Shotguns Only - Shoot Free on Public Land

[busykngt]

Shoot for free on Texas public land. Anybody ever done this?

I researched this a few years ago and suspect it may still be a available. LBJ National Grass Lands used to have a location or two that would allow you to go to a couple of select locations where they had three to five stations you could shoot from. (Shotguns only)

I never did it. It’s located out northwest of the Metroplex and a pretty far stretch for me (from McKinney). So I never followed up on it.

My memory is a little fuzzy on how it worked but as I recall you had to “check in” at some particular place. Can’t recall if they issued you a Day Pass or just what the procedure was. But it didn’t cost anything (at least, at the time). Think they wanted you to pick up after yourself but other than that, just be safe.

It seemed like it might be a good place to go IF the commute wouldn’t be outrageous for you and you just wanted to pattern your shotgun, practice a bit with a HD gun or you have a portable clay thrower.

 

[grasshopperglock]

I've shot a lot on Corps of Engineers land. Shotgun with shot only. There's a bunch of the areas around here.

Dove avoid the areas. Best hunting is squirrel.

 

[motorcarman]

I've only been to Black Creek Lake Recreational Area at the grasslands. It was years ago but it is about 20 miles from my property.

Never took a shotgun but I'll ask around about it.

bob

 

[busykngt]

Actually, I got “unlazy” yesterday and looked up the Grasslands link (below). Looks like they still allow shotgun shooting - see the very bottom paragraph of the link page. It would still probably be best to call their Decatur office (940-627-5475) to check what the latest rules are.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/texas/about-forest/districts/?cid=fswdev3_008440

 

[busykngt]

Looks like the shooting location is three or four miles slightly northwest of Alvord.

(33.3715000, -97.7679810)

 

[billyb4u64]

Shoot for free on Texas public land. Anybody ever done this?

I researched this a few years ago and suspect it may still be a available. LBJ National Grass Lands used to have a location or two that would allow you to go to a couple of select locations where they had three to five stations you could shoot from. (Shotguns only)

I never did it. It’s located out northwest of the Metroplex and a pretty far stretch for me (from McKinney). So I never followed up on it.

My memory is a little fuzzy on how it worked but as I recall you had to “check in” at some particular place. Can’t recall if they issued you a Day Pass or just what the procedure was. But it didn’t cost anything (at least, at the time). Think they wanted you to pick up after yourself but other than that, just be safe.

It seemed like it might be a good place to go IF the commute wouldn’t be outrageous for you and you just wanted to pattern your shotgun, practice a bit with a HD gun or you have a portable clay thrower.

Decatur has a public shooting area where U can shoot anything legal to own . went there several times 10 years ago . There was a nudist Colony next to entrance had to drive in several miles .

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[benenglish]

Decatur has a public shooting area where U can shoot anything legal to own

This would be nice to know more about if anyone here has recently experienced that place.

 

[robertc1024]

You might want to check here:https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/annual_public_hunting/search.phtml
I've been to the Chaparral area a couple of times hunting quail. Lots of people, few birds, but it is always a good day if one is in the field.

 

[stickbowcoop]

One of the few things I miss about about PA is they had pubic shooting ranges set up near many state game lands. I am not used to having to pay to shoot.

 

[SloppyShooter]

You can shoot any gun you want in downtown Decatur. (You just need a fast getaway car.)

 

[billyb4u64]

This would be nice to know more about if anyone here has recently experienced that place.

Heading West out of Decatur .itcs down the hill . ask the people out there next time through.

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[motorcarman]

One of the few things I miss about about PA is they had pubic shooting ranges set up near many state game lands. I am not used to having to pay to shoot.

You don't need to pay to shoot. Just own enough land like many of us and shoot.

You can also make a few friends that have land and ask to shoot with them.

bob

 

[busykngt]

You don't need to pay to shoot. Just own enough land like many of us and shoot.

Which is actually another reason (the main reason) I’ve never bothered making the hour & half trip over there [to the Grasslands]. Half hour east of me is my 20+ acres that I shoot on. It’s a flood plain “jungle” with a creek along the west side; completely unimproved - but not a bad place to shoot. (Just gotta watch out for the poison ivy!).

Still kinda got this unmet desire to go shoot on some Texas public land. Maybe just to be able to say,”oh yeah.... I’ve been there!” Maybe sometime I’ll make the trip over there... once.

 

[Orbie]

I was recently talking to a friend about this. There is a $48 annual fee that is separate from your hunting license. You will also receive a book that shows all public lands, lists what you can hunt and what you can shoot.

 

[stickbowcoop]

You don't need to pay to shoot. Just own enough land like many of us and shoot.

You can also make a few friends that have land and ask to shoot with them.

bob

Yeah I know about owning enough land, that's sometimes easier said than done haha. If I get off of sick leave and I get back to work from my failed back surgery and I get through my cancer treatments I want to move to something with more land.

 

[SloppyShooter]

I was recently talking to a friend about this. There is a $48 annual fee that is separate from your hunting license. You will also receive a book that shows all public lands, lists what you can hunt and what you can shoot.

Type 2 hunts, lots of east Texas forest land, everything was a long drive for me when I did it, and pretty crowded. This was before everyone had 4WD, many years ago. IIRC, it was $35 back then .

 

[Buckshot Wade]

Used to hunt free at the grasslands in the 80's up to the mid 90's. Had a designated area for target work as well with distances out to a grand. Used to take our PD snipers out there for long range training. But that's all history now. Far too many people buying land around the area and federal shooting restrictions there now are tight!
My personal opinion, it's not worth the drive from the DFW area or further to just go bust a few caps with a scattergun. A couple decades ago when I lived 20 minutes south of the place, it was great. But that was then. Now, I wouldn't even waste the fuel to go there. That's my take on it anyway.

 

[parmesan]

Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and maybe even New Mexico. Lots of public lands where you can get lost. Pack out your crap, leave the land cleaner than you found it.

 

[SloppyShooter]

Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and maybe even New Mexico. Lots of public lands where you can get lost. Pack out your crap, leave the land cleaner than you found it.

Ummmmm....maybeee kiiindaaa looking for stuff in Texas????

Call me crazy....but...Texas Gun Talk?

 

[lightflyer1]

I hunted some TPWD land near Granger Lake and Lake Georgetown back in the day. Now my brother has 100 acres near Milano we hunt/shoot/fish on.