Hunters gearing up for the Texas game bird season have a new set of rules to abide by, as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission shakes things up for the 2024-25 hunting itinerary. The commission has rolled out a series of tweaks and overhauls to state regulations that could change the game for enthusiasts of feather and fowl. To adapt to shifting migratory patterns and manage wildlife populations sustainably, changes include canceling the Light Goose Conservation Order and tightening bag limits, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
Standing out among the revisions, effective in both eastern and western zones, the conservation order for light geese—an attempt to prevent overpopulation—has been axed. Falling numbers of wintering light geese in Texas have pushed the commission to eliminate the order and instead, extend the regular goose hunting season by 19 days in the Eastern Zone. This adjustment aims to provide more opportunities during the standard season, grappling with the unbidden decline. Hunting enthusiasts will also have to adjust to a lowered daily bag limit for light geese from the previously allowed ten to five.
For wild turkey lovers, there’s mandatory harvest reporting now in place statewide for all seasons and counties. Intended to bolster data for effective management, the rule by the TPWD heralds the commission's devotion to the scientific approach. Other turkey tweaks involve closing certain county seasons to facilitate restoration efforts and rectifying overbroad regulations by replacing vague references to the Rio Grande and Eastern wild turkey subspecies with the more inclusive term “wild turkey” for simplified regulation.
With youth in mind, Texas Parks and Wildlife has opened new doors, expanding youth-only seasons to Fridays, thus nurturing fledgling hunters’ opportunities to aim at white-tailed deer, squirrels, and wild turkeys. Those managing white-tailed deer populations, in particular, are given expanded doe days across 43 counties—these regulatory adjustments hope to instill balance within the ecosystem while preserving the tradition and sport of hunting for generations to come. Turkey hunting seasons in select counties have been closed off, while desert bighorn sheep hunting season timings have been modified for better aviation safety during TPWD surveys.
Before heading out, hunters are advised to mark their calendars for May 13 when they can access updated regulations in the Outdoor Annual on the TPWD website. These new rules reflect proactive steps aimed at tailoring seasonal practices to the ecological realities on the ground—measures which, by fine-tuning hunting to the needs of the land and its inhabitants, both feathered and otherwise, aspire to maintain a longstanding heritage in the face of ever-shifting environmental challenges.
