Goose Hunting in Texas

The Eastern Zone opens early for Canada geese Sept. 12 to 27, 2026. Regular goose seasons open Nov. 7 in both zones; dark geese close Jan. 31 in the east and Feb. 7 in the west, and Eastern Zone light geese run to Feb. 19, 2027. The 2027 Light Goose Conservation Order dates are not published in the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual yet.

Goose at a glance

• Early Canada (East) Sept. 12-27, 2026.
• Regular opens Nov. 7, 2026; dark geese close Jan. 31 (East) / Feb. 7 (West), 2027.

Goose zones and county lists

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

Goose on WMAs, APH units and refuges

156 areas name geese, most of them APH Leased Unit tracts (48), with Panhandle holding the largest share of goose ground.

Panhandle (37)

South Place (Armstrong Co.) · Morris (Carson Co.) · Pat's Place (Carson Co.) · Rio Farms (Carson Co.) · Stovall (Carson Co.) · Playa Lakes WMA – Dimmitt Unit (Castro 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.) · Della Plains (Floyd Co.) · Francis-Dunlap (Floyd Co.) · Margolies (Floyd Co.) · Vara (Floyd Co.) · Teacup Mountain WMA (Foard Co.) · Betty (Hansford Co.) · La Lanza (Hansford Co.) · Porter (Hansford Co.) · West of Town (Hansford Co.) · Copper Breaks State Park (Hardeman Co.) · Gene Howe WMA (Hemphill Co.) · Temprano (Hutchinson Co.) · Miller Farm (Lynn Co.) · Noble Playa (Lynn Co.) · Slover (Lynn Co.) · De Campo (Moore Co.) · Margoso (Moore Co.) · Brillhart (Ochiltree Co.) · Correll (Ochiltree Co.) · FM 759 HQ (Ochiltree Co.) · Goat Barn (Ochiltree Co.) · Texas Roberts (Ochiltree Co.) · La Playa (Sherman Co.) · Cobb Farms (Swisher Co.) · Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

Pineywoods (37)

Big Lake Bottom WMA (Anderson Co.) · Gus Engeling WMA (Anderson Co.) · Alazan Bayou WMA – Old River Tract (Angelina Co.) · Angelina National Forest (Angelina Co.) · White Oak Creek WMA (Bowie Co.) · Wright Patman Lake (Bowie Co.) · Lake Striker Public Hunting Lands (Cherokee Co.) · Neches River NWR – Dead Water Unit (Cherokee Co.) · Neches River National Wildlife Refuge (Cherokee Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Beaumont Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Big Sandy Creek Corridor Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Jack Gore Baygall Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Lance Rosier Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Little Pine Island-Pine Island Bayou Corridor Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Menard Creek Corridor Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Neches Bottom-Lower Neches River Corridor Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Village Creek Corridor Hunting Area (Hardin Co.) · Davy Crockett National Forest (Houston Co.) · Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA (Jasper Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Canyonlands-Upper Neches River Corridor Hunting Area (Jasper Co.) · Town Bluff Dam and B.A. Steinhagen Lake (Jasper Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Lake Bayou Hunting Area (Jefferson Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Loblolly Hunting Area (Liberty Co.) · Caddo Lake WMA (Marion Co.) · Alazan Bayou WMA (Nacogdoches Co.) · Alazan Bayou WMA – Blount Tract (Nacogdoches Co.) · Sabine River Authority Unit 630 (Panola Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Big Sandy Creek Hunting Area (Polk Co.) · Moore Plantation WMA (Sabine Co.) · Sabine National Forest (Sabine Co.) · Bannister WMA (San Augustine Co.) · North Toledo Bend WMA (Shelby Co.) · Old Sabine Bottom WMA (Smith Co.) · Alabama Creek WMA (Trinity Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Beech Creek Hunting Area (Tyler Co.) · Big Thicket National Preserve – Hickory Creek Savannah Hunting Area (Tyler Co.)

Austin/Waco (28)

Belton Lake (Bell Co.) · Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell Co.) · Whitney Lake (Bosque Co.) · Somerville Lake (Corps hunting areas) (Burleson Co.) · Blue Ridge Cemetery (Falls Co.) · Bruceville-Eddy (Falls Co.) · CR 229 (Falls Co.) · FM 1771 (Falls Co.) · FM 413 (Falls Co.) · Marlin Lake Park (Falls Co.) · Richland Creek WMA (Freestone Co.) · Richland Creek WMA – Carl Frentress Unit (Freestone Co.) · Richland Creek WMA – South Unit (Freestone Co.) · Aquilla Lake (Hill Co.) · Navarro Mills Lake (Hill Co.) · Lake Somerville State Park – Trailway Flag Pond (Lee Co.) · Somerville Public Hunting Lands (Lee Co.) · Keechi Creek WMA (Leon Co.) · Beevill Branch (Limestone Co.) · Rocky Creek (Limestone Co.) · Waco Lake (McLennan Co.) · Ben Arnold (Milam Co.) · FM 485 (Milam Co.) · Wild Wood Ranch (Milam Co.) · Mertens (Navarro Co.) · Luminant Texas Public Hunting Unit (Robertson Co.) · Granger Public Hunting Lands (Williamson Co.) · Lake Georgetown (Williamson Co.)

Houston/Beaumont (20)

Justin Hurst WMA (Brazoria Co.) · Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA (Brazoria Co.) · J.D. Murphree WMA – Big Hill Unit (Jefferson Co.) · J.D. Murphree WMA – Salt Bayou Unit (Jefferson Co.) · Sea Rim State Park (Jefferson Co.) · South China Road (Jefferson Co.) · Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (Liberty Co.) · Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge (Matagorda Co.) · Mad Island WMA (Matagorda Co.) · Sam Houston National Forest (Montgomery Co.) · Sam Houston National Forest WMA (Montgomery Co.) · Lower Neches WMA (Orange Co.) · Lower Neches WMA – Nelda Stark Unit (Orange Co.) · Lower Neches WMA – Old River Unit (Orange Co.) · Tony Houseman/Blue Elbow Swamp WMA (Orange Co.) · Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge (46,057 ac) · Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Anahuac NWR) (39,411 ac) · McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge (67,473 ac) · San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (75,019 ac) · Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge (8,963 ac)

Dallas/Ft. Worth (19)

Home Place (Clay Co.) · Rater/Crump (Clay Co.) · Thompson (Clay Co.) · Three B's (Clay Co.) · Lavon Lake (Collin Co.) · Ray Roberts Public Hunting Lands (Cooke Co.) · Cooper WMA (Delta Co.) · Grapevine Lake (Denton Co.) · Lewisville Lake (Denton Co.) · Bardwell Lake (Ellis 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.) · Tawakoni WMA (Hunt Co.) · Pat Mayse WMA (Lamar Co.) · Roger R. Fawcett WMA (Palo Pinto Co.) · Benbrook Lake (Tarrant Co.)

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (8)

Guadalupe Delta WMA (Calhoun Co.) · Guadalupe Delta WMA – Mission Lake Unit (Calhoun Co.) · Matagorda Island WMA (Calhoun Co.) · Welder Flats WMA (Calhoun Co.) · James E. Daughtrey WMA (Live Oak Co.) · Guadalupe Delta WMA – Guadalupe River Unit (Refugio Co.) · Guadalupe Delta WMA – Hynes Bay Unit (Refugio Co.) · Padre Island National Seashore (Laguna Madre waterfowl hunting)

Central Texas (4)

Proctor Lake (Comanche Co.) · Abilene State Park (Taylor Co.) · San Angelo State Park (Tom Green Co.) · Twin Buttes Public Hunting Lands (Tom Green Co.)

Trans-Pecos (3)

Black Gap WMA (Brewster Co.) · Red Bluff Reservoir (Loving Co.) · Amistad National Recreation Area

Goose 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 goose country