By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor

Interested in learning how to hunt? The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is offering first-time adult hunters the opportunity through a series of mentored workshops this hunting season.

“These workshops are designed to help an adult first-time hunter go out and learn about the animals, learn some woodsman skills and hopefully, after a successful hunt, learn about field dressing, game care and how to go home and prepare wild game for their families,” Justin Dreibelbis, TPWD Private Lands and Public Hunting Program director, said. “It’s basically a crash course in hunting and conservation, and something we’re really excited about.”

While TPWD has long offered a variety of youth hunting programs across the state, adults who haven’t grown up hunting or don’t have a hunting background were often left out, Dreibelbis told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.

“We’ve found there’s a big demand for adults that don’t have that hunting background that really want to learn how to do it, so this is the program for them,” he said. “There are workshops covering white-tailed deer, feral hogs and waterfowl—-all really just trying to give folks an opportunity to learn about different species and habitats. There’s something for everybody who’s interested.”

Participation in the program, which was launched in 2008, has grown throughout the years, expanding from state parks to include state wildlife management areas, as well.

This season, select state parks and wildlife management areas will offer sessions designed to educate first-time hunters on the skills needed to be successful in the field and to build a foundation for a hunting tradition, followed by a mentored hunt on the area.

Mentored Hunting Permits (MHP) required for these workshops are offered to qualified first-time hunters, Dreibelbis said. The permits are only valid for a specific public hunting unit and the corresponding workshop dates. A person may participate in a designated hunt with an MHP only after completing the mandatory mentored hunting workshop.

“This year, we’ll have 11 different workshops and multiple hunting dates associated with some of those workshops,” he said. “Every workshop starts with a session on ethical hunting, including shot placement and taking care of meat in the field, so it stays viable and provides many meals for your family in the future. We’ll also discuss why we hunt and talk about some of the wildlife management purposes, including healthy habitats, managing wildlife populations, that sort of thing.”

For the first time this season, three of the mentored hunts will include a family camping workshop hosted by the TPWD Texas Outdoor Family Program. Dreibelbis said these workshops are intended for first-time hunters whose families are also new to camping, and all camping equipment is provided.

While most of the mentored hunting workshops are geared toward first-time adult hunters, there are opportunities for youth and adults to hunt together for squirrel at the Gus Engeling wildlife management area in Central Texas and for first-time disabled veterans and disabled youth hunters to hunt white-tailed deer at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the Texas Panhandle.

A $25 fee paid on-site is required for the special hunting permit, according to Dreibelbis. An additional $75 fee, paid in advance over the phone, is required for the hunting and camping family workshops to cover camping-related expenses.

To apply for a mentored hunting workshop, register here.

First-time hunters will be selected according to their level of experience and the order in which they submit their application. Those selected will be notified by a hunt manager.

Mentored hunting workshop applications are accepted until Sept. 15.

To see what a mentored hunting workshop is like, watch this short video detailing a previous participant’s experience on the TPWD YouTube channel.