Texas House Bill HB 4939

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 3/13/25

Caption

Relating to the ownership of deer in this state.

Summary

HB 4939 would change Texas law to treat deer differently from other wild animals. Under current Parks and Wildlife Code, wild animals are generally owned by the people of Texas; this bill would create an exception making a deer the personal property of the landowner when the deer is located on a tract of land enclosed by a fence at least seven feet high that is capable of retaining the deer under reasonable and ordinary circumstances. The bill also clarifies that the general rule about wild animals being state property does not apply to deer in that specific fenced setting. The measure would amend Sections 1.011 and 1.013 of the Parks and Wildlife Code and would take effect September 1, 2025. In practical terms, it would create a statutory property right in certain deer for landowners who maintain high, deer-retaining fences, while leaving the existing public ownership rule in place for other wild animals and for deer outside the bill’s fenced-enclosure exception.

Impact

HB 4939 would narrow the state’s general ownership claim over wildlife by carving out a new private-property category for deer on sufficiently fenced land. It would affect landowners, deer breeders or managed-game operations, and potentially hunters, wildlife regulators, and neighboring property owners by changing who has legal ownership of deer in enclosed tracts. The bill would also modify the legal effect of fences under the Parks and Wildlife Code by expressly stating that, except for the deer exception, fences do not alter the status of wild animals as state property.

Sentiment

Based on the available context, the bill appears to have been treated as a straightforward wildlife-property measure and was referred to the House Culture, Recreation & Tourism Committee without recorded floor votes or committee transcript debate in the provided materials. Because there are no transcripts or votes included, there is no documented public split or formal sentiment to assess from the record here. The bill’s framing suggests support from landowner or game-management interests, but the provided materials do not show explicit opposition or endorsement.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the shift from public ownership of wildlife to private ownership of deer in a fenced enclosure, which could raise concerns about wildlife management, enforcement, and the broader precedent for privatizing animals traditionally held in trust by the state. Supporters would likely emphasize landowner control and certainty for fenced deer operations, while opponents may worry about impacts on public wildlife policy, hunting regulation, and the definition of what counts as a sufficiently secure fence. No specific objections or named opponents appear in the supplied committee materials.