to be clear I've never had an issue with any GW I've run into. With one exception on Hubbard. There's always one.

I've never had any bad interfaces with Texas GW's. In fact, they helped me get my swamped boat back to a ramp, while the Coasties did and wanted to do nothing, except show up with their Post-Rescue Report. Prolly pissed 'em off that they couldn't find any violations. But, I'm convinced Texas hired a bunch of MBA's and told them to find some new ways to collect money, but DON'T CALL IT A TAX! Seems like all year long, I'm walking out of the tax office, or TPWD office, after a walletlectomy.
I pretty much think the GW's are helpful. What bothers me is TPWD wanting more and more money from the citizens, while they are spending millions of the BP oil spill fines money on big tracts of land they think needs to be "saved". IslandJim, stepping off the soapbox..............................

When I moved to Oklahoma I was shocked to find out how much less expensive cost of living is. Property taxes alone in Texas ate my lunch.

Well I doubt many will disagree with the property tax argument.. I mean 75 bucks to hunt and fish all year ain't bad. Not too many state run or TPW run facilities on lakes here in Texas that I know of. The ones I have been too have been nice.

You must be thinking of Louisiana

Not sure what you mean by saying the blue voters need to leave. I spent my career teaching and coaching in Texas public schools and refused to vote against my best interest, If you think that is the problem I don’t get it. Say what you will about states like California but California has 280 state parks while Texas has 89. TPWD sometimes can’t get out of their own way. Do you remember the Purtis Creek grass carp stocking? Absolutely ruined a wonderful lake.

We definitely need more GWs. I also wish TPWD would 1. spend our money on stocking fish and fish habitat. Next highest level being state parks (how about seeing if the Army Corps of Engineers would give us Corps parks they can’t maintain). And lastly spend only what is absolutely necessary for hunting. Unfortunately Texas is woefully in short supply of public hunting areas.

Texas has a high %age of private ownership. Very little of that will ever convert to public unless the federal gov't does a land grab.

Land Ownership by Type

1 million acres of publicly accessible land located throughout Texas. Hunt areas include property owned by TPWD, acreage leased by the department from other state and federal agencies, forest products industries, and other cooperating private landowners.

Arkansas has 3.2 million acres of public use land.

No we don't have any saltwater fishing, but we got Smallmouth, Trout, Sturgeon, Lots of miles of clean rivers to fish without posted signs everywhere, Elk, black bear and aprox 1 million white tail deer to hunt. Texas has 50 WMA'S and some of them are not for hunting, Arkansas has 187 WMA'S, Texas has 1.1 million acres of public use land, Arkansas has 3.2 million acres of public use land. Arkansas has more to offer when it comes to hunting and fishing and they don't rip people off with fees. My original post was about the difference in the fees from each state. TPWD is out of control on their fees compared to other states.

Texas didn't give all their land to the federal government to become a state.

Both states have their advantages and disadvantages. It's a person's choice where he wants to live, hunt, and fish.

……you left off killing grass!

You was partly right. It is the US Forestry service but TPWD manages the hunting and makes the rules. These are National forest here in Arkansas also and they are managed and rules by Arkansas fish and game. My dad wanted to hunt when i lived in Texas but couldn't hardly walk. I called TPWD and ask if i could carry him on a golf cart and they said No. Here in Arkansas you can ride anything in the National forest. Across from my house is a WMA 16,000 acres open to anyone for $40 a year and all the WMA'S are open to anyone. Most Texas WMA'S are draw hunt.

This was copied and pasted from TPWD-Drawn Hunts for antlerless deer on the National Forests in Texas are conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. For information on antlerless deer permits, contact TPWD at hunt@tpwd.texas.gov or 512-389-4505 or visit the TPWD Drawn Hunts page.