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Edwards Plateau country
Travis County Hunting
Deer bag, buck rules, zone calendars and public land for Travis County, with processors, taxidermists and this week’s legal light.
Photo: gurdonark (CC BY 2.0)
TPWD counts Travis County as Edwards Plateau country. It has 994 square miles of land around Austin. Census counted about 1,363,767 residents in 2024, a density near 1372. For deer the county is in the North Zone. Its center point falls in management unit 12.
Game seasons that reach Travis County
13 speciess have a 2026-27 season here. Texas splits most of them into zones, and this table keeps only the zones that include Travis County.
| Species | Season type | Area | Begins | Ends | Right 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 | Muzzleloader | North Zone (East of IH 35) | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Special Late | North Zone (West of IH 35) | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth-Only | North Zone | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Fall Archery Only | North Zone (West of IH 35) | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | |
| Turkey | Fall Youth-Only | North Zone (West of IH 35) | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Turkey | Fall Youth-Only | North Zone (West of IH 35) | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Fall season | North Zone (West of IH 35) | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Spring Youth-Only | North Zone (West of IH 35) | Mar 27, 2027 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Spring Youth-Only | North Zone (West of IH 35) | May 22, 2027 | May 23, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Spring season | North Zone (West of IH 35) | Apr 3, 2027 | May 16, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Spring season | One-Turkey Counties (East of IH 35) | Apr 1, 2027 | Apr 30, 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 | Central Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Dove | Regular Season | Central Zone | Dec 11, 2026 | Jan 14, 2027 | |
| Dove | Falconry | Central 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 (East of IH 35) | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Geese | Dark Geese | Eastern Zone (East of IH 35) | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Geese | Light Geese | Eastern Zone (East of IH 35) | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 19, 2027 | |
| Geese | Dark Geese | Western Zone (West of IH 35) | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Geese | Light Geese | Western Zone (West of IH 35) | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Sandhill crane | Regular Season | Zone B (West of IH 35) | Nov 27, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Sandhill crane | Regular Season | Zone C (South of US 290 and east of IH 35) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 17, 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.
Whitetail limits for Travis County, 2026-27
No hunter may take more than five whitetails a year in Texas, three of them bucks. Travis County sets its own limit inside that cap.
East of IH 35
4 deer, no more than 2 antlerless and no more than 2 bucks.
Buck rule: at least one unbranched antler or a 13 inch inside spread to be legal, and only one of the two bucks may carry branched antlers 13 inches wide or more. From Nov. 14-29, does are legal using a license tag. Harvest reporting is mandatory here: report within 24 hours on the Texas Hunt & Fish app or online.
West of IH 35
5 deer, no more than 2 bucks.
When deer season runs
| Season | Begins | Ends | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | All areas |
| Youth-Only | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | All areas |
| General Season | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | All areas |
| Muzzleloader | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | East of IH 35 |
| Special Late | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | West of IH 35 |
| Youth-Only | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | All areas |
Travis County public ground and nearby tracts
1 tract on the TPWD and federal lists touches Travis County, and 8 more lie within about 60 miles. The orange markers are in the county.
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
Roughly 27,841 acres; game on the list is white-tailed deer, turkey, feral hog, dove.
Inks Lake State Park / Longhorn Cavern State Park
In Burnet County; 53 miles as the crow flies.
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.
Stocking up for Travis County
Items matched to the species listed for this place.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Deer feeder
Feeders are legal for deer on private land; public areas set their own rules.
Survey harvest for the Travis County area
Unit 12 is the management unit at the middle of Travis County; its 2017-18 survey estimate is below.
TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, unit and ecoregion tables for 2017-18 (report). Estimates, not check-station counts; units cross county lines.
Sunrise, sunset and shooting time for Travis County
Whitetails, turkeys and quail can be taken from a half hour before sunup until a half hour after sundown. Migratory birds close at sundown.
Times worked out for Travis 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.
Getting a Travis County deer processed
County listings, then the counties that touch it.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Headquarters in Austin is the TPWD office closest to the county, 3 miles away.
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.
Travis County: dinners, hunts and competitions
Banquets and youth hunts account for 2 upcoming dates here.
Upcoming here
| Dates | Name | Where | Sign-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 13-15, 2026 | National Refuge Youth Deer – Balcones Canyonlands NWR · drawn youth-only hunt | Balcones Canyonlands NWR, Travis County | Drawing page |
| Apr 22, 2027 | Austin Dinner · chapter dinner and auction | Austin, Travis County | Tickets |
Travis County: ranges and shoots
Inside the county line: 12 ranges.
Around the edges of Travis County
Its neighbors are 6 Texas counties.
Your Travis County questions
Which public areas are inside Travis County?
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge lies at least partly in the county. Nearby tracts include Bastrop State Park, Lake Georgetown and Pedernales Falls State Park.
How many whitetails may I take in Travis County?
East of IH 35: up to 4 deer; West of IH 35: up to 5 deer, no more than 2 antlered.
Are bucks restricted by antler size in Travis County?
It is an antler restriction county: an unbranched antler or 13 inches inside makes a legal buck, two in all.
What are the 2026-27 deer dates in Travis County?
Deer here follow the North Zone. General season runs Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, after bows open Oct 3, 2026.
Is Travis County open for spring gobblers?
Yes. Fall North Zone, spring North Zone and spring One-Turkey Counties. Turkeys go on the app within 24 hours.
Where does Travis County fall on the waterfowl zone map?
Doves: Central Zone. Ducks: North Zone. Geese: Eastern Zone and Western Zone.
What are the javelina rules in Travis County?
Javelina are closed in this county.
How early can I be hunting in Travis County?
30 minutes before sunrise for every game species. Deer, turkey and quail run to 30 minutes after sunset; migratory birds stop at sunset. The weekly table above has the clock times.
Is there a wild game processor near Travis County?
Closest on file: Buck Stops Here.
Which Texas license should I buy for deer?
Residents start with the $25 Resident Hunting License and add the $7 archery, upland or migratory endorsement for those hunts. Hunter education is required for birth dates from Sept. 2, 1971 on.
Last checks for Travis County
The TPWD county page is the final word on Travis County dates and bags.
Other photos on this page: Jeff Pang (CC BY 2.0); Calistemon (CC BY-SA 4.0); Maciej Kraus (CC BY 2.0); aulbarnes08 (CC BY 2.0); Corey Leopold (CC BY 2.0); ejmc (CC BY 2.0); US Forest Service – Southern Region (Public domain); daveynin (CC BY 2.0).