Background: The State of Texas allows counties to prohibit or regulate hunting with bows and arrows on lots that are 10 acres or smaller and are located in the unincorporated area of the county in a subdivision. The Commissioners’ Court of Montgomery County has previously elected not to regulate this activity. This petition requests that the county prohibit bowhunting on smaller properties as described below.

Why this matters: A bow hunter must be able to track prey that has been wounded so that it may be humanely put down. Prey that has been shot will usually run some distance before falling. This distance will often take the animal beyond the hunter’s own property line, necessitating that the hunter either trespass to reach the animal, or abandon the prey to a slow death.

Further, a modern crossbow can launch an arrow more than 1,000 feet, endangering neighboring properties. Even if your subdivision prohibits hunting, the adjoining subdivision may not. Passing this law will allow you to call law enforcement to protect your safety and rights, rather than just filing a complaint with a homeowners' association.

PETITION: We request that the Commissioners' Court prohibit hunting with bows and arrows on lots that are 10 acres or smaller and are located in the unincorporated area of the county in a subdivision, in accordance with Texas Local Gov’t Code § 235.042:

AUTHORITY TO REGULATE. (a) To promote the public safety, the commissioners court of a county by order may prohibit or otherwise regulate hunting with bows and arrows on lots that are 10 acres or smaller and are located in the unincorporated area of the county in a subdivision. (b) In this section, "hunting" means to hunt as defined by Section 1.101, Parks and Wildlife Code.

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