Foraging / Antlers & finds
The odds and ends people pick up outdoors - a dropped antler, a pretty feather, a stick of firewood. Here's what you can actually keep.
Texas does not publish one simple statewide 'shed hunting' rule. Never collect an antler in a state park, wildlife management area, national park, or wildlife refuge unless that land manager expressly allows it. On private land, get the landowner's permission and be sure it is a naturally shed antler, not part of a dead or illegally taken deer.
Feathers are tempting, but off-limits for native birds. You can't keep the feathers, nests, or eggs of protected birds - even ones you find (see the Wildlife hub). Feathers from legally hunted game birds and a few non-native species are okay.
Don't gather firewood in state parks, and don't move firewood long distances - it spreads tree-killing pests. Buy it where you'll burn it (see the Camping hub).
Official sources
Park collecting rules come from TPWD; bird-feather protection comes from the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Shed-antler legality isn't laid out in a single rule, so when in doubt, ask.
Before you act: Collecting anything - antlers included - is prohibited in state parks, WMAs, and wildlife refuges. For shed antlers elsewhere, confirm with TPWD or the landowner. How to use Texas Porch carefully.
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