Texas Parks And Wildlife
Department
Hunting With A Disability
The public use of lands
under the control of this agency and participation in activities sponsored or regulated by
this agency are equally available to the public. Rather than attempting to serve disabled
persons through special programs or events directed only towards that segment of the
population, we attempt to implement all of our activities in a manner which will provide
everyone with the opportunity to participate.
Our experience has shown
that people prefer to be treated as part of the general public rather than as a subset of
the population classified according to age, sex, ethnicity or disability. Each subset of
the population has its own unique special interests, abilities and limitations which we
attempt to address within the overall scope of our programs and activities.
The Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department does no conduct special hunts or establish special seasons which
restrict participation only to disabled person. However, during public hunts on
departmental lands, we do make some special provisions to facilitate access by physically
challenged people. These provisions include allowing a disabled person:
- the off-road use of a motor
vehicle.
- the use of an all-terrain
vehicle (ATV),
- to shoot from a motor
vehicle (stationary, motor off, not on public road:, and
- to be assisted during to
hunt by a non-hunting adult who is not otherwise authorized to participate in the hunt.
If a public hunt
participant informs the Department in advance that he/she has special needs or
limitations, we will make every reasonable effort to address those concerns so that the
person may participate and have an enjoyable experience. This may involve something as
simple as assigning the person to a less remote portion of the hunt area, or constructing
wider doors and entrance ramps to make hunting blinds wheelchair accessible.
A provision of statewide
hunting regulations in Texas allows only persons with a permanent upper limb handicap to
use a crossbow during the special archer-only deer season.
A listing of public hunts,
hunting seasons and regulations governing hunting in Texas can be found at our internet home page. I am the primary departmental
contact for issues concerning participation by disabled persons in public hunts. My
telephone number is 512/389-47870, my FAX number is 513/389-4398, and my e-mail address is
herb.kothmann@tpwd.state.tx.us at INTLINK. My mailing address is as follows:
- Herb Kothmann
Public Hunts Coordinator
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, Texas 78744
The Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) representative for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is Mr.
Lynn McDonald in our Infrastructure Division at telephone number 512/389-4929. He is the
primary departmental contact for disabled person concerns in construction and retrofitting
of facilities.
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