Saturday, September 26 is National Hunting and Fishing Day in Texas, and the timing could not be better for southwest Oklahoma. Dove season is in full swing, early teal runs through September 27, and the Wichita Mountains are right in our backyard. Texas Parks and Wildlife is using the day to push one simple idea: take somebody with you.
The money matters too. Texas has already sold more than $36.7 million in recreational licenses in 2026, and that revenue funds wildlife management, fish stocking, habitat restoration, and public access. Dove hunting alone draws over 300,000 hunters a year and generates more than $500 million in economic activity, with Texas accounting for roughly 32% of the national mourning dove harvest and 87% of the white-winged dove harvest.
If you’re new to any of this, there are easy ways in. TPWD offers beginner resources and mentored workshops, a public hunting permit that covers over a million acres, and the Neighborhood Fishin’Program, which turns 20 this year and includes free shoreline fishing at state parks. So grab the extra rod, borrow a shotgun, and bring somebody along.
Who’s the person you’d introduce to hunting or fishing this weekend? Let us know.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.