Information on Duck Hunting on Public Waters in Texas

Duck hunting in Texas requires a hunting license and two endorsement stamps.

Duck hunting in public waters in Texas is a fun recreational sport. The Texas duck hunting season runs from October 30th to January 24th. The fall and winter hunting schedule allows the ducks to have time to raise their spring young, and have started their migration south. There are a variety of methods used for duck hunting, according to TakeEm.com. Duck decoys, duck calls, and duck blinds can be used in order to bring the ducks into shooting range. Some hunters also employ dogs, such as Labrador retrievers, in order to fetch the fallen fowl.

License Requirements

There are three license requirements to hunt ducks in Texas. The first, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife, is a hunting license. A residential hunting license costs $25, a senior resident hunting license is $7 (65 or older) and a youth hunting license is $7 (under 17). Nonresident licenses that are valid for Texas duck hunting are as follows: nonresident general hunting for $315, nonresident special hunting for $132, and nonresident five-day special hunting for $48.

There are two additional stamps that need to be purchased with the license. The first is the Texas Migratory Game Bird Stamp Endorsement for $7. This covers game birds and waterfowl. Ducks also have a specific federal stamp that you purchase alongside the game-bird stamp. It is called the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp for $17. There are 1,700 locations statewide where you can purchase the license and stamps.

Restrictions

The bag limits on ducks, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife, is six ducks per day. There are species and sex restrictions in place as well. You cannot bag more than five mallards per day, and only two of those can be female. Other species restrictions include only one dusky duck, one canvasback, two redheads, one pintail, and two scaup. These restrictions are in place after the first five days of the duck hunting season.

Guns

Shotguns are used for hunting waterfowl such as duck. Specialized chokes, which restrict the diameter of the barrel bore, are used to control shot spread. A 12- or 20-gauge shotgun is recommended by Webfoot Connection.

Types

There are a number of different duck species that can be hunted in Texas. The mallard has the distinctive green head and gray body that allows it to be easily identified. Pintails look similar but have a brown head instead of the green. Canvas backs dive down into lakes and ponds for their food. According to the Texas Wildlife Identification Guide, there are more than 17 different duck species that migrate to Texas.

Location

There are two distinct types of ducks in Texas. There's the puddle ducks and the diving ducks. Puddle ducks, such as the mallard, feed on the surface of the water. They reside in marshes, lakes, ponds and slow rivers. Diving ducks dive beneath the surface of the water for their food. These ducks can be found in larger lakes, rivers and ponds. Ducks might also be found in coastal inlets and bays.

References

• Web Foot Connection: Duck Hunt
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Licenses, Stamp Endorsements, and Tags
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Hunting Licenses and Permits
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Game Identification Guide