License changes coming

Some changes in how you can get your hunting license and tags may cause some confusion with hunting season less than two weeks away.

Jack County Game Warden TJ Tweedle said there is a new online option through Texas Parks and Wildlife to get your license and tags. You can still get paper tags but if you do things online and purchase the Super Combo license, your license and tags will not be mailed to you, Tweedle explained.

“This is a test period for it, so the online option is only being offered with the Super Combo license through Texas Parks and Wildlife,” Tweedle explained.

Online purchasers will be asked to download the TPWD’s Outdoor Harvest app and My Texas Hunt Harvest app which must be done as soon as they are purchased. Licenses must be connected to the My Texas Hunt Harvest app. Once the personal information is entered on the app, all the tags will be there as well.

“It will cause some confusion starting off,” Tweedle said. “Instead of having your paper copy with you, you can simply show the phone and everyone takes their phone everywhere.”

If a deer is harvested, hunters will open the harvest app and create a harvest report enter the information of when the deer was taken and where. Once the information is submitted, an authorization number will be provided.

Once that is provided, write the code on some paper and put it in a Ziplock bag or duct tape and secure it to the antler with the code provided. If don’t have phone service, tag the deer and write name who shot the deer, license number which is in the app and date and time the animal was harvested. When they get phone service, you must go through the above option, Tweedle said.

“There’s gonna be a grace period since it’s the first year that we’re doing this,” Tweedle said.

“We’re still going to enforce it with all the documentation out there letting them know. the more it gets out there, the more people will use it. It will be beneficial in the long run. It has its advantages and disadvantages for us.”

One of the advantages it that any of the deer shot in the county can be pulled up by a warden, Tweedle said. Several other states have gone to the digital process and he said he has known several people locally to go the digital route.

Tweedle said it should be a good hunting season, despite the drought and seeing little antler growth. He said the recent cool weather should help and deer will be out roaming.

Drivers are advised to be wary of deer on country roads over the next few weeks.