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Matagorda County · Houston/Beaumont
Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge hunting
Everything we could verify about Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge: access, acreage, game list, season dates and the ground nearby.
Photo: Maciej Kraus (CC BY 2.0)
Big Boggy NWR in brief, for hunters
In Matagorda County, Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge with a hunt program under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At 4,526 acres it is the 16th largest of the 16 national wildlife refuges that report a size. Of the towns with a guide on this site, Bay City is closest: the map point is about 21 miles southeast of it.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sets the access rules; they are quoted in full in the permit section below.
County from the refuge hunting page's link to TPWD seasons for Matagorda County.
From the source record and 3 linked sources, retrieved 2026-10-11; page checked October 11, 2026.
Game and season dates at Big Boggy NWR
The source lists ducks and geese for this ground. Dates follow the Matagorda County zones.
| Game | Segment | Zone or area | Begins | Ends | Bag | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Youth-Only | South Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | South Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 a day | |
| Ducks | Falconry | South Zone | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 21, 2027 | 3 a day | |
| Geese | Early Canada geese | Eastern Zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | 5 Canada a day | |
| Geese | Dark Geese | Eastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 5 dark a day | |
| Geese | Light Geese | Eastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 19, 2027 | 5 light a day |
Big Boggy NWR sets its own calendar inside these dates; some seasons may be shorter or by permit only.
Zone dates and bags from the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 (Outdoor Annual) for Matagorda County; area game list from the area record. Checked October 11, 2026.
Big Boggy NWR permit, license and orange rules
What you need in your pocket, card by card.
Agency requirements
Two public waterfowl hunting areas, Matthes Field and Pelton Lake (pass shooting and walk-in); refuge otherwise closed to public use except seasonal waterfowl hunting and fishing in Boggy Creek. Participates in the light goose conservation season.
Base license and add-ons
The base is a hunting license, $25 for Texans. Also plan on HIP (free) and the migratory endorsement and a federal stamp for waterfowl at 16 and older. Hunter ed is required from the September 2, 1971 birth date forward.
Wear orange
Orange is required on TPWD public hunting lands; this area’s federal manager may add its own rule.
Matagorda County deer listing for Big Boggy NWR hunters
Texas sets deer bags county by county; this is the Matagorda County version that applies around Big Boggy NWR.
Matagorda County deer bag
Antler rule county: a legal buck has an unbranched antler or a 13 inch inside spread, and only one of two bucks may be branched and 13 inches wide. Does Nov. 7-29, with license tags.
Matagorda County deer segments
| Hunt | Begins | Ends | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | All |
| Youth-Only | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | All |
| General Season | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | All |
| Muzzleloader | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | All |
| Youth-Only | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | All |
Public tracts within 60 miles of Big Boggy NWR
8 more public areas lie within 60 miles; the orange pin is Big Boggy NWR.
Covered towns within reach: Bay City (21 miles to the northwest); Palacios (28 miles to the west); Angleton (36 miles to the northeast).
Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA (18 miles northeast)
WMA, 18 miles northeast, Brazoria County. 3,666 ac.
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (20 miles north)
Wildlife refuge, 20 miles north, the Houston/Beaumont region. 75,019 ac.
Justin Hurst WMA, North Stringfellow Pasture (26 miles northeast)
WMA unit, 26 miles northeast, Brazoria County. 1,409 ac.
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge (35 miles northeast)
Wildlife refuge, 35 miles northeast, the Houston/Beaumont region. 46,057 ac.
Points from TPWD GIS, agency pages and public geocodes as noted in each record. Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
After the hunt at Big Boggy NWR: processors and taxidermy
Nearest first within each county.
The TPWD office nearest the area is TPWD Law Enforcement Office (Houston South) in Houston, about 66 miles out.
Store locators (Academy, Bass Pro, Cabela’s), the TPWD law enforcement office list, Hunters for the Hungry and business listings, checked October 11, 2026. Call ahead.
Big Boggy NWR hunting kit
Prices change; the buttons search Amazon at the moment you click.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Big Boggy NWR: seven days of hunting hours
The TPWD window runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset, except for migratory game birds, which end right at sunset.
Times worked out for Big Boggy NWR in Central time. Rule from the TPWD Outdoor Annual (shooting hours). Nongame, exotics and feral hogs on private land may be hunted at any hour. Shooting hours for every county.
Hunters ask about Big Boggy NWR
What does the Super Combo include?
For $68, residents get hunting and fishing licenses plus archery, upland and migratory endorsements; the federal duck stamp is extra.
Is hunter education required for adults?
For adults born on or after September 2, 1971, yes, unless they buy the deferral and hunt accompanied.
Who manages Big Boggy NWR?
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The ground is a national wildlife refuge with a hunt program. It runs under: National Wildlife Refuge hunt program.
When can young hunters shoot ducks before the regular season?
HPMMU Oct. 17-18; South Oct. 31 – Nov. 1; North Nov. 7-8, 2026, by zone.
Which permits cover Big Boggy NWR?
Two public waterfowl hunting areas, Matthes Field and Pelton Lake (pass shooting and walk-in); refuge otherwise closed to public use except seasonal waterfowl hunting and fishing in Boggy Creek. Participates in the light goose conservation season.
What is the acreage of Big Boggy NWR?
The listed figure is 4,526 acres.
When can I hunt ducks and geese at Big Boggy NWR?
In the South Zone, regular season runs Nov 7 to Nov 29, 2026; confirm area dates.
Which game does the listing name for Big Boggy NWR?
Per the source, ducks and geese.
Is orange mandatory when gun hunting Big Boggy NWR?
Yes, when firearms are allowed: at least 400 sq in of orange, 144 front and back, and orange headwear. Exceptions include turkey, migratory birds and alligators. See the agency rules too.
What does Matagorda County allow for whitetails?
Matagorda County: 4 deer, 2 bucks max, 2 antlerless max. The 13 inch rule applies. Drawn hunts and area rules can be stricter.
Big Boggy NWR send-off notes
Every area writes its own fine print. Read the Big Boggy NWR page at the agency and carry your permits.
Other photos on this page: Birding for Climate (Public domain); Calistemon (CC BY-SA 4.0); Adrian Delgado2012 (CC BY 2.0); sonnia hill (CC BY 2.0).