Fort Worth District
Lakes and Recreation Menu
Hunting at Benbrook Lake
Attention All Hunters
You may review the 2024-2025 Fort Worth District Hunting Guide by clicking here. Please review to learn the rules and requirements for hunting in the Fort Worth District and Benbrook Lake.
For the Benbrook Lake Mobile Hunting Map, scan the QR code below with your smart phone.
To access the Benbrook Lake Mobile Hunting Map on your computer, click HERE
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has depicted this spatial data as a representation of the various geographic information gathered from multiple sources. This data should be viewed only as a representation of the data, and should not be used for any other purpose. No guarantee is made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the accuracy or completeness of the data or their suitability for a particular use.
The application period for the 2024-2025 fall hunt at Benbrook Lake is now CLOSED. Please click
HERE
for the list of winners!
Hunting areas were slightly modified in recent years.
Please be sure to familiarize
yourself with the new map.
Hunters who won a hunting permit for the previous season but did not turn in a hunting survey
at the end of their hunt may not be eligible for the following season at Benbrook Lake.
Click Here
for the hunter's survey report. Please submit
photos of game and your hunting experience to the Lake's
email
.
Please click
HERE
for the harvest results for the 2022/2023 hunt.
If you have any questions about Benbrook's hunting policies or application
procedure, please
contact us
.
Areas:
ACCESS TO THE HUNTING AREA FROM LONGHORN PARK IS
PROHIBITED. HUNTERS MAY NOT CROSS SOUTHWEST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
PROPERTY.
Approximately 1,400 acres (958 acres land +
approximately 400 acres of water surface)
in Tarrant County are available for public hunting. Hunting is not the
exclusive
use of these areas. Some areas may be used by hikers, equestrian riders,
bird
watchers, etc.. so exercise caution. While much of the boundary is fenced
and
marked, some areas are not.
It is the hunter’s responsibility to become familiar with the area and
the
limits of public lands.Hunting on public land does not give any person the
right
to cross or enter private property and you could be charged with
trespassing.
Permits:
All hunters must
obtain a permit each year. Permit periods will be concurrent with the Texas
Parks
and Wildlife hunting license renewal dates. This requirement applies to all
hunters regardless of season or game hunted. Permit requires a valid state
hunting
license, hunter safety card, signed liability waiver, and identification
(copy
of
driver's license). Hunters may register for a permit by sending a copy of
the
required documentation to: Benbrook Lake Office, 7001 Lakeside Dr. Ft.
Worth,
TX
76132.
No applications via fax will be accepted.
All
permitted
hunters will receive a permit card. Hunters must have this card on their
person
when hunting at Benbrook Lake. By accepting this card, hunters acknowledge
receipt
and understanding of hunting policy and applicable state laws. Hunting
without
a
valid hunting permit may constitute state and federal penalties.
Lottery:
A lottery will
be
drawn in August for each 2-week hunting period. Deadline for the lottery
is
listed on the hunting application. Each hunter may be limited to one win
once during the season. Permits will be mailed to all winners. The
list of winners will be posted at the project office. Winners' names
will
not be given over the telephone.
Hunting Partners:
Applicants may
list the name, address, telephone number, of a partner on his/her
application.
The partner will automatically receive a permit if the primary hunter's name
is
drawn. Each applicant may enter his/her name only once in the lottery
system. In
other words, you and your partner should not both submit applications. If
you
plan to list a partner let the person know in advance so there are no
duplicate
entries.
Duplicate entries will result in the name being removed
from
the lottery.
Please note all hunters and partners must sign a
liability waiver form and meet Hunter Education requirements.
Hunters Safety Course:
All
persons hunting on Corps managed land must have proof of completion of a
State
Hunter Safety Course if born on or after 2 September 1971. Certifications
from
other states or the U.S. military will be accepted. Concealed handgun
permits
do
not satisfy this requirement. TPWD one-time safety certification waivers are
honored.
Age Requirements:
Children 12
to 17 years of age must be accompanied by an adult with a hunter’s
safety
certification and valid Texas hunting license. Children under 12 may
accompany
an
adult, but are not allowed to hunt. Children 17 and under accompanying a
permitted
adult hunter do not need their own permit.
Blaze Orange:
All hunters
are
required to wear a minimum of 400 square inches of daylight fluorescent
orange
above the waist (at least 144 square inches must be visible on both the
chest
and
back) and some type of orange head wear when walking in a designated hunting
area.
Persons hunting turkey, waterfowl, or migratory birds may remove the orange
outerwear when they reach their blind or immediate hunting area.
Means and Methods:
Deer,
hog,
and turkey hunting is restricted to archery only. Shotguns are authorized
for
hunting other legal species. Anyone hunting with a shotgun may not use, or
possess
any shot larger than #2. The use of non-toxic USFW approved shot is required
for
waterfowl hunting. All weapons must be unloaded when transported to or from
or
between hunting sites. Target practice or the "sighting in" of any
weapon is prohibited. Rifles, handguns, air rifles, and muzzleloaders are
prohibited. Crossbows may be used per TPWD regulations.
Feeding / Baiting:
Installation of feeders is prohibited. Hand scattering of corn or feed, and
use of
feed or mineral blocks are allowed.
It is illegal to hunt migratory
game
birds in a baited area.
Construction of feeder pens is prohibited.
Use of Calls:
Calling
devices
(including manual and mouth operated), recordings, and electronically
amplified
calls may be used to hunt game animals and game birds, except electronic
calls
may
not be used to hunt migratory game birds.
Artificial Light:
Light
of
any form that casts or reflects a beam of light onto or otherwise
illuminates
a
game animal or bird may not be used as an aid to hunt.
600 Foot Buffer:
Hunting
is
prohibited anywhere signs are posted stating "No Hunting” as well
as
within 600 feet of homes, roads, fishing piers, outlet structures, farm and
ranch
yards, and the boundary of developed parks.
Hunting Blinds:
Natural
hunting blinds made of loose materials or portable blinds are authorized for
hunting deer or waterfowl. No standing vegetation, live or dead, may be cut
for
any purpose. Hunting blinds
may not
be built in, nailed or
screwed to trees. Tree stands are restricted to portable, non-bark
penetrating
types only.
All blinds must have hunter’s name, date of
installation, address and phone number
written legibly and placed
at
the entry point of the blind in an obvious location.
Blinds must be
removed at the end of each hunters 2 week permit
. Screw in or nail
in
tree steps and spikes are prohibited.
Sport Chasing/Hunting with Dogs/Trapping:
Sport chasing and hunting with dogs is strictly PROHIBITED on
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
property. All dogs on USACE property at Benbrook Lake must be kept on a
leash under
6 ft in length per Title 36, 327.11a. All hunting areas are multiuse
recreation areas
and must abide by this regulation. Trapping or snaring game or furbearers is
PROHIBITED.
Legal Game / Seasons:
Dove,
quail, squirrel, rabbit, waterfowl, turkey, whitetail deer, and feral hog.
Hunting seasons and bag limits are determined by
the
State of Texas for Tarrant County.
All state hunting laws
apply on Corps of Engineers managed lands. Furbearers and non-game species
may
not
be hunted or taken.
Camping:
Camping is not
allowed within the hunting areas or at access points. Camping is available
only in
designated campsites at public parks at Benbrook Lake.
Vehicles / Parking:
All vehicles must be parked at the designated access points identified
on
the
map or at a boat ramp if accessing the area by boat.
Vehicles
should
not be parked blocking gates. It is a violation of Federal regulations to
drive a
vehicle through, around or beyond a restrictive sign, recognizable
barricade,
fence, or traffic control barrier. Use of off-road vehicles is prohibited in
hunting areas. Unauthorized use of vehicles or ATV’s may constitute
trespassing and/or revocation of hunting permit.
Reporting:
Each
permitted hunter must complete and return a
hunter activity survey
, no
later
than March 1st, to the Benbrook Lake project office.
This survey
will
be used to compile harvest data.
Violations:
Violators of
any
of these provisions are subject to a fine and/or loss of hunting privileges.
By
accepting a hunter registration card, hunters agree that they have been
furnished
a copy of and understand this policy and agree to comply with it and all
applicable state hunting laws. All hunters are asked not to litter the
hunting
area.
Information:
Additional
information may be obtained by calling the Benbrook Lake Office at
817-292-2400.
This condensed hunting policy statement may not be all-inclusive. If a
specific
question or situation is not addressed here, contact the Benbrook Lake
Office
for
more information or clarification.
It is the Policy of the Corps of Engineers to provide the public with safe,
healthful and varied outdoor recreation opportunities; promote the
enhancement
of
fish and wildlife resources; protect endangered species and their habitats,
assure
aesthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings; maintain an environment
which
supports diversity; and strive for a balance between public use and
maintenance of
a quality environment.
OUR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GOAL is to ensure the conservation,
preservation,
protection, and enhancement of those resources so present and future
generations
may use and enjoy them.
STEWARDSHIP (Management) of forest, range, wetland, and park vegetation
resources
is essential to achieve these goals. Lake and adjacent lands are managed to
provide for clean water, erosion control, wildlife, timber, aesthetics, and
recreation. Habitat diversity is a cornerstone of our stewardship program.
PUBLIC HUNTING is utilized by the Corps of Engineers as a management tool to
obtain our natural resource goal while providing recreational opportunities
to
the
public. There are approximately 148,000 acres of Corps of Engineers lands
and
water available to hunt in Fort Worth District.
The CORPS PUBLIC HUNTING PROGRAM continues to evolve based on input from the
public and as the State of Texas Laws and Regulations change for their
hunting
program. Changes to the Corps hunting program are made in an effort to
provide
the
best possible cost efficient and safe public hunting opportunity while
continuing
to preserve our natural resources.
The STRENGTH of our Public Hunting Program is its DIVERSITY. Each hunting
program
is developed at the lake site in close coordination with Texas Parks and
Wildlife
Biologists to achieve our management goals. Restrictions placed on the
hunter
are
necessitated by reason of public health, public safety, maintenance,
conservation
of our Natural Resources, and/or to provide a safer hunt to the hunter. For
further information about your hunting opportunities, please call or write
the
hunting coordinator at the lake of your choice.
Hunting Applications
Policy
Our Philosophy
