Granite Shoals hosts TPWD bowhunter education course Aug. 26
Granite Shoals is hosting a certified Texas Parks and Wildlife Department bowhunter education course from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 26 at the fire station, 8410 RR 1431. The training is necessary for residents who wish to participate in the planned deer management archery harvests within city limits.
The Granite Shoals Wildlife Advisory Committee is in the process of conducting two years of deer surveys, which will allow for the reboot of a deer management program during the 2025 hunting season. Hunters will harvest deer with archery equipment in the city under strict parameters in an effort to curb deer overpopulation.
The committee’s leaders became certified TPWD bowhunter education instructors to facilitate future volunteer participation in the program.
“The main thing that we’re looking for is that (the volunteers) know how to use their equipment,” committee Chairman Todd Holland told DailyTrib.com.
The course will consist of an online portion to be completed prior to a classroom and field training session on Aug. 26. Participants will have to complete a written exam at the conclusion of all coursework, at which point, they will receive an official Texas Bowhunter Education Certificate. The online course is $35; the in-person training is $15, which must be paid to the instructors.
While the state of Texas does not require a certificate to bow hunt, many states do. However, the unique nature of the Granite Shoals Urban Bow Hunt is considered a special circumstance that will require a certificate per TPWD regulations.
According to Holland, the Texas bowhunter education courses are sporadic and far-flung, often requiring participants to drive hours away to attend in-person sessions. For example, the only other bowhunter training within 200 miles of Granite Shoals is in Mansfield, over three hours away.
“We want people to qualify and participate in this program, but it is hard to ask people to volunteer their time when they have to drive halfway across Texas to complete their training,” Holland explained.
Sign up for the online portion of the training at bowhunter-ed.com/texas and the in-person course at this link.