Lake Whitney State Park to Close January 9 – 13 for Public Lands Hunt

05. Jan, 2012 0 Comments

Lake Whitney State Park, Hill County, Texas – Lake Whitney State Park will be closed to public use from Monday, January 9th until Friday, January 13th at 2 p.m. for the annual Public Lands Hunt.

The Public Lands Hunt is a critically important resource management tool to maintain the white-tailed deer population at a healthy and sustainable level.

According to Park Superintendent Chris Bishop, “In the absence of historical predators, white-tailed deer populations can quickly grow to exceed the carrying capacity of the landscape. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of animals of a given species that a unit of land can support without degrading the ability of that land to support the population in the future.”

The Lake Whitney State Park Public Lands Hunt is done by drawing. The Public Hunting Drawing System provides low-cost, high-quality public hunting opportunities throughout the state. Individuals are drawn for a Special Permit by random computer selection from a qualified pool of applicants.

“At Lake Whitney State Park, the Public Lands Hunt is driven by safety. Hunters arrive at a specified time. Our park rangers drop hunters off at assigned blinds, and hunters are given specific firing lanes. Hunters must stay in their blinds until our staff picks them up again at another specified time. Public safety is our number one priority,” Bishop said

Lake Whitney State Park is a 955-acre parcel of public land managed by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to conserve natural and cultural resources, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and foster an understanding of the diversity of Texas’ lands and heritage for all generations.

For more information about Lake Whitney State Park or this release, please contact Chris Bishop, (254) 694-3793, email –christopher.bishop@tpwd.state.tx.us, or join the park’s Facebook fan site.