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Edwards Plateau ecoregion
Bexar County Hunting
Built from the TPWD 2026-27 county listing: deer limits, zone calendars and nearby public tracts for Bexar County, plus services.
Photo: Corey Leopold (CC BY 2.0)
San Antonio is the seat of Bexar County, a 1,240 square mile stretch of the Edwards Plateau. Its 2024 population estimate is 2,127,737, about 1715 people to the square mile. On the deer zone map it falls in the North Zone. For harvest surveys the county center is in unit Urban San Antonio.
Bexar County deer bag and buck rules
Every Texas county gets its own deer line in the Outdoor Annual; Bexar County’s is summarized below.
County deer limits
January seasons
A special late segment follows general season: does and unbranched bucks only.
Whitetail season dates
| Deer hunt | From | To | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Special Late | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | Countywide |
| Youth-Only | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | Countywide |
Mapped public hunting for Bexar County
3 public areas in the county and 6 in surrounding counties. County tracts show as orange.
Government Canyon State Natural Area
TPWD lists white-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics, javelina.
Hill Country State Natural Area
Roughly 42 miles out, over in Bandera County and Medina County.
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.
Zone-by-zone dates for Bexar County
Sort through 14 game speciess with seasons in Bexar County; the status column turns green when a season is open.
| Animal | Season | Zone or area | Starts | Ends | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Special Late | North Zone | 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 | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | |
| Turkey | Fall Youth-Only | North Zone | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Turkey | Fall Youth-Only | North Zone | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Fall season | North Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Spring Youth-Only | North Zone | Mar 27, 2027 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Spring Youth-Only | North Zone | May 22, 2027 | May 23, 2027 | |
| Turkey | Spring season | North Zone | Apr 3, 2027 | May 16, 2027 | |
| Javelina | Regular Season | Southern | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 31, 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 (North of IH 10, north of U.S. Highway 90, north of Loop 1604.) | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Dove | Regular Season | Central Zone (North of IH 10, north of U.S. Highway 90, north of Loop 1604.) | Dec 11, 2026 | Jan 14, 2027 | |
| Dove | Falconry | Central Zone (North of IH 10, north of U.S. Highway 90, north of Loop 1604.) | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Dove | Regular Season | South Zone (South of IH 10, south of U.S. Highway 90, south/east of Loop 1604.) | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Dove | Regular Season | South Zone (South of IH 10, south of U.S. Highway 90, south/east of Loop 1604.) | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 21, 2027 | |
| Dove | Falconry | South Zone (South of IH 10, south of U.S. Highway 90, south/east of Loop 1604.) | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| September teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth-Only | North Zone (North of US 90 and IH 10) | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | North Zone (North of US 90 and IH 10) | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | North Zone (North of US 90 and IH 10) | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | North Zone (North of US 90 and IH 10) | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | North Zone (North of US 90 and IH 10) | Nov 19, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | North Zone (North of US 90 and IH 10) | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Falconry | North Zone (North of US 90 and IH 10) | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Youth-Only | South Zone (South of US 90 and IH 10) | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | South Zone (South of US 90 and IH 10) | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone (South of US 90 and IH 10) | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone (South of US 90 and IH 10) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone (South of US 90 and IH 10) | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone (South of US 90 and IH 10) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Falconry | South Zone (South of US 90 and IH 10) | 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 A (Western portion of the county located southwest of IH 10 and northwest of IH 35) | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Sandhill crane | Regular Season | Zone B (Northern portion of the county located northeast of IH 10 and northwest of IH 35) | Nov 27, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Sandhill crane | Regular Season | Zone C (Southeast portion of the county located southeast 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.
Bexar County: what goes in the truck
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Box blind
Most Texas deer are hunted from elevated box blinds over senderos and feeders.
Deer numbers around Bexar County
County harvest is not published in Texas, so the nearest figure is the unit Urban San Antonio survey from 2017-18, the latest unit table TPWD has released.
TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, unit and ecoregion tables for 2017-18 (report). Estimates, not check-station counts; units cross county lines.
Bexar County: seven days of hunting hours
Shooting time for deer, javelina, turkey and quail is sunrise less 30 minutes to sunset plus 30. Dove and waterfowl hunters stop at sunset.
Times worked out for Bexar 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.
Bexar County meat processors and shops
Sorted by county, then by distance.
Game wardens nearest Bexar County work from TPWD Law Enforcement Office (San Antonio) in San Antonio (8 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.
Bexar County on the Texas event calendar
3 upcoming dates on file. Types: banquets, expos and youth hunts.
Scheduled
| On | What | Where | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10, 2026 | San Antonio Sportsman's Night Out · chapter dinner and auction | San Antonio, Bexar County | Tickets |
| Dec 4-6, 2026 | Youth Only Gun Deer – Either Sex – Government Canyon SNA · drawn youth-only hunt | Government Canyon SNA, Bexar County | Drawing page |
| Aug 20-22, 2027 | TTHA Hunters Extravaganza San Antonio 2027 · hunting show | San Antonio, Bexar County | Organizer page |
Bexar County gun ranges
16 ranges listed inside Bexar County, six shown here.
Handgun/rifle/archery
On the local calendar
| Day | Event | Discipline | Enter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2026 | River City Shooters Club (2026-10-11) | Club match | Source page |
| Oct 12, 2026 | Bandera IDPA Club Ma | IDPA | Sign up |
| Oct 15, 2026 | National Sporting Clays Championship | Sporting clays | Enter |
| Oct 17-25, 2026 | 2026 National Sporting Clays Championship | Sporting clays | Source page |
| Oct 25, 2026 | River City Shooter Club (2026-10-25) | Club match | Source page |
| Oct 31-Nov 1, 2026 | TFAA 2026-2027 Indoor: Mission Ridge-1 | TFAA indoor | Register |
Neighbors of Bexar County
The county touches 7 others in Texas.
Asked about Bexar County
What is the county deer limit for Bexar County?
5 deer for the season, including at most 2 bucks.
Must a Bexar County buck be 13 inches wide?
Not in 2026-27. Any buck counts toward the county bag.
Where is the nearest public hunting to Bexar County?
Lone Star Pass, Somerset Road and Government Canyon State Natural Area, all in the county. Short drives lead to Honey Creek State Natural Area, Guadalupe River State Park and Hill Country State Natural Area.
How do the bird zones split in Bexar County?
Dove hunters use the Central Zone and South Zone; duck hunters the North Zone and South Zone; goose hunters the Eastern Zone and Western Zone.
When does general deer season open in Bexar County?
The North Zone calendar applies. Gun hunters get Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027; archery-only begins Oct 3, 2026.
Who processes wild game around Bexar County?
Start with Casa Venado and Buckhead San Antonio.
Can turkeys be hunted in Bexar County?
Turkey zones here: fall North Zone and spring North Zone. All turkeys are reported within 24 hours.
Which endorsements do Texas hunters need?
Archery, upland game bird and migratory game bird endorsements are $7 each, on top of the $25 resident license.
Is there a javelina season in Bexar County?
The Southern zone covers it; take up to 2 a license year.
What time can I start shooting in Bexar County?
From 30 minutes before sunrise. Migratory birds end at sunset; everything else ends 30 minutes later.
Before the Bexar County trip
Confirm the 2026-27 dates for Bexar County on the TPWD county page before you go.
Other photos on this page: sonnia hill (CC BY 2.0); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0); aulbarnes08 (CC BY 2.0); Adrian Delgado2012 (CC BY 2.0); sonnia hill (CC BY 2.0); ejmc (CC BY 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); aulbarnes08 (CC BY 2.0); lasjuly (CC BY 2.0).