed, the bag limit shall be 6. The season for "dusky" ducks is closed the first five days of the season in each zone.

Merganser Daily Bag Limit: 5 in the aggregate, to include no more than 2 hooded mergansers.

Coot Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds

Possession Limit with Gun: Three times the daily bag limit

 

Exotic Animals and Fowl

Exotic animal refers to grass-eating or plant-eating, single-hoofed or cloven-hoofed mammals that are not indigenous or native to Texas and are known as ungulates, including animals from the deer and antelope families that landowners have introduced into this state. Includes, but is not limited to feral hog, Aoudad sheep, Axis deer, Elk, Sika deer, Fallow deer, Blackbuck antelope, Nilgai antelope, and Russian boar. Exotic fowl refers to any avian species that is not indigenous to this state, including ratites (emu, ostrich, rhea, cassowary, etc.).

There are no state bag or possession limits or closed seasons on exotic animals or fowl on private property. It is against the law to:

• Hunt an exotic without a valid hunting license.

• Hunt an exotic on a public road or right-of-way.

• Hunt an exotic without the landowner's permission.

• Possess an exotic or the carcass of an exotic without the owner's consent.

 

Penalty: A person who violates these laws commits an offense. Hunting exotic wildlife without a license is a Class C misdemeanor ($25-$500 fine). The remaining listed offenses are Class A misdemeanors ($500-$4,000 and/or up to one year in jail).

The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) regulates the movement of feral swine for disease-control purposes. For more information please call TAHC at (800) 550-8242 or visit the TAHC Web site.

 

 

**All of the above information is copied from the online version of the Texas Parks & Wildlife 2014-2015 Outdoor Annual at the following address:  http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/2014-2015/counties/delta

 

***Season dates for the 2015-2016 hunting seasons have not been released.
 

 

 

License Information Explained

 

In regard to exotics (which includes elk):  There are no seasons for exotics.  Exotics can be hunted and harvested at any time throughout the year, during daylight hours.  There are no special tags, permits, or licenses needed to hunt and harvest exotics.  You must possess a valid Texas hunting license (resident or non-resident), but that is all. 

Texas residents will need the "resident hunting license", Type 101, which costs $25.  Any non-resident guests who wish to hunt elk, oryx or any other exotic species will need the "Non resident 5 day special hunting" license, type 157, which costs $48.  If guesst will be hunting for more than 5 days, or wishes to harvest white-tailed deer, a different license in necessary.  If a guest wishes to harvest white-tailed deer, they must purchase the "Non resident general hunting" license, type 105 which costs $315.  This is the only license valid for a non-resident to legally harvest white-tailed deer.  Even if the guest is only hunting 5 days or less, the 5 day special license type 157 is not valid for white-tailed deer.  If a guest wishes to hunt only exotics or game birds, but will be hunting for more than 5 days, they will need the "Non resident special hunting" license, type 107, which costs $132.  This is valid for exotics, all legal game birds except turkeys, and non-game such as squirrel and javelina.  If a guest wishes to hunt and harvest only banded game birds you raised or released on your private bird hunting area, they can purchase the "Non resident banded bird hunting" license, type 120, which costs $27.  They do not need this if they have one of the other non-resident licenses that include game birds.  It is just a cheaper option if they will be hunting only game birds and nothing else.

If you wish to hunt deer with archery equipment in an archery-only season (which is Sept. 27-Oct. 31 in Delta county), you must purchase the "archery stamp endorsement", type 135, which costs $7.  You can hunt with archery equipment in any other general season without this endorsement.  You only need it if you will be hunting during the archery-only season.  This is in addition to your general hunting license (resident or non-resident).

If you wish to hunt any migratory birds, including doves and any waterfowl, you must purchase, in addition to your general license, the "Texas Migratory Game Bird Stamp Endorsement", Type 168, which costs $7.  You are also required to purchase the federal duck stamp to hunt any migratory birds, the "Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp", which costs $17.  In order to hunt migratory birds (including doves and waterfowl) in Texas, you must have the Federal duck stamp AND the Texas stamp endorsement, in addition to your general hunting license.

If you wish to hunt any upland game birds (turkey, pheasant, or quail) you must purchase, in addition to your general license, the "Upland Game Bird Stamp Endorsement", Type 167, which costs $7.

There are different licenses for youth and senior hunters.  For any hunter under the age of 17 (resident or non-resident) they may purchase the "youth hunting license" type 169 for $7, instead of any other general license.  No additional state stamps are required to accompany this license.  The federal duck stamp is still required to hunt waterfowl.  For any resident hunter over the age of 65, they may purchase the "Senior Resident Hunting" license, type 102 for $7, instead of any other general license.  This license is valid for any legal game bird or animal, but state stamp endorsements ARE still required.  This is only available to residents, not non-residents.

 

All of these "stamps" and "endorsements" are in addition to your general resident or non-resident licenses.  You must have a general resident or non-resident license to hunt anything except predators.  The type of license needed and the types of stamps or endorsements needed are dependent upon the specifics of each hunter's age, residency, the length of their hunting trip, and the game they wish to pursue.  All licenses and stamps or endorsements can be purchased at retailers such as walmart or sporting goods stores, or online here:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/licenses/online_sales/

This page will also allow you to search for specific retailers in your area.

 

Anyone hunting in Texas must also possess hunter education certification, which costs $15.  This can be completed as an online course.  If a non-resident guest does not possess a certification from their home state, they must complete the Texas online certification.  If they do possess a certification from their home state (or any other state), that certification fulfills the requirement.  Here is a link to the TPWD hunter ed page where you can complete the online course:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/outdoor-learning/hunter-education

 

In regards to white-tailed deer:  when you purchase a license that is valid for deer, you will receive the appropriate number of tags for your county with that license.  A tag must be attached to each harvest.  In addition, there is a harvest log on the back of the license that must be filled out with each harvest. 

In regards to the permits and payments sent to TPWD:  As I conveyed in my previous email, the lady I spoke with at TPWD assured me that your permits were mailed from their Austin office on August 22.  I will follow up with them and let them know you haven't received them yet.

In summary,  guests can hunt and harvest elk or oryx anytime during daylight hours, as long as you possess some type of Texas hunting license.  Resident guests can hunt and harvest white-tailed deer with a "Resident Hunting License", type 101 which costs $25.  Non-resident guests who wish to harvest white-tailed deer must purchase the "Non resident general hunting" license, type 105 which costs $315. Guests who wish to hunt deer with archery equipment during the archery only season (Sept. 27-Oct. 31)  must purchase the "archery stamp endorsement", type 135, which costs $7, in addition to your license.