Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States, so how do you get into archery? How can you bowhunt? Is there a good collegiate program in Texas?
Archery has many different aspects and questions involved in it. This question and answer section for Texas will help debunk some of the biggest questions Texans have about archery within their state.
Texas archery has a big contingency when it comes to collegiate, national tournaments and bowhunting around the US. We are here to answer big questions to help you on your archery journey!
How do I start archery for the first time in Texas?
Starting archery is probably easier than you think it is. You can be of any skill level, any ability, and pretty much any age. With different types of archery and bows, any and everyone can join in! So, how can archery be started in Texas?
ArcheryUP has instructors throughout the USA, including Texas, who are prepped and ready to give an intro into archery, through to private lessons for individuals or groups of beginners. Have a read through our ultimate guide for beginners to have a basic understanding of what archery is, how to start it and what it is all about.
If you have never picked up a bow, and not too sure if it is for you, head over to your local pro shop (find the list of pro shops around Texas below), and have a chat with the staff. They will be able to help you decide whether you want to shoot recurve bows, compound bows, longbows, or barebow. Go into bowhunting, field or target archery.
With 36 USA Archery clubs in Texas, there are plenty of options to head to a registered range to start your archery journey now. Unless you would prefer the comfort of your own backyard, then hit us up now and get started!
What will I learn in an archery class?
During your first archery class with an ArcheryUP instructor, you will learn all of the basics you need to know about the sport. How to position yourself, how to release the string and shoot the arrow, range safety, what a bow and arrow actually look like. Everything like that.
Throughout the course of lessons, your instructor will progress your shooting at your pace. Our ArcheryUP instructors use the Straight Shot System, and are the only instructors to do so. It is the most precise step-by-step learning system that is developed for archery.
Your instructor will sit down with you and design a personalized lesson plan, to work around your schedule, what you want to achieve and how quickly you want to learn. You do not even need to have any archery experience prior to starting your journey!
Archery classes will teach the basics, starting at shorter distances to ensure accuracy and safety are completed before progressing through the weeks and shooting longer distances and higher poundage bows.
Throughout the classes, you will be able to discover different types of bows and archery. It will give you a feel of what you want to pursue, whether that is field archery, target archery, bowhunting, compound, recurve, barebow.
Where can I find an archery range in Texas?
There are 36 USA Archery approved clubs in Texas state. USA Archery’s website is the best place to find a USA Archery approved club, have a look here for all clubs in Texas state.
All USA Archery approved clubs are required to have a minimum of one current USA Archery Level 2 or higher Certified Instructor or Coach to lead the club.
The top 3 Yelp archery ranges per major city in Texas are as follows:
- Texas Archery
5833 Treaschwig Rd, Spring, TX 77373
- X10 Archery
9701 Honeywell Rd, Houston, TX 77074
- West Houston Archery
11522 Katy Fwy #104, Houston, TX 77043
- Archery Country
8121 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78758
- Shady Oaks Gun Range
3100 Woodall Dr, Cedar Park, TX 78613
- Central Texas Archery
5400 E Howard Ln, Manor, TX 78653
- Texas Archery Academy
600 Accent Dr B, Plano, TX 75075
- Elm Fork Shooting Sports
10751 Luna Rd, Dallas, TX 75220
- Mission Ridge Range and Academy
4507 N Loop 1604 W Acc Rd, San Antonio, TX 78249
- Mission Ridge Range & Academy
4507 N Loop 1604 W Acc Rd, San Antonio, TX 78249
- Mesquite Archery
5711 Kenwick St, San Antonio, TX 78238
- Leading Edge Archery
117 Industrial Dr, Boerne, TX 78006
Do I need to shoot archery at an outdoor or indoor range?
Archery does not need to be done solely outdoors. While outdoor ranges will give longer distances to shoot at, they are not the only ranges available. A lot of ranges will have access to an indoor range as well, for the indoor season.
Indoor season is usually during the winter months, October through March, where shorter distances (20 yards or 18 meters) are shot. The outdoor season starts in mid April, where distances up to 70 meters are shot, depending on the discipline being shot.
Each season has its own competition scene, meaning archery can be done year-round. Being able to access both ranges will help improve your skills as practice can be done year round, without having to take a season off.
Most local archery pro shops will have an indoor range and lucky ones have an outdoor one too. This means that it can be used for trial of equipment or practice for locals.
Due to the fact that archery can be done indoors or outdoors, you do not have to commit to just indoors or just outdoors, which is great for inclusivity and year round shooting.
Can I shoot archery in my backyard in Texas?
While the generic answer is yes, some counties might need to inspect your backyard ‘range’. An ordinance officer will just need to ensure it is safe and supply a permit to the owner. On a state level, Texas does not prohibit shooting a bow (recurve, compound, or barebow) and arrow in your backyard. You are allowed to do target practice in your home/backyard. Some counties, however, do not allow backyard shooting within city limits. The best way to be one hundred percent sure on the matter is to contact local authorities to get each county answer.
In order to set up a safe range to practice archery in your backyard, we have some more information. {Disclaimer, to be ultimately sure, please contact a local lawyer for legal advice, or local police for information regarding shooting in your backyard.}
It is very important to ensure safety when setting up an archery range in your backyard. Having a strong sports net or something strong as a backstop behind the target to catch any stray arrows is a must. Especially if there are other gardens, young children, pets, etc, behind where you are shooting. Ensuring there is no threat to society in the vicinity is essential to a safe range.
It is also a great idea to inform your neighbors that you will be practicing in your backyard. Purely so they do not get a shock, suddenly walk into your garden, or wonder what you are doing.
Avoid shooting towards any roads, houses or areas where the public can walk behind your target.
If you are not a trained instructor, avoid teaching friends and family to shoot your bow. It could cause injury to yourself, others or the public if you are not sure what you are actually doing.
What are the hunting seasons in Texas?
Hunting seasons change depending on the animal type, the state, and the hunting style. Texas has archery-only seasons for turkey, mule deer and white-tailed deer in the autumn.
It is possible to hunt on private land in Texas, provided you own or get permission from the landowner to hunt as a guest, or pay the landowner to hunt on the land.
According to Outdoor Annual, here are the following dates for the 2022 hunting season for archery specifically;
Mule Deer – Archery season
59 out of 254 counties – October 1 – November 4
White-tailed deer – Archery season
252 out of 254 counties – October 1 – November 4
More details about hunting seasons can be found at this link, with further details.
We firmly advise checking local rules and regulations around hunting in your area before doing so, as laws, rules and regulations could change.
How can I get a bowhunting license in Texas?
A bowhunter will need to purchase a hunting license, with an additional endorsement in order to bowhunt.
In order to obtain a bowhunting license in Texas, you must purchase an Archery Endorsement license. This is required to be able to hunt game animals during an Archery-Only open season, and hunt deer at any time in Collin, Dallas, Grayson, or Rockwall counties.
Texas residents and non-residents are able to purchase one of these Archery Hunting Endorsements. It is a fee of $7.
Can I go bowhunting in Texas?
Bowhunting in Texas is lawful, but with strict rules. In this section we will run through some of the main rules (please be aware there are more rules and regulations to be aware of and this is a brief overview), to keep yourselves and others hunting with you safe and lawful.
Compound bows, crossbows, longbows, and recurve bows are all lawful archery equipment that can be used for bowhunting in Texas. Lawful archery equipment may not be used to hunt deer during the Muzzleloader-Only deer season. It is also only lawful for non-protected non-game animals.
When hunting game animals and game birds, an arrow or crossbow bolt may not be poisoned, drugged, or explosive. When hunting turkey, and all other game animals (other than squirrels), arrows and crossbow bolts need to be equipped with a broadhead hunting point.
While some states require a minimum requirement for arrow or bolt lengths, Texas does not. Along with no restrictions or minimum requirements for arrow material, arrow weight, lighted nocks, broadhead lengths or diameter, number of cutting edges, broadhead material, or mechanical broadheads.
In order to hunt deer during Archery-Only Open Season, an Archery Endorsement is required. This also goes for deer, turkey and/or javelina hunting at any time in Collin, Dallas, Grayson, and Rockwall counties during a general open season for crossbows.
Longbows, compound bows, recurve bows do not have a minimum draw requirement. Lighted pins, sight magnification, overdraw rests, and devices that allow a bow to be locked at full or partial draw are lawful during any season when lawful archery equipment may be used.
More information on this can be found here.
Are crossbows allowed for bowhunting in Texas?
Crossbows are legally allowed to be used for bowhunting in the state of Texas. This is during both Archery Only and General Seasons. However, there are regulations to hunt deer during the Archery Only Open Season. These regulations are in Grayson County, Dallas, Collin, and Rockwall and some units of public hunting lands do still restrict the use of crossbows during the Archery Only season unless a person has a permanent upper limb disability, so ensure to read up on this and be clued in.
Any person can use a crossbow to hunt game animals, game birds in any county, including Collin, Dallas, Grayson and Rockwall counties during a general open season or Eastern spring Turkey season.
Crossbows are not allowed to hunt deer during the Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season, but are lawful for non-protected nonage animals.
It is important to note that it is unlawful for any person to hunt threatened, endangered, or protected non-game species within Texas.
Can I do archery as a birthday party idea?
Archery is a great way to celebrate a birthday party. Our ArcheryUP instructors are well trained in teaching archery with a lot of fun involved. From different games, such as tie-tac-toe, to darts, to archery tag can all be played with archery.
The sport itself is great for all ages from about 5 years old and up. This means they will have enough strength to pull back the string and shoot the arrows to hit the target. Whether you want a group of children to learn archery in its fullest form and shoot at the targets, or to run around and play archery tag. Our instructors will be able to create an incredible fun, enjoyable, and memorable party for all age groups.
Archery birthday parties can also be a part of a wider party, such as bouncy castles (provided they are not near the sharp arrows, because that would not end well!), to create smaller break off groups within the party, whilst keeping all of the party goers busy.
Even for adults this is a great idea. Whether it is for archery birthday parties, weekend ideas, creating a great and different bbq party, stag dos. There is an element of archery that will create such a great atmosphere to enjoy and create memories.
Can I shoot NASP in Texas?
Texas is a state that is part of the NASP (National Archery in the Schools Programme), TX-NASP. The programme provides target archery lessons and tuition to 4th-12th graders during physical education classes. Any student of any ability or skill levels is able to participate in the programme. There are currently over 1700 schools that participate in the programme throughout the state.
The NASP programme can lead through to the JOAD programme, at a later age for target archers who want to compete on the National circuit. Archery can help engage children in the school curriculum. The sport itself helps with confidence, concentration, teamwork and dedication, all of these attributes can help a child grow and develop better.
Does Texas have a strong collegiate archery program?
Texas has one of the best archery collegiate programs in the country. Texas A&M University is one of the biggest and most successful collegiate programs in the US.
The university has numerous championship titles, legendary archers, Olympic medalist Vic Wunderle studied there. The university travels around the States to compete, both individually and as a team.
Casey Kaufhold, USA’s 2020 Olympian, will be one of the newest members of the Aggies as she joins Texas A&M University.
The Texas A&M team are the twenty-two time National Champions, with team members in recurve, compound, bowhunter and barebow divisions.
TAMU does welcome new members that are required to try out during the third week at the start of the fall semester. So if you are joining TAMU, make sure to check out their archery collegiate program and get signed up!
How do I get started?
So you live in Texas and you have decided you want to start archery, great! That is why ArcheryUp is here. We have instructors throughout the state that are here to get you started, create memories, and help you enjoy the sport.
We will come to you, you can come to us, it is entirely on your schedule and we will be there to get you shooting! Check here for more details on how to get started with an ArcheryUP instructor in Texas now.
Head over to our website and get in contact today to discuss what you are looking for and get started in this amazing sport!
