Hunting / What you can hunt
What you can hunt in Texas.
Texas lets you hunt a remarkable range of animals. Here they are, grouped by type. Each one has its own card with where it lives, the season, how many you can take, the license add-ons you need, and the official TPWD link.
Big game
Deer, pronghorn, javelina, and the rare bighorn hunt.
Big game
White-tailed deer
Texas has more whitetail than any other state, and your county usually sets the real rules.
Where: All over the state.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Big game
Mule deer
Found in the drier western parts of the state, with shorter, region-specific seasons.
Where: The Panhandle and the Trans-Pecos (far West Texas).
Seasons, limits & official link ->Big game
Pronghorn (antelope)
A wide-open-country hunt managed by permit, in a limited set of western counties.
Where: The Panhandle and far West Texas — 41 of 254 counties.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Big game
Javelina (collared peccary)
Common in the southern and western brush, with generous seasons.
Where: South and West Texas.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Big game
Desert bighorn sheep
One of the hardest tags to get in Texas — awarded by drawing only.
Where: The mountains of far West Texas.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Upland birds
Turkey, quail, pheasant, and chachalaca.
Upland birds
Wild turkey
Rio Grande turkey covers most of the state; the Eastern turkey in the far east is much more limited. Read this one closely.
Where: Rio Grande: central, southern, and western Texas. Eastern: far East Texas.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Upland birds
Quail
A statewide upland classic with a long winter season.
Where: Statewide. Bobwhite is most common; scaled quail in the west; Gambel's in the far west.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Upland birds
Pheasant
A short, region-only season where hens are off-limits.
Where: Only the Panhandle and South Plains counties.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Upland birds
Chachalaca
Sometimes called the 'Mexican tree pheasant,' found in just four counties.
Where: Only Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Migratory birds
Dove, ducks, geese, teal, crane, and more — federal rules apply.
Migratory birds
Dove
Texas's biggest opening-day tradition, split into three zones.
Where: Statewide, in three zones (North, Central, South).
Seasons, limits & official link ->Migratory birds
Ducks
Federal rules set the outside limits; Texas picks its dates inside that frame.
Where: Statewide, in three units: High Plains Mallard Management Unit, North Zone, and South Zone.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Migratory birds
Geese
Split into East and West goose zones, with limits set yearly.
Where: Statewide, split into East and West goose zones.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Migratory birds
Teal (early September season)
A statewide early teal season before the regular duck season opens.
Where: Statewide.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Migratory birds
Sandhill crane
Hunted in three zones, and you need a separate (free) federal permit.
Where: Statewide, in three zones (A, B, C).
Seasons, limits & official link ->Migratory birds
Snipe, woodcock, rails & gallinules
Lesser-known migratory seasons that still need the migratory add-ons.
Where: Statewide.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Small game
Squirrel, rabbits, and hares.
Small game
Squirrel
Open seasons in the eastern forests, and year-round in many other counties.
Where: Mostly the eastern forests; also other open counties.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Small game
Rabbits and hares
One of the simplest hunts in Texas — statewide, year-round.
Where: Statewide.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Other animals
Alligator and feral hogs.
Other animals
Alligator
Rules split the state into 'core' coastal counties and everywhere else.
Where: Core counties along the Gulf Coast, plus all other counties under separate rules.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Other animals
Feral hogs (wild pigs)
Texas has millions of wild hogs, so the rules are built to make them easy to hunt.
Where: Statewide.
Seasons, limits & official link ->Furbearers
Raccoon, fox, bobcat-adjacent fur animals, and more.
Nongame
Coyote, bobcat, and other unprotected animals.
Exotics
Axis, aoudad, nilgai, and other free-ranging non-natives.
Official sources
Animal seasons, limits, and methods come from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Confirm dates and the rules for your county before you hunt.
- Data vintage:
- Built on the 2026-2027 season
- Last reviewed:
- June 15, 2026
- TPWD Outdoor Annual (official hunting regulations) - The source of truth for Texas hunting rules
- Hunting Regulations - Seasons, bag limits, and methods
- Licenses, Permits & Endorsements - License types, costs, and add-ons
- Seasons by County - The county-by-county rules that decide most hunts
Caution: Seasons, limits, and open counties change every year. The Outdoor Annual and county listing are the final word.