Sorry but im new to hunting. Riddicule away , seriously i feel like me asking this is way hella dumb but i honestly dont know.
I want to start hunting on public lands in texas. I work all over the state and looked on the map and literally i could throw a rock and be on
texas state hunting lands in east texas. i mean im like right next to it not even ten minuets down the street.

So heres the dumb question, What do i need and or have to do ? as i have never done it before. I have the hunter safety course done,
I have a license from the state , its out the end of the month 31st but a new one is 25$ away online.  of course my rifle is at home because of work. they search
us on the rigs and dont want us to carry , but i will find a way around that that does not violate the rules. if i have to leave it at a friends house in town so be it

SO , what do i have to do ? i have never hunted public lands before. Do i pay a fee ? i read the pages in the annual and i see the card to fill out however im sure most
people dont care. Ill fill out a dumb card about what i saw , but whats the process before i go ? roll up pay a fee at a booth or what ? what times are they open ?

I do not know ... thanks for entertaining my retartedness

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can chime in, as I don't hunt public land or hunt in Texas, but in my area you make sure you're legal (the state will put out a reg book detailing licensing, back tags (if required in TX), mandatory amount of orange (if required), legal implements and their seasons.

Once thats covered, pick your spot, park your vehicle (legally) and head out into the woods.

Keep in mind it can be a free for all on public land, so be sure to get in early, use a flashlight, be mindful of other hunters, and try to get the fuck away from everyone else. The further you walk away from roads, the better.

Keep your eyes peeled for other hunters in trees, and listen for whistles. I'd highly recommend a ton of blaze orange for hunting public land. If you run into someone, do a 180 and remove yourself from the area as quietly as possible the same way you came in.

Thank you for that intel , I have driven to the locations I would like to hunt without any gear. just scouting the area's. as far as i can see its just fill out the slip part b which you put in the box in the parking area and then head into the woods. the burnt orange is 400 inches and must have burnt orange hat. thats a good point about the whislte that others would use that to say there here. and I will start getting my gear ordered and mailed into the house a small flash light sounds good as i was going to a low budget thermal or night vision scope for pre dawn.

I just didnt want to head out by myself and feel stupid , apparently im anti socail and being out in the woods by myself is not something either of my only 2 friends wants to do lol .. there missing out.  Im planning on going for hog depopulation to start with because thats all year round here in texas.

On the Android store Texas OA (outdoor annual) has the most bad ass app I have ever used. its the book you mentioned. Has maps of areas and can use GPS to pin point my location in the area.

thanks man , appreciate the intel. i think im good to go

Just to be clear, when I say "whistle", I mean with your mouth only. Some guys also make some sort of bird sound that sounds like a cuckoo clock thats been chain smoking Camels for 30 years. Don't go out there with a rape whistle and start blowing everytime you thing someone is around.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/

Identify where you are going to hunt and look up the specific regs for that area. Some areas are state while some are federal. You need to know what fire arm is legal, some public lands don't allow rifles. The federal land I hunt occasionally requires 1 sq ft of blaze orange on the torso and a blaze hat. Also, this area is buck only...I can only shoot does the week of Thanksgiving, with bow/black powder/shotgun, antler restrictions apply...Again, identify the regs specific to the area you wish to hunt.

Use good manners and be nice to people, but don't assume others you encounter are safe and/or knowledgeable. The further off the beaten path / sections where fewer hunters are you are, the better the odds of seeing something you can harvest. In my experience, the popular areas have great wildlife signs but skiddish, nocturnal game. The extra 10-20 minutes drive on a back road can lead to better hunting. And never, never, never cross a fence unless you are 100% certain you are still on the public land where you are legal to hunt.

ah thank you. you seem to know a bit about what i was asking. I have used the tpwd website quite a bit lately. I have also downloaded the app , Texas OA. outdoor annual. I plan to use the where to hunt , plus my gps so i can keep within the boundaries posted by the state.  I knew some of what you mentioned about the specifics rifles or shot guns and such during certain times. I have noticed that this is normally posted on the area maps freely available on the website.

my real confusion was how to check in. since i have never done that before. I was wondering if there were fees for entry or parking. but the scouting I have done on one location showed that you just pull up park and fill out the paperwork and put it in the box and go about your hunt. I also knew about the burnt orange. I have gotten some Carhartt burnt orange shirts and plan to order the hats online. I plan to wear a complete solid burnt orange shit and solid burnt orange hat regardless of the rules of 400 " or so . the more visible the better.

thanks for the information.

Just a heads up. Never go into the woods hunting a game animal with night vision or thermal gear. For hogs and coyotes its ok, but if you are caught hauling out a buck with a NV scope in your pack you are going to pay the piper.

They are legal for non game species only. Legal hunting light is 30 mins before and after sunset.
A flashlight with a red or green lens will help maintain your natural night vision, and will not disturb the deer as much.

Good hunting.