I searched TPWD on my phone but couldn't find a definitive answer to whether or not you can hunt deer at night. Obviously cannot use artificial light sources, but is it legal to shoot if you have natural ambient like the full moon last weekend? Thanks.

Not legal.

ILLEGAL for whitetail and mule deer.

But if you are in Texas hunting elk, sika, axis, fallow you can shoot them anytime of day or night.

[This message has been edited by FSGuide (edited 12/31/2012 2:20p).]

I still don't get how they consider an extirpated native species like Elk an exotic. They are a plains and low mountain species, and we have both ecosystems in TX. Granted, they are probably located at places that they never were when native.

Uhh...yeah...ILLEGAL! I think the law about not being able to shoot more than 30 minutes before or after the sun goes up or down (or something like that) is what prohibits you from hunting via moonlight. That having been said, it is LOTS of fun to sit out all night in the blind and watch deer under a full moon. You just can't shoot them. It's really too dark to see what you're shooting anyway, so not a good idea, along with being illegal.

Hunting hogs a few weeks back had a doe practically walk under my tripod at night. Pretty cool to get so close. She had no idea. Also had a skunk do that, which was far more precarious...


As noted above -30 and +30 for sunrise/sunset is what you can do.

legal shooting hours = 0.5 hours prior to sun rise to 0.5 hours after sun set

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations/fish_hunt/hunt/general/

Mouth, you pretty well nailed it on the second part.

Thanks for the link to the legal hunting hours. That was what I was searching for. Thanks.

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I still don't get how they consider an extirpated native species like Elk an exotic.

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Simple answer. As I understand it the only species ever native was cerveus merriami (sp) which has been extinct for about 100 years or so. Therefore no elk in Texas are native.