Passport to Texas

This could be you, if you enter Big Time Texas Hunts.

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This is Passport to Texas

Big Time Texas Hunts is a yearly drawing offered by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Big Time Texas Hunts is a conservation fundraiser, basically. We try to raise money that we can put directly back into wildlife conservation work on our wildlife management areas and all of our public hunting lands across the state.

Justin Dreibelbis is Texas Parks and Wildlife’s program director for private lands and public hunting. Big Time Texas Hunts provides a chance for you to win a once-in-a-lifetime hunting experience.

So, we have 10 very high quality all-inclusive hunting packages, ranging everywhere from big horn sheep and pronghorn antelope to white-tailed deer and alligators.

New this year: a nilgai antelope safari in south Texas.

They’re originally from India. They were brought in by the King Ranch in the late 1920s. And their populations have really kind of exploded in south Texas along the coast. It’s a really neat animal. A really big, hardy antelope species that is really challenging and fun to hunt. And it is delicious table fare, too.

We’ll have more on Big Time Texas Hunts tomorrow.

Enter online through October 15 at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website; $9 per entry. You’ll pay a $5 online administrative fee, but it allows unlimited entries in a single transaction.

All entries support the work of wildlife conservation in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This could be you, if you enter Big Time Texas Hunts.

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This is Passport to Texas

The upcoming hunting seasons may still be months away, but you can enter the Big Time Texas Hunts drawing to win one or more of nine premium guided hunt packages now.

These exclusive packages include food, lodging, a professional guide, as well as taxidermy in some cases.

The crown jewel of the program is the Texas Grand Slam hunt package, which includes four separate hunts for Texas’ most prized big game animals — the desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn.

Other popular guided hunt packages included in the Big Time Texas Hunt program are: Ultimate Mule Deer Hunt, the Premium Buck Hunt, the Exotic Safari, the Wild Hog Adventure and more.

Entries for this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts are available now online for just $9 each online, or for $10 each at license retailers. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual may purchase and all proceeds benefit conservation, wildlife management and public hunting. Deadline for entry is October 15.

Big Time Texas Hunts is made possible with support from Toyota and the Texas Bighorn Society.

Find more details on all nine premium hunts on the Texas parks and wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Steve Knowles with his mule deer.

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This is Passport

For years Steve Knowles of Georgetown, Texas entered Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Big Time Texas Hunts Drawing, without…ever…winning.

I always considered it basically a donation for all the good work that TPWD does. And that’s why I’ll continue to enter, despite not having a lot of success, for as long as I can get out and have the opportunity to hunt.

Then he received a call last October saying he’d won the Ultimate Mule Deer Hunt.

If I could not win the Grand Slam, then the Ultimate Mule Deer hunt was the one that I did want to win, because I had never really been mule deer hunting. I was pleasantly surprised.

In December, Knowles brought down a 19-point Mule Deer with a 37-inch outside spread on the Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area; biologist Brandon Childress was his guide.

He had spotted the deer for the first time the day before. And he said, ‘Okay, we’re going to see if we can go find this deer again.’ And then as soon as we drove in early in the morning, we were able to get a glass on him. And it took us a good two hours to get to the point where we were close enough to the deer that I could actually take a shot. We were our hands and knees sometimes crawling in the sand, Ducking behind sand dunes. That’s what makes the whole hunt fun. And that’s what I’ll remember about the hunt.

Big Time Texas Hunts offers nine premier guided hunt packages on private ranches and wildlife management areas in Texas. Online entries are $9. And$10 by phone and at license retail locations. Deadline to enter is October 15. Find all details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Big Time Texas Hunts.

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This is Passport to Texas

Know what 9 bucks could get you? A chance to win a Big Time Texas Hunts package.

These are premier guided hunts for a lot of the wildlife species across the state. Everything from mule deer to alligators to wild hogs…and, of course, really nice whitetail deer also.

Justin Dreibelbis, director of private lands and public hunting, says hunters may put in for as many of these hunt packages as they wish.

They’re all premier guided hunts. It’s all inclusive: you have lodging, food, and guides that understand the area, terrain and animals you’ll be hunting. And a really exciting package that we have is the Texas Grand Slam; it’s four separate hunts for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, whitetail deer, and desert big horn sheep, which not many people get to hunt.

All hunt packages take place on premier ranches and WMAs, and some allow winners to bring hunting companions who are at least 8 years of age.

Actually, their companions get to hunt as well. However, on the Grand Slam Hunt, they have a non-hunting guest that can accompany them.

Entries are $9 online and $10 over the phone and at license retailers. Submit entries by October 15. Find complete details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Out on a Big Time Texas Hunt

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As 95% of Texas is in private hands, it’s not uncommon to spend big bucks for leases to hunt big bucks. Not everyone can. Yet, most of us can spare nine dollars for a chance to win a Big Time Texas Hunts package.

13-These are premier guided hunts for a lot of the wildlife species across the state. Everything from mule deer to alligators to wild hogs–and, of course, really nice whitetail deer also.

Justin Dreibelbis, director of private lands and public hunting at Texas Parks and Wildlife, says hunters can enter for as many hunt packages as they wish online for nine dollars each or at license retailers for ten.

24-They’re all premier guided hunts. It’s all inclusive: you have lodging, food, and guides that understand the area, terrain and animals you’ll be hunting. And a couple of really exciting packages that we have. One is the Texas Grand Slam; it’s four separate hunts for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, whitetail deer, and desert big horn sheep, which not many people get to hunt.

Some packages allow winners to bring hunting companions who are at least 8 years of age.

08-Actually, their companions get to hunt as well. However, on the Grand Slam Hunt, they have a non-hunting guest that can accompany them.

Entries are nine dollars online and ten dollars at license retailers. Submit entries by October 15. Find complete details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.