Overview
Known For
Texas big game species are whitetail deer, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope. The state is also excellent for multiple subspecies of squirrel, and it’s one of the few places you can hunt javelina.
Terrain
Texas’s terrain includes canyons, islands, valleys, and extinct volcanoes. There are four major landforms in Texas: hills, mountains, plains, and plateaus. Expansive plains cover most of the Gulf Coast, the Panhandle, North Texas, South Texas, and West Texas.
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Texas Hunting Seasons
Rio Grande Turkey. Statewide.
Rio Grande Turkey. Statewide.
Rio Grande Turkey. South Zone.
Texas Hunting Regulations
Alligator
Bag Limit
The bag limit in non-core counties is one alligator per person per license year. In core counties you must posses a CITES tag in order to hunt Alligator.
Antelope
Pronghorn – Permit Only
The harvest of pronghorn is by permit only. The permit must be completely filled out and attached to the pronghorn immediately following harvest. Permits are issued to landowners or their agents in areas where there are huntable populations (Trans-Pecos, Permian Basin and Panhandle). See more information about pronghorn permits.
NOTE: It is the hunter’s responsibility to verify the permits are issued to the property where they are hunting.
Big Game
Shooting Hours
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset.
Deer
White-tailed Deer – Statewide Bag Limits
Bag limits are established by county. No person may exceed the annual bag limit of five white-tailed deer, no more than three of which may be bucks. The annual bag limit does not apply on MLDP properties.
Mule Deer – Statewide Bag Limits
Bag limits are established by county. No person may exceed the annual bag limit of two mule deer, no more than one of which may be a buck. The annual bag limit does not apply on MLDP properties.
Furbearers
Commercial Harvest
- Nutria: September 1 – August 31
- Beaver: October 1 – May 31
- All other furbearers: November 1 – March 31
- No bag or possession limit
Fur-bearing Animal Means & Methods
Fur-bearing animals may be legally taken with:
- Firearms, foothold, body grip, live or box traps, dogs, snares, lawful archery equipment, electronic or hand-held calls, artificial light, falconry, air guns with a minimum size of .30 caliber, and arrow guns (some prohibitions on airguns apply)
Recreational Harvest
- September 1- August 31
- Fur-bearing animals taken as a result of recreational harvest may not be sold
- No bag or possession limit
Fur-bearing Animals Include
Badger, Beaver, Fox, Mink, Muskrat, Nutria, Opossum, Raccoon, Otter, Skunk, and Ring-tailed cat
Javelina
Bag Limits
Two per license year.
Migratory Birds
Dove – North Zone Bag Limit
North Zone Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds (No more than 2 white-tipped)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag
Rails, Gallinules and Moorhens – Bag Limits
King & Clapper Rails: Daily limit: 15 birds in the Aggregate
- Possession Limit: 45 Birds in the aggregate.
Sora & Virgina Rails: Daily Limit: 25 Birds in the aggregate
- Possession Limit: 75 Birds in the aggregate.
Moorhens (Common Gallinules) & Purple Gallinules: Daily limit: 15 birds in the Aggregate
- Possession Limit: 45 Birds in the aggregate.
Woodcock – Bag Limit
Daily limit: 3 Birds
Possession limit: 9 Birds.
Legal Shooting Hours
From one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
During the Special White-winged Dove Days: noon to sunset.
Wilson’s Snipe (Common snipe or Jacksnipe) – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8 birds
Possession Limit: 24 birds
Dove – Central Zone Bag Limit
Central Zone Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds (No more than 2 white-tipped)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag
Dove – South Zone Bag Limit
South Zone Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds (No more than 2 white-tipped)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag
Dove – South Zone Special White-winged Dove Days
Special White-winged Dove Days Daily Bag Limit:15 birds (No more than 2 mourning doves and 2 white-tipped doves)
Possession Limit: 3 times daily bag
Sandhill Crane
Zone C Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 2 birds
Possession Limit: 6 birds
Zone B Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3 birds
Possession Limit: 9 birds
Zone A Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3 birds
Possession Limit: 9 birds
Nontoxic Ammunition Requirement
Sandhill Cranes MAY be taken with lead shot. However, Wildlife Management Areas and Federal Wildlife Refuges have special regulations requiring nontoxic shot for ALL game bird hunting, including Sandhill Cranes.
Shooting Hours
One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Sheep
Desert Bighorn Sheep – Permit Only
The harvest of desert bighorn sheep (DBS) is by permit only. Permits are issued to landowners or their agents. A limited number of permits are also available through “Big Time Texas Hunts”, and other public hunting opportunities.
No person may possess a DBS ram skull obtained after Sept. 1, 2003, unless the skull has been plugged by TPWD or the individual has proof that the skull was legally obtained outside of Texas. Skulls found in the wild may be possessed, provided the individual did not cause or participate in the death of the ram, and TPWD is notified within 48 hours of the skull/horns being found. Individual horns and hornless skulls may be possessed without identification or documentation.
Small Game
Rabbits & Hares
There are no closed seasons, bag limits or possession limits; and, rabbits and hares may be hunted at any time by any lawful means or methods on private property.
Squirrel – Bag Limits
- General season counties (East Texas): 10
- Youth-only season: 10
- Counties with year-round season: No bag limit
Shooting Hours
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset.
Turkey
Bag Limits
Turkey bag limits are determined by county. Please reference county regulations to determine bag limit for where you are hunting.
Upland Bird
Shooting Hours
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset.
Quail – Bag Limit
Bobwhite quail, Scaled quail (blue quail) and Gambel’s quail. No open season for Mearn’s (Montezuma) quail.
Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds
Possession Limit: 45 birds
Upland Game Bird Endorsement is required to hunt quail.
Chachalaca – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 5 birds
Possession Limit: 15 birds
Upland Game Bird Endorsement is required to hunt chachalaca.
Pheasant – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3 cocks
Possession Limit: 9 cocks
Waterfowl
Geese – Eastern Zone Bag Limits
- Early Canada Geese Limits: 5 birds in the aggregate. Possession limit is 15.
- Dark Geese Limits: 5 birds (No more than 2 white-fronted geese). Possession limit is 15.
- Light Geese Limits: 10 birds In the aggregate. No possession limit.
- Conservation Order Light Geese Limits: No bag or possession limit.
Geese – Western Zone Bag Limits
- Dark Geese – Daily Bag Limit: 5 birds (No more than 2 white-fronted geese) Possession limit is 15.
- Light Geese – Daily Bag Limit:10 birds. Possession Limit: None
- Conservation Order Light Geese – Daily Bag Limit: None. Possession Limit: None
Coot Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 15 birds
Possession Limit: Three times daily bag limit
Merganser Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 5 birds May include no more than 2 hooded mergansers
Possession Limit: Three times daily bag limit
Duck Limit
6 (includes mergansers)
Includes no more than:
- 5 mallards (only two of which may be hens)
- 3 wood ducks
- 2 redheads
- 2 canvasback
- 1 scaup
- 1 pintail
- 1 “dusky” duck (mottled duck, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids are closed the first five days of the season in each zone)
All other species not listed: 6
Early Teal – Bag Limit
6 in the aggregate
Nontoxic Ammunition Requirement
Nontoxic ammunition is required for hunting waterfowl.
Legal Shooting Hours
From one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
*Season dates and regulation data provided by 
Texas Licenses, Permits, and Regulations
Texas hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every Texas hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. Texas hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of hunting areas, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for Texas.
Hunting Areas & Zones
Bag limits for Texas’s hunting areas are determined by each county, but no hunter can take more than five whitetail deer, three of which can be antlered. Each hunting area is defined by species and geographic region. Be sure to know the regulations for each area you hunt. Click below to view Texas’s hunting areas in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
TX Private Lands
Over 10,000,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in Texas. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
TX Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate maps of Gov Lands, covering over 9,000,000 acres in Texas. Not all Gov Lands offer access opportunities, check regulations before recreating.
TX Possible Access
onX has mapped 2,700,000 acres of possible access lands in Texas including timber companies and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
TX Hunt Zones
Texas Hunt Zones. Please hunt responsibly, obey all signage and have a safe legal hunt.
Includes 14 Sublayers
- Alligator Hunt Zones
- Chachalaca Hunt Zones
- Dove Hunt Zones
- Duck Hunt Zones
- Goose Hunt Zones
- Javelina Hunt Zones
- Mule Deer Hunt Zones
- Pheasant Hunt Zones
- Sandhill Crane Hunt Zones
- Fall Turkey Hunt Zones
- Whitetail Deer Hunt Zones
- Spring Turkey Hunt Zones
- Whitetail Special Late Season Hunt Zones
- Whitetail Muzzleloader Hunt Zones
TX Public Hunt Areas
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Public Hunting Program shows Wildlife Management Areas and State Parks. All hunters are expected to know the rules of the program.
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