Hunters can start making plans for the upcoming seasons now by applying online for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Drawn Hunts.

This year, there are more opportunities available than ever before as additional drawn hunts on public and private lands are being consolidated into TPWD’s online application system, including a new dove hunting category featuring slots on prime private dove fields. Among the other offerings available through the online system are hunts for white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn, exotic gemsbok and scimitar-horned oryx, turkey and alligator, as well as a guided hunt for desert bighorn sheep.

Application fees are $3 or $10, depending on the hunt category. Adult hunters who are selected may also need to pay a Special Permit fee of $80 for regular hunts and $130 for extended hunts. Some categories, such as the youth-only hunts, require no application fees or permit fees. A full list of category deadlines can be found online here.

“A couple of years ago, we went to a strictly online system, and it’s a been a great opportunity for hunters to get access to the drawn system, be able to put in lots of entries, and actually be able to apply for multiple hunts within a category, which was the first time that was able to be done,” said Justin Dreibelbis, TPWD public hunting program director, to the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network.

In addition to drawn hunts managed by TPWD, the system now includes applications for hunts administered by other entities, including about 1,500 big game hunt positions on several U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges in Texas and antlerless deer permits for U.S. Forest Service properties in East Texas.

Dreibelbis said over 31,000 hunters applied last year from every state except Rhode Island and in many foreign countries. He said most hunters applied, on average, 6-7 times each to take advantage of the wide range of opportunities available through our system.

The first application deadlines are in August. Aug. 3 is the deadline for the alligator hunt categories, and Aug. 11 is the deadline for archery deer, exotic, javelina and the new private lands dove hunts. Other hunt category deadlines occur from Aug. 23 through Jan. 26.