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Williamson County Hunting
Zone dates for every 2026-27 season, Williamson County deer limits from the TPWD county listing, the public land closest to it and the processors and wardens who serve it.
Photo: gurdonark (CC BY 2.0)
In the Cross Timbers and Prairies, Williamson County runs to 1,116 square miles, governed from Georgetown. 727,480 residents in 2024 works out to about 652 a square mile. TPWD assigns it to the deer North Zone. Survey unit 20 covers the heart of the county.
Deer rules TPWD sets for Williamson County
County limits sit inside the statewide cap of five deer and three bucks. Here is the Williamson County version.
East of IH 35
Antler restriction county. Spikes and other bucks with an unbranched antler count, as do bucks 13 inches wide inside; just one of your two may be a branched 13 inch buck. Doe days Nov. 7-29, by MLDP or license tag. Doe days Dec. 1-Jan. 4, with MLDP tags only.
West of IH 35
5 (no more than 2 bucks, all seasons combined).
Antler restriction county. Spikes and other bucks with an unbranched antler count, as do bucks 13 inches wide inside; just one of your two may be a branched 13 inch buck.
Deer dates
| Deer season | Opens | Closes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | Countywide |
| Youth-Only | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | Countywide |
| General Season | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | Countywide |
| 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 | Countywide |
Public tracts in and around Williamson County
Inside the county line: 3. Within roughly 60 miles: another 7. In-county areas are orange.
Lake Georgetown
Hunted for white-tailed deer, feral hog, dove, waterfowl, squirrel across 3,000 acres.
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
Hunted for white-tailed deer, turkey, feral hog, dove across 27,841 acres.
Granger Public Hunting Lands
Hunted for white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics, dove, waterfowl across 10,888 acres.
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.
Williamson County season calendar by zone
39 season segments across 13 speciess. The last column checks today’s date against each one.
| Game | Segment | Zone | From | Through | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 only) | Nov 27, 2026 | Jan 31, 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.
Williamson County hunting kit
Click any item for current listings and prices.
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Harvest survey figures near Williamson County
TPWD reports harvest by management unit rather than county. These are the unit 20 figures for 2017-18.
TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, unit and ecoregion tables for 2017-18 (report). Estimates, not check-station counts; units cross county lines.
Williamson County legal hunting light, next seven days
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 Williamson 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.
Williamson County processors, taxidermy and gear
Closest first within each county.
To reach a game warden, the nearest TPWD office is Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Headquarters in Austin, about 32 miles out.
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.
What is scheduled in Williamson County
4 upcoming dates (banquets and youth hunts), retrieved October 11, 2026.
Still to come
| Date | Event | Place | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2026 | Taylor Dinner · chapter dinner and auction | Taylor, Williamson County | Tickets |
| Dec 29-30, 2026 | Youth Only Gun Deer – Management – Granger PHL · drawn youth-only hunt | Granger PHL, Williamson County | Drawing page |
| Jan 1-3, 2027 | Youth Only Gun Deer – Antlerless/Spike – Granger PHL · drawn youth-only hunt | Granger PHL, Williamson County | Drawing page |
| Feb 27, 2027 | RMEF Texas Hill Country Big Game Banquet · chapter dinner and auction | Georgetown, Williamson County | Tickets |
Where to shoot in Williamson County
The county’s own list runs to 7 ranges.
Next local matches
| Date | Event | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | Taylor Towns New Era Gun & Knife Expo (2026-10-16) | Gun show | Listing |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Austin Leander Gun Show BIGGEST GUN SHOW IN AUSTIN! (2026-10-24) | Gun show | Hours and tickets |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Member HAVOC Clash (2026-10-24) | 3-gun | Enter |
| Nov 6-7, 2026 | TFAA 2026-2027 Indoor: Double G-1 | TFAA indoor | Sign up |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Staccato Ranch Action Steel Match (2026-11-14) | Steel | Match page |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Member HAVOC Clash (2026-11-28) | 3-gun | Enter |
Counties that touch Williamson County
6 Texas counties share a line with Williamson County.
Williamson County, answered
What does TPWD allow for deer in Williamson County?
East of IH 35: 4 deer per license year with a 2-buck cap and a 2-doe cap; West of IH 35: 5 (no more than 2 bucks, all seasons combined)..
Does Williamson County have public hunting areas?
In the county you will find Lake Georgetown, Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge and Granger Public Hunting Lands. Look at Holland Road, Stillhouse Hollow Lake and Belton Lake.
When can I bowhunt deer in Williamson County?
Williamson County uses the North Zone dates. Rifle season: Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027. Archery opens Oct 3, 2026.
Is there a 13 inch rule in Williamson County?
Yes. Spikes and other unbranched bucks are legal, as is any buck 13 inches inside; only one of your bucks may be wide and branched.
Which dove, duck and goose zones cover Williamson County?
The county is Central Zone (dove), North Zone (ducks) and Eastern Zone and Western Zone (geese).
Does Williamson County have a turkey season?
Open in the fall North Zone and spring North Zone. Each turkey must be reported within 24 hours.
Where should a Williamson County hunter take a deer for processing?
Hunters Creek Wild Game Processing, per the directory.
Javelina zone for Williamson County?
TPWD sets no javelina season for this county.
Do I need a license to hunt my own land in Williamson County?
Yes, landowners need a hunting license too. Residents pay $25, and anyone younger than the Sept. 2, 1971 cutoff needs hunter education.
When does legal light end in Williamson County?
Legal light opens a half hour before sunrise. It closes a half hour after sunset for game animals and upland birds, and at sunset for doves and waterfowl. See the table above.
Williamson County trip checklist
Areas and leases can add their own permits and dates, so read the area page as well as the Williamson County listing.
Other photos on this page: G Yancy (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); Jeff Pang (CC BY 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); Adrian Delgado2012 (CC BY 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); ejmc (CC BY 2.0); ejmc (CC BY 2.0).