Quail Hunting in Texas

Bobwhite, scaled and Gambel’s quail are legal; Mearns’ (Montezuma) quail have no open season. The daily quail bag is 15 with 45 in possession. 61 public areas in our list name quail among their game.

Quail at a glance

• Nov. 1, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027.
• 15/day, 45 possession; bobwhite, scaled and Gambel's. Mearns' closed.

Quail zones and county lists

Quail are open in 254 counties. Where a quail zone line splits a county, TPWD’s boundary text sits beside the name.

Quail on WMAs, APH units and refuges

61 areas name quail, most of them APH Leased Unit tracts (18), with Panhandle holding the largest share of quail ground.

Panhandle (23)

Yoakum Dunes WMA (Cochran Co.) · Matador WMA (Cottle Co.) · Playa Lakes WMA – Taylor Lakes Unit (Donley Co.) · 94 Trust (Floyd Co.) · Bindweed (Floyd Co.) · Bluestem (Floyd Co.) · Circle Tree (Floyd Co.) · Francis-Dunlap (Floyd Co.) · Margolies (Floyd Co.) · Teacup Mountain WMA (Foard Co.) · Brushy Creek East (Haskell Co.) · Brushy Creek West (Haskell Co.) · Big Timber (Hemphill Co.) · Gene Howe WMA (Hemphill Co.) · Horse Creek (Hemphill Co.) · Pat Murphy WMA (Lipscomb Co.) · Ramsey Place (Lubbock Co.) · Askew CRP (Lynn Co.) · Warrick (Lynn Co.) · Pride Cemetery (Terry Co.) · Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge (7,664 ac) · Lake Meredith National Recreation Area · Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge (6,449 ac)

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (12)

Las Palomas WMA – Anacua Unit (Cameron Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Arroyo Colorado Unit (Cameron Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Carricitos Unit (Cameron Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Ebony Unit (Cameron Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Longoria Unit (Cameron Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Tucker Unit (Cameron Co.) · Chaparral WMA (Dimmit Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Baird Unit (Hidalgo Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Chapote Unit (Hidalgo Co.) · Las Palomas WMA – Taormina Unit (Hidalgo Co.) · James E. Daughtrey WMA (Live Oak Co.) · Las Palomas WMA (Starr Co.)

Dallas/Ft. Worth (9)

Ray Roberts Public Hunting Lands (Cooke Co.) · Lewisville Lake (Denton Co.) · Bois d'Arc Lake Public Hunting Lands (Fannin Co.) · Caddo National Grassland (Fannin Co.) · Caddo National Grasslands WMA (Fannin Co.) · Caddo National Grasslands WMA – Bois d'Arc Unit (Fannin Co.) · Caddo National Grasslands WMA – Ladonia Unit (Fannin Co.) · Pat Mayse WMA (Lamar Co.) · Benbrook Lake (Tarrant Co.)

Central Texas (6)

Huddleston (Dawson Co.) · Stafford CRP (Dawson Co.) · Sandy Half (Martin Co.) · Millhollon Trust (Scurry Co.) · San Angelo State Park (Tom Green Co.) · Twin Buttes Public Hunting Lands (Tom Green Co.)

Austin/Waco (4)

Belton Lake (Bell Co.) · Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell Co.) · Luminant Texas Public Hunting Unit (Robertson Co.) · Granger Public Hunting Lands (Williamson Co.)

Trans-Pecos (4)

Black Gap WMA (Brewster Co.) · Elephant Mountain WMA (Brewster Co.) · Big Bend Ranch State Park (Presidio Co.) · Amistad National Recreation Area

Pineywoods (3)

Town Bluff Dam and B.A. Steinhagen Lake (Jasper Co.) · Caddo Lake WMA (Marion Co.) · Sabine River Authority Unit 630 (Panola Co.)

Quail hunters on TPWD public lands carry a $48 APH permit, good for the license year. 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.

More Texas game near quail country