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Blackland Prairies · Dallas/Ft. Worth
Collin County Hunting
Everything a hunter needs for Collin County: 2026-27 dates by zone, the county deer bag, nearby public ground, legal light and local businesses.
Photo: greg westfall. (CC BY 2.0)
Collin County (841 square miles) sits in the Blackland Prairies ecoregion with McKinney as its seat. The Census Bureau puts 2024 population at 1,254,658 (1491 per square mile). Deer here run on the North Zone calendar. Deer management unit 21 covers the county center.
Collin County whitetail regulations
Pulled from the Collin County page of the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual and checked October 11, 2026.
Collin County deer bag
Legal bucks need an unbranched antler or a 13 inch inside spread. The two-buck limit allows only one with branched antlers on both sides and a 13 inch spread. Antlerless by MLDP or hunting license tag. Mandatory reporting county: every deer goes on the app or website within 24 hours. During youth and general seasons lawful means are restricted to lawful archery equipment and crossbows only, including MLDP properties. During archery-only season, crossbows are unlawful except for individuals with a physician-certified, upper-limb disability as defined in the means and methods section.
Also on the listing
Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Rockwall: during youth and general seasons lawful means are archery equipment and crossbows only, including MLDP properties; crossbows unlawful in archery-only season except with physician-certified upper-limb disability; Archery Endorsement required to hunt deer at any time.
Collin County deer calendar
| Segment | First day | Last day | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | Whole county |
| Youth-Only | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | Whole county |
| General Season | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | Whole county |
| Youth-Only | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | Whole county |
Every 2026-27 season that covers Collin County
TPWD draws a separate zone map for deer, turkey, dove, ducks, geese, cranes and javelina. These rows are the ones that land on Collin County.
| Game | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery Only | North Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth-Only | North Zone | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | General Season | North Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth-Only | North Zone | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Squirrel | General Season | All Other Counties | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Quail | Regular Season | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Dove | Regular Season | North Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Dove | Regular Season | North Zone | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 7, 2027 | |
| Dove | Falconry | North Zone | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| September teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth-Only | North Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | North Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | North Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | North Zone | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | North Zone | Nov 19, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | North Zone | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Falconry | North Zone | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Geese | Early Canada geese | Eastern Zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Geese | Dark Geese | Eastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Geese | Light Geese | Eastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 19, 2027 | |
| Alligator | General Season | Non-core | Apr 1, 2027 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Regular Season | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Falconry | Statewide | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Snipe | Regular Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Regular Season | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Regular Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Rails and gallinules | Falconry | Statewide | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 21, 2027 |
From the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 county and species pages, checked October 11, 2026.
Where Collin County hunters find public ground
Collin County has 5 listed public tracts; 5 more are a drive away. Orange means inside the county.
Lavon Lake
Listed game: feral hog, dove, waterfowl, squirrel, rabbit. Acreage 6,500.
From TPWD’s 2026-27 public hunting lists and the federal land managers, checked October 11, 2026. Distances are straight-line. How the Annual Public Hunting permit works.
Loading up for Collin County
Picked for the hunting done here; prices come from a live search.
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What TPWD’s surveys say about Collin County deer
For a sense of the local herd, here are TPWD’s 2017-18 survey numbers for unit 21.
TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, unit and ecoregion tables for 2017-18 (report). Estimates, not check-station counts; units cross county lines.
Daily shooting window around Collin County
Big game and upland birds get a half hour of light on each end of the day. Waterfowl, doves and cranes get the morning half hour but stop at sunset.
Times worked out for Collin County 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.
Who handles game around Collin County
Collin County businesses come first, bordering counties after.
TPWD law enforcement nearest the county: TPWD Law Enforcement Office (Mesquite) in Mesquite, 26 miles.
Listings from Academy, Bass Pro and Cabela’s store locators, the TPWD warden office list, Hunters for the Hungry and business directory pages, checked October 11, 2026. Call ahead; seasonal hours vary.
Events at Collin County
Banquets: 1 upcoming date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
On the way
| Day | Listing | Location | Go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2026 | 2026 McKinney DU Dinner powered by Google · chapter dinner and auction | Prosper, Collin County | Tickets |
Collin County ranges and matches
9 ranges in Collin County, from directory listings checked October 11, 2026.
Matches and shows here
| When | Match | Kind | Go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2026 | Pins Shoot | Club match | Enter |
| Oct 31-Nov 1, 2026 | TFAA 2026-2027 Indoor: Arjun Archery-1 | TFAA indoor | Match page |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 22LR Rifle _50 YARD_ Benchrest Match [Silhouette Range] (2026-11-07) | Smallbore | Sign up |
| Nov 13-15, 2026 | TFAA 2026-2027 Indoor: Texans Archery Club-1 | TFAA indoor | Match page |
| Nov 22, 2026 | Turkey Shoot with Top Turkey shoot-off (2026-11-22) | Turkey shoot | Match page |
| Dec 5, 2026 | 22LR Rifle _50 YARD_ Benchrest Match [Silhouette Range] (2026-12-05) | Smallbore | Sign up |
Beside Collin County
Bordering counties: 6 in Texas.
Hunters’ questions on Collin County
When does deer season close in Collin County?
TPWD files it under the North Zone. Bowhunters start Oct 3, 2026; the general season is Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027.
How many bucks are allowed in Collin County?
A bag of 4, bucks limited to 2, does to 2.
Is any public land open to hunting in Collin County?
The lists put Farm Road 1138, Farm Road 2755, North Royse City and West Farm Road 1777 inside Collin County. Within reach: Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, FM 902 Farm and Black Branch.
Which turkey seasons reach Collin County?
No; turkey is closed in the county.
Which bucks are legal in Collin County?
The restriction applies here: legal bucks have an unbranched antler or a 13 inch spread.
Is Collin County javelina country?
No; javelina cannot be hunted here.
What dove zone is Collin County in?
Bird zones here are North Zone, North Zone and Eastern Zone for dove, ducks and geese.
How much is a Texas resident hunting license?
The resident license is $25 and nonresidents pay $315 for the general license. TPWD requires hunter education for hunters born Sept. 2, 1971 or later.
What hours are legal for deer in Collin County?
Use the seven-day table above. The rule is a half hour either side of sunrise and sunset, with migratory birds ending at sunset.
Which processors are closest to Collin County?
None in the directory yet for this area; the map button above searches nearby.
Off to Collin County
TPWD can change county rules each license year; the 2026-27 listing linked above is the one in force.
Other photos on this page: G Yancy (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); Jeff Pang (CC BY 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); daveynin (CC BY 2.0); TexasExplorer98 (CC BY 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0).