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Gulf Prairies and Marshes · Houston/Beaumont
Fort Bend County Hunting
Everything a hunter needs for Fort Bend County: 2026-27 dates by zone, the county deer bag, nearby public ground, legal light and local businesses.
Photo: sonnia hill (CC BY 2.0)
Fort Bend County (862 square miles) sits in the Gulf Prairies and Marshes ecoregion with Richmond as its seat. The Census Bureau puts 2024 population at 958,434 (1112 per square mile). Deer here run on the North Zone calendar. Deer management unit 10 covers the county center.
Fort Bend County whitetail regulations
Pulled from the Fort Bend County page of the 2026-27 Outdoor Annual and checked October 11, 2026.
Fort Bend County deer bag
Legal bucks need an unbranched antler or a 13 inch inside spread. The two-buck limit allows only one with branched antlers on both sides and a 13 inch spread. Does Nov. 7-29, on the license tags.
Also on the listing
It is one of 90 counties with the January muzzleloader season (Jan. 4 to 17, 2027).
Fort Bend County deer calendar
| Segment | First day | Last day | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | Whole county |
| Youth-Only | Oct 30, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | Whole county |
| General Season | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | Whole county |
| Muzzleloader | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | Whole county |
| Youth-Only | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | Whole county |
Every 2026-27 season that covers Fort Bend County
TPWD draws a separate zone map for deer, turkey, dove, ducks, geese, cranes and javelina. These rows are the ones that land on Fort Bend County.
| Game | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes | 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 | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth-Only | North Zone | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 17, 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 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Dove | Regular Season | South Zone | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 21, 2027 | |
| Dove | Falconry | South Zone | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| September teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth-Only | South Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | South Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular Season | South Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Dusky Duck | South Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Falconry | South 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 | |
| Sandhill crane | Regular Season | Zone C | 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.
Where Fort Bend County hunters find public ground
Fort Bend County has 1 listed public tract; 7 more are a drive away. Orange means inside the county.
Justin Hurst WMA – North Stringfellow Pasture
Brazoria County, a 45 miles straight line from here.
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.
Loading up for Fort Bend County
Picked for the hunting done here; prices come from a live search.
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Field dressing kit
Knife, saw and gloves in one pouch for the first job after the shot.
What TPWD’s surveys say about Fort Bend County deer
For a sense of the local herd, here are TPWD’s 2017-18 survey numbers for unit 10.
TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, unit and ecoregion tables for 2017-18 (report). Estimates, not check-station counts; units cross county lines.
Daily shooting window around Fort Bend County
Big game and upland birds get a half hour of light on each end of the day. Waterfowl, doves and cranes get the morning half hour but stop at sunset.
Times worked out for Fort Bend 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.
Who handles game around Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County businesses come first, bordering counties after.
TPWD law enforcement nearest the county: TPWD Law Enforcement Office (Houston South) in Houston, 17 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.
Events at Fort Bend County
Banquets and youth hunts: 2 upcoming dates. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
On the way
| Day | Listing | Location | Go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24-25, 2026 | Youth Only Gun Deer – Antlerless/Spike – Brazos Bend SP · drawn youth-only hunt | Brazos Bend SP, Fort Bend County | Drawing page |
| Nov 5, 2026 | Fort Bend County Ducks Unlimited Sportsman's Dinner & Auction · chapter dinner and auction | Rosenberg, Fort Bend County | Tickets |
Fort Bend County ranges and matches
3 ranges in Fort Bend County, from directory listings checked October 11, 2026.
Hunters’ questions on Fort Bend County
When does deer season close in Fort Bend County?
TPWD files it under the North Zone. Bowhunters start Oct 3, 2026; the general season is Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027.
How many bucks are allowed in Fort Bend County?
A bag of 4, bucks limited to 2, does to 2.
Is any public land open to hunting in Fort Bend County?
The lists put Brazos Bend State Park inside Fort Bend County. Within reach: Stephen F. Austin State Park, San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge and Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA.
Which turkey seasons reach Fort Bend County?
No; turkey is closed in the county.
Which bucks are legal in Fort Bend County?
The restriction applies here: legal bucks have an unbranched antler or a 13 inch spread.
Is Fort Bend County javelina country?
No; javelina cannot be hunted here.
What dove zone is Fort Bend County in?
Bird zones here are South Zone, South Zone and Eastern Zone for dove, ducks and geese.
How much is a Texas resident hunting license?
The resident license is $25 and nonresidents pay $315 for the general license. TPWD requires hunter education for hunters born Sept. 2, 1971 or later.
What hours are legal for deer in Fort Bend County?
Use the seven-day table above. The rule is a half hour either side of sunrise and sunset, with migratory birds ending at sunset.
Which processors are closest to Fort Bend County?
The nearest listed are Cowboys Wild Game Washer.
Off to Fort Bend County
TPWD can change county rules each license year; the 2026-27 listing linked above is the one in force.
Other photos on this page: Jeff Pang (CC BY 2.0); colmmcsky (CC BY-SA 2.0); greg westfall. (CC BY 2.0); aulbarnes08 (CC BY 2.0); Adrian Delgado2012 (CC BY 2.0); US Forest Service – Southern Region (Public domain); aulbarnes08 (CC BY 2.0).