Thirty-four years after the first Texas archery hunting stamp was sold in 1975, archery hunting will be open to crossbow use by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for the first time in the special archery-only open season that runs October 3 through November 6. About 650,000 people participate in whitetail deer hunting in Texas, and an estimated more than 80,000 use a bow and arrow. Until this fall, crossbows could not be used during an archery-only season except by people with an upper-limb disability. Recent legislative action gave the TPWD Commission authority to allow anyone, regardless of physical ability, to use a crossbow during the archery-only season, provided they have an archery stamp and valid Texas hunting license. Rules, however, are different for Grayson County.
Several outdoor newspaper columnists recently reported crossbow sales have been brisk heading into archery season. The department has been encouraging anyone planning to take advantage of the new crossbow opportunity to review the rules and definitions for crossbow hunting listed under “Means and Methods” in the current Outdoor Annual regulation booklet available at hunting license sales locations and on the TPWD Web site.