By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is expanding its digital tagging and licensing program to allow more hunters and anglers the opportunity to report and digitally tag their mule and white-tailed deer, turkey and red drum.
Currently, the program is open to those with a resident super combo, senior super combo or lifetime super combo license.
Thanks to the approval by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission on May 25, those with youth hunting licenses, oversized red drum tag, lifetime hunting license or lifetime fishing license can now opt into digital tagging.
“These license and tag options are being proposed for several reasons. The youth hunting license is included because staff received feedback from a number of customers who have purchased a digital super combo for themselves, for their spouse and intended to purchase one for their child only to find out that they had to get a paper license for the youth hunting license,” Chris Cerny, business analyst for TPWD’s wildlife division, told the commission. “We certainly want to provide those families with an option to go entirely digital if they would like to.”
The exempt red drum tag is being offered for the same reason. Cerny said there are people who carry a digital fishing license but were still required to carry an oversized red drum tag.
Now that the tag is being added to the digital program, anglers can simply enter the data from an oversized red drum they tag on My Texas Hunt Harvest.
“The lifetime tag options are being included to round out the digital offerings for all lifetime license types—combo, hunting and fishing,” Cerny said.
Digital tagging remains voluntary. Hunters and anglers with eligible license types may enroll in the program or may continue to use traditional tags.
When hunters enrolled in the program bag a white-tailed or mule deer or turkey, they log in to the My Texas Hunt Harvest app or website to report their harvest.
They’re then given a confirmation number that they can write on paper, duct tape or another medium and affix to the turkey or deer.
That step is not required for red drum.
If data service is unavailable at the time of harvest, hunters write their name, customer number, the date and time of harvest on something and attach it to the deer or turkey.
Then, when data service is available, they should upload the information to My Texas Hunt Harvest.
Although the digital tagging option is only available to certain license holders at this point, all Texas hunting and fishing license holders can opt to carry proof of their licenses digitally.
“This option has been available since 2019, and it means that customers engaged in a majority of activities, fishing activities across the state and any hunting activities that do not require a tag currently have a digital option to furnish that proof of license,” Cerny said. “Anybody pursuing ducks, doves, exotics, even deer hunters on MLD (Managed Lands Deer Program) properties, for example, have a digital option at this time.”
The option to tag deer, turkey and red drum digitally was authorized in the 2021 legislative session and became available for the first time this license year.
Based on the current rate of adoption, TPWD forecasts an estimated 18,000 people will opt for digital tagging when the four additional license types are eligible for the digital program.
“Our implementation team is confident that we can support this anticipated volume and ensure a successful expansion of our digital offerings while we continue to work to upgrade our system to prepare for continued expansion of digital offerings and future license years,” Cerny said.
The department received four public comments on the proposal prior to the commission’s consideration.
All four supported opening the program to additional license holders.
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