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Rules for Carrying Firearms in Texas State Parks or Public Hunting Lands
TSRA

It is an offense to:


1. possess a firearm with a cartridge or projectile in any portion of the mechanism, except when authorized by the commission or the director;

2. display a firearm, except when authorized by the director; and

3. discharge across, in, or into a state park any arm, firearm, or device capable of injuring or killing any person or animal or damaging or destroying public or private property except when authorized by the director.

On July 8, 1998, Executive Director, Andrew Sansom signed Executive Director Order No. 98-001 which reads as follows:

Nothing in the Public Hunting Lands Proclamation or State Parks Proclamation prohibits a person from possessing a concealed handgun, loaded or unloaded, under the authority of a concealed handgun license issued by this state or any other state. Persons carrying concealed handguns must comply with all concealed handgun laws.

The Executive Director reserves the right to prohibit the carrying of all firearms during certain events or in certain locations on Departmental lands.

This order is issued pursuant to Title 31, Texas Administrative Code, Sections 59.134 (f) (1) and 65.199, and is effective immediately.

Does anybody know if the part I've highlighted in red is still in force? I realize that this topic has been discussed in previous threads, but it has not been clear to me what is legal, and what isn't. If I read the above quote correctly, CHL is legal in Texas state parks on on Texas public hunting land. But other things I've read seem to say that it isn't. Somebody please enlighten me.

Thanks.

Mr. Man,

IIRC, we can still pack in state parks and on public hunting lands under our CHL. There have been some posts about literature some folks have seen or statements from some uninformed TP&W hands at the sites regarding our legal status.

Hang on....I am certain someone else will be along shortly.

Anygun

Dang it. I got the public land permit last year and they sent me a ton of literature in the mail. I never used it, so I didn't bother with it on this past hunting license. I remember reading something about that very thing in the stuff they sent, but I just threw it away a few days ago when I came across it! I didn't think I'd need it anymore. I'm sorry, Annoyed! If you have the public land permit, look through the stuff they sent you. You might be able to find it on the TPWD website.

Here's the rule to remember: if it's owned by any state, county, or local government entity, and it isn't one of the places listed as off limits by statute (schools, courts, prisons and jails, meeting of government bodies), then it is legal to carry there, and only the legislature can say differently.

The only exception to legal carry would be the lands and waters in the public hunting books that are controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Keep in mind that concealed carry is legal. Hunting with your handgun would have to comply with other applicable hunting regulations.

Thanks for the answers guys. I have limited experience hunting, and it has all been on a friend's lease. I really enjoyed it, and since I can't afford my own lease right now, I'll probably find myself hunting on public lands at some point. That's why I wanted some clarification on this.

Be careful when you go. There are relatively few people it seems like who actually know about the public lands permits, so some places are really good, and very seldomly used. Others are like a campground and dangerous to actually hunt. A friend of mine went to the public land near San Angelo to deer hunt and said it was like zoo of hunter orange. He walked for about 15 minutes and ran into several people. He didn't feel safe or comfortable out there. I never even bothered going after that. There are some public hunting lands all along one bank of Red Bluff that I'm itching to try sometime for duck hunting though! Good luck with the public land hunting! Let us know how it goes when you try it.