Or is your hunting license with the hunters education certificate number on it good enough for proof?

Wonder what the official policy is or if there even is one?

My birth year does not require hunters ed but just curious.

I'm not sure that's why I carry the card still.

I hear the card # on the license is all you need but it seems so vague and you hear so many differing answers that I just carry mine and my boys as well.

I got checked one night and the gw didn't want to see my card BC it was on my license. Probably just depends on the gw.

IF your HE # is on your license you don't have to carry the card.

---> TPWD Hunters ed info

I had checked that link before posting and have not been able to find a definitive answer to that particular question. If you know where it is exactly please let us know.

I have always carried mine regardless. never hurts to be safe.

"Proof of certification or deferral is required to be on your person while hunting."

The "proof of certification" is the HEC # on your license, there is no way to have the HEC# on your license without successfully completing hunters ed.

Always carried mine as well. In the digital age, it's really ridiculous you should have to carry it.

I have always carried mine regardless. never hurts to be safe.

I never even got a "card." I had a yellow carbon copy that eventually fell apart. By then they were printing the numbers on the license.

GW in Hays county tried to wrote me a ticket for not having it on me, it is kind of a long story but I will tell it...

My name is Wesley but I go by Wes most of the time. My Dad always bought my license until a few years ago. Last season when I bought my license, I told them Wesley. I was certified under Wes when I was 12. For some reason even with my social, the HE# did not print out on my license...even though my BDay, address, and all other info were the same as prior season. I didn't notice, because it had always been there when my Dad bought it for me. GW called it in, they had no record even with my DL# blah blah blah. He wrote me a ticket and I had to quit hunting half a limit in on opening week my first season on this dove lease with a bunch of guys out there. It was a little embarrassing, especially since I was 22 with a bunch of older guys. Lucky I had good people that vouched for me to get on otherwise I may not have been invited back this year over something like that.

I got it all sorted out and never even had to go to court, GW was nice enough to tear up the ticket since it was all a misunderstanding, but from what he told me, even if I had had the # on my license, I still needed the card itself, which I got that same day.

All of you that don't have the card, I would go ahead and get it. It is not difficult they will mail it to you for free and trust me better to have it and not need it that need it and not have it.

BTW, the lady at TPWD that I dealt with was AWESOME. Less than 3 hours after receiving the ticket I was in Austin picking up my HE card from the same lady that I had been talking to all morning and that talked to the GW. Went to class and drove back to San Marcos and got the rest of my limit that evening.

I think you can even print a copy on line.

I had a Game warden come out and check licenses while I was dove hunting a pay lease and all she checked was my hunting license, she didn't ask to see my card, I still carry it anyways.

TPWD website, under card replacement, states that as long as your HE # appears on the license, you do not need your hunters ED card on your person.

I carry mine since it is in with my boat paper, I know I was able to get mine "certified" when I lived in Colorado and even now my Colorado tags say "certified Hunter ed on file" meaning I don't have to have the actual card on my person while hunting there, makes sense it would be the same here.

Opening day of dove season the GW stopped me and just asked for my hunting license and drivers license. The HE number is on my license so he didn't ask for my HE card.

Do You Need to Order a Card?
BEFORE you order a duplicate card, please look at your Texas Hunting License for "HE#XXXXXX" (with numerals replacing the X's). This is your certification number. If your license includes your certification number, you do not need to order an additional Hunter Education Certificate to hunt in Texas. If you intend to hunt outside of Texas, you may still need to have a duplicate card.

If you took the course in another state, you will need to contact that state agency for a duplicate copy. Texas recognizes all other states' Hunter Education Certification, but you must carry proof of certification on your person while you hunt in Texas.

We have been checked by 2 different GW and I asked both of them the same question. If you have taken the HE class, your HE number (should) appear on your license, and you are not required to carry the HE card. If it does not appear on your license, then you will need to carry it. If you have taken the HE class, then the HE number needs to be on your license, to avoid the issue like Wes had.

Bingo!

Thanks!

I got my patch stitched on the inside of my jacket...iv shown every warden that and has always been enough....they do tell you to do that in the class and will get you outa a jam if you dnt got your card

That gives me an idea.... Why not just have it tattooed on your arm or maybe engraved on your guns??

Thats a good idea actually

Patch?

They give you a patch when you complete the hunters saftey corse...just sew it on the inside of your jacket were you can show them that if you dnt have your card