Is living in Texas good for outdoor enthusiasts? (Houston, Dallas: violent crime, cabin)

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by turf3

There is a lot of historical background why there is not much Federal public land in Texas, and none of it has to do with hunting or outdoor recreation. Those of you who are critical of the situation should read up on why it's that way.

It isn't just Federal public land Texas doesn't have alot of, the state parks are generally very small as well.

Of course there are historical reasons why Texas doesn't have much public land and largely it is unrelated recreation, but understanding the history doesn't change the result which is not much public land.

I think part of it is cultural, many Texans seem to really value private land and don't see a major value in public land though they drive to the private lands on(largely) public roads.

Antidotally a couple of Texan Billionares, the Wilks Brothers bought a bunch of land up in Idaho that was adjacent to public land and set about locking all the gates, while this is technically legally allowed, (tho I think there was some legal issue with restricting access to public land?) this went over very badly with all of the locals, where the tradition had been to allow people to cross a small part of your land to get to the National forests. They eventually began allowing people access as a result of bad press.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by BobTex

There are 17 subspecies of white tail deer. These subspecies run the gamut from the 50 lb key deer of the Everglades to the northern areas of their range plus the Corn Belt where individuals can weigh close to 400lbs. Bergmann’s Rule also is responsible for the size of northern white tails. The world record (B&C) rack came from middle Saskatchewan (near Biggar) replacing a near century long buck from Minnesota. Texas has the most B&C qualifiers. South Texas leases can cost up to $25K year and the golden triangle of Webb, Dimmit, and McMullen counties included in the most desirable counties. These smaller bodied deer grow giant racks due in a large part to mineral content in the soil.

As far as lease vs public hunting each has their own benefits. Most leases have rules which prevents Joe Blow from screwing up one's hunt (happened frequently to me on public land), but you'll pay for that privilege. Also the days of going up to a "farmer" and asking for permission to hunt and receiving it if not gone are becoming scarce as hen's teeth. Also, while there is lots of acreage to hunt of use in the western US it is much more scarce in the east. I've hunted Maine and Tenn in the East but only Colo (hard to get away from the crowds) out west. I've hunted private land mostly in Texas but also purchase a yearly lease for other activities like fishing, hog hunting, and riding ATV's. There's also a camaraderie aspect of getting together yearly with old friends.

The amount of money spent on a lease is relative to affordability and worth. To some spending a couple of grand a year is not a big deal. Not much difference in hunting over a feeder or sitting in an oak flat (acorns) or overlooking an isolated meadow in elk country. Hunting over a feeder guarantees nothing. I have hunted them but prefer sitting along trails near acorn trees where I've seen lots of does (does make the best buck bait).

Again, I love Texas' opportunities but they do require knowledge of the land to reap the most benefits.

I loved the salmon comments ... I'll remember them the next time I'm out out in one of Texas' awesome bays or in the surf battling a 35 pound redfish or struggling with a 25 lb striped bass on Lake Texoma.

I wasn't aware there were so many subspecies of white tail, thats actually very interesting.

Fishing wise, Idaho is one of the best states in the country, with the exception of what you can get on the gulf, which of course you won't find in Idaho, Fishing for bass or catfish are pretty standard, and no, you don't have the different types of Salmon which are pretty challenging and exciting to catch; in addition its a better place to fly fish. Honestly that comes down to preferences, but where I used to fish with my dad was down in a canyon a good half day hike in. You don't have that sort of experience down here, most of the non gulf fishing is in muddy reservoirs within sight of civilization, or surrounded by suburbs, which kinda kills the vibe for me personally. Yes you can catch lots of fish in Texas, but it feels very "Domesticated" and not all that wild.


Again, I don't think im out of the loop on "Knowledge of the land" I have a better sense of Geography of the state than many life time residents and really try to use what the state offers, and I can see that in the abstinence of enough public land you have to turn to private land, but it sucks if you don't know anyone to let you use their land.

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

I wasn't aware there were so many subspecies of white tail, thats actually very interesting.

Fishing wise, Idaho is one of the best states in the country, with the exception of what you can get on the gulf, which of course you won't find in Idaho, Fishing for bass or catfish are pretty standard, and no, you don't have the different types of Salmon which are pretty challenging and exciting to catch; in addition its a better place to fly fish. Honestly that comes down to preferences, but where I used to fish with my dad was down in a canyon a good half day hike in. You don't have that sort of experience down here, most of the non gulf fishing is in muddy reservoirs within sight of civilization, or surrounded by suburbs, which kinda kills the vibe for me personally. Yes you can catch lots of fish in Texas, but it feels very "Domesticated" and not all that wild.


Again, I don't think im out of the loop on "Knowledge of the land" I have a better sense of Geography of the state than many life time residents and really try to use what the state offers, and I can see that in the abstinence of enough public land you have to turn to private land, but it sucks if you don't know anyone to let you use their land.

You should look into a Devils River Canyon trip. https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/devils-river Access is a challenge but doable. Flows into Lake Amistad which is far from muddy water although that "muddy water" is surefire nutrient in the water supporting a plethora of organisms which in turn support more concentrated fish populations.

I've not a ton of experience of fishing salmonides, some in Alaska, some in Colorado, some in Maine and Eastern Canada but it was fun. I fish multiple small streams in East Texas here via wading, float trips, and kayak and never see another soul. But I have that knowledge of the land. I also do the 70mph bass boat fishing which could be considered domesticated" but requires intense knowledge and a higher skill level to be consistent catching. But all fishing is the accumulation of knowledge and implementation of skills. I enjoy it all although hiking half a day into a canyon seems like and increased safety risk endeavor ... I'd rather spend that half day trying to fool my opponent.

Obviously Texas can't begin to compare with awesome majesty and grandeur of the Western US states but the original query was concerning outdoor opportunities which absolutely abound here in Texas, not so much with the accompanying scenery but a plethora of satisfying things to do outside vs breathing inside air.

Concerning different types of salmon: https://thefisheriesblog.com/2016/09...ies-are-there/

I am an amateur wildlife biologist and an avid outdoorsman. It is my passion (along with good cold beer, fine wine, firearms, and a couple other endeavors that deserve to be unmentioned).

Have a great day.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by BobTex

You should look into a Devils River Canyon trip. https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/devils-river Access is a challenge but doable. Flows into Lake Amistad which is far from muddy water although that "muddy water" is surefire nutrient in the water supporting a plethora of organisms which in turn support more concentrated fish populations.

I've not a ton of experience of fishing salmonides, some in Alaska, some in Colorado, some in Maine and Eastern Canada but it was fun. I fish multiple small streams in East Texas here via wading, float trips, and kayak and never see another soul. But I have that knowledge of the land. I also do the 70mph bass boat fishing which could be considered domesticated" but requires intense knowledge and a higher skill level to be consistent catching. But all fishing is the accumulation of knowledge and implementation of skills. I enjoy it all although hiking half a day into a canyon seems like and increased safety risk endeavor ... I'd rather spend that half day trying to fool my opponent.

Obviously Texas can't begin to compare with awesome majesty and grandeur of the Western US states but the original query was concerning outdoor opportunities which absolutely abound here in Texas, not so much with the accompanying scenery but a plethora of satisfying things to do outside vs breathing inside air.

Concerning different types of salmon: https://thefisheriesblog.com/2016/09...ies-are-there/

I am an amateur wildlife biologist and an avid outdoorsman. It is my passion (along with good cold beer, fine wine, firearms, and a couple other endeavors that deserve to be unmentioned).

Have a great day.

Do you mind if I ask if these east Texas streams are public access?

Devils river looks really cool, but unfortunately is 6 1/2 hours from DFW.

[justinjj1]

Texans go to New Mexico, Arkansas, or even Oklahoma (Wichita mountains, Turner Falls, Beavers Bend, Broken Bow etc.) for outdoor activities. We have Big Bend but it might as well be in another state as far away as it is from most population centers in Texas.

If you have a bass boat, there's plenty of lakes in Texas, if you have a lot of land you can hunt deer/hogs. But for most outdoor activities, Texas ranks as one of the worst states in the U.S. There's very little public land and everything for the most part is fenced off and flat.

[Thoreau424]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Colorado is less than half the size of Texas and has roughly 4 times more public land than Texas does.

True, and I have a detailed CO state map that shows them. Too bad they're mostly scattered in little square blocks of land in bland, open (non-shaded), tracks of land that most aren't interested in. They're also generally non-access. Even with access, many are just bare, flat parcels of land, devoid of trees and water sources. Nothing worth writing home about.

[SugLandDAd]

Yeah... absolutely nothing to do outdoors here in Texas.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cano...w=1920&bih=966

https://www.google.com/search?q=texa...w=1920&bih=966

https://www.google.com/search?q=texa...w=1920&bih=966

https://www.google.com/search?client....0.RXQZAJiH0So

[TexasBard79]

Guadeloupe Mountains National Park is a rare gem...

[C24L]

Originally Posted by TexasBard79

Guadeloupe Mountains National Park is a rare gem...

i went there one time and the Guadalupes were real kool.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by TexasBard79

Guadeloupe Mountains National Park is a rare gem...

nice... and only 6 hrs (one way!) from my 'central' / rural / hill country TX home!)

but... sometimes you Gotta Get Away (very difficult in TX) ~ 2 'rural' NP's with more than a few acres, 12 other federally managed public lands (some as big as a city lot, others can be bigger)

1) Big Bend
2) Guadeloupe Mountains National Park

"Public Lands" in TX seems to infer 'Hunting'
ArcGIS Web Application

No need for PUBLIC lands for that... just club them in your garden! (deer / Pigs / ...)

or keep them on your smashed up bumper / radiator till you get home (rules apply)