It is my understanding that, in Texas, a person afield with any device designed to take any animal, game, non-game, pest, feral, or invasive specie, must have, in their possession a valid Texas Hunting license, with proper endorsements (depending on the game animal), and a valid form of identification establishing them as a Texas resident. In order to obtain a Texas Hunting license a person (born after 1973?) must have passed a State prescribed Hunter Safety Course (for which there is a fee).
I believe there are only 2 or 3 species of birds that are classified as non-game which are not prohibited to shoot. English Sparrows, Starlings and Barn Pigeons. There are invasive species such as collared doves, which have no season, can be shot all year round with no limit, but still require a hunting license. All others are game birds or prohibited species.
Even the hunting of feral hogs, possibly the most destructive animal in North America, requires a hunting license.
In addition to the above a person must have permission to hunt on the private property of another.
Now, in complete contrast to all of this, (and this rule may or may not still be in effect), If you live on your own property, you may hunt there without a license, and without the necessity of tags for deer, turkey or anything else, as long as no part of the animal is wasted or leaves the property. I'm not sure if it even has to align with regular hunting seasons. This is basically subsistence hunting and there are not many of those kinds of folks any more.
I'm going at a lot of this from memory, and my memory ain't what it used to be.
Alan
