Texas Porch

Hunting / Seasons at a glance

Seasons at a glance.

A quick what's-open-when view for the 2026-2027 season. Tap any animal for the full card with limits, license add-ons, quirks, and the official link. Many seasons and limits depend on your county, so use this to orient, then confirm.

Big game

Deer, pronghorn, javelina, and the rare bighorn hunt.

  • Season(s)
    • Archery only: Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026 (252 of 254 counties)
    • General (rifle), North Zone: Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027
    • General (rifle), South Zone: Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 17, 2027
    • Special Late (North / South): Jan. 4-17, 2027 / Jan. 18-31, 2027
    • Youth-only (Early / Late): Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2026 / Jan. 4-17, 2027
    • Muzzleloader only: Jan. 4-17, 2027 (90 counties)
    Daily limit Statewide cap is 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks. But your county limit is often lower, and some counties add antler rules. Always check your county.
  • Season(s)
    • General - Panhandle: Nov. 21 - Dec. 6, 2026
    • General - Trans-Pecos: Nov. 27 - Dec. 13, 2026
    • Archery - Panhandle / Trans-Pecos: Oct. 3 - Nov. 20, 2026 / Oct. 3 - Nov. 26, 2026
    Daily limit 2 mule deer per year, no more than 1 buck. Taking an antlerless mule deer usually needs a special permit.
  • Season(s)
    • General: Oct. 3-18, 2026
    Daily limit 1 per permit.
  • Season(s)
    • North Zone: Oct. 1, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027
    • South Zone: Open year-round
    Daily limit 2 per license year.
  • Season(s)
    • By drawn permit: Set with the awarded permit
    Daily limit Extremely limited; set by the drawn permit.

Upland birds

Turkey, quail, pheasant, and chachalaca.

  • Season(s)
    • Rio Grande, Spring (North / South): Apr. 3 - May 16, 2027 / Mar. 20 - May 2, 2027
    • Rio Grande, Fall (North / South): Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027 / Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 17, 2027
    • Rio Grande, Archery only: Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 2026
    • One-gobbler counties (spring): Apr. 1-30, 2027
    • Eastern turkey (spring only): Apr. 22 - May 14, 2027
    Daily limit Statewide, the limit is 4 turkeys a year, and no more than 1 may come from the East Zone (the Eastern turkey). This season, counties that used to allow either sex let you take only gobblers and bearded hens.
  • Season(s)
    • Statewide: Nov. 1, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027
    Daily limit 15 per day, possession 45.
  • Season(s)
    • Open counties: Dec. 5, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027
    Daily limit 3 cocks (males) per day, possession 9. Hens are off-limits.
  • Season(s)
    • Open counties: Nov. 1, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027
    Daily limit 5 per day, possession 15.

Migratory birds

Dove, ducks, geese, teal, crane, and more — federal rules apply.

  • Season(s)
    • North: Sept. 1 - Nov. 8, 2026 and Dec. 18, 2026 - Jan. 7, 2027
    • Central: Sept. 1 - Oct. 25, 2026 and Dec. 11, 2026 - Jan. 14, 2027
    • South: Sept. 1 - Oct. 25, 2026 and Dec. 18, 2026 - Jan. 21, 2027
    Daily limit 15 per day (mourning, white-winged, and white-tipped combined), with no more than 2 white-tipped. Possession is 3x the daily limit (45).
  • Season(s)
    • High Plains: Oct. 24-25, 2026 and Oct. 30, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
    • North Zone: Nov. 14-29, 2026 and Dec. 5, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
    • South Zone: Nov. 7-29, 2026 and Dec. 12, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
    • Youth / Veterans days: The weekend before each zone opens
    Daily limit 6 ducks per day total, with species caps inside that: no more than 5 mallards (only 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, plus tighter caps on pintail, scaup, and 'dusky' ducks. Dusky ducks are closed the first 5 days of each zone. Mergansers count in your 6. Coots: 15 per day. These species caps change yearly — check the official page.
  • Season(s)
    • Early Canada goose (East): Sept. 12-27, 2026
    • Dark geese (West / East): Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 7, 2027 / Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
    • Light geese (West / East): Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 7, 2027 / Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 19, 2027
    Daily limit Set yearly by zone and goose type — check the official page.
  • Season(s)
    • Early teal: Sept. 19-27, 2026
    Daily limit 6 per day, possession 18.
  • Season(s)
    • Zone A: Oct. 31, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
    • Zone B: Nov. 27, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
    • Zone C: Dec. 12, 2026 - Jan. 17, 2027
    Daily limit 3 per day in Zones A and B; 2 per day in Zone C.
  • Season(s)
    • Snipe (Wilson's): Nov. 7, 2026 - Feb. 21, 2027
    • Woodcock: Dec. 18, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
    • Rails, gallinules & moorhens: Sept. 19-27, 2026 and Nov. 7, 2026 - Jan. 6, 2027
    Daily limit Snipe: 8 per day. Woodcock: 3 per day. Rails, gallinules & moorhens: 15 per day.

Small game

Squirrel, rabbits, and hares.

  • Season(s)
    • East Texas: Oct. 1, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027 and May 1-31, 2027
    • Other open counties: Year-round
    • Youth-only (East Texas): Sept. 25-27, 2026
    Daily limit 10 per day in East Texas; no limit in other open counties.
  • Season(s)
    • Statewide: No closed season — open all year
    Daily limit No limit.

Other animals

Alligator and feral hogs.

  • Season(s)
    • Core counties (22, mostly Gulf Coast): Sept. 10-30, 2026
    • All other (non-core) counties: Apr. 1 - June 30, 2027
    Daily limit Non-core counties: 1 alligator per person, per year, on private land with the owner's permission.
  • Season(s)
    • Statewide: No closed season — hunt any time
    Daily limit No limit — take as many as you like.

Furbearers

Raccoon, fox, bobcat-adjacent fur animals, and more.

  • Season(s)
    • Hunting for recreation: Open with a hunting license; trapping follows set seasons
    Daily limit No bag or possession limit when hunted for recreation (not to sell the fur).

Nongame

Coyote, bobcat, and other unprotected animals.

Exotics

Axis, aoudad, nilgai, and other free-ranging non-natives.

  • Season(s)
    • Private land: No closed season, no limit
    Daily limit No limit.

Official sources

Season dates come from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Many depend on your county, so confirm there before you hunt.

Data vintage:
Built on the 2026-2027 season
Last reviewed:
June 15, 2026

Caution: Seasons and limits reset every year, and migratory-bird limits follow a federal framework. The official TPWD pages are the final word.

Spot something that needs a Texas check? This first pass is built to be polished over time. Send the page name, county, parcel context if relevant, and the official source you are looking at. Email Texas Porch.