Hunters across Texas now have the chance to apply for a coveted drawn hunt permit through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), with nearly 9,600 permits up for grabs in the 2025–26 season.
The application window opened this month for TPWD’s Public Hunting Draw System, which offers high-quality hunting opportunities on both public and private lands throughout the state. Hunts are available for a wide range of game, from white-tailed and mule deer to pronghorn, turkey, alligator, and even bighorn sheep.
“It is an affordable way to get to hunt, but more importantly, the offerings in the public hunt draw system allow you to potentially hunt one end of Texas to the other for potentially every species Texas has to offer,” said Kelly Edmiston, TPWD public hunting coordinator. “From the Panhandle to South Texas, to the Trans-Pecos and the Pineywoods, you could be selected for a hunting spot at a state park, wildlife management area, national wildlife refuge or private property. Variety is the key and the opportunity is there.”
