J_Woulfe
Member
Hi all
I've been a resident hunter in 3 different states so far throughout my life, Texas, South Dakota, and New Mexico. Each state has very different experiences for their resident hunters. I find it difficult to wrap my head around what opportunities resident hunters in other states are granted, and I'm interested to hear HTs perspectives on different states. I'll briefly share my experience below.
Texas has plenty of opportunity, several tags are available OTC, but very limited access, and a high $ barrier to entry with accessing most private lands. Public land big game hunting is far less enjoyable than in other states as Texas has so few acres of public, huntable land, and much of this land isn't open for deer hunting. Texas also has 28 million people, so these challenges shouldn't come as a surprise. Hunting feral hogs was more accessible and much cheaper, but I'm not sure if that's changed in the years since I left. I also did some fur bearer trapping which was accessible and cheap.
South Dakota had a wonderful system, a mix of some OTC tags, and draws with preference points that added +1 every year. I could reliably hunt antelope every other year with a rifle, and every year with a bow. Elk draws were a little harder, but I never applied for elk. Deer I could buy multiple OTC archery tags every year, and pretty reliably draw rifle hunts in non-premium units. OTC turkey tags, and legendary pheasant hunting. Unfortunately, I never hunted pheasant so I don't have much input here.
New Mexico, of course, is 100% lottery, 1 tag opportunity per species in the draw, and is a total crapshoot. The e-plus landowner tag program is highly controversial, but it does provide, in effect, the opportunity to purchase OTC tags. Its a shame that 0% of that money goes into the Game and Fish dept though, and I haven't partaken. Fall bear tags can be purchased OTC, and NM allows hunting with dogs on public land. OTC spring turkey. There are also some special turkey and bear draws.
I've been a resident hunter in 3 different states so far throughout my life, Texas, South Dakota, and New Mexico. Each state has very different experiences for their resident hunters. I find it difficult to wrap my head around what opportunities resident hunters in other states are granted, and I'm interested to hear HTs perspectives on different states. I'll briefly share my experience below.
Texas has plenty of opportunity, several tags are available OTC, but very limited access, and a high $ barrier to entry with accessing most private lands. Public land big game hunting is far less enjoyable than in other states as Texas has so few acres of public, huntable land, and much of this land isn't open for deer hunting. Texas also has 28 million people, so these challenges shouldn't come as a surprise. Hunting feral hogs was more accessible and much cheaper, but I'm not sure if that's changed in the years since I left. I also did some fur bearer trapping which was accessible and cheap.
South Dakota had a wonderful system, a mix of some OTC tags, and draws with preference points that added +1 every year. I could reliably hunt antelope every other year with a rifle, and every year with a bow. Elk draws were a little harder, but I never applied for elk. Deer I could buy multiple OTC archery tags every year, and pretty reliably draw rifle hunts in non-premium units. OTC turkey tags, and legendary pheasant hunting. Unfortunately, I never hunted pheasant so I don't have much input here.
New Mexico, of course, is 100% lottery, 1 tag opportunity per species in the draw, and is a total crapshoot. The e-plus landowner tag program is highly controversial, but it does provide, in effect, the opportunity to purchase OTC tags. Its a shame that 0% of that money goes into the Game and Fish dept though, and I haven't partaken. Fall bear tags can be purchased OTC, and NM allows hunting with dogs on public land. OTC spring turkey. There are also some special turkey and bear draws.
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