Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association

12/16/2025

12/12/2025

District 9 officers recently completed an investigation involving several hunters who utilized a drone to pattern, scout, and harvest a white-tailed buck. The investigation also revealed several other hunting violations. After receiving several complaints about a drone following a well-known deer daily, conservation officers launched an investigation to identify who was flying the drone. During the course of the investigation, officers discovered the operator’s identity, that the drone had been flown regularly, and the day the deer was harvested, all with the intent of locating and patterning the deer. Many of the photos taken the days leading up to and the day of harvest were of that particular deer. Officers also discovered the subjects had shot the deer over bait and trespassed to retrieve the downed deer. All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.

Indiana conservation officers remind the public that drones cannot be used to search for, scout, locate or detect deer during the hunting season and for 14 days prior to the hunting season. Drones may be used to locate and recover legally taken deer.

For more information on deer hunting regulations please visit:

https://www.eregulations.com/assets/docs/resources/IN/25INHD_LR5.pdf

12/11/2025

Due to a server glitch, the website is temporarily down. Our providers service department is looking into the issue and hope to have it resolved shortly.

12/10/2025

Interesting read if you fly drones.

Update (12/9): The Federal Airborne Hunting Act falls under the administration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) at the federal level. There has not been a new regulation enacted or any changes made at the state level. Our intent with publicizing this information and updating the Texas Outdoor Annual was to inform the public of the federal statute (AHA/50 CFR § 19.11). If someone chooses to use an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, to deploy bait while bank or surf fishing, it is a federal, not state level violation, and no state charges would be incurred. However, we do not condone or authorize violating federal law.

Questions or concerns regarding the AHA and what is considered legal or a violation should be directed to the USFWS at 281-876-1520.

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Due to technological advancements with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has noticed an increase in questions connected to their use in relation to fishing and wildlife. Some of the most frequent questions have been about the legality of using drones for deploying bait by surf or bank fisherman.

To address this, TPWD staff reviewed the Federal Airborne Hunting Act, and also sought guidance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The result of that analysis and discussion is the determination that AHA prohibits the use of aircraft, which includes UAS or drones, to take or attempt to take wildlife, or aid in the act of fishing.

More information ➡️ tx.ag/UASfishing

11/16/2025

Game wardens in Northeast Texas responded shortly after midnight on Nov. 15 to investigate a hunting accident that claimed the life of a 45-year-old hunter from Grapevine.

While are trained to investigate hunting related incidents and work diligently to determine what happened, we always wish a tragedy like this could have been avoided.

We encourage every hunter to take safety seriously. Always handle all fi****ms as if they are loaded, keep muzzles pointed in a safe direction and take time to unload your firearm before placing or removing it from a vehicle.

Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time.

https://www.kltv.com/2025/11/15/grapevine-man-dies-after-hunting-accident-marion-county/

10/15/2025

Wow checkout this double main beamed buck out of Indiana! It’s like two racks in one pretty cool!

09/08/2025

Today is "National Adopt A Gun Day"

07/28/2025

Beka Garris took heat from the anti-hunting crowd (and some pro-hunters, too) for bringing her baby along in a backpack on this successful spot-and-stalk hunt. As far as we're concerned, she's a badass.

07/16/2025

06/30/2025

🐗 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬? 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞.

Warthogs—originally from Africa—have gone wild in South Texas counties like Dimmit, La Salle, and McMullen. Brought in for exotic game ranching in the ‘90s, many escaped by burrowing under fences… and never looked back.

Now they’re multiplying, tearing up land, and competing with native wildlife.

✅ No hunting season
✅ No bag limit
✅ Year-round legal hunting

📍Why should landowners, hunters, and ranchers care? Because warthogs may be the next big land management challenge in Texas.

🔗 Learn more in our latest blog:
https://jamesbigleyranches.com/general/warthogs-in-texas-where-theyre-roaming-free-and-why-it-matters/