With the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s youth-only squirrel weekend set for Sept. 25-27, followed by the East Texas general season opener Oct. 1, a new generation of Wood County hunters is preparing to hit the woods.
While much of modern Texas hunting revolves around deer blinds and hunting leases, small-game hunting for fox and gray squirrels remains an accessible way to introduce young hunters to the outdoors.
Helping with that effort is the Texas Youth Hunting Program, a joint program of the Texas Wildlife Association and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Briana Nicklow, TYHP East Texas field operations coordinator, sees squirrel hunting as a good way for young people to learn the basics of hunting.
“Squirrel season holds a special place in the hearts of many East Texans. As a starting place to teaching safety and outdoor ethics, it is important to the development of young hunters. The stakes are (relatively) a lot lower than on a deer hunt,” Nicklow said.
Unlike sitting in a deer blind, hunting squirrels through East Texas woods keeps young hunters moving and gives them a chance to put what they learned in hunter education classes into practice.
“Youth hunters have to practice muzzle control and safe firearm handling while walking through the woods in search of squirrel. Considering safe zones of fire and safe field carries takes what they learned in the classroom and directly applies it to the field,” Nicklow said.
Nicklow said East Texas bottomlands also offer a good setting for beginners because there is plenty of wildlife to observe, even when the squirrels aren’t cooperating.
“There is usually a lot to see and watch— even if it is not the game you’re after. It’s great learning grounds for how to observe wildlife,” Nicklow said.
She has also noticed more families becoming interested in hunting as a way to better understand where their food comes from. Nicklow said she believes that families want to connect with where their food comes from in a way they haven’t seen previously.
For many longtime East Texans, squirrel hunting is nothing new.
Outdoor writer Steve Lightfoot recalled the tradition in his TPWD article, “Bucketfuls of Bushy-Tails,” describing an East Texas of the 1950s and ‘60s when the Oct. 1 squirrel opener was an important date on the calendar. Squirrel camps, campfire meals and children learning to hunt with single-shot .22 rifles were part of the tradition.
TPWD surveys cited by Lightfoot showed the number of Texas squirrel hunters dropped from 231,000 in the early 1980s to 71,000 by 2003.
Finding a place to hunt can be one of the biggest challenges for families wanting to get started. More than 95% of Texas land is privately owned, making access difficult for those who do not already have a place to hunt.
TYHP helps address that problem by working with landowners to host managed weekend hunts for youth and their families.
Nicklow said that landowner generosity is “the only way we are able to operate hunts at the rate we do, over 200 last season alone.”
In addition to introducing young people to hunting, the program can help landowners manage wildlife populations on their property.
To participate in a TYHP mentored hunt, youth must be 9 to 17 years old, have a valid Texas youth hunting license, complete hunter education, join the Texas Wildlife Association and be accompanied by an adult guardian.
TYHP gives priority to first-time hunters. The $250 registration fee covers the youth hunter and guardian, including lodging, meals and instruction for the weekend. Financial assistance is available.
For more information about mentored youth hunts or becoming a host landowner, visit tyhp.org, call 210-826-2904 or email bnicklow@texas-wildlife.org.
2026-27 TPWD squirrel regulations: Wood County and East Texas
Youth-only season: Sept. 25-27, 2026. Open to licensed hunters 16 and younger.
General fall/winter season: Oct. 1, 2026-Feb. 28, 2027.
General spring season: May 1-31, 2027.
Bag and possession limits: 10 squirrels daily; 20 in possession.
Youth hunting license: Hunters under 17 may purchase a Texas Youth Hunting License for $7.
Hunter education: Hunters born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must meet Texas hunter education requirements. Hunters ages 9-16 must complete hunter education or be accompanied by a qualified licensed hunter who is at least 17. Hunters under 9 must be accompanied.