This week marks the beginning of hunting season in the Big Thicket National Preserve. During the preserve’s hunting season, October 3, 2015 through February 29, 2016, recreational users, including hikers, campers, photographers, bird watchers, and paddlers are encouraged to wear bright identifiable colors, specifically hunter orange or international orange, while exploring the preserve’s six hunting units. 

The National Park Service at Big Thicket National Preserve manages over 112,000 acres of lands, in 15 different units, spread across seven countries in southeast Texas. Hunting is only permitted in six of the 15 units, including the: Beaumont Unit in Jefferson County; Beech Creek Unit in Tyler County; Big Sandy Unit in Polk County; Jack Gore Baygall Unit in Hardin County; Lance Roiser Unit in Hardin County; and Neches Bottom Unit in Jasper County. When visiting these units of the preserve, all visitors are highly encouraged to wear hunter orange, to ensure their visibility. 

In an effort to facilitate multiple uses of preserve land, and allow everyone the opportunity to recreate in the Big Thicket, some units of the preserve do not permit hunting, while others do. Hunters may not hunt within 500 feet of any designated trail, roadway, residence or any navigable waterway. Additional hunting resources can be found in the fishing & hunting section of our website.

For their safety and overall enjoyment, all visitors to the preserve should take a moment to become familiar with all the activities happening in the area they plan to visit. For general information about Big Thicket National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/bith or call the preserve visitor center at 409-951-6700. Or, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.