Landless in TX

[Wudstix]

I am landless is Texas.  If any of you know Texas, that means I'll not be hunting, there is no public land near me.  If anyone has a place to hunt near San Antonio, I'm your management deer, hog killing guy.  Will chip in for feed/work, etc...
 

[woodchucker]

Wish I could help ya, brother!!!

With all of the craziness in this world, folks are moving to better states... Not me!!

New York SUCKS!!!!! High taxes, Home/Property prices and taxes, the economy, etc.....
However, we are truly blessed with hunting and fishing opportunities!!!

I can fish salt water/river Stripers, lake or river Salmon, Wild mountain stream trout, "Lake" trout (Browns, Rainbows, Lakers) We have lakes and ponds full of Bass, Pike, Walleye, and pan fish....
Hunting, we have Deer, Bear, Turkeys, Rabbits, Squirrels, Pheasants, Grouse, Woodcock, Ducks, Geese...
Hunt the Adirondacks, or Catskill mountains. Numerous State Game Lands, Farms & Fields, the list goes on...

Plus!! After 60 years, I pretty much know my way around the state!!!

If I were to move... I'd be pretty much starting all over again, from scratch....
I'm just too damn old for that. 

[Crittergetter]

My on-x maps show several pieces of state land around the San Antonio area. Might be worth looking into .

[Basinboy]

That sucks! Maybe join a lease or lease your own piece 

[Russell Southerland]

Best of luck to you. I hear that being in a lease in TX is pretty expensive, but I don't know for sure.

[Tim Reese]

That’s awful there is not much public land there. We are so lucky in PA! There is some all over the state here and some really good ones close to my home and my camp. That’s the one thing PA has done a good job with!! What is the reason Texas doesn’t have so much? I have heard that before so curious

[Tim Reese]

I would get on X and look there first or get a state map that shows any PL in your area to start.

[Wudstix]

There is PL close but not for deer hunting, closest hogs are 2 1/2 hr drive North-East.  I'll see about X

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[Wudstix]

All the land shown on X-map is either restricted military access, or state land that is not huntable, or restricted to few select people.
 

[GCook]

Texas is for the most part a pay to play state.  The fact that it is 98% privately owned has a lot to do with that. 
They do have draw hunts for wildlife management areas and state parks but getting drawn is slim chances.  So many people have moved here the demand for land to hunt is high and getting worse.
I leased for 3 decades.  Sometimes holding two leases so I had a place to take kids or guests and still get my tags filled. Even now owning good hunting property we are leasing the land next to us and running some management hunts on it.  Owning land far out costs leasing it and people dontvseem to grasp that.
Or you could do a weekend hunt or two on a place like ours that has the dee and pig numbers but you would have to expand your travel restrictions.
I feel that within a few decades there will be some very bad changes in hunting in the US.  Even now national forests are over run during elk season and as you point out leases are on the rise due to supply and demand.

[Wudstix]

That’s awful there is not much public land there. We are so lucky in PA! There is some all over the state here and some really good ones close to my home and my camp. That’s the one thing PA has done a good job with!! What is the reason Texas doesn’t have so much? I have heard that before so curious

Most of the land in Texas is from the old ranches, that is all private.  The state has not purchased land for public use, as in PA (my old stomping grounds).  Also, toss in the German immigrants who brought their European concept of lease hunting to Texas and ther you have it.
   

[jhg]

...i  The state has not purchased land for public use, as in PA (my old stomping grounds).

THAT is the reason Texas has little public land. Not who privately owns the land now or why, or what the historically learned  land use concepts are.
 There has been little motivation for Texas to purchase land. Unless the citizens push for Texas to develop a public land acquirement program and vote to fund it, Texas will never see public land access of any consequence.
 I am sure there are some very vocal and wealthy interests in Texas that would fight tooth and nail to block a public land acquirement program. But ask yourself- what is freedom worth?

[Wudstix]

I think they should Legalize Freedom!!!

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[Soonerlongbow]

That’s a big part of it in Texas: Freedom. The state using public funds for private purposes.

[dnovo]

If I were you I’d be thinking about taking a week or 2 trip to another state for some good deer hunting. You could do it fairly cheap

[GCook]

That’s a big part of it in Texas: Freedom. The state using public funds for private purposes.

We are free here.  Free enough to work three jobs so we can afford to give our family a good life and buy land.
Not just rich people own land here. 
I don't get a new truck every couple years and we live in the same 1000ft² home we bought in 1987.  But I worked 2 and 3 jobs to get out of debt quick.  And even after retirement I own and work a business so I can continue to invest in and enjoy hunting property.
Yes it is expensive.  And the Californians moving here is making a mess of values and taxes and politics.  But it's still possible.  I invested with two good friends and formed an LLC.

[Wudstix]

I enjoy living in The United State of Texas, for the most part.  Hunting is one of the sore spots.  I'll be looking into land as I get the bills paid.
 

[Soonerlongbow]

Any Corps of Engineers lakes nearby? Usually you can hunt them.

[Soonerlongbow]

That’s a big part of it in Texas: Freedom. The state using public funds for private purposes.

We are free here.  Free enough to work three jobs so we can afford to give our family a good life and buy land.
Not just rich people own land here. 
I don't get a new truck every couple years and we live in the same 1000ft² home we bought in 1987.  But I worked 2 and 3 jobs to get out of debt quick.  And even after retirement I own and work a business so I can continue to invest in and enjoy hunting property.
Yes it is expensive.  And the Californians moving here is making a mess of values and taxes and politics.  But it's still possible.  I invested with two good friends and formed an LLC.

When I lived in North Texas way back in 90’s deer hunting was pretty much nonexistent, most people paid the out of state fees and drove across the state line to Oklahoma. Could find places to small game all day long, just never deer.

[GCook]

That’s a big part of it in Texas: Freedom. The state using public funds for private purposes.

We are free here.  Free enough to work three jobs so we can afford to give our family a good life and buy land.
Not just rich people own land here. 
I don't get a new truck every couple years and we live in the same 1000ft² home we bought in 1987.  But I worked 2 and 3 jobs to get out of debt quick.  And even after retirement I own and work a business so I can continue to invest in and enjoy hunting property.
Yes it is expensive.  And the Californians moving here is making a mess of values and taxes and politics.  But it's still possible.  I invested with two good friends and formed an LLC.

When I lived in North Texas way back in 90’s deer hunting was pretty much nonexistent, most people paid the out of state fees and drove across the state line to Oklahoma. Could find places to small game all day long, just never deer.

I know folks who lease in OK.  And the prices seem more reasonable but by the time you buy all ofbthe out of state stuff and drive there from down where he lives it would be tough.
Even the prices in OK are rising.   It's not just a TX issue.  It's a too many people and not enough land and game issue.
Here many landowners have taken up good management practices because they know deer hunting is big business.