AUSTIN – Increased dove hunting opportunities across South Texas and expanded landowner-managed pronghorn permitting in the Panhandle highlight this year’s slate of proposed regulation changes for the 2017-18 Texas hunting seasons.

TPWD will be taking public comment on the following proposed changes to the 2017-18 Statewide Hunting Proclamation, with input to be considered prior to any action by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its March 23 public hearing:

Increasing dove hunting opportunity by expanding the early September 4-day Special White-winged Dove Area hunting season to the entire South Zone boundary.
Modify the age for the youth-waterfowl participants for 15 to 16 years of age.
Extend the landowner-managed pronghorn buck experimental permit system for four more years and expand the option into three new pronghorn management areas in the northern Panhandle.
Frameworks for the 2017-18 migratory game bird hunting seasons.
Additional details on these proposals will be published in the Texas Register and available for review in February, as well as in narrated presentations to be archived on TPWD’s website.

Comments on the proposed rules may be submitted by phone or e-mail to Robert Macdonald at 512-389-4775, [email protected], or in writing to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, attn. Wildlife Public Comment, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. Comments may also be submitted through the department’s Internet web site www.tpwd.texas.gov once the proposals have been published in the Texas Register.

Public hearings are being scheduled for Dalhart and Pampa (time and date TBA) to provide a forum for input on the proposed extension and expansion of the experimental pronghorn permit project. For more information about the project contact Shawn Gray, TPWD mule deer and pronghorn program leader, at 432-832-2051 or [email protected] .

A live online public hearing via webinar will also be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Details and instructions for participation in the online public hearing webinar will be made available on the TPWD website.