REG PROPOSALS

Hunters, anglers and other Texas Parks and Wildlife Department constituents have until 5 p.m. on March 26 to register online comments regarding a number proposed regulation changes that will be under consideration when the TPW Commission meets for its annual workshop and regulatory hearing on March 26-27 in Austin. Comments can also be made in person during the March 27 meeting that gets underway a 9 a.m. at the department headquarters.

The proposed changes range in scope and could impact season lengths and/or bag limits for migratory birds, upland game birds, big game as well as commercial size limits for amberjack. Additionally, the Commission will consider proposed amendments to digital licensing, stamp, and tag rules.

Here are some key proposals listed under the 2005-26 Statewide Hunting and Migratory Bird Proclamations with summaries of explanations from the department’s public comment web page, tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/ public_comment/. Coverage on fishing and digital licensing proposals to follow: * Proposal 1: Expand archery season for mule deer from the Saturday closest to September 30 to the day prior to the opening of general mule deer seasons.

* Explanation: TPWD says the proposal would increase the length of archery-only season for mule deer from 35 days to 62 days in Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Ector, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Val Verde, Ward, and Winkler counties. Additionally, the season would expand from 35 to 56 days in those Panhandle counties that have an archery-only season for mule deer.

TPWD says the change would provide additional archery hunting opportunity and with no negative impacts on the resource, as hunter success with respect to archery harvest of mule deer is generally quite low and the harvest regulations for antlerless mule deer are very conservative.

* Proposal 2: Modify Managed Lands Deer Program rules to allow the harvest of mule deer with any legal means from the Saturday closest to September 30 through the last Sunday in January.

* Explanation: TPWD says the proposed amendment would allow the take of mule deer under the appropriate MLDP tag by any lawful means at any time during the period of validity of the tag. Under the current rule, lawful means of harvest is restricted to lawful archery equipment from the Saturday closest to September 30 for 35 consecutive days, which mirrors the current archery-only deer season dates.

Harvest on MLDP properties is controlled through the issuance of tags. Likewise, TPWD has determined there is no biological reason not to provide landowners and land managers enrolled in the MLDP the latitude to attain their harvest quota at their own discretion by any lawful means.

* Proposal 3: Open Lubbock County to wild turkey hunting season consistent with the North Zone.

* Explanation: TPWD says the proposed change would open fall and spring seasons for turkeys in Lubbock County, with a four-bird annual bag limit. TPWD says there is no biological reason not to allow the take of turkey in Lubbock County and that the proposed open seasons will not result in depletion or waste. Additionally, it is proposed to clarify the boundaries for turkey seasons in Hill County to accommodate the fact that Interstate Highway 35 is divided into I-35 West and I-35 East.

* Proposal 4: Extend statewide quail season to the last day in February.

* Explanation: The change would alter the current quail season structure by closing the season on the last day of February rather than the last Sunday in February. This would result in an additional 2.6 days of hunting per year over the next decade.

* Proposal 5: Increase the daily bag limit of pintails from one to three in all duck zones.

* Explanation: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently adopted a new Pintail Harvest Strategy that includes the option for a three-bird daily bag limit. TPWD says the proposal would provide the most liberal hunting opportunity possible under the federal frameworks, consistent with the tenets of sound biological management.

* Proposal 6: Reduce the early teal season from 16 days to nine in all duck zones.

* Explanation: The change would reduce the length of the early teal season in compliance with the maximum allowed under this year’s federal frameworks. The proposal also would increase the High Plains Mallard Management Unit season by seven days.

* Proposal 7: Reduce Special White-winged Dove Days from six days to five.

* Explanation: Calendar constraints this year do not allow for two complete three-day weekends before the fullday dove hunting can begin. TPWD says this year’s SWWDA dates would be best employed by implementing a five-day season structure of September 5-7 and September 12-13, which is the last two days before the earliest possible date that full-day dove hunting can be provided under the federal frameworks.

* Proposal 8: Reduce rail and gallinule season to nine days in September to match early teal and move seven days to the end of the season.

* Explanation: TPWD normally establishes a split-season structure for rail and gallinule seasons, the first running concurrently with the early teal season and the second running concurrently with the 70 day South Zone duck season. Because of the seven-day reduction in the early teal season, retaining the traditional season structure results in a nine-day first segment for rail and gallinule seasons, with seven days added to the end of the second segment. which the department believes optimizes hunting opportunity for rail and gallinule hunters.

* Proposal 9: Set migratory game bird hunting season dates.

* Doves

North Zone: September 1 - Nov. 9, 2025 and Dec.19, 2025 – Jan. 7, 2026 Central Zone: Sept. 1 — Oct. 26, 2025 and Dec.12, 2025 — Jan. 14, 2026 Special White-winged Dove Area Sept. 5-7 and 12-13, 2025 South Zone: Sept. 14 — Oct. 26, 2025 and Dec. 12, 2025 — Jan. 22, 2026 * Ducks, Coots, Mergansers and Teal

High Plains Management: For all species other than “dusky ducks”: Oct.18-19 and Oct. 24, 2025 — Jan. 25, 2026. Dusky ducks, Oct. 27, 2025 — Jan. 25, 2026 North Zone: Nov. 8-30, 2025 and Dec. 6, 2025 — Jan. 25, 2026; Dusky ducks, Nov. 13-30, 2025 and December 6, 2025 — January 25, 2026 South Zone: Nov. 1-30, 2025 and Dec. 13, 2025 – January 25, 2026; Dusky ducks, Nov. 6-30, 2025 and Dec. 13, 2025 – Jan. 25, 2026 * Early Teal: September 20-28, 2025 * Geese

Western Zone Light geese: Nov.1, 2025 — Feb. 1, 2026 Dark geese: Nov. 1, 2025 — Feb. 1, 2026 Eastern Zone Light geese: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb.15, 2026 Dark geese: Nov. 1, 2025 – Jan. 25, 2026[November 2, 2024 — Jan. 26, 2025 September Canada Goose: Sept. 13-28, 2025 * Youth

HPMMU: Oct.11-12, 2025 North Zone: Nov. 1-2, 2025 South Zone: Oct. 25-26, 2025 * Sandhill Crane

Zone A: October 25, 2025 — Jan. 25, 2026 Zone B: Nov. 21, 2025 — Jan. 25, 2026 Zone C: Dec.13, 2025 — Jan. 18, 2026 * Gallinules

Sept. 20-28 and Nov. 1 — Dec. 31, 2025 * Rails

Sept. 20-28 and Nov.1 — Dec. 31, 2025 * Snipe: Nov. 1, 2025 — Feb. 15, 2026 * Woodcock: Dec. 18, 2025 — Jan. 31, 2026 * Extended Falconry Seasons: Mourning doves, whitewinged doves and white-tipped doves: Nov. 14 – Nov. 30, 2025.

Duck, gallinule, moorhen, rail, and woodcock: Jan. 26 — Feb. 15, 2026

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.