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Dallas/Ft. Worth region
Denton County Hunting
Denton County, Texas: the deer bag and buck rules TPWD sets for it, its season calendar by zone, public hunting nearby and where to take game.
Photo: G Yancy (CC BY 2.0)
Denton County covers 879 square miles of land plus 73 of water in the Cross Timbers and Prairies, and Denton is its county seat. Population: 1,045,120 as of 2024, close to 1189 people per square mile. Its whitetail calendar is the North Zone one. The center of the county lies in deer management unit 22.
Denton County: open now and coming up
Rows come from the TPWD county listing and the zone maps. Split counties show which side of the highway each line covers.
| Species | Segment | TPWD zone | First day | Last day | 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 | 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 | |
| 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.
The Denton County deer listing
Buck rules and doe days vary across Texas. This is what TPWD lists for Denton County.
Whitetail limits
Buck restrictions apply: a 13 inch inside spread or one unbranched antler makes a legal buck, two per season, one of them branched and wide.
Other deer rules
In the special late season, only antlerless deer and unbranched bucks are legal.
Deer segments, 2026-27
| Season | Starts | Ends | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | All of it |
| Youth-Only | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | All of it |
| General Season | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | All of it |
| Special Late | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | All of it |
| Youth-Only | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | All of it |
Denton County: WMAs, leases and federal land
Public options start with 4 in Denton County and add 6 within 60 miles. Orange pins sit in the county.
Grapevine Lake
2,300 acres open for white-tailed deer, feral hog, waterfowl.
Lewisville Lake
9,138 acres open for white-tailed deer, feral hog, turkey, dove, waterfowl.
Ray Roberts Public Hunting Lands
41,303 acres open for feral hog, dove, waterfowl, quail, squirrel.
Ray Roberts Lake State Park – Isle du Bois Unit
Open for white-tailed deer, feral hog.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland
Wise County and Montague County, about 30 miles from the center of Denton County.
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
Dallas/Ft. Worth, about 42 miles from the center of Denton County.
Farm Road 2755
Collin County and Rockwall County, about 46 miles from the center of Denton 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.
Outfitting a hunt in Denton County
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Deer feeder
Texas allows feeders on private land, but not for turkey in the East Zone or for migratory birds.
The unit-level harvest picture for Denton County
Texas does not count deer by county. TPWD surveys by management unit, and unit 22 covers the center of Denton County.
TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, unit and ecoregion tables for 2017-18 (report). Estimates, not check-station counts; units cross county lines.
First and last legal light at Denton County
Morning legal light comes 30 minutes before sunrise for every game species. In the evening, migratory birds stop at sunset and everything else 30 minutes later.
Times worked out for Denton 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.
Shops and processors for Denton County hunters
In-county listings lead; neighbors follow, nearest first.
Closest TPWD law enforcement office: TPWD Law Enforcement Office (Fort Worth Area) in Haltom City, about 30 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.
Youth hunts, banquets and contests in Denton County
Retrieved October 11, 2026: 4 upcoming dates, covering banquets, coon hunts and youth hunts.
Next up
| Dates | Event | Where | Tickets or entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026 | 2026 Denton Ducks Unlimited Dinner · chapter dinner and auction | Krum, Denton County | Tickets |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Lake Ray Roberts Coon Hunters Association Nite Hunt (October) · nite hunt or bench show | Gribble Springs, Denton County | Organizer page |
| Dec 18, 2026 | Lake Ray Roberts Coon Hunters Association Nite Hunt (December) · nite hunt or bench show | Gribble Springs, Denton County | Organizer page |
| Jan 16-17, 2027 | Youth Only Gun Deer – Antlerless/Spike – Ray Roberts Lake State Park – Isle du Bois · drawn youth-only hunt | Ray Roberts Lake State Park – Isle du Bois, Denton County | Drawing page |
Sighting in near Denton County
Ranges within Denton County: 7.
County match dates
| Date | Shoot | Format | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | Denton Gun Show (2026-10-16) | Gun show | Info |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Shotgun Match [Action Bays 1~5] (2026-10-17) | Sporting clays | Match page |
| Oct 18, 2026 | Metal Mania Steel [Action Bays 1~5] {Normal Start Time} (2026-10-18) | Steel | Register |
| Oct 24-25, 2026 | TFAA 2026-2027 Indoor: Cinnamon Creek Ranch-1 | TFAA indoor | Enter |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Lewisville Gun Show | Gun show | Info |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Metal Mania Steel [Action Bays 1~5] {Normal Start Time} (2026-11-15) | Steel | Register |
The counties that ring Denton County
6 Texas counties ring Denton County.
Denton County in ten questions
What public tracts can I hunt from Denton County?
Inside the line: Grapevine Lake, Lewisville Lake, Ray Roberts Public Hunting Lands and Ray Roberts Lake State Park – Isle du Bois Unit. Close by: Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland, FM 902 Farm and Lavon Lake.
Which deer calendar does Denton County use?
North Zone. Expect the general season Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027 and archery from Oct 3, 2026.
Turkey hunting in Denton County: open or closed?
Yes, under the fall North Zone and spring North Zone rules. Turkey harvest reporting within 24 hours is mandatory statewide.
Deer bag for Denton County this season?
4 deer total (2 bucks, 2 antlerless).
Which waterfowl zones include Denton County?
Dove North Zone, duck North Zone, goose Eastern Zone.
Does the antler restriction apply to Denton County?
Yes, the 13 inch inside spread rule (or one unbranched antler) is in force.
When do dove hunters stop shooting in Denton County?
Game animals and upland birds: sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset plus 30. Doves, ducks, geese and cranes: same start, sunset finish.
Can I get deer meat processed near Denton County?
The directory has no processor here yet. Use the processing search above.
Are javelina open in Denton County?
Closed to javelina.
Who needs hunter education in Texas?
Hunter education applies to residents and nonresidents alike if their birth date is Sept. 2, 1971 or later. The resident license itself is $25.
Wrapping up Denton County
Drawn hunts, APH leases and federal tracts each carry rules beyond the county page. Open each one before the trip.
Other photos on this page: US Forest Service – Southern Region (Public domain); colmmcsky (CC BY-SA 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0); ejmc (CC BY 2.0); daveynin (CC BY 2.0); greg westfall. (CC BY 2.0); TexasExplorer98 (CC BY 2.0); gurdonark (CC BY 2.0).