Lone Star Land

If you’ve hunted Texas long enough, you know access has always been the biggest hurdle. But here’s the good news: Texas Parks and Wildlife has been chipping away at it, and this season we’ve got more opportunity than ever.

For 2025–26, TPWD added over 10,000 acres to the Public Hunting Program, pushing the total past 1 million acres statewide. That’s not just numbers on a page — that’s real dirt we can hunt. New spots include Dinosaur Valley (1,650 acres), Ray Roberts Lake (1,400 acres), Post Oak Ridge (3,100 acres), Government Canyon (1,000 acres), and even limited hunts at Enchanted Rock (3,100 acres). Five years ago, only 45 parks offered hunts. This year? 52 parks with 140 scheduled hunts.

It’s not all wide-open year-round access — some of these are draw hunts, others are tied to the Annual Public Hunting Permit ($48). But the trend is clear: Texas is opening more gates than it’s closing. On top of that, big conservation wins like the Black Gap WMA expansion (671 acres) and the 3,000-acre Enchanted Rock purchase show the state is serious about protecting land and adding opportunities.

Bottom line: for hunters without a lease, the window’s opening wider. More hunts, more acres, more chances to pass this tradition on.