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Exotic Game Hunting in Texas

Exotics such as aoudad, axis, nilgai, blackbuck, sika, fallow deer, red deer and elk have no state season, bag or means rules on private property. Below: every 2026-27 segment by zone, the limits, the county lists and the public land that names exotics.

Exotic season tableWhat you may takeWhere to hunt
Year-roundSeason
NoneLimit
254Open counties
59Public areas

Photo: Buck Valley Ranch (CC BY 2.0)

A hunting license and the landowner’s consent are required for every exotic hunt. 59 public areas in our list name exotics or elk; public exotic hunts run through drawn and guided categories. Elk, red deer and sika are CWD-susceptible, and TAHC requires landowners to test adult mortalities, hunter kills included, until three valid results per calendar year.

AreasMapped exotic tracts59 areas with exoticsLotteryLottery exotic permits7 categories

Exotic Game: TPWD summary

  • No state season, bag or means rules on private property; hunting license and landowner consent required.

Exotic Game calendar by zone

1 Segment for exotics, sorted as TPWD lists them, with an open or closed flag for today.

ZoneHuntStartsEndsLengthStatus
StatewideNo closed season on private propertyYear-roundYear-round365Year-round

Dates from the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 (species page), checked October 11, 2026.

Exotic Game take, daily and seasonal

Read the exotic limit cards before counting birds or tags; TPWD wording is kept intact.

Year-roundExotic season
NoneBag limit
$48Nonresident 5-day license
59Public areas

Exotics and feral hogs

TPWD

No state season, bag or possession limit on private property.

Exotic Game: zones and the counties in them

254 counties have exotic dates in 2026-27, per the exotic lines on the 254 TPWD county pages.

Zone or listWhole countiesSplit counties
Statewide, private land2540
Statewide, all 254 counties

Exotic Game regulations beyond the bag

Everything below is from the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual and applies to exotics statewide unless a county or area says otherwise.

Fees

Licenses and stamps for exotics, resident prices unless noted.

$25Resident license
$48Nonresident 5-day
$7Youth license
$48APH permit

Legal light

There are no shooting hours for exotics on private property.

Wearing orange

On TPWD public hunting lands, exotic hunters wear at least 400 square inches of fluorescent orange, 144 on chest and on back, plus an orange cap while firearm hunting is allowed.

Hunter education

Exotic hunters under 9 must hunt within voice control of a qualified, licensed adult 17 or older; from 9 up, hunter education or accompaniment applies.

Exotics and the law

Hunting license required; unlawful to hunt exotics on a public road or without landowner permission, or possess one without owner consent.

Exotic penalties

Hunting exotics without a license is a Class C misdemeanor; on a public road, without landowner permission or possessing one without consent is Class A.

Guided exotic packages

TPWD sells Guided Exotic, Gemsbok and Scimitar-Horned Oryx packages through the drawing.

From the TPWD Outdoor Annual general regulations, license and species pages (endorsements, hunting regulations), checked October 11, 2026. All Texas hunting laws · License guide.

Public land that lists exotics

Exotic hunters have 59 public options on the TPWD and federal lists, spread over 8 regions.

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (17)

Bear Creek State Park · Garner State Park · Government Canyon State Natural Area · Guadalupe River State Park · Honey Creek State Natural Area · Laguna Atascosa NWR – Bahia Grande Unit (21,700 ac) · Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (99,390 ac) · Las Palomas WMA · Las Palomas WMA – Arroyo Colorado Unit · Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR – East Lake · Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR – Schaleben · Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR – Tecolote · Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR – Teniente · Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (101,700 ac) · Powderhorn State Park · Powderhorn WMA (15,093 ac) · Silver Lake State Park

Central Texas (13)

Colorado Bend State Park · Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area · Enchanted Rock State Natural Area · Hill Country State Natural Area · Kerr WMA (6,459 ac) · Los Rincones (138 ac) · Lost Maples State Natural Area · Mason Mountain WMA · Pedernales Falls State Park · Pedernales Falls State Park Annex · San Angelo State Park · South Llano River State Park · Twin Buttes Public Hunting Lands (12,858 ac)

Pineywoods (12)

Alabama Creek WMA (14,561 ac) · Alazan Bayou WMA – Blount Tract (2,255 ac) · Alazan Bayou WMA – Old River Tract (485 ac) · Angelina National Forest (153,179 ac) · Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA (12,636 ac) · Bannister WMA (25,695 ac) · Davy Crockett National Forest (161,100 ac) · Lake Striker Public Hunting Lands (1,476 ac) · Moore Plantation WMA (26,772 ac) · North Toledo Bend WMA (3,650 ac) · Sabine National Forest (160,656 ac) · Sabine River Authority Unit 630 (7,484 ac)

Trans-Pecos (7)

Amistad National Recreation Area · Davis Mountains State Park · Devils River State Natural Area – Dan A. Hughes Unit · Devils River State Natural Area – Del Norte Unit · Elephant Mountain WMA (23,147 ac) · Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site · Sierra Diablo WMA (11,624 ac)

Austin/Waco (4)

Bastrop State Park · Granger Public Hunting Lands (10,888 ac) · Inks Lake State Park / Longhorn Cavern State Park · Post Oak Ridge State Park

Houston/Beaumont (3)

Sam Houston National Forest (163,037 ac) · Sam Houston National Forest WMA (161,508 ac) · Tony Houseman/Blue Elbow Swamp WMA

Panhandle (2)

Caprock Canyons State Park · Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Dallas/Ft. Worth (1)

Roger R. Fawcett WMA (5,459 ac)

For exotics, the $48 APH permit opens more than a million acres and about 120 leased dove and small game units. How the APH permit works.

TPWD APH data, WMA and drawn hunt lists and federal land managers, 2026-27, checked October 11, 2026. Species lists are what each manager names; area rules still apply.

Exotic Game permits by lottery

Deadlines for exotic hunts are in the table; past dates mean that drawing has closed for 2026-27.

ProgramHuntApply by
Special PermitExoticOct 15, 2026
Youth OnlyExoticNov 1, 2026
Guided packageExoticAug 1, 2026
Guided packageGemsbok HuntNov 1, 2026
Guided packageScimitar-Horned OryxNov 1, 2026
National Wildlife RefugeExoticOct 15, 2026
National Wildlife RefugeArchery ExoticOct 15, 2026

Packages by entry

For exotics, enter Nilgai Antelope Safari; Exotic Safari (gemsbok or scimitar-horned oryx).

TPWD charges adult exotic hunters $3 per application and $80 or $130 per permit; E-Postcard hunts have no fee but need the APH permit. Exotic hunters may enter Big Time Texas Hunts as often as they like at $9 online until Oct. 15, 2026.

TPWD Public Hunt Drawing catalog, fees and deadlines (drawing) and Big Time Texas Hunts (BTTH), checked October 11, 2026. Texas drawn hunts.

Stocking up for Exotic Game country

Picked for the hunting done here; prices come from a live search.

Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Box blind

Hunters on lease ground usually sit in a box blind or tripod stand.

Amazon listings

Deer feeder

Timed feeders bring deer to a predictable spot.

Amazon listings

Rangefinder

Know the yardage before you squeeze.

Amazon listings

Field dressing kit

Knife, bone saw and gloves for the first chore after the shot.

Amazon listings

Gear comparedAll hunting gear

Species often hunted alongside exotics

Big gameWhite-tailed DeerOct 3 to Feb 28 · 168 areasYear-roundFeral HogYear-round · 180 areasBig gameDesert Bighorn SheepBy permit · 0 areasYear-roundCoyote and BobcatYear-round · 84 areas

Quick answers on exotics

Is there a season on axis deer in Texas?

No. Exotics have no state season, bag or means rules on private property.

Can a nonresident hunt aoudad on a five-day license?

Yes. The Non-resident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic license ($48) covers exotics.

Do exotic elk need CWD testing?

Yes. Elk, red deer, sika, moose and reindeer are CWD-susceptible exotics, and TAHC requires landowners to test adult mortalities, hunter kills included, until three valid results per calendar year.

Is orange needed when hunting exotics?

On TPWD public hunting lands, exotic hunters wear at least 400 square inches of fluorescent orange, 144 on chest and on back, plus an orange cap while firearm hunting is allowed.

Does TPWD hold a drawing for exotics?

TPWD drawing categories for exotics: Archery Exotic, Exotic, Gemsbok Hunt and Scimitar-Horned Oryx. Big Time Texas Hunts offers Nilgai Antelope Safari and Exotic Safari (gemsbok or scimitar-horned oryx).

Where in Texas are exotics legal?

254 of 254 counties.

Is there a closed season on exotics?

Exotics have no season dates on private land.

What does TPWD allow per day for exotics?

No state season, bag or possession limit on private property.

What paperwork do exotic hunters carry?

For exotics: Resident license ($25); Nonresident 5-day ($48).

Can I hunt exotics on a WMA?

Our list has 59; by acreage, Sam Houston National Forest, Sam Houston National Forest WMA and Davy Crockett National Forest come first. Exotic hunters 17 and up carry a $48 APH permit there.

Wrapping up exotics

A public area or a lease can set tighter exotic rules than the statewide ones on this page.

Back to speciesAll seasonsMapped landOfficial exotic rules

Other photos on this page: lasjuly (CC BY 2.0); Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Conservation Training Center. 10/1997-8888 (Public domain); NPS Photo (Public domain); pedrik (CC BY 2.0); Buck Valley Ranch (CC BY 2.0); ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0).