By Gary Joiner
TFB Radio Network Manager

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission recently approved a suite of changes to this year’s state hunting and fishing regulations.

Among the approved changes to the 2018-19 Texas Statewide Hunting Proclamation are expanded dove hunting opportunity, new mule deer hunting regulations and a reduction of the spring Eastern turkey season.

Dove hunting opportunity has been added to the end of the late segment—December through January—of the North and Central Zones, and a week has been added to the early segment of the South Zone during the 2018-19 dove season.

A nine-day buck-only mule deer hunting season was added in Lynn County. An experimental “antler-restriction” regulation for mule deer bucks in Briscoe, Childress, Cottle, Floyd, Hall and Motley counties was also approved.

The Eastern spring turkey hunting season in Bowie, Cass, Fannin, Grayson, Jasper, Lamar, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Polk, Red River and Sabine counties was shortened by one week while retaining the current closing date of May 14. The Eastern turkey season was closed in Upshur and San Augustine counties.

The commission’s adopted changes to this year’s fishing regulations include standardizing harvest regulations for largemouth bass to the statewide limits at 12 lakes and increasing the daily bag limit for commercial and recreational take of king mackerel from two to three. Details are available at tpwd.texas.gov.

Details of changes to the 2018-19 Texas Statewide Hunting Proclamation and the 2018-19 Statewide Recreational and Commercial Fishing Proclamations will be incorporated into this year’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual.

The changes to the regulations take effect Sept. 1, 2018.