Every year, Texas Parks & Wildlife holds a drawing for some really neat hunts.

Depending on the method of entry, each chance costs either $9 or $10, plus an admin fee of, I think, $5 no matter how many or few chances you buy.

There are 9 different hunts, and you can buy as many or as few chances on each as you want.

Here's the website: http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/btth/

It is a good program, my only gripe with it, is that it is open to Non-Residents.

I understand why, and it does bring in $$$$$ to TP&W, I just wish the hunts were limited to Texas Residents.

I'm not a Texas resident and I have bought chances every year since I heard about this. So far I sure haven't pulled a tag away from a Texan, but I'll keep trying

Like I say, it is a good program and I understand the reasoning for allowing Non-Residents, it is just part of the program I don't agree with.

I am happy for anyone that draws a tag anywhere for anything, regardless of the state or animal.

I've been buying 10 chances for years, and haven't pulled a tag yet. I'm not stealing tags from TX residents either apparently.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
It is a good program, my only gripe with it, is that it is open to Non-Residents.

I understand why, and it does bring in $$$$$ to TP&W, I just wish the hunts were limited to Texas Residents.

Texans love everyone! Especially their Yankee dollars!

Crazyhorse,

I appreciate your thinking on this. In fact I was fortunate enough to win the Grand Slam hunt in 2008, I had lived in Fort Worth for 12 years, and had just moved to NY for my job the year I won.

I received a number of less than positive messages about a New Yorker winning the TX hunt. Still had the time of my life, and certainly would never had the chance to hunt Desert Sheep any other way.

As long as TX is willing to take my money I will continue to purchase tickets, as if I never win again the funds do go to an excellent cause.

Congratulations on your good fortune.

As I say it is nothing I have against Non-Residents wanting to participate, but some states have game species, that unless a Non-Resident is able to win a Governors Tag thru an auction, Non-Residents are not allowed to hunt.

I put in every year for the regular draw hunts, and have been fortunate enough over the years to have been drawn and went on several good hunts, but just like everyone else across the nation, there will always be little programs or rules/regulations operated or adopted by the various states Game and Fish agencies that both residents and Non-Residents don't completely agree with.

I have hunted deer many times in the past on the old Macado ranch adjacent to the Sierra Diablo Range big sheep hunt out of Van Horn, Texas and was practically raised on a ranch next to Black Gap State Park out of Marathon, Texas and they have a sheep hunt..

Both are extremely rough desert areas but provide a great hunt and a lot of success if your in excellent physical condition..I would recommend to anyone to try and draw a tag in either unit. I think they also have a Mule Deer draw, but wouldn't swear to it..Marathon high school kids used to cull deer on Black Gap and send the entrails to Austin for testing. It was very successful program, kept us out off the street and we got paid for hunting, hard to beat a deal like that..I would think deer success would be close to at least 90% and sheep about the same, at least it was a number of years back..Keeping a strong sheep population however is a real chore, they are borned looking for a place to die.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
It is a good program, my only gripe with it, is that it is open to Non-Residents.

I understand why, and it does bring in $$$$$ to TP&W, I just wish the hunts were limited to Texas Residents.

And many of us from the Rocky Mountain states believe the same thing when it comes to bighorns, desert bighorns, mountain goats and moose tags. But we let Texans apply for those so you shouldn't be too upset that they can apply for a TX tag.

And I do not have a problem with you folks wanting to cut Non-Residents out of the system.

I have already stated that EVERY state Game and Fish agency makes decisions, that either the residents of the state or Non-Residents are going to find fault with, it has been that way for decades and is not going to change.

Maybe if you would learn to pay attention instead of over reacting, you wouldn't make an ass of yourself.

Hell fool everyone knows that is why Non-Residents see continual increases in license fees in Colorado, while the residents fees are much lower.

I don't have a problem with that, but it does create a revenue problem for the DOW, because ALL of the Mountain States derive a big portion of their funding from license sales to Non-Residents.

With the continual license fee increases more Non-Residents are dropping out of the process, which means the DOW and the Game Agencies of the other states face ever increasing shortfalls in the amount of $$$ that they receive annually to finance their activities for the year.

On top of that, the overall economy of those states drops, because Residents do not spend anywhere close to the amounts spent by Non-Residents.

When I started hunting cow elk in the mid 90's, a tag, if I drew was $75.00. Last time I hunted was 2013 and a cow tag was $360.00.

If I want to try and hunt a cow elk again, those tags are almost the same price as a Bull tag. Will I ever be able to hunt elk again, maybe, maybe not, but that is a decision I will have to make.

But that does not mean I have to like or agree with TP&W's decision on letting Non-Residents participate in the program, and if that bothers you, Too Damn Bad.

Oh boy, I am a native Texan who has lived in Montana for many years....BTW, native as in Archer City and Electra. I have drawn a javelin tag, a deer tag at Lost Maples, and a deer tag on Matagorda Island. It was a great vacation from the cold of the northern Rockies. Every once in a while I have to go south and get some good BBQ, Mexican food, see the Alamo, listen Bob Wells, and find some Lone Star, maybe even shoot something. I always combine it with another hunt for pigs, deer, or exotics. Texas drawings ae definitely too cheap, but I ain't complaining.

On the other hand, I have been putting in for moose in Montana for I think 38 years and no luck. Big Horn sheep is about the same with 14 years of preference points and no luck. Ain't gittin any younger either. One of these days I might draw a gator hunt down on the coast. Hoooah!

BTW did you know that you can't get Peanut Patties north of the Red River, and damn little Lone Star either..........yeah I like Lone Star or Shiner if I can't get it.

I was born and raised in the Olney/Newcastle/Megargel area. I have been participating in the Draw Hunt program since it started almost. I have been lucky enough to get drawn for several hunts, including the pronghorn hunt one year.

As I keep saying it is a good program and the hunts are a great experience and a lot of fun. So much of Texas is Private Land and the costs of hunting those lands has gotten pretty steep.

I can see why TP&W allows Non-Residents to participate, but that does not mean I have to like it, which is not any different than the number of Coloradans that want to see Non-Residents excluded from hunting in their state.

Yeah, and then there's Wyoming who won't allow non-residents to hunt wilderness areas without a guide. Never mind that I know the country like the back of my hand.
Montana has gone Texas with the best private ranches tied up for outfitters or trespass fees. Cheap? Nope......and most of the quality elk hunting is in the valleys on those ranches away from the masses roaming the forest service in pickups and 4 wheelers.

And my opinion carries as much weight as a pinch of owl poop.

Non-Residents bring in revenue for the G&F and tons of revenue for the businessmen of the state.

I'd prefer to have my own place and just hunt it. But I don't have that. So I apply and don't get drawn and apply some more with the hopes that some day I'll get a tag.

Mostly I just pay for hunts in places that don't require a draw.

That is something that residents of a state often overlook or do not comprehend.

It is not just monies that go to the G&F depts., but monies to the local economies because hunters spend a good deal of money on items peripheral to their hunts.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Maybe if you would learn to pay attention instead of over reacting, you wouldn't make an ass of yourself.

What a foolish and arrogant statement. My making a simple comment that since other states allow people from TX to apply for premium tags, TX should have no problem doing the same is hardly "over reacting".

As a matter of fact, my entire comment was less than 2 lines but your rebuttal was over 14 lines and included not only curse words but ! for emphasis. You may want to take your own advice about "over reacting".

Think what you wish, your going to anyway.

Point I was making in response to your response is that Texans, of which I definitely am one, have no real problem with non-residents coming here and hunting.

Some however, and I am definitely not alone in this, feel that the drawing hunt for Desert Bighorn Sheep here in Texas should be reserved for Texans.

Unlike some folks in Colorado/Wyoming and the other mountain states that continually lobby to reduce the numbers of tags available to Non-Residents of those states for Elk/Mule deer and the list goes on.

Texans are not that concerned about Non-Residents coming to our state to hunt, we welcome them with open arms. At $315.00 for a Non-Resident license, they have the exact same bag limits as Resident Texans do, up to 5 white tail deer/2 Javelina/4 wild turkey/1 Mule Deer, I think that is a pretty good bargain considering what Colorado charges per animal license/permit wise.

quote:

Originally posted by TommyII:

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Maybe if you would learn to pay attention instead of over reacting, you wouldn't make an ass of yourself.

What a foolish and arrogant statement. My making a simple comment that since other states allow people from TX to apply for premium tags, TX should have no problem doing the same is hardly "over reacting".

As a matter of fact, my entire comment was less than 2 lines but your rebuttal was over 14 lines and included not only curse words but ! for emphasis. You may want to take your own advice about "over reacting".

Pretty normal for him........ If you don't agree with him, you are definantly wrong

Crazy Horse- I wasn't going to enter, but now I guess you've motivated me to buy a bunch. My guess is that the vast majority of winners over the yesrs have been Texans.

I think on the Big Time hunts there have been Non-Residents that have been drawn, which is great.

They get to come to Texas, experience Texas hospitality, and bring money into the state.

Point is, I do not have to agree with it, but it does not stop me from entering many of the hunts.

I also believe, in spite of the comments from some folks, most hunters in ANY state would prefer that such permits as these go to residents of the state.

I wish everyone that puts in for the Texas hunts the best of luck on getting drawn and having a great hunt/time while in Texas.

That does not mean however that I would not like for the hunts to be limited to Texas Residents only.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:




I also believe, in spite of the comments from some folks, most hunters in ANY state would prefer that such permits as these go to residents of the state.

Yes!

It would be wonderful if out-of-state/foreign hunters were limited to something like 5%.

Is it financially possible to do this?

In most states I greatly doubt it.

Here in Texas, our Parks & Wildlife Dept. is not as dependent on fees from hunters and fishermen as the Game depts. in other states are.

Also with not a huge amount of Public Land, there is not the same desire to come here as say going to Colorado or Wyoming et al.

Even though I have the one reservation about the allocation of permits, I am glad TP&W set the program up and has been improving on it over the years since its inception.

The only thing I hear people comment about that they would like to see changed are the Preference/Loyalty points, to be more like the other states where these are "weighted", so that at some point a person would earn a permit, but again it is not a real issue.

Perhaps a little explanation is in order on this subject of non residents and residents..To start with Texas is primarily privately owned land and Texas school land and the parks and wildlife land is owned by Texas and Texans, thus the resident hunting program..their is very little land in Texas that is not privately owned, and Uncle Bama does not dictate to Texas.Texas Parks and Wildlife really understands how to manage their land and they have little if any political interference to deal with.

In the Pacific North West, 80 or more percent of the land is owned by the Federal Government and you by law with few exceptions cannot keep US citizens off the land that they, in fact, own, or did before this administration..Big difference and can't be compared to each other. The Feds and Northern states manage their lands like school kids and have no clue how to do it, and are under the thumb of politicians, its a damn mess.

There are some other differences that come into play, the major one being the differences in how the Game and Fish Commissioners/Directors/Board is set up.

TP&W Commissioners are appointed by the Governor. In many other states, the Commissioners are voted into their positions by the citizens of those states. Many of those "Groups" are made up of a diverse assortment of citizens, in many cases only a small percentage of the members of those boards are actually Hunters/Fishermen. Also because they are elected by the citizens, their decisions can be or are influenced by the citizens.

Being political appointees, while some influence can be placed upon them by the Governor, TP&W Commissioners base their decisions mainly on the suggestions of TP&W staffers and input from the public in general.

One of the reasons why Non-Residents wanting to hunt Elk in Colorado are limited, percentage wise on the number of permits that can be obtained by Non-Residents, which in turn caused the price to Non-Residents to increase to the levels they are while Resident licenses have increased very little. For DOW to make up the short fall, they have had to keep upping the prices to Non-Residents.

Thanks Nitro, now everyone is going to put in for them.

I hope they do. I got drawn for several hunts in the past, and even though I have not been drawn in a good while, I do not want to see the program stop.

I;m a native son of Texas, born and raised on a big ranch there and didn't come to Idaho until I was 50 something years old..I paid to hunt the NW states as a Texas resident for those early years, and now I pay a non resident license fee to hunt on my family ranch in Texas, its an itch, but hey pos se es la vida, that's the way the grapefruit squits.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
It is a good program, my only gripe with it, is that it is open to Non-Residents.

I understand why, and it does bring in $$$$$ to TP&W, I just wish the hunts were limited to Texas Residents.

The Big Time Texas Hunts winners were announced today, and all are residents of Texas.

http://content.govdelivery.com...WD/bulletins/122d071