AUSTIN — Due to impacts from Hurricane Harvey at wildlife management areas (WMA) and state parks along the coast, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is canceling or postponing some scheduled upcoming public hunting activities.

Both annual public hunting (APH) permit and drawn hunts for alligator and early teal season on several public hunting areas are affected, including the following:

Guadalupe Delta WMA

• Mission Lake Unit drawn alligator hunts and APH early teal hunts have been canceled.
• Guadalupe River Unit APH early teal hunts have been canceled until the county road into the area re-opens.
• Hynes Bay Unit will be open for the APH early teal hunts;

Justin Hurst WMA — closed until Sept. 16;

Mad Island WMA — closed for the Sept. 9-10 APH early teal hunts; drawn alligator hunts will be conducted as scheduled;

J.D. Murphree WMA — Big Hill and Salt Bayou units have canceled all drawn alligator hunts and APH early teal hunts;

Sea Rim State Park — APH early teal hunt has been canceled;

Lower Neches WMA — Nelda Stark and Old River units will be open for APH early teal hunts as long as the county road providing access is open;

James Daughtrey WMA – drawn alligator hunts will be conducted as scheduled;

Angelina Neches/Dam B WMA – drawn alligator hunts will be conducted as scheduled.

Efforts are being made to notify selected hunters in special drawing hunts. Permit fees and Loyalty Points for all accepted hunt positions will be restored in the coming weeks. Check the TPWD web site for updates.

In addition to state-managed public hunting lands impacted by the storm, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is also closed to public access and the refuge drawn archery deer hunt scheduled for Sept. 30 has been canceled.