Hunting on own property

I was born and raised in Northeast Texas (but grew up hunting in Oklahoma). Now, I am in the military and will be purchasing land in Texas soon so that I can have it paid off by the time I retire.

My question is this: I heard a rumor that you have to own at least 50 acres in order to shoot a gun on your own land without a hunting license. I plan on getting a license regardless, but wanted to know if this is true or not (in case I have friends visit or what not since I will be visiting the land frequently until I retire). I am asking this because I want to purchase 50-80 acres, but my wife wants us to only purchase 20-30 acres.

I have taken the Texas hunters safety course (but will retake it with my wife).

Thank you in advance.

I have never heard of the 50 ac rule you refer to. I own 32 ac and hunt there and shoot there frequently.

I don't think there is any circumstance in which you can hunt without a license. You can use management tags, but you still have to have a license, I believe.

I only own 40 acres. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

you have to have a license to hunt, period.
I believe you need at least 10 acres to hunt on

I'm not ashamed of having less than 50 acres. I will be happy to just own my own land. However, I figure that if I purchase 50 acres now, and we decide that we don't need that much land, I can always sell it later. However, if we buy 25 acres now, the adjoining land may not be for sale down the road if we decide that we want more land (and the price will probably be higher).

You can hunt Hogs witout a license - thats it.

Thanks E Rollins. How's College Station these days? I graduated from Texas A&M in December `04. What a great place.

You can shoot a gun on 1 acre without a license. You just can't hunt without one

You can shoot all you want provided that none of your bullets cross your property line.

The only acreage law regarding hunting I've heard of is that to hunt in the city limits the parcel needs to be at least so many acres. Can't remember if its 10 or 20. You must be so many feet from property line(no clue how many ft.)and shot can't leave the property. No large caliber rifles allowed.

Or something along them lines.

if you saw it today - you probably would not believe it !! We are expanding so fast that I cant even keep up with it and I live here..been a helluva change in the last 30 years for sure .

I think that may be a county requirement thing as far as discharge of firearms goes.

Your exactly right - and most county guidelines fall into the 10 acre rule.

R U sure ?

Obviously I am not sure of the specifics, but the cops are regularly called out by the residents of new subdivisions in Plano and Rockwall because Joe Bob is hunting dove in his sun flower field in the city limits. The same 80 acres Joe Bob's family has been cultivating for the past 50 yrs.

You dont need a license to hunt hogs anytime day or nite 365 days a year.

Land owner or his assigned agent can shoot depredating hogs without a liscense... but the GWs discretion comes into play. Unless you are shooting them out of a field you are planning to harvest and hauling them off in the woods to rot, I'd sure have a liscense on me.

Scoop - not with Hogs my friend - you can kill them YEAR ROUND with no license

not GW's discretion!

Here an article or you can google "Texas hunting laws City Limits"

From the article it appears it's 50 acres and 150 ft.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5990886.html

I just belive it differs in each county.

Talked to GW about the hog issue while back. If your going to eat it... You need a hunting license. Depreadate.... No license required. However if your caught hunting hogs it's up to the gw discreation.

Most counties... is 10 acres to shoot.

I copied this directly from the TPWD website.

How do I hunt feral hogs?
Although feral hogs are not classified as game animals, a hunting license is required to hunt them.

According to this you do have to have a license.

Nope - dont need a license to kill hogs on your property... if you set up a feeder and hunt them - then you need a license-

You can shoot hogs right where you find them and leave them lay -no license needed..Take them home with you and you need a license.

The wardens so called discretion is to determine wether you are killing hogs or if your hunting them..or its that way in my area.

Hit the nail on the head !!!

And I found the exception on their site. It is only for depredation. I know this is common, but I believe it will come down to GW discretion.

Exceptions: a hunting license is not required to hunt the following:

Depredating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or landowner's agent or lessee is taking feral hogs causing depredation on the landowner's land.

Exactly.

Before we get somebody in hot water, this needs to be clarified. Unless it has changed in the past year or so, you cannot go to a ranch and hog hunt without a liscense. The state still wants their cut. If you own the land, that was where the gray area always came up. I got this from discussions with a warden.... but that was a few years ago.... Will check the regs.

I will try to help ya..

If you put up a feeder and you kill them - your hunting them - you then need a license .

If your on your own property and you shoot them and walk away - you do not need a license or if the are tearing your hay filed up etc etc - you dont need a license..make sense ??

I dont know why people are so upset with hogs - unless you have some hay fields or something like that - then I understand,But as a whole - I love Hogs - its 50 percent of my sausage ..gotta have it .Love them Chops too.

Your story is shifting here.... The original poster is asking about HUNTING on his land, not just killing depredating hogs and dragging them off. Your original 24/7/365 statement with no liscense needed could mislead some in to thinking all they gotta do is tell the GW they are only hunting hogs, and they won't get written up. EEEEK. Wrong answer. "But Warden, E. Rollins said I didn't need a liscense. He even used exclamation points in his post!"

Just bustin' your chops, but you got it wrong, and I knew that was a common misperception that can get you in a bind. Don't want to pass along bad info on the regs... Just get a liscense and don't worry about it.

Okay - you win - I thought I broke it down at least 3 different ways -your just not getting it .I will let someone else explain it.

Isn't anyone that would be on this forum and own their own property for hunting purposes (the point of this thread) going to have a license anyway????

Just saying.......

I get it, my friend.... right there in black & white. Just get a liscense and its not an issue...

You're so wrong and giving out incorrect information will only get those not knowing in trouble.

Regardless, whenever you are hunting, trapping, catching feral hogs, everyone must have a valid hunting license. The ONLY individuals that do NOT require a hunting license is the landowner (resident or non-resident), their agent/manager or their lessee (individual leasing the land for livestock, hay, growing crops) IF the feral hogs are depredating on their land (killing livestock, damaging planted crops for economic purposes, pastures planted and cut for hay, destroying fences, etc.). Knocking over deer feeders, rooting up flood plots planted to attract deer or wildlife, or wallowing in mud holes or normal rooting is not forms of depredation.

YES, regardless if you own the property or not, to hunt it, you are required a valid hunting license, regardless of your age.

This got off topic in a hurry. The 10/50 acre rule was passed by the Texas Legislature to prevent cities and/or counties from passing zoning laws preventing hunting on private property. If you own 10 or more acres, local governments cannot pass a law preventing you from hunting with a bow. If you own 50 or more acres, local governments cannot prevent you from hunting with a firearm.

Do yourself a favor and have at least one suppressed weapon.

Thanks for your service.

Was wondering when you would show up.

Wow - there are so many misguided people on here - I thought for a minute that they had changed the rule.Just got off the phone with a Game Warden - I'm right - If I am on my land and hogs are tearing up my places ..I dont need a License !!!If I put up a feeder amd then hunt them - I need a license.Guess maybe the game warden could be wrong - but I will take his side...LOLLL

The misguided person is the one on page one of this thread that said, "No, you don't need a liscense to hunt hogs." and followed that up with several other incorrect assertions that could get somebody a ticket . Just because you opted to change your position and act like you never said that don't make it so. We are not stupid... we can go back and read it all plain as day. What you are saying now is exactly what I said and you called me out for bring wrong. This is my last on this thread, since I am obviously . Like trying to explain something to my teenage son.... He's never been wrong either. Arrgh.

yep your wrong on this one rollins. If your hunting you need a license, dont care if it squirrels rabbits pigs coyotes etc.

You need to be careful about who you call misguided. kyotee1 is a respected member of this forum, a professional in the field, and has provided much guidance to forum members over the years. If you will READ, and comprehend what he said, it is 100% factual.

Dude - are ya just having a bad day or what ?? go back to square one- I said you dont need a license - plain as day sevearal different times and ways --,,,somefolks understand what they read - some folks add to what they read - just call a game warden - he will tell you what I said from the get go..I'm not going to keep repeating it over and over...have a good day and try to calm down.

Vanguard - please quote me where I said you didnt need a license if you were hunting..I have no idea where the guy got that from..hell - just go back and read the entire thread..Its plain and simple...I think he got screwed up in the mind when we started in on the Depredation vs hunting vs leave em lay ..its all good...

Not true, that will be a quick way to find yourself in front of a judge. A license is required, day or night 365, unless you can prove to the state beforehand that the hogs are distroying your property. I get people all the time that want to come out and hunt hogs without a license, a couple of them said they had a license but when the GW checked, they didn't. They both got a summons. My take on it is, if your shooting hogs without a license, it's easy to get caught up in accusations of hunting other game without a license. So your better off just going and spending a few bucks to get your license.

I guess this is your attempt to " stir" the pot - I dont even know who kyoteel is - nor did I ever say he was wrong about anything..you must be reading something else than I am

we have a grand prize winner ...thanks for posting that..maybe he can understand it now..I've only said it 100 times already....

Edit- the part in RED = and then you dont need a license - nuff said !!

Here's just one of the quotes to that effect from page one of the thread... and I am not at all angry. Just a bit amused at your position, and not wanting others to be misled.... If I had been wrong, I would have just admitted to it and moved on. Now I will officially bow out of this one....

"on his property" - I think you missed the begining of the thread ..Its all good ..

"I guess this is your attempt to " stir" the pot - I dont even know who kyoteel is - nor did I ever say he was wrong about anything..you must be reading something else than I am "

In response to kyotee's post, your first sentance was "Wow - there are so many misguided people on here." Is that not inferring that he is misguided??


I'm not trying to stir the pot, just recommending that you use a little discretion.

JJH

nope never said that...but thanks for your concern.

If people would just call a local game warden instead of "assuming" what *they read to believe - then they wouldnt get in trouble or mis-guided...my local game warden says I dont need a license to kill a hog if they are tearing up my hayfields - but if I put up a feeder and then start shooting them - then I need a license..since he is the game warden I will go with his info - till proven wrong by another game warden ..but somehow since Robert has been a game warden for 27 years - I will take his advice.

*edit

Right there Rollins.
The key word is hunt. Let me try and be clearer.
If your HUNTING you need a licnese in Texas.

you are claiming that you never said it? For your edification, I copied and pasted your quote below. What have you been smoking?



Originally Posted By: E Rollins
Nope - dont need a license to kill hogs on your property... if you set up a feeder and hunt them - then you need a license-

You can shoot hogs right where you find them and leave them lay -no license needed..Take them home with you and you need a license.


You're so wrong and giving out incorrect information will only get those not knowing in trouble.Regardless, whenever you are hunting, trapping, catching feral hogs, everyone must have a valid hunting license. The ONLY individuals that do NOT require a hunting license is the landowner (resident or non-resident), their agent/manager or their lessee (individual leasing the land for livestock, hay, growing crops) IF the feral hogs are depredating on their land (killing livestock, damaging planted crops for economic purposes, pastures planted and cut for hay, destroying fences, etc.). Knocking over deer feeders, rooting up flood plots planted to attract deer or wildlife, or wallowing in mud holes or normal rooting is not forms of depredation.



Wow - there are so many misguided people on here - I thought for a minute that they had changed the rule.Just got off the phone with a Game Warden - I'm right - If I am on my land and hogs are tearing up my places ..I dont need a License !!!If I put up a feeder amd then hunt them - I need a license.Guess maybe the game warden could be wrong - but I will take his side...LOLLL

I see your point - if somebody just jumped on the bandwagon and had NO CLUE what the discussion was about and just read the quoted part - he may very well be in trouble- I guess you need to be word perfect on here and explain everything step by step -
My bad.

Hi kray, welcome to the THF. As you can see, this question is a very gray area. My advice to you would be to go to the Texas Parks & Wildlife website and read as much as you can stand. LOL If you can't find the answers your looking for, call them yourself, get the persons name and interprettion of the law. That is the SAFE thing to do. Thanks for your question. Have a great day.

Big Tony - nail on head there buddy!!! ..I said that several times..I think a few folks on here are just riled up and trying to stir the pot....we always call the local game warden prior to doing any hog hunting or critter hunting and let the know exactly where we will be ..saves him some time when somebody sees a spotlight and starts calling all the local law enforcement..

This thread reminds me of the "spotlight" thread over on the reloading forum...

Okay I just read this entire thing for the first time. Unbiased perspective is:

Erollins started out by saying "you could Hunt hogs without a license thats it" (at 10:22pm on 6/9)followed that up with the 11:01 post saying the same thing but an even stronger message the same day and then changed his/her position to you can "Kill" hogs without a license if they are damaging your property. While Erollins second statement is correct if one can prove that they are damaging your property, the first statement is incorrect plain and simple. What people have taken exception to is the fact that Erollins could have misled (albiet unintentionally it appears) someone into thinking that they could indeed hunt hogs with out a license under any conditions as stated in the previously mentioned 11:01 post.

Not stirring any pots here just offering up some unbiased perspective on the entire topic.

and you Sir are correct..I caught that later on...I could see where somebody may have come in and misunderstood the jest of the conversation...I was just going by on his original question of owning his own property...then somebody brought up - depredation etc etc ..then it got off track.

my mistake was using the word HUNT when I should have just said *KILL - I can undestand how that confused some.
*Edit

Direct from the TXPWD website...

"A hunting license is required of any person, regardless of age, who hunts any animal, bird, frog or turtle in this state (except furbearers, if the hunter possesses a trapper's license). No license is required for nuisance fur-bearing animals, depredating hogs or coyotes (see below). Non-residents under 17 years of age may purchase and hunt with the Youth Hunting License (Type 169).

Exceptions: a hunting license is not required to hunt the following:

Coyotes, if the coyotes are attacking, about to attack, or have recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowl.
Depredating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or landowner's agent or lessee is taking feral hogs causing depredation on the landowner's land.
Fur-bearing animals, if the hunter possesses a trapper's license or if the fur-bearing animals are causing depredation.
Note: All laws and regulations governing hunter education still apply."

As others have pointed out... Shoot a hog thats rooting in your coastal field, no license req'd. Shoot a hog under your deer feeder? license req'd. Shoot a hog, in a rooted field, that has a deer feeder on its treeline? GW makes the call. And in my neck of the woods there is no doubt what call will be made.

Also, I know lots of folks who get, "open season" confused with "no license required."

And just food for thought, I have heard many people say that they don't need a license to shoot anything as long as its on their own property, (especially deer.) I remind them that you may own the land, but legally the State owns the wildlife and regulates them.

THANK YOU !!!! somehow theres still gonna be a few that cant comprehend that.

How about you just get a license and then don't worry about it? I assume you'll want to shoot dove and deer and ducks and all the other delicious animals besides hogs at some point?

I've had a fishing and hunting license in my back pocket my entire life - what was your point ??

Super combo hunting license: $64

CYA and not getting a ticket from the GW: well, you know

I think he was talking to the O.P.

Here is one.

Sorry there bud..we already discussed how that confused some folks.

you seem surprised at all the responses that you have gotten on this thread and the 270WSM thread. Perhaps if you would quit making obtuse, incorrect comments, folks would stop calling you on them. You seem like a good guy who maybe just has problems with clear communications and simple logic.

Or....maybe you just like all the attention you are getting?

Maybe some folks just need to quit trying to "read" into stuff and just let people talk as they may without trying to be "word perfect" or trying to "catch" something ...is this really all you have to do ..seriously

clear,concise,and accurate written communication can save a lot of misunderstandings....seriously

its obvious that your some kinda "paper pusher" you want everyhting word perfect- and I'm just straight up REDNECK - so botom line is - out of ALL the people on here the only one so far that is having trouble following along on this thread or the 270wsm is who ???

You guys have gotten waaaaaay

I really think the OP's question was more about acreage than anything else. Again, I'll stick to my post above, ask the TP&W folks about that as well. In any or all of your bickering, did anyone think to welcome the OP? He's prolly still running. You guys get a grip.

Your right !!!
I think somebody is just looking for a pissin contest and he cant find one - so he keeps going and going....
Im finished.

E Rollins - if you are going to state/word/write/refer to a regulation, then do so correctly and not where someone can 'read' anything into it. More folks would be better if either they would contact TPWD HQ for information toll free line or refer to the website or the Outdoor Annual instead trying to get accurate information off of a forum. Now, not saying all posts/responses on most forums including this one are incorrect and there are some great folks on here that will give the regulation, restriction, law and even list the link off the TPWD website and then go beyond that point and list or link the statute for the regulation.

When anyone offers a response to a regulation question and the answer is incorrect, that is not helping those individuals out and then only confusing them where it may be passed on down the line. I have to applaud a whole bunch of members on here that go the extra mile in helping so many folks that come to the forum for answers, information, suggestions, recommendations, questions and even proposals on this or that, and that's what and should make a public forum user-friendly and a nice place to visit and make new acquaintences, friends and hunting or fishing partners.

But, in order to give the correct wording or what you say, "word perfect", you must do so dealing with any law or regulation that involves folks wishing to know the CORRECT answer.

Hope this helps out.

I hear ya ..but after you explain something 10 times to one person -good grief that got old!! and quick too..I never said or implied that "you " were misguided - that was somebody elses assumption.You know what assume does -

ps..and I agree - they should call the TPWD - not rely on a forum..He confused me so bad I had to call a buddy and see if they had changed the law...They have not...end of story.

IOWA SAYS IF YOUR NOT IN CITY LIMETS
THEN BANG.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DISCHARGE YOUR GUNS
IF YOU LIVE IN A HOUSING DEVELOPEMENT OUT SIDE CITY LIM. THEY COULD HAVE THEIR OWN COVENDENCES AND SAY NO TO GUN DISCHARGE.

Wow, this really did get off topic. My original questions was in fact in regards to acreage. I had heard a rumor but did not think that it was true.

Regardless, I will have a license with me at all times.